Printed Circuit University, pg.

PRINTED CIRCUIT
DESIGN & FAB
pcdandf.com
circuitsassembly.com
February 2011
/

Get It Straight
ig
Optimizing Stencil Aperture Accuracy

Power Supply Design

Design for Assembly

ODM vs. EMS

5 Competitive Advantages
Quick-Turn
Production
Offshore Manufacturing Door to Door
CAM USA Delivery
Imagineering, Inc. enjoys the
reputation of being one of the
most experienced & successful Significant
offshore PCB suppliers. Price Saving

CAM USA
Our Illinois based DFM office
has eight fully staffed CAD /
CAM stations. Within hours of
receipt of new Gerber files, our
highly experienced DFM
engineers conduct thorough and
precise analyses.

Quick-Turn Production

Imagineering offers small volume

production in 5-6 days and
medium to large volume
production in 2-3 weeks.

Overseas
Manufacturing

Shipping Logistics Capabilities:

With Imagineering there is no Up to 30 Layers
need to deal with multiple Blind Buried Vias
suppliers, language barriers, Di-Electric Thickness
customs headaches, and shipping Impedance Control (TDR Tested)
logistics. We do it all for you Plated Edge Holes
..and deliver door-to-door Up to 6oz Copper
6 mil Laser Drill
3 mil line width/spacing
Significant Price Saving Conductive Filled Vias
Aluminum Metal Core Boards
Our global buying power combined ...and many others
with the capabilities of our overseas
manufacturers translate into ITAR, ISO 9001 : 2000
tremendous savings to our
customers.

Over the past 5 years, 70,000 prototypes have been

successfully delivered from overseas to over 5000 customers
847-806-0003 www.PCBnet.com email: sales@PCBnet.com

23 YEARS IN BUSINESS...AND STILL GOING STRONG

 FEBRUARY 2011 • VOL. 28 • NO. 2

/
FIRST PERSON
PRINTED CIRCUIT
DESIGN & FAB
6 CAVEAT LECTOR
Back to school.
Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

14 GLOBAL SOURCING
FEATURES Printed Circuit University, pg. 6

Procurement pitfalls. PRINTED CIRCUIT

DESIGN & FA
pcdandf.com
circuitsassembly.com
February 2011 FAB
B /
Zulki Khan 20 POWER SUPPLY DESIGN
Paralleling Capacitors
16 ROI Early life failures can occur as a result of using two Get It Straight
Optimizing Stencil Aperture Accuracy
different capacitors. During the design of a power
Lessons in customer satisfaction.
supply, careful consideration must be given to the
Peter Bigelow equivalent series resistance and ripple current, as
well as the total output capacitance. The capacitors
17 FOCUS ON BUSINESS should be as identical as possible, with the same ESR Power Supply Design

and ripple current capacity. Design for Assembly

A real alliance. ODM vs. EMS

by MARK WOOLLEY and JAE CHOI

Susan Mucha ON THE COVER:
Beam size and pulse
21 DfM
frequency are among the
TECH TALK Hand to Machine factors for quality holes.
Designs that assume hand soldering might not work (Photo courtesy LPKF)
for machine assembly.
19 DESIGNER’S NOTEBOOK
by DUANE BENSON
Masking 0.4 mm BGA pads.
Duane Benson 22 STENCILS
How Stencil Manufacturing Methods Impact Precision and Accuracy
34 SCREEN PRINTING Parameters that influence positional accuracy are studied on a number of laser-
formed stencils.
A new batch.
by AHNE OOSTERHOF and STEPHAN SCHMIDT
Clive Ashmore
29 OUTSOURCING
35 SELECTIVE SOLDERING ODM or EMS: Which is Best for Your Project?
Dealing with dross. Outsourcing options continue to evolve, and the supplier’s choice of business
model has both positive and negative cost implications. A look at the advantages
Alan Cable and tradeoffs between two of these business models.
by JIM CHEN
36 TEST AND INSPECTION
LED measurement. 32 SPI
Yang Hua Mining Data to Improve Stencil Printing
A simple yet highly effective recipe for mining the mountain of diagnostic data a
solder paste inspection system acquires.
38 PROCESS DOCTOR by CHRYS SHEA
Electromigration catalysts.
Dr. Harald Wack

