Technical Library | 2022-01-05 23:20:33.0
This study aims to present the characterization of five different types of printed circuit boards (PCBs) for use in future recycling processes. PCBs used: motherboards, lead free motherboards, video cards, memory and printer cards. The comminution of the circuit boards was performed using blade mills and hammer mills with 9mm and 6mm meshes, respectively. Throughout the physical processing, analysis was made with stereoscopic optics to ensure that the correct materials had been released. The pre-magnetic separation parts were given a granulometric classification followed by acid digestion and loss on ignition tests.
Technical Library | 2015-11-12 19:04:51.0
In order to provide the functionality in today’s electronics, printed circuit boards are approaching the complexity of semiconductors. For flexible circuits with 1 mil lines and spaces, this means no nodules, no pits, and excellent ductility with thinner deposits. One of the areas that has to change to get to this plateau of technology is acid copper plating. Acid copper systems have changed in minor increments since their introduction decades ago. However, the basic cell design using soluble anodes in slabs or baskets has for the most part remained the same. Soluble, phosphorized, copper anodes introduce particulate and limits the ability to control plating distribution.
Technical Library | 2015-03-26 19:16:03.0
Nickel-palladium-gold-finished terminals are susceptible to creep corrosion. Excessive creep corrosion can result in device failure due to insulation resistance loss between adjacent terminals. The mixed flowing gas test has been demonstrated to produce creep corrosion on parts with nickel-palladium-gold finished terminals. Conformal coats are often used to protect printed wiring assemblies from failure due to moisture and corrosion. However, coating may not be sufficient to protect lead terminations from failure.In this study, acrylic, silicone, urethane, parylene, and atomic layer deposit (ALD) coatings were examined for their effectiveness at preventing corrosion of nickel-palladium-gold-finished terminals.
Technical Library | 2020-07-02 13:29:37.0
Industry standards such as J-STD-005 and JIS Z 3284-1994 call for the use of viscosity measurement(s) as a quality assurance test method for solder paste. Almost all solder paste produced and sold use a viscosity range at a single shear rate as part of the pass-fail criteria for shipment and customer acceptance respectively. As had been reported many times, an estimated 80% of the defects associated with the surface mount technology process involve defects created during the printing process. Viscosity at a single shear rate could predict a fatal flaw in the printability of a solder paste sample. However, false positive single shear rate viscosity readings are not unknown.
Technical Library | 2020-10-08 01:01:01.0
Flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) is emerging as a promising solution to combine the benefits of printed electronics and silicon technology. FHE has many high-impact potential areas, such as wearable applications, health monitoring, and soft robotics, due to its physical advantages, which include light weight, low cost and the ability conform to different shapes. However, physical deformations in the field can lead to significant testing and validation challenges. For example, designers must ensure that FHE devices continue to meet their specs even when the components experience stress due to bending. Hence, physical deformation, which is hard to emulate, has to be part of the test procedures for FHE devices. This paper is the first to analyze stress experience at different parts of FHE devices under different bending conditions. We develop a novel methodology to maximize the test coverage with minimum number of text vectors with the help of a mixed integer linear programming formulation. We validate the proposed approach using an FHE prototype and COMSOL Multiphysics simulations
Technical Library | 2022-03-16 19:41:17.0
Creep corrosion occurs in electronics assemblies and it is reminiscent to electromigration but does not require electrical field to drive the reaction. Corrosive elements and moisture must be present for creep corrosion to occur. Sulfur is the most prominent element to cause creep corrosion in environments such as paper mills, rubber manufacturing, mining, cement manufacturing, waste water treatment etc., also including companies and locations nearby such industries. The main part of printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) to be affected is the PCB surface finish. Especially immersion silver is prone to creep corrosion, but it sometimes occurs in NiPd (lead frames), and to a lesser extent in ENIG and OSP surface finishes. As the use of immersion silver is increasing as PCB surface finish and electronics are more and more used in harsh environments, creep corrosion is a growing risk. In this paper we will present the driving forces and mechanisms as well as suitable tests and mitigation strategies against creep corrosion
Technical Library | 2023-09-26 19:14:44.0
The transition from tin-lead to lead free soldering in the electronics manufacturing industry has been in progress for the past 10 years. In the interim period before lead free assemblies are uniformly accepted, mixed formulation solder joints are becoming commonplace in electronic assemblies. For example, area array components (BGA/CSP) are frequently available only with lead free Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder balls. Such parts are often assembled to printed circuit boards using traditional 63Sn-37Pb solder paste. The resulting solder joints contain unusual quaternary alloys of Sn, Ag, Cu, and Pb. In addition, the alloy composition can vary across the solder joint based on the paste to ball solder volumes and the reflow profile utilized. The mechanical and physical properties of such Sn-Ag-Cu-Pb alloys have not been explored extensively in the literature. In addition, the reliability of mixed formulation solder joints is poorly understood.
