'Microsectioning' is the common terminology for the cutting and polishing of a sample, to a defined position, so that the surface can be examined under a microscope.

Microsectioning of electrical connectors has been a standard method used for purposes of quality control / Inspection and Failure Analysis, and Materials Science. Its importance as a technique increases as the physical size of components such as electrical connectors decreases. In the case of exceedingly small connectors -- with contacts as close as 0.0125", such as those manufactured by Nanonics Corporation of Phoenix, Arizona -- the ability to control the precise surface position of a microsectioned sample becomes critical.

Nanonics connectors have been developed in response to the electronic industry's demands for more and more miniaturization. These tiny connectors are available in a number of standard configurations; rounds, rectangular, strip, in both metal shell and plastic shell -- and even include a hermetically sealed version. Needless to say, the need to meet stringent quality requirements, to assure their users of high performance and reliability means excellent process control and monitoring is required. Much of this is achieved by microsectioning.

One area that receives intense attention is the quality of crimps -- the individual contacts being crimped to wire leads or to flexible circuitry. Microsections of the crimped area are regularly performed to provide assurance that the process continues in control. Two examples are shown below.

These connector microsectioned samples, intersecting the crimp area of the contacts, are prepared using ULTRAPOL Lapping and polishing system, using specially designed workholders designed by ULTRA TEC to hold the Nanonics configurations. The design of the equipment permits rapid demounting of the workholder (as it continues to hold the sectioned connector), inspection, and remounting, for further polishing or material removal.

References:

1. Bert Thompson, Nanonics Corporation, Phoenix Arizona, T 602 581 6188

2. "Keeping Pace with Device Miniaturization"; Robert Stanton, Connector Specifier, August 1997, publ. IHS Publishing Group