40 DEFECTS DATABASE
Coating capillary action.
Dr. Davide Di Maio

40 SMT TROUBLESHOOTING
Insufficients.
DEPARTMENTS
Paul Lotosky
9 AROUND 43 OFF THE SHELF 47 AD INDEX
THE WORLD
41 GETTING LEAN 45 MARKETPLACE 47 ASSEMBLY
Sourcing strategy. 13 MARKET WATCH INSIDER
Steve Fraser
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY,
48 TECHNICAL ABSTRACTS P.O. Box 35621, Tulsa, OK 74153-0621
 Circuit Board
HARDWARE
NEW LINE
Circuit board hardware fabrication and installation couldn’t be easier or faster…
thanks to our new line of over 500 spacers and mounting hardware. Alliance
545 PRODUCTS!

Plastics has all popular sizes and styles in-stock and ready to ship now!

FREE SAMPLES AVAILABLE:

www.AlliancePlastics.com/PCB
Sales@AlliancePlastics.com
800-551-2052

Over 8,000 Standard Products in Stock -

Ready for SAME DAY SHIPMENT!

Supports Support Posts Spacers Standoffs

Get your FREE CATALOG today!

9/10
n 1/2
/Ripo
r Katie
16" pe
TO .33
H SET
WIDT
SPINE

1w0 3ns
Desig
bs & Grip
es, Kno 284
ges 271–
s

Details Circuit Board Hardware, Fasteners & More!

www.AlliancePlastics.com/catalog
AMERICA
SOUTH

asileirarico Ltda
e ComeDivision
ri, 515
Plastics el Miglio
stro Gabri SP, Brazil
Paulo,
40, Sao -52171
-393 m.br
55-11 171 tics.co
-11-393-52llianceplas
alliance@a

last ics.com
llianceP
www.A

www.AlliancePlastics.com/PCB
51 PM
0 10:43:
2/13/1
cts
e Produ ics
clabl
Recy ce Plast
© Allian