Technical Library | 2016-07-14 18:21:29.0
Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) and Printed Electronics (PE) both describe conductor/substrate combinations that make connections. Both PCB and PE technologies have been in use for a long time in one form or another with PCBs currently the standard for complex, high speed electronics and PE for user interface, complex form factor or other film based applications. New and innovative applications create the opportunity for promising structures. Taking advantage of the PCB shop's capability as well as the material set can help create these structures and indeed PE materials can find use in more traditional PCBs. New materials and new uses of existing materials open up many possibilities in electronic interconnecting structures. PCB manufacturers have a complex manufacturing infrastructure, well suited for both additive and subtractive conductor processing. While built around rigid material processing (flex PCB being the exception), there are opportunities for PE substrate processing. As electronics devices are applied to more and more parts of our lives, we need to continually push for better solutions. Fit, function, manufacturability, and cost are all important considerations. Crossing the PCB/PE boundary is a way to meet the challenge.
Technical Library | 2021-05-13 16:03:25.0
Sn-based lead-free solders such as Sn-Ag-Cu, Sn-Cu, and Sn-Bi have been used extensively for a long time in the electronic packaging field. Recently, low-temperature Sn-Bi solder alloys attract much attention from industries for flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) applications. Low melting temperatures of Sn-Bi solders avoid warpage wherein printed circuit board and electronic parts deform or deviate from the initial state due to their thermal mismatch during soldering. However, the addition of alloying elements and nanoparticles Sn-Bi solders improves the melting temperature, wettability, microstructure, and mechanical properties. Improving the brittleness of the eutecticSn-58wt%Bi solder alloy by grain refinement of the Bi-phase becomes a hot topic. In this paper, literature studies about melting temperature, microstructure, inter-metallic thickness, and mechanical properties of Sn-Bi solder alloys upon alloying and nanoparticle addition are reviewed
Technical Library | 2024-04-29 21:39:52.0
In this paper, we develop and put into practice an Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI) system based on machine vision to check the holes on a printed circuit board (PCB). We incorporate the hardware and software. For the hardware part, we combine a PC, the three-axis positioning system, a lighting device and CCD cameras. For the software part, we utilize image registration, image segmentation, drill numbering, drill contrast, and defect displays to achieve this system. Results indicated that an accuracy of 5µm could be achieved in errors of the PCB holes allowing comparisons to be made. This is significant in inspecting the missing, the multi-hole and the incorrect location of the holes. However, previous work only focusses on one or other feature of the holes. Our research is able to assess multiple features: missing holes, incorrectly located holes and excessive holes. Equally, our results could be displayed as a bar chart and target plot. This has not been achieved before. These displays help users analyze the causes of errors and immediately correct the problems. Additionally, this AOI system is valuable for checking a large number of holes and finding out the defective ones on a PCB. Meanwhile, we apply a 0.1mm image resolution which is better than others used in industry. We set a detecting standard based on 2mm diameter of circles to diagnose the quality of the holes within 10 seconds.
