They took the tubes: new X-ray equipment will help to find defects in electronics faster
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- They took the tubes: new X-ray equipment will help to find defects in electronics faster
Russian scientists have developed and launched mass production of the first domestic class of collapsible X-ray tubes designed for high-precision detection of hidden defects in electronics, industrial equipment and other high-tech products. The new solution not only ensures diagnostic quality at the level of the best foreign analogues, but also, unlike traditional X-ray sources, allows you to repair tubes without completely replacing them. This significantly reduces the cost of operating the equipment, experts told Izvestia. At the same time, they noted that the key factor will be to confirm the reliability of the new technology in conditions of long-term operation.
A new class of X-ray tubes
LETI has developed a new class of domestic collapsible X-ray tubes, which has no analogues in Russia. These X-ray sources provide highly informative images with ultra-high resolution, inaccessible to most existing X-ray diagnostic systems. The technology is particularly in demand in the field of non-destructive testing of industrial products, as it allows detecting even the smallest internal defects.
This is a complex, high-tech product, and only a few countries are mass-producing it today. Since there were no such solutions in modern Russia, a team of specialists from the Diagnostics-M company and employees of the Department of Electronic Devices and Devices (EPU) of St. Petersburg State Technical University LETI began implementing a project to develop and put into mass production a Russian collapsible X-ray tube. The goal is to achieve the country's technological sovereignty in one of the most important industries, the scientists said.
— As part of the project, the first Russian collapsible X-ray tube, the PPT 225, was developed. Tests of the installation batch showed that the device's characteristics are not inferior to the best imported analogues. It allows you to operate the X-ray machine at the maximum current and power parameters on the target, providing high information content and image quality. This is especially important in the production of high—tech products, for example, for quality control of electronic components, mounting of printed circuit boards, and so on," said Nikolai Potrakhov, Head of the Department of EPU at St. Petersburg State Technical University LETI.
One of the key operating conditions of an X—ray tube is the creation and maintenance of a working vacuum. In classic non-collapsible tubes, all structural elements are sealed in a special glass vacuum cylinder. Therefore, if its integrity is violated or any internal component of the structure fails, it must be disposed of. In collapsible tubes, a vacuum is created and maintained using a special pump. In case of a breakdown, they can be quickly repaired and put back into operation.
X-ray radiation was discovered by the German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895. Since then, it has been actively used to study the internal structure of objects in various spheres of life — from the study of ancient artifacts and electronic chips to plant seeds and the human body. Over the past decades, such technology has developed rapidly. Today, radiography is a fast and affordable way of non—destructive diagnostics and control of objects in various industries, from medicine and electronics to works of art.
The developed X-ray tube formed the basis of the Orel—2 X-ray booth, a large robotic industrial tomograph created by Diagnostic-M specialists. The company is currently mass-producing this equipment.
Prospects for new tubes in the radio electronics industry
This is a useful development for the radio electronics industry, says Olga Kozhukhovskaya, CEO of the autonomous non-profit organization Consortium of Printed Circuit Boards. The tube allows you to identify the smallest defects, which directly increases the reliability of the products.
— It is important that LETI focuses on many other promising developments, from new materials to quality control systems. The University is able to bring its ideas to mass production, meeting the real needs of Russian industry. For radio electronics, such projects are not just science, but the basis of technological sovereignty," she said in an interview with Izvestia.
This development can be used in areas where high—precision non-destructive testing is required, for example in microelectronics - when checking printed circuit boards, microcircuits and other complex electronic components, says NTI expert on new materials and technologies Evgeny Vishnevsky. According to him, the solution makes it possible to identify defects hidden inside the products, including installation failures, voids in solder joints and other damages that can subsequently lead to equipment failure.
— In my opinion, the market demand for such solutions is very high. Modern industry is increasingly moving towards miniature, complex and high—precision products, which means that the demand for high-quality X-ray monitoring systems will only grow," he said.
If we talk about the impact on the industry as a whole, then such a development can really help the domestic microelectronics industry take a serious step forward, the expert said. It reduces dependence on imported solutions and creates its own base, without which sustainable development of high-tech production is impossible.
However, it is premature to talk about a significant impact on the microelectronics market, experts noted. The key issue is not only to create the X-ray tube itself, but also to confirm its reliability during long-term operation and the cost-effectiveness of maintenance, as well as the competitiveness of the system in real-world production conditions.
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