800-551-2052
Circuit Board Hardware Nylon Fasteners
SMTAI SHOW, BOOTH 211
 UP MEDIA GROUP, publisher of
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY,
announces
Offering online educational resources in
technologies and techniques for the
printed circuit professional
The premier online training resource for
professionals involved in the engineering
and design of printed circuit boards and
related technologies
• The industry’s first and only e-learning
and training resource
• A virtual campus for YOUR learning on
YOUR time
• One annual tuition fee with unlimited
access to courses - or -
• Pay-as-you-go option
• Content delivered via written tutorials
and streaming video
• Certificates awarded upon completion
• No costly travel or time lost away
from work
• FREE resources such as white
papers, seminars, webinars and
flash presentations
Tuition-based Design Excellence Certificate
(DEC) Curriculum
Signal Integrity DEC Now Available
• Built on the robust, established and
time-proven beTheSignal platform
• Featuring instruction by Dr. Eric Bogatin
Upcoming Design Excellence Curricula
will include:
• EMI/EMC
• RF/Microwave
• Packaging
• FPGA
• Flex Circuits
• PCB Manufacturing
• PCB Assembly
www.printedcircuituniversity.com
4 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
PRINTED CIRCUIT
/
DESIGN & FAB
pcdandf.com
circuitsassembly.com
EDITORIAL
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Mike Buetow, 617-327-4702, mbuetow@upmediagroup.com
SENIOR EDITOR: Chelsey Drysdale, 678-993-4806, cdrysdale@upmediagroup.com
DESIGN TECHNICAL EDITOR: Pete Waddell
EDITORIAL OFFICE: P.O. Box 470, Canton, GA 30169,
678-589-8800; fax 678-589-8850
PCD&F EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD:
Dr. Eric Bogatin, George Dudnikov, Jack Fisher, Happy Holden, Istvan Novak
CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD:
John D. Borneman, Heather McCormick, Chrys Shea, Curt Williams
PRODUCTION
ART DIRECTOR: Rebekah Just, rjust@upmediagroup.com
SALES
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB SALES MANAGER:
Frances Stewart, 678-817-1286, fstewart@upmediagroup.com
CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY SALES MANAGER:
Krista Fabian, 302-519-4064, kfabian@upmediagroup.com
EXHIBIT SALES:
Frances Stewart, 678-817-1286, fstewart@upmediagroup.com;
Krista Fabian, 302-519-4064, kfabian@upmediagroup.com
KOREA SALES:
Young Media Inc., +82 2 2273 4818, fax +82 2 2273 4866, ymedia@ymedia.co.kr
PRINT REPRINTS: Edward Kane, Foster Printing,
866-879-9144 ext. 131, fax 219-561-2009, edk@fosterprinting.com
ELECTRONIC REPRINTS: pcdf_reprints@upmediagroup.com;
ca_reprints@upmediagroup.com
LIST RENTAL: Jennifer Schuler, 918-496-1476, fax 918-496-9465
WEBINARS: Frances Stewart, 678-817-1286,
fstewart@upmediagroup.com, pcbshows.com/webinars
CIRCULATION
DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT:
Jennifer Schuler
CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES/ADDRESS CHANGES:
fax 918-496-9465, jschuler@upmediagroup.com
UP MEDIA GROUP, INC.
PRESIDENT: Pete Waddell
VICE PRESIDENT, SALES AND MARKETING:
Frances Stewart, fstewart@upmediagroup.com
VICE PRESIDENT, EDITORIAL AND PRODUCTION:
Mike Buetow, mbuetow@upmediagroup.com
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY is distributed without charge to qualified subscribers. For others,
annual Subscription Rates in U.S. funds are: $80 (U.S. and Canada), $145 (all other countries). Single copy
price is $8.50. All subscription and single copy orders or inquiries should be directed to PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN
& FAB/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY, P.O. Box 35621, Tulsa, OK 74153-0621, jschuler@upmediagroup.com, fax 918-496-
9465. Photocopies and issues on Microfilm/Microfiche (16mm, 33mm or 105mm) are available from University
Microfilms International, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106, Telephone 313-761-4600.
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY is published monthly by UP Media Group Inc., 2400 Lake Park
Drive, Ste. 400, Smyrna, GA 30080. ISSN 1543-6527. GST 124513185/ Agreement #1419617. Periodicals
postage paid at Smyrna, GA, and additional mailing offices. © 2011, UP Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of material appearing in PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB/CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY is forbidden without
written permission.
FEBRUARY 2011
CAVEAT LECTOR
School Time
I
t’s February; winter vacation is over, and we’re
headed back to school.
mike This month marks the launch of Printed Cir-
buetow, cuit University, the industry’s first online e-learning
editor-
and training resource for professionals involved in the
in-chief
engineering and design of printed circuit boards and
related technologies.
Called PCU for short, the new “school’s” mission
is to provide online educational resources in technolo-
gies and techniques for printed circuit board design,
