Remanufactured packaged semiconductors

A key strategy for a high-level reuse of semiconductors from smartphones and other mobile devices is a sound remanufacturing process for harvesting and reworking packaged components. The reliability of these remanufactured integrated circuits needs to be validated to allow for a re-integration in new products. Only if the remanufactured components are not a weak spot in new devices the full circular economy potential of semiconductor reuse can be explored.
sustainablySMART partner Semicon, supported by Tele- and Radio Research Institute (ITR), developed a remanufacturing technology of valuable semiconductor components de-soldered from used mobile products, which was validated in laboratory and industrial investigations. Components in Ball Grid Array (BGA) housing such as flash memories, processors, microcontrollers etc. were selected for the remanufacturing process.
After all laboratory and industrial trials a technique based on automatic solder spheres placing on components pads and flux application was selected as the most promising technique for remanufacturing of valuable semiconductor components. The technology verified independently by partners ITR and Speech in lab and industrial environment confirmed good quality and high reliability of semiconductor components after remanufacturing process.
The remanufactured components using the technique T3E3 seem to be more reliable than it was expected by the project team. This issue will be the subject of further investigation in upcoming project activities.