2015’s Most Read PCB Articles

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Coated Ultra-Thin Copper on Printed Circuit Laminate

Nano copper-based electronic ink and associated processing have been developed to create ultra-thin copper on flexible PCB substrates, allowing for much finer etch resolution and increased circuit density. The process is rapid and sufficiently low-temperature to allow deposition onto temperature-sensitive substrates such as polyimide, plastic and paper.

IMPACT 2015: An In-Depth Look

IPC understands that presenting a unified voice for the electronics industry is essential for advancing policies that affect the industry’s long-term future and strengthens the U.S. and global economy. that is why 22 IPC member-company executives descended on the nation’s capital for IMpact 2015: Ipc on capitol hill, IPC’s annual advocacy event.

A Cautionary Tale: Counterfeit Materials

John Ling of EIPC writes, “Risk from counterfeits wears many hats. There is reputational risk, which can be damaging; there is inherent safety risk, which could be fatal; and there is financial risk to the OEM, the PCB manufacturer, and the PCB broker. One way of minimizing risk is by dealing direct.”

Institute of Circuit Technology 41st Annual Symposium

ICT technical director Bill Wilkie has always excelled in locating interesting and unusual venues for the Institute of circuit technology annual Symposium, and this year was no exception. For the 2015 event, the 41st, he chose the Black Country Living Museum, an open-air museum of rebuilt historic buildings in the home of the original Industrial Revolution.

01/04/2023 | Britta Schafsteller, Atotech

Immersion tin is well accepted as a high-reliability final finish in the industry. Due to its excellent corrosion resistance, it exhibits major market shares, particularly in the automotive industry. During the soldering process, an intermetallic compound (IMC) is formed between copper and tin. One remaining concern in the industry is the potential impact of the IMC on the solderability of the final finish. In this article, typical failure modes in soldering immersion tin are described and correlated to potential root causes for the defects.

12/21/2022 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007

Candor Industries is a PCB fabricator investing in UHDI fabrication capabilities in Canada. To support advanced packaging, as well as the current pace of IC process shrinks, PCB fabrication capabilities must shrink to keep up. Sunny Patel, Candor’s technical sales manager, brings us up to speed on what Candor has learned in their journey to add UHDI. What we gain from this interview is that, while certainly not insignificant, the stretch to add UHDI may be not as far as one might think.

12/20/2022 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007

During a recent tour of the MKS facility in Beaverton, Oregon, I met with Todd Templeton, Chris Ryder, Kyle Baker, and Martin Orrick. As a reminder, MKS acquired ESI in 2019 and has retained the ESI brand. In this interview, they explain their approach to HDI and ultra HDI, the current state of base materials, and what the future looks like on the cutting edge of technology.