iNEMI Publishes Best Practices for Protecting the Reliability and Integrity of Electronic Equipment when Disinfecting for COVID-19

Jul 27, 2020

Key Summary

• iNEMI released best practices to help manufacturers disinfect electronic products safely during COVID-19
• Guidance fills a gap because EPA, CDC, and WHO cleaning recommendations do not address risks to electronics
• Many common disinfectants or application methods can damage internal components if they penetrate equipment
• An expert team assessed EPA List N disinfectants and identified lower-risk options and safer application approaches
• The full best practices document is available through iNEMI for industry use

The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI)  announced publication of “Recommended Best Practices for Protecting the Reliability and Integrity of Electronic Products and Assemblies when Disinfecting for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).”

“With the COVID-19 crisis, several of our members have contacted iNEMI for guidance on how to mitigate the possible detrimental impact of disinfecting procedures on electronic equipment and assemblies,” said Marc Benowitz, iNEMI CEO. “There are guidelines from groups such as the U.S. EPA, CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding cleaning and disinfecting for COVID-19, but none of these address the impact of disinfectants and their application methods on electronic equipment and assemblies.”

“Many commonly recommended disinfection substances and/or application methods could potentially cause failures in electronic equipment if the internal electronics were inadvertently exposed to them,” continued Benowitz. “This is an obvious concern for electronics manufacturers who are wanting to ensure the safety of their employees, supply chain partners and customers, while protecting the reliability and integrity of their products.”

Benowitz explains that, in response to this industry need, a team of experts from across iNEMI member organizations reviewed key industry, government and technical sources and assembled a best practices document. The team assessed the chemicals included in the U.S. EPA List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and common application methods, identifying those substances that minimize the risk of negative impact on electronic equipment when applied in an appropriate manner.

iNEMI’s best practices are now available on the iNEMI website. Download the document:  https://www.inemi.org/disinfecting-best-practices-request

Q:
Why did iNEMI publish best practices for disinfecting electronics during COVID-19?
A:

Members needed guidance because existing public-health recommendations did not address how disinfectants could harm electronic assemblies if misapplied or if chemicals reached internal components.
 

Q:
What risks do common disinfectants pose to electronic equipment?
A:

Some substances and application methods can cause failures if liquids or vapors enter the device, making safe material selection and controlled application essential.
 

Q:
How did iNEMI develop the best practices guidance?
A:

A cross-industry expert team reviewed technical sources and evaluated disinfectants listed on EPA List N to determine which options reduced potential harm when used correctly.
 

Q:
Does the guidance replace EPA or CDC cleaning instructions?
A:

No. It complements public-health guidance by focusing specifically on protecting product reliability and integrity during disinfection.
 

Mid-year U.S. Economic Outlook: Will Headwinds Curtail the Recovery?

Date
-

This free webinar will examine the impacts COVID-19 is having on the U.S. economy and the prospects for an economic recovery in the coming months. Shawn Dubravac, IPC chief economist explores possible recovery scenarios and what they mean for the electronics manufacturing industry. We’ll take a deep dive into the latest economic data, trends, and risks. We’ll also explore IPC’s current economic outlook and provide a near-term forecast.

Online Event

3000 Lakeside Dr.
Suite 105N
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

Online Event

Online Event
3000 Lakeside Dr.
Bannockburn, IL 60015
United States

Solving the Surface Finish Selection Paradox

Jul 14, 2020

By Kunal Shah, Ph.D., LiloTree

Surface finish is applied on to copper (Cu) integration scheme on printed circuit boards (PCBs) and semiconductors wafers. Choice of surface finish is critical because the performance and reliability of the electronic assemblies depends on the right selection. There are several options available in the market and one (OEM, PCB manufacturers, PCB designers, EMS) needs to consider the following critical selection criteria,

  1. Insertion loss: Next generation electronic assemblies require HDI, high frequency PCBs. Right choice of surface finish is critical to attain optimum signal integrity with minimal insertion loss. Materials like Nickel (Ni) in ENIG/ENEPIG have lower conductivity and electromagnetism leading to high insertion loss. Immersion Sn, EPAG/EPIG also show insertion loss. It is critical to select a surface finish with insertion loss equivalent to copper substrate for superior performance.
  2. Solder joint reliability: Few surface finishes options (i.e. ENIG, etc.) tend to form brittle solder joints with lead-free solder. Also, Ni based surface finishes form Sn-Ni intermetallics/solder joints which are less strong to Sn-Cu intermetallics. Can the surface finish participate in ensuring smaller intermetallics and robust solder joints? The choice of the surface finish is critical in ensuring robust solder joints in your final assembly.
  3. Shelf life: Looking at the current pandemic situation going on around the world, longer shelf life is critical  due to supply chain disruptions across the world. Flexibility in assembly, shipping and other logistics is a critical need. Several surface finish options show concerns over longer shelf life, i.e. Immersion Silver (Ag), Immersion Tin (Sn), OSP, etc. However, ENIG, ENEPIG, soft Gold (Au), hard Au, etc. show longer shelf life due to Au as outer most layer in the final finish.
  4. Reflow cycles during assembly: With ever-increasing complexity of the electronic assemblies, it is paramount to have the surface finish that can withstand multiple reflow cycles (3+). There are few surface finishes options i.e. OSP, Immersion Ag, etc. which may compromise soon after couple reflow cycles. Usually surface finishes (ENIG, ENEPIG, etc.) with Au as outer most layer in the finish show good performance after multiple reflow cycles.
  5. Cost-effective: It is also critical to review cost during the selection of the surface finish. There are few options that involve use of precious metals, i.e. Ag, Au, Palladium (Pd). Some options use very thick Au layer (20-30+ micro inches in soft/hard gold) whereas others use multiple precious metals (Pd and Au in ENEPIG/EPIG). Thickness of these surface finishes are critical to ensure cost-effectiveness.

