Four Important Symposia Offered at SMTA International

Minneapolis, MN - The SMTA is pleased to announce four symposia to be featured at SMTA International: the Evolving Technologies Summit, AIMS Harsh Environments Symposium, Contract Manufacturing Symposium, and Lead-Free Soldering Technology Symposium. SMTAI will be held at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, FL on October 24-28, 2010. All symposia feature paper sessions organized by industry experts, and are included with either a VIP or Technical Conference registration.

The *Evolving Technologies Summit* will feature sessions with topics on MEMS and Image Sensor Assembly Processing, Advanced Packages and Processes, Printed Electronics, and an International Panel will discuss and debate timely topics that include challenges in discrete and embedded capacitors, solar energy, nano materials, advanced packaging, and next generation. Charles E. Bauer, Ph.D. and Herbert J. Neuhaus, Ph.D., TechLead Corporation, will present "Reading the Fine Print: Challenges and Outlook for Printed Electronics" at the keynote lunch.

Now part of the SMTAI technical program, the *AIMS Harsh Environment Symposium* will address the concerns related to harsh environment electronics and the challenges within the electronics community, with an added emphasis on military and space. Irene Sterian, Celestica Inc., will present "The Tech in Green Tech" during the Keynote Lunch. Sessions will include Pb-Free Technology Insertion, Component Packaging Challenges, Organic Materials, and Interconnection Reliability.

The *Contract Manufacturing Symposium *includes sessions that will be beneficial to contract manufacturers, customers, investors, and anyone else that is interested in business issues for contract manufacturing. The first session will focus on Outsourcing Strategies and the second session will take a new look at the opportunities and challenges of the Aerospace and Defense EMS Segment.

The second phase of the NASA-DoD Pb-Free Consortium project is providing unprecedented data on the long-term performance of Pb-free interconnections at this year's world renowned *Lead-Free Soldering Technology Symposium*. The scope of these experiments addresses alternative surface finishes as well as the performance of mixed SnPb/Pb-free solder joints and the effects of rework activities. Other sessions will include the Impact of Lead-Free Materials and Soldering Processes and Lead-Free Solder Joint Reliability.

For full details and to register for SMTA International, visit http://www.smta.org/smtai or contact SMTA administrator JoAnn Stromberg: 952-920-7682 or joann@smta.org.

The SMTA membership is an international network of professionals who build skills, share practical experience and develop solutions in electronic assembly technologies, including microsystems, emerging technologies, and related business operations.