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.

Thin Film Embedded Resistor Processing in Sequential Lamination Printed Circuit

New interconnect technologies continue to shrink feature size,increase routing complexity and component density in multilayer rigid and rigid-flex printed circuits. Printed circuit fabricators .. read more

Using Embedded Capacitance to Improve Electrical Performance,Eliminate Capacitors and Reduce Board Size In High Speed Digital and RF Applications

The global electronics industry is exhibiting a widespread and growing interest in the technology of embedded passives. This interest can be attributed to three primary benefits. First,embedded .. read more

Development of Novel Thin Material for Decoupling Capacitors Embedded in PWBs

Many techniques have been developed to embed capacitors in printed wiring boards (PWBs) these days. The simplest way may be embedding chip capacitors in PWBs. However,since their thickness is o .. read more

An Analytical Analysis of the Fluid Mechanics Involved In PCB Plating

It has been the conventional wisdom of the industry that the predominate board parameter associated with through hole plating is the aspect ratio of the through hole. While this is intuitively .. read more

The Advantages of Mildly Alkaline Immersion Silver as a Final Finish for Solderability

The immersion silver process has become the first choice of final finishing for many original equipment manufacturers (OEM) because of its shortened process flow,good conductivity,even depositi .. read more

Uninformed Plating of Micro vias and Blind vias

Jobs are becoming more difficult to complete to specifications as the complexity of parts increases. With electronic power components getting more advanced everyday reverse pulse technology is .. read more

Direct Plating for Flex and Rigid-Flex Boards

In manufacturing flexible and rigid-flex boards,the metallization step using electroless copper poses a major challenge,namely the leaching of polyimide base material into the plating bath. Lea .. read more

The New Lead Free Assembly Rework Solution Using Low Melting Alloys

This paper describes a new lead-free SMT rework process which avoids component overheating,reduces board warpage and cratering,and prevents adjacent components from thermal damage. In the repla .. read more

Determining the Reliability of Tacky Fluxes in Varying Soldering Applications

The use of tacky fluxes is common throughout the industry in applications such as ball attach,BGA repair and hand soldering. These applications employ different heating profiles,meaning that th .. read more

Lead-free Rework Experiences Using SAC and Sn-Cu Based Alloys

As companies transition over to lead-free assembly a certain amount of hand-soldering and rework will be performed. An article from Tech Search International last year did state that in Asia wh .. read more

Effects of BGA Rework Cycles on PCB Assembly Reliability

BGA component removal and replacement are required during product development and repair operations. In general,a single rework on specific location is permitted without causing excessive damag .. read more

Novel SACX Solders with Drop Test Performance Outperforming Eutectic Tin-Lead

A family of SACX alloys has been developed with significant improvement in drop test performance on NiAu surface finish. Dopants such as Mn,Bi,Ti,Ce,and to a less extent Y for SAC105 have been .. read more

Wafer Bumping Stenciling Techniques with Solder Paste

Wafer bumping using thin electroformed nickel stencils with ultra fine powder solder paste continues to gain popularity as a cost effective alternative to ball drop and electroplated technologi .. read more

Thixotropy of Solder Paste Impacts Repeatability and Reproducibility of Rheometric Results

The widespread use of SAC-based (SnAgCu) lead-free solder paste drives the industry toward a smaller process window. This is due to higher reflow temperatures as well as the limited thermal res .. read more

Sublimation of Two Dicarboxylic Acids Used in Solder Pastes

Our industry is slowly coming to the realization that many fluxes containing low molecular weight carboxylic acids cannot be adequately tested for surface insulation resistance and electrochemi .. read more

Parylene as a Suppressant for Tin Whiskers Growth on Printed Circuit Boards

With the implementation of RoHS directives,pure tin plating is replacing lead in the tin-alloy used in the printed circuit boards and other worldwide electronics. Although use of tin provides a .. read more

New Methods to Efficiently Test the Reliability of Plated Vias and to Model Plated Via Life from Laminate Material Data

This paper continues work by Sun Microsystems and the University of Maryland,CALCE[1] to predict plated through via life using laminate material properties,plated copper material properties,and .. read more

A DOE to assess PCB fabrication material design and process using IST (Interconnect Stress Testing) to improve fine pitch BGA via reliability

During the development of a new medical imaging system,via quality was identified as a potentially source of infantile failures. Premature via failures were precipitated in a critical 14 layer .. read more

Process Development for 01005 Lead-Free Passive Assembly: Stencil Printing

For some years now,an area ratio of 0.66 or greater has been the criterion for stencil apertures to achieve acceptable volume control in the printed solder paste “brick,” for small apertures Me .. read more

Mass Reflow Assembly of 01005 Components

As the electronics assembly industry adjusts to building boards with 0201 components,the next level of shrinkage for chip components is just around the corner with the emergence of 01005s. A ke .. read more

Optimizing Pallet Materials for Long Life and Ease of Machining

This paper will present seven different materials used for the production of both wave solder and reflow solder pallets. The goal of this study will be for the purpose of depicting machining ca .. read more

Liquid Tin Corrosion and Lead Free Wave Soldering

Corrosion of solder pots and solder pot components in wave soldering equipment has been reduced with the introduction of corrosion resistant coatings and improved lead free solder alloys. The l .. read more

Lessons Learned About Laminates during Migration to Lead-Free Soldering

This paper provides a high-level overview of many of the key lessons learned thus far in working with PCB fabricators in qualifying laminate/fabrication processes that will yield fundamental pr .. read more

Reflow Defects with Lead-Free Soldering Moisture Sensitive Components

Soldering with lead-free solders has become an international standard. A study conducted by the Dresden Technical University and rehm Anlagenbau examines which influences various parameters hav .. read more

Effect of Conformal Coating on Tin Whisker Growth

This paper will present the testing performed to date by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control on Tin Whisker test coupons. Coupons are representative lead materials and are half coated wit .. read more