Overall performance and reliability of electronic assemblies depends on the right material selection of every component involved. The surface finishes on the PCBs are critical piece to ensure the optimum performance and reliability of the electronic assemblies. Pay attention which selecting surface finishes for PCBs and wafers.

IPC Statement on June’s Job Numbers

The following statement is attributed to John Mitchell, IPC president and CEO, regarding June’s unemployment report from the U.S. Department of Labor. Based on the data, IPC estimates the electronics manufacturing industry gained 20,000 jobs.

“Headwinds remain, given economic uncertainties and operating restrictions related to COVID. But the employment numbers suggest electronics manufacturers are successfully adapting to the new environment by putting in place worker health practices that allow them to return to normal operating levels. If Coronavirus-related restrictions ease in the coming months, IPC predicts further job gains will wipe out a job deficit of 23,000 from April and May.”

IPC Announces Paige Fiet as First IPC Board of Directors Student Liaison

For the first time, the IPC Board of Directors will include an IPC student member with a full voting board seat, in response to increased student member involvement in IPC and the potential for student members, as the emerging workforce, to influence workforce development. Paige Fiet, president of the IPC Student Chapter at Michigan Technological University, was elected as the first IPC Board of Directors Student Member Liaison. The IPC Education Foundation (IPCEF) developed the nomination/election process with IPC Student Chapter advisors and every IPC Student Chapter member was eligible to vote.

“We discovered that our IPC student members are eager to learn more about the industry and to engage with IPC member companies to understand the skills needed to get a job,” said IPC President and CEO John Mitchell. “What better way to understand the student experience and to connect to our next generation of engineers than to add a full voting board seat for an IPC Student Chapter member? We are very excited to welcome Paige to the IPC Board of Directors.”

Currently a summer employee at Calumet Electronics, Fiet attends Michigan Technological University, where she is pursuing an electrical engineering degree with a biomed application. “It is an honor for me to have been chosen and I feel like I will get invaluable experience and insight into the inner-workings of IPC,” stated Fiet. “I hope to convey the needs of the students to the Board of Directors. I also intend to learn how to better reach the IPC Student Chapter members and show them how involvement with IPC can benefit them.”

As a student Board member, Fiet will have full voting rights and attend all Board meetings. Her role is focused on bringing a fresh perspective to the table, based on students’ needs and aspirations as a representative of her fellow IPC student members. She will serve until December 2021.

IPC Partners with in4ma to Support EMS Industry in Europe

IPC has partnered with German-based in4ma to better support standards, education and advocacy needs for the growing EMS industry in Europe. Formed by Dieter G. Weiss in 2015, in4ma has been a leading market research and industry analysis consulting company supporting the 45 billion Euro EMS industry.       

Philippe Leonard, senior director of European Operations for IPC stated, “We have been closely following Dieter’s work for some time – he is a true champion for the industry. We are looking forward to working with him to develop programs to help our members become more financially successful.”

“We are very fortunate to be working with Dieter,” said Sanjay Huprikar, vice president of solutions for IPC. “His incredible work in fostering meaningful and timely statistical analysis, market surveys and networking for the industry will be instrumental in helping us define new product offerings to help the EMS industry build electronics better.”

For more on in4ma and their work, including Weiss’s new reports on the impact of COVID-19 on EMS companies in Europe, visit www.in4ma.de.

North American PCB Industry Sales up 1.0 Percent in May

IPC Releases PCB Industry Results for May 2020

IPC announced today the May 2020 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.10.

Total North American PCB shipments in May 2020 were up 1.0 percent compared to the same month last year. Compared to the preceding month, May shipments fell 3.0 percent.

PCB bookings in May increased 0.4 percent year-over-year but fell 20.2 percent from the previous month.

“Orders continue to outpace shipments as supply chains adjust to disruptions and demand shocks caused by COVID-19. Strong orders for North American PCBs in recent months have led to longer lead times,” said Shawn DuBravac, IPC chief economist. “Orders in May suggest global supply chains might now be recalibrating to adjusted levels of demand.”


