Abstract
This study aims to characterize and assess the nano-grained tungsten carbide (WC) as a tooling material for dejunk application in the semiconductor industry. Characterization techniques were employed to evaluate the following: a) mechanical properties (hardness and modulus of elasticity), b) microstructure and grain size, and c) material composition. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Scanning Acoustic Tomography (SCAT) were used to check and assess the performance of the nano-grained WC compared with the existing coarse-grained WC used by the semiconductor industry. Results showed that the structure and grain size is a function of hardness and the material's ability to resist wear. The nano-grained WC has higher resistance to damage and no delamination was observed on the IC packages.
