Electronics Manufacturing Technical Articles

Electronics Manufacturing Technical Articles

Papers and articles related to SMT, PCB & EMS industry.


  • Reflow Ovens
  • Precision, fluid dispensing systems for low volume, high mix, R&D, and high volume 24x7 production

Add Article »

1799 SMT / PCB Assembly Related Technical Articles

Embedded Passive Technology

Jan 09, 2014 | Hikmat Chammas

Embedded Passive Technology is a viable technology that has been reliably used in the defense and aerospace industry for over 20 years. Embedded Passive (Resistors and Capacitors) Technology have a great potential for high frequency and high density applications. It also provides better signal performance, reduced parasitic and cross talk. This paper summarizes the selection of resistor embedded materials, evaluations of resistive material (Phase 1) and duplication of a complex digital design (Phase 2). Phase 1 –resistive materials (Foil 25Ω/sq NiCr and 1kΩ/sq CrSiO) and resistive-Ply materials (25Ω/sq and 250Ω/sq NiP) were chosen for evaluation....

Publisher: Honeywell International

Honeywell International

Honeywell is a Fortune 100 company that invents and manufactures technologies to address tough challenges linked to global macrotrends such as safety, security, and energy.

Morristown, New Jersey, USA

Manufacturer

Thermal Shock and Drop Test Performance of Lead-free Assemblies with No-Underfill and Corner-Underfill

Jan 02, 2014 | Bankeem Chheda and S. Manian Ramkumar, Ph.D.; Rochester Institute of Technology-CEMA, Reza Ghaffarian; Ph.D. Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

With ROHS compliance the transition to lead-free is inevitable. Several lead-free alloys are available in the market and its reliability has been the main concern. The results from this experimental research aims at making a comparison of different lead-free alloy combinations. Thermal shock and drop tests are a part of this experimental study....

Publisher: Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The JPL is the lead U.S. center for robotic exploration of the solar system, and conducts major programs in space-based Earth sciences and astronomy.

Pasadena, California, USA

Standards Setting / Certification, Training Provider

Addressing the Challenge of Head-In-Pillow Defects in Electronics Assembly

Dec 27, 2013 | Mario Scalzo Senior Technical Support Engineer CSMTPE, Six-Sigma Black Belt

The head-in-pillow defect has become a relatively common failure mode in the industry since the implementation of Pb-free technologies, generating much concern. A head-in-pillow defect is the incomplete wetting of the entire solder joint of a Ball-Grid Array (BGA), Chip-Scale Package (CSP), or even a Package-On-Package (PoP) and is characterized as a process anomaly, where the solder paste and BGA ball both reflow but do not coalesce. When looking at a cross-section, it actually looks like a head has pressed into a soft pillow. There are two main sources of head-in-pillow defects: poor wetting and PWB or package warpage. Poor wetting can result from a variety of sources, such as solder ball oxidation, an inappropriate thermal reflow profile or poor fluxing action. This paper addresses the three sources or contributing issues (supply, process & material) of the head-in-pillow defects. It will thoroughly review these three issues and how they relate to result in head-in pillow defects. In addition, a head-in-pillow elimination plan will be presented with real life examples will be to illustrate these head-in-pillow solutions....

Publisher: Indium Corporation

Indium Corporation

Solder pastes, solder preforms, solder spheres, soldering fluxes, electrically-conductive adhesives. All alloys: tin-lead, lead-free, indium alloys, and more.

Utica, New York, USA

Manufacturer

Mixed Metals Impact on Reliability

Dec 19, 2013 | Rick Gunn, Vice President of Engineering / Chief Technology Officer, Nextek Incorporated.

With the adoption of RoHS and implementation of Lead Free solders a major concern is how this will impact reliability. Both commercial and military hardware are impacted by this change even though military hardware is considered exempt from the requirements of RoHS. As the supply chain has moved to the new lead free alloys both markets are being forced to understand these impacts and form risk mitigation strategies to deal with the change. This paper documents the effect of mixing Leaded and Lead Free alloys on BGA devices and how this impacts reliability. Three of the most common pitch BGA packages are included in the study to determine if the risk is the same as pitches decrease...

Publisher: Nextek

Nextek

NexTek is an excellence-oriented engineering company that provides best-in-class lightning protection, and EMC / power conditioning products and services.

Westford, Massachusetts, USA

Other

Using Physics of Failure to Predict System Level Reliability for Avionic Electronics

Dec 11, 2013 | Greg Caswell, Sr. Member of the Technical Staff, DfR Solutions

Today's analyses of electronics reliability at the system level typically use a "black box approach", with relatively poor understanding of the behaviors and performances of such "black boxes" and how they physically and electrically interact (...) The incorporation of more rigorous and more informative approaches and techniques needs to better understand (...) Understanding the Physics of Failure (PoF) is imperative. It is a formalized and structured approach to Failure Analysis/Forensics Engineering that focuses on total learning and not only fixing a particular current problem (...) In this paper we will present an explanation of various physical models that could be deployed through this method, namely, wire bond failures; thermo-mechanical fatigue; and vibration....