Note: The December 2019 ratios have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants


Note: The June, October, and December 2019 growth rates have been revised since their original publication due to updated data from statistical program participants

View Chart in PDF

Detailed Data Available

Companies that participate in IPC’s North American PCB Statistical Program have access to detailed findings on rigid PCB and flexible circuit sales and orders, including separate rigid and flex book-to-bill ratios, growth trends by product types and company size tiers, demand for prototypes, sales growth to military and medical markets, and other timely data.

Interpreting the Data

The book-to-bill ratios are calculated by dividing the value of orders booked over the past three months by the value of sales billed during the same period from companies in IPC’s survey sample. A ratio of more than 1.00 suggests that current demand is ahead of supply, which is a positive indicator for sales growth over the next three to twelve months. A ratio of less than 1.00 indicates the reverse.

Year-on-year and year-to-date growth rates provide the most meaningful view of industry growth. Month-to-month comparisons should be made with caution as they reflect seasonal effects and short-term volatility. Because bookings tend to be more volatile than shipments, changes in the book-to-bill ratios from month to month might not be significant unless a trend of more than three consecutive months is apparent. It is also important to consider changes in both bookings and shipments to understand what is driving changes in the book-to-bill ratio.

IPC’s monthly PCB industry statistics are based on data provided by a representative sample of both rigid PCB and flexible circuit manufacturers selling in the USA and Canada. IPC publishes the PCB book-to-bill ratio by the end of each month.

Editors:  See attached graphs in PDF.

View all Book-to-Bill Ratios

IPC and High Density Package Users Group Sign MoU, Strengthening Collaboration and Value to Membership

IPC and High Density Package Users Group (HDP), a trade organization representing companies involved in the supply chain of manufacturing products that utilize high-density electronic packages and printed circuit boards, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), enabling a  strengthened partnership, increased technical collaboration between groups, and  providing a mutual path toward emerging and disruptive high density interconnect (HDI) technologies.

“Both IPC and HDP are member-driven organizations,” said Matt Kelly, IPC chief technologist. “Working together, both organizations will focus on next generation HDI technology projects to benefit the electronics manufacturing industry. HDP is very well established with more than 25 years of experience in R&D technology development.  Resultant, new HDI learning and solutions will help drive IPC standards development activities as well as training and education programs.”

IPC and HDP have successfully worked together for many years on such electronics industry issues as electrochemical migration, high density ball grid arrays, board thickness on solder joint reliability and members of HDP have presented papers at IPC APEX EXPO on high frequency loss test methods for laminate materials and smooth copper signal integrity.

“A closer working relationship between IPC and HDP will bring significant advantages to both organizations, and as a result, to the industry,” noted Marshall Andrews, executive director of HDP. “Electronics manufacturing technology is moving faster than ever with the introduction of 5G and automotive applications. Close cooperation at all levels of the supply chain will be necessary to address issues and implement the new materials and processes required to keep moving forward. IPC and HDP will help make those changes smooth and reliable.”

Registration and Sponsorships Open for IPC E-Textiles 2020 Virtual Summit

Registration is now open for IPC E-Textiles 2020 Virtual Summit, to be held Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2. IPC E-Textiles 2020 Virtual Summit will consist of two 90-minute interactive educational workshops each day, as well as a live tour of the University of Minnesota Wearable Technology Lab.

IPC E-Textiles 2020 Program Committee has selected the following workshop topics for the Virtual Summit:

  • E-Textiles for Medical Needs
  • The Digital Layer – Software and Programming
  • To Wear or Not to Wear
  • How Do We Do This? 101

Each workshop will provide educational presentations followed by interactive panel discussions with attendees. Session leaders and speakers will use web cameras during the presentations and panel discussions, and attendees will be encouraged to do the same.        

Unique to this event is the opportunity for sponsors to record a video to be included on the event agenda. Using these videos, sponsors will be able to bring Virtual Summit attendees into their facilities, demonstrate their recent technologies and even introduce them to key personnel. Working with the University of Minnesota Wearable Technology Lab, IPC will also bring this lab tour and spotlights of students direct to all attendees. The tour will include live Q&A with students and faculty.

“Networking that is so valuable at in-person events will exist in a virtual setting, with many opportunities for attendees, sponsors and speakers to learn from one another and to build on current relationships,” said Stephanie Rodgers, IPC D70 E-Textiles Committee, co-chair and program committee member. “If you have been to previous IPC e-textile events, then you know how dynamic the information exchange is. This year, our Virtual Summit will continue to deliver knowledge of standards development, manufacturing equipment, user experience developments and product commercializations that shape the future of e-textile adoptions. We are looking forward to seeing the natural creativity of this group showcased in a virtual setting.”

Registration for the two-day IPC E-Textiles Virtual Summit is $120 for members, $150 for nonmembers. Sponsorships start at $500 and include access to all workshops.

For further information about the event or how to take advantage of the unique sponsorship opportunities, contact Chris Jorgensen, IPC director of technology transfer, at ChrisJorgensen@ipc.org. Register for event at www.ipc.org/E-Textiles-NA.

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