Need microscope for IC inspection

In the US,

t=1

Al

(also

better

suited

A jewelry supply. They call them 'findings'.

(also

better

suited

I use a Zoom Microscope to 0.5 to 7X. You can find one on eBay.

that's a neat one. if i was going local i'd try canadawide scientific, besides microscopes in price ranges from that's 'nice' to 'who would you like me to kill this time?', it's the only place i know off hand that supplies prepackaged frozen cats.

--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

Hi Nima, I do the same. In the last years we went from development of electronics to distribution, buying and selling, and now we even starting to make our own parts (fabless, we let others produce). We now do all: development, trade etc.

What you need is a good magnifying glass. You can find them at shops that sell glasses and/or jewelry. Go for 10x, 20x. I have such a magnifying glass. But I also use a microscope of Biolux (a cheap one),

40X to 1024X. Only the 40X is useful for your purposes.

The problem with a microscope is that the parts have to be very near to the glass of you microscopy. It is difficult to focus on pins of the component that can't get near enough. Also the light source is difficult as most microscopes are made to check things with light passing through. So you would have to use several lamps to light the components. I would really go for a good magnifying glass, like the foldable ones with a millimeter scale. Or use the ones that are used for pcb inspection. Probably available at Farnell / RS components etc?

And yes, I have encountered refurbs too. Even put in tape again! One of my customers even told me a story of his friend buying a reel of expensive components - they tested them, they were ok. Only to find out later that only the first 50 on the reel were real parts, and the others 4950 fake...

Often such activities take place in China. Trading with China is totally different than trading in our countries. You have to make sure the Chinese buyer/seller has no "loss of face" etc. That is why we have a man there who checks out companies, makes contacts etc, with insight in the Chinese culture. Feel free to ask our services.

I have a question: I am searching for lists of unreliable companies, and of foto's or refurbs or fake parts. If you have any, I would welcome them very much.

Regards, Pieter Hoeben email: snipped-for-privacy@NOSPAMhoeben.com (remove NOSPAM to send me email)

... snip...

I just went to eBay, search for zoom microscope and I got a whole bunch of zoom microscopes,

All of these would do the job. Seems there's alot of good feedback from the sellers too.

A good quality (640 x 480 x 30 fps) USB2 webcam works remarkably well. They can be made to focus very close in. Show / store the results on PC.

--
 - René

Walmart has a nice USB microscope on sale.

It looks like the Intel/Mattel QX3 microscope has been upgrades to the QX5 with white LED lighting, better resolution and a faster frame rate. It might actually make a usable digital microscope now.

--
?

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

I have a 3, and the only real complaint I have with it is the lighting. I've used it many times, and it always makes a good impression.. "wow you have a video microscope?" When I tell them I only paid $50 for it, they are amazed.

I have the QX3 as well but the slow frame rate bothers me. I have vision problems and any visible flicker gives me headaches. I used to work at a TV station running 16 mm film. I could see the single frame "Inset commercial here" with the film running at 24 frames per second. No one else could see it, but after trying with several films that just arrived they finally believed me. The new one is supposed to have a faster frame rate and I'd like to try one to see if its any better for my needs.

--
?

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

I've got one on the way for my son's birthday, hopefully we can make some of the third-party Mac software work. Plenty of PeeCees around, but this would be an ideal Mac toy...

Its a TWAIN compliant USB camera so it should work OK, even if you can't make the supplied software work. Its a simple graphics manipulation program that's rather irritating to use.

--
?

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida