Knowledge Hub
Your Gateway to Technical Knowledge Exchange for the Global Electronics Community
Explore our database of industry knowledge that fuels innovation, learning, and professional growth. Knowledge Hub is a collection of conference technical papers, webinars, presentations, on-demand video and more. You can search by author, title, keyword and type of content. You can also search for keywords and topics in the Tag field. Access to Knowledge Hub is reserved for members.
Challenges Associated with Non-Clean Liquid Flux Selection to Meet Industry Standards
The selection of a liquid flux for use in wave soldering operations is extremely critical to both the manufacturing assembly process and the long term reliability of electronic assemblies. As i
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Divergence in Test Results Using IPC Standard SIR and Ionic Contamination Measurements
Controlled humidity and temperature controlled surface insulation resistance (SIR) measurements of flux covered test vehicles,subject to a direct current (D.C.) bias voltage are recognized by a
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
A Novel Solution for No-Clean Flux Not Fully Dried Under Component Terminations
The miniaturization trend is driving industry to adopting low standoff components or components in cavity. The cost reduction pressure is pushing telecommunication industry to combine assembly
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Development of Halogen Free,Low Loss Copper-Clad Laminates Containing a Novel Phosphonate Oligomer
With the rapid development of the information industry,increasing attention is being paid to the dielectric performance of base materials including copper-clad laminates (CCL) and prepregs. In
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Unique Implementation of a 15 Layer,Unboned/Looseleaf,Bookbinder Rigid Flex with Backdrill and LGA Interconnect
While flex and rigid flex (IPC-6013 Types 1 through 4i[1]) have always been important in 3D packaging to help resolve space constraints and meet other design requirements,the continued push for
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Smart Factory at Fuyong
The highly-automated and connection-driven methods in Electronics Manufacturing is a more and more important topic in the industry today. Advances in modern manufacturing technologies make fact
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Will the "Internet of Manufacturing" Really Affect Business?
With technology these days,we often find solutions without a problem,rather than the other way around. The concept of the “Internet of Manufacturing” (IoM),combined with the evolution toward au
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
IPC-1782 Standard for Traceability Supporting Counterfeit Components
Traceability has grown from being a specialized need for certain safety critical segments of the industry,to now being a recognized value-add tool for the industry as a whole. The perception of
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
2.5D and 3D Semiconductor Package Technology: Evolution and Innovation
The electronics industry is experiencing a renaissance in semiconductor package technology. A growing number of innovative 3D package assembly methodologies have evolved to enable the electroni
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Low Profile Embedded Magnetics for RF Communication Systems
Portable electronics demand that inductors and transformers be implemented in low profile surface mount packages. In communication systems,magnetic components are used for impedance matching,vo
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
NSOP Reduction for QFN RFIC Packages
Wire bonded packages using conventional copper leadframe have been used in industry for quite some time. The growth of portable and wireless products is driving the miniaturization of packages
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Challenges on ENEPIG Finished PCBs: Gold Ball Bonding and Pad Metal Lift
As a surface finish for PCBs,Electroless Nickel/Electroless Palladium/Immersion Gold (ENEPIG) was selected over Electroless Nickel/Immersion Gold (ENIG) for CMOS image sensor applications with
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
An Investigation into the Use of Nano-Coated Stencils to Improve Solder Paste Printing with Small Aperture Area Ratios
Certain types of nano-coated stencils dramatically improve the transfer efficiency of solder paste during paste printing. These nano-coatings also refine the solder paste brick shape giving imp
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Comparison of Site Printing Performance for Rework - Adhesive Backed Plastic versus Mini Metal Stencils
Ever since there has been a widespread usage of surface mount parts,the trend of continued shrinkage of devices with ever finer pitches has continued to challenge PCB assemblers for the rework
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Mitigation of Pure Tin Risk by Tin-Lead SMT Reflow - Results of an Industry Round-Robin
The risk associated with whisker growth from pure tin solderable terminations is fully mitigated when all of the pure tin is dissolved into tin-lead solder during SMT reflow. In order to take f
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
To Quantify a Wetting Balance Curve
Wetting balance testing has been an industry standard for evaluating the solderability of final finishes on printed circuit boards (PCB) for many years. A Wetting Balance Curve showing Force as
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Additive Manufacturing in a Supply Chain Solution Provider Environment
Additive Manufacturing has recently been brought into the spotlight as an alternative manufacturing method. While there are many different additive manufacturing technologies,the two that will
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
21st Century PCB FAB Factory Design Which Eliminates Regional Cost Advantages
Over fifteen years has passed since North America and Europe ceased being the center of worldwide PCB fabrication,and were supplanted by a Far East market with low cost labor,more relaxed envir
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
RoHS Substance Measurements in Complex Products
With the wide breadth of component types used in complex electronic equipment,implementation of the European Union Restriction of Hazardous Substances 2011/65/EU/ (RoHS) is a challenge. A low v
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
PCB Cleanliness Assessment Methodologies - A Comparative Study
PCB manufacturers use a wide variety of solder pastes and fluxes including No-Clean,RMA and OA,both leaded and lead-free within their processes. As part of the manufacturing process,components
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Void Reduction in Reflow Soldering Processes by Sweep Stimulation of PCB Substrate
Due to the ongoing trend towards miniaturization of power components,the need for increased thermal conductivity of solder joints in SMT processes gains more and more importance. Therefore,the
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Controlling Voiding Mechanisms in the Reflow Soldering Process
While a significant level of voiding can be tolerated in solder joints where electrical conductivity is the main requirement,voiding at any level severely compromises thermal conductivity. For
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Novel Thermally Conductive Low Pressure Overmold Materials as a Solution for Thermal Management
The dissipation of heat from a power die,such as those used to drive the increasingly popular LED arrays,has traditionally been achieved by use of a thermal interface material (TIM) and a metal
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Can Lower Temperature Solderable Adhesive Replace SAC Paste
The electronic industry is currently very interested in low temperature soldering processes,such as using Sn/Bi alloy,to improve process yield,eliminate the head-in-pillow effect,and enhance re
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Thermal Profile Variation and PCB Reliability
When designing PCBs,solder paste selection is critical. Once a specific paste type and supplier are identified,the manufacturing process is developed and refined. Critical to the quality of the
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Does Solder Particle Size Impact the Electrical Reliability of a No-Clean Solder Paste Flux Residue
No-clean soldering processes continue to dominate the electronics manufacturing world,especially amongst consumer-type electronics. For many years,type 3 was pretty much the “standard” solder p
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Solderability and Reliability Evolution of no-Clean Solder Fluxes for Selective Soldering
Flux consumption for wave soldering tends to decrease,mainly due to its gradual replacement by reflow soldering methods (i.e. pin-in-paste) in many electronics applications. However,in several
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Factors Affecting the Adhesion of Thin Film Copper on Polyimide
The use of copper foils laminated to polyimide (PI) as flexible printed circuit board precursor is a standard practice in the PCB industry. We have previously described [1] an approach to very
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Approaches to Commercializing New Nano-Electronic Materials
•Nano-electronics potential
•Barriers to entry – and opportunities
•Examples
–Nano-solder
–Capacitor materials
–Graphene
•Opportunities for rapid commercialization?
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Improved Maintenance and Reliability for Large Volume Underfill Processes
An ever-increasing number of electronics assembly applications are using flip chip packages that require large volume underfill. Large volume underfill is typically defined as being for a die s
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
A Review of Jetting Technologies for Fluid Dispensing - Identifying the Features that Influence Productivity
As consumer products continue to reduce in price,pressure is placed upon the manufacturing of sub-components for improving cost. Back in the mid-1990s,jet valves for fluid dispensing in electro
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Utility of Dual Applicators for Non-Atomized Conformal Coating to Improve High-Volume Manufacturing Optimization
Electronics manufacturers protect their circuit boards with conformal coatings. Conformal coatings serve as a barrier from environmental hazards and internal shorts,tin whiskers,and corrosion a
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
PCB Sourcing Using PCQR
In a global market,it is often difficult to determine the best PCB suppliers for your technology needs,while also achieving the lowest costs for your products. Considering each PCB supplier has
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Test Method Development for Detecting Pitting/Crevice Corrosion Formation on Electronic Assemblies
Pitting/Crevice corrosion on printed circuit boards has not been well studied in the industry. This mechanism has been seen at small solder mask openings near circuit traces on printed circuit
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Condensation Testing - A New Approach
Conformal coatings are applied to protect electronic assemblies from adventitious environmental factors,which include,for example,corrosive gases,corrosive fluids and high humidity. Whenever th
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
Effect of Permittivity and Dissipation Factor of Solder Mask Upon Measured Loss
Existing coated microstrip trace impedance estimation usually uses the dielectric constant (Dk) of solder mask ink measured at 1 MHz from its datasheet. Or,some printed circuit board (PCB) manu
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2016
The Role of Organic Amines in Soldering Materials
The transition from eutectic tin-lead to lead-free soldering in electronic assembly,mandatedby the RoHS legislation, has brought great pressure and challenge to solder mater
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
Dispelling the Black Magic of Solder Paste
Solder paste has long been viewed as “black magic”. This “black magic” can easily be dispelled through a solder paste evaluation. Unfortunately,solder paste evaluation can be a challenge for el
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
Can Age and Storage Conditions Affect the SIR Performance of a No-Clean Solder Paste Flux Residue?
The SMT assembly world,especially within the commercial electronics realm,is dominated by no-clean solder paste technology. A solder paste flux residue that does not require removal is very att
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
A Study on Using Solid State Relay (SSR) in Automatic Test Equipment
Reed relay is widely used in Automatic Test Equipment (ATE) for its high speed,low cost and wide availabilities. However,being mechanical relays,they have their share of limitations and this pa
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
Make the Right Design Choices in Load Switching and Simulation in a High Current and Mechatronic Functional Test
In a typical mechatronic manufacturing functional test setup,actual load simulations are usually done by connecting the DUT outputs to power or ground in order to establish either a high or low
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
Characterization of Solder Defects in Package on Packages with AXI Systems for Inspection Quality Improvement
As a part of series of studies on X-Ray inspection technology to quantify solder defects in BGA balls,we have conducted inspection of 3 level POP package by using a new AXI that capable of 3D-C
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
Embedding Passive and Active Components: PCB Design and Fabrication Process Variations
Embedding components within the PC board structure is not a new concept. Until recently,however,most embedded component PC board applications adapted only passive elements. The early component
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
What is needed to Successfully Introduce "Device Embedding Technology" in Design and Manufacturing of PCBs and PCBAs to Add Value to Your Products?
The embedding of components in electronic interconnection structures has been carried out for more than 30 years. It is regarded as the “poor men’s silicon device”. Different technologies have
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
Important Considerations in the Design of Solderless Electronic Assemblies
Soldering has been a key process step in the manufacture of electronic assemblies since the earliest days of the electronics industry,it is also one of the most challenging processes to control
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
Press Fit Technology Roadmap and Control Parameters for a High Performance Process
Press-fit technology is a proven and widely used and accepted interconnection method for joining electronics assemblies. Printed Circuit Board Assembly Systems and typical functional subassembl
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
EMI-Caused EOS Sources in Automated Equipment
Electrical overstress causes damage to sensitive components,including latent damage. A significant source of EOS is high-frequency noise in automated manufacturing equipment. This paper analys
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
A Case Study on Evaluating Manual and Automated Heat Sink Assembly using FEA and Testing
Proper assembly of components is critical in the manufacturing industry as it affects functionality and reliability. In a heat sink assembly,a detailed manual process is often utilized. However
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
Effective Methods to Get Volatile Compounds Out of Reflow Process
Although reflow ovens may not have been dramatically changed during the last decade the reflow process changes step by step. With the introduction of lead-free soldering not only operation tem
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015
Materials Compatibility and Aging for Flux and Cleaner Combinations
A materials study of high reliability electronics cleaning is presented here. In Phase 1,mixed type substrates underwent a condensed contaminants application to view a worst-case scenario for
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Event
IPC APEX EXPO 2015