Publisher: DfR Solutions (acquired by ANSYS Inc)

DfR Solutions (acquired by ANSYS Inc)

DfR Solutions has world-renowned expertise in applying the science of Reliability Physics to electrical and electronics technologies, and is a leading provider of quality, reliability, and durability (QRD) research and consulting

College Park,

Consultant / Service Provider

Impact of FPC Fabrication Process on SMT Reliability

Dec 05, 2013 | Susie Krzmarzick, John Dzarnoski, Yangjun Xing.

The functionality of electronic devices continues to increase at an extraordinary rate. Simultaneously consumers are expecting even more and in ever smaller packages. One enabler for shrinking electronics has been the flexible circuit board that allows the circuit board to fit a wide variety of shapes. Flexible printed circuits (FPC) have the capability to be very thin and can have unpackaged components directly attached using surface mount technology (SMT) and flip chip on flex technologies. Bare die can also be thinned and attached very close to the circuit board. However one caveat of high density flexible circuit boards with thin die is that they can be very fragile. The use of back side films and underfill can protect the die making circuits more robust. For underfill to work well it requires good adhesion to the circuit board which can mean that flux residues under the die normally must be removed prior to underfilling. ...

Publisher: Starkey Hearing Technologies

Starkey Hearing Technologies

Starkey Hearing Technologies is a world leader in the design, development and distribution of comprehensive hearing solutions.

Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA

Other

Improving Density in Microwave Multilayer Printed Circuit Boards for Space Applications

Nov 27, 2013 | Olivier Vendier, Jean-Louis Cazaux, Jean-Luc Lortal; Thales Alenia Space.

The need in complexity for microwave space products such as active BFNs (Beam Forming Networks) is increasing, with a significantly growing number of amplitude / phase control points (number of beams * numbers of radiating elements). As a consequence, the RF component’s package topology is evolving (larger number of I/Os, interconnections densification ...) which directly affect the routing and architecture of the multilayer boards they are mounted on. It then becomes necessary to improve the density of these boards (...) This paper will present the work performed to achieve LCP-based high density multilayer structures, describing the different electrical and technological breadboards manufactured and tested and presenting the results obtained....

Publisher: THALES

THALES

A French multinational company acting in areas such as defense, aerospace, airlines security and safety, information technology, and transportation.

Neuilly-sur-Seine, France

Other

Fine Tuning The Stencil Manufacturing Process and Other Stencil Printing Experiments

Nov 21, 2013 | Chrys Shea, Shea Engineering Services; Ray Whittier, Vicor Corporation

Previous experimentation on a highly miniaturized and densely populated SMT assembly revealed the optimum stencil alloy and flux-repellent coating for its stencil printing process. Production implementation of the materials that were identified in the study resulted in approximately 5% print yield improvement across all assemblies throughout the operation, validating the results of the initial tests. A new set of studies was launched to focus on the materials themselves, with the purpose of optimizing their performance on the assembly line (...) Results of the prior tests are reviewed, and the new test vehicle, experimental setup and results are presented and discussed....

Publisher: Shea Engineering Services

Shea Engineering Services

We work with electronics industry suppliers to provide top quality technical documentation for their products. Services include: ghost writing, presentation creation and training program development.

Burlington, New Jersey, USA

Consultant / Service Provider

Making Sense of Accuracy, Repeatability and Specification for Automated Fluid Dispensing Systems

Nov 14, 2013 | Nordson Asymtek

Understanding accuracy and repeatability is an important step to analyze fluid dispensing system performance. They can also be prone to misinterpretation when reviewing a product specification. A dispensing motion system can be made to perform better or worse under different operating conditions. This article will explain accuracy and repeatability, and how they can be applied to different specifications. It will also discuss key considerations when interpreting accuracy and repeatability for decision making....

Publisher: ASYMTEK Products | Nordson Electronics Solutions

ASYMTEK Products | Nordson Electronics Solutions

A leader in automated fluid dispensing, jetting, and conformal coating. Products include stand-alone dispensing workstations and fully automated, in-line conveyorized systems with advanced process controls.

Carlsbad, California, USA

Manufacturer

Keeping Pace With Constantly Changing Electronics World.

Nov 07, 2013 | Jorge Maornla.

Today’s customers are more enlightened and aware demanding quality and compact electronics products at competitive prices. Today when a single word spreads out so quickly, no company can afford to put their reputation at stake by manufacturing substandard products....

Publisher: American Progressive Circuits,Inc,

American Progressive Circuits,Inc,

APC is a leading electronics company which committed to provide streamlined PCB manufacturing & Design Services.

ADDISON, Illinois, USA

Manufacturer

IPC Training & Certification - Blackfox

See Your 2024 IPC Certification Training Schedule for Eptac