as well as a professional social network to further the
education and capabilities of engineers, designers and
managers involved in those technologies.
The virtual campus (printecircuituniversity.com)
is rich in white papers, webinars, flash presentations
and a host of other accessible resources – all at no
charge. Visitors need only register once for complete
access to this network of information from an ever-
growing list of experts and sources.
In addition to these free resources, Printed Circuit
University offers the tuition-based Design Excellence
Certificate Program, a structured curriculum for all
levels of design expertise. The First Design Excellence
curriculum to be offered will be a series of signal
integrity courses designed by Dr. Eric Bogatin (more
on that in a moment). The DEC courses include a
pass-fail exam. Future curricula will include courses
based on core PCB design techniques, design for
manufacturing and assembly, and other specific PCB
technologies. Students may subscribe to a specific cur-
riculum and courses or purchase an annual subscrip-
tion that gives unlimited access to all Printed Circuit
University classes for a 12-month period.
PCU is built on the robust, established and time-
proven beTheSignal e-learning platform developed by
Dr. Bogatin, with whom PCU has signed an exclusive
agreement to offer all the beTheSignal online training.
“I am excited to work with the launch of Printed
Circuit University,” says Dr. Bogatin. “The combina-
tion of live signal integrity classes provided by Boga-
tin Enterprises and the online content through Printed
Circuit University will offer something for everyone,
and help accelerate designers and engineers up the
learning curve to be more effective in their projects.”
The intent of PCU is not to replace traditional
face-to-face training. As UP Media Group founder/
president/PCU dean Pete Waddell alluded to last
April, the PCB Design Conferences have always been
one of his favorite projects, and from painful experi-
ence, we know how much better it is to learn through
collaboration, not just the hard way. But this new
undertaking is an acknowledgment that time and
6 Printed circuit deSiGn & fAb / circuitS ASSembLY
resource constraints often conspire to keep designers
and engineers close to their home bases, hampering
their ability to broaden their knowledge.
“Onsite conferences and trade shows, while
extremely valuable, face hurdles such as slashed
travel budgets, and time away from the office,” says
Waddell. “One of the ways to address these issues
is to harness the power of the Internet to mimic the
networking and classroom setting and experience.
Printed Circuit University fills this need.”
We demonstrated PCU for the first time at
DesignCon at the beginning of this month. At that
time, we also announced our first major sponsor for
the site: Mentor Graphics.
As the site’s first Design Excellence Certificate
(DEC) sponsor, Mentor has license to post webinars
and video presentations to the site, links to its own
sites, banner ads on all the pages of the site, course
sponsorships and multiple scholarships.
“In today’s highly competitive electronics market,
it is very important that designers are educated in
using the latest technologies,” stated Ed Goldman,
director of marketing programs, Systems Design Divi-
sion. “Mentor Graphics is proud to be the first spon-
sor of Printed Circuit University. Their first series on
high-speed design practices will enable more designers
to develop higher performance systems, faster.”
Mentor also held a drawing for a one-year schol-
arship opportunity to PCU from entries submitted at
its DesignCon booth.
Much like Virtual PCB, our online trade show that
takes place March 8-9, we see Printed Circuit Univer-
sity as the cutting-edge in web-based learning for PCB
designers and engineers. Be sure to check it out.
Virtually speaking. Speaking of Virtual PCB, be sure
to register now. The two-day show features a host of
exhibitors from all corners of the electronics design, fab-
rication and assembly arena, a full complement of white
papers and webinars, and of course, the very popular
moderated chats. And this year we are offering more
chats during times convenient to our readers in Asia and
Europe as well. Visit virtual-pcb.com for details.
Editor-in-Chief
mbuetow@upmediagroup.com
JANUARY 2011
 IPC APEX EXPO™ 2011
April 10–14
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION
April 12–14

Find a world of solutions for your technology Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center
and manufacturing challenges Las Vegas
www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org

V ER .
SCO
DI
Equipment

Standards Development
Reliability

New Research

EC T.
C ONN
Conflict Metals Package On Package

Intellectual Property

LGA and QFN

IVE . 2
ril 1 n:

THR
Solar Living Pavilion A p
, o
days Ses
si
n
Tue KeynotInnovat K
e io
g IA
nin and
Ope tivity
e a W OZN puter
SMT Processes r E om
o s teri
ng C
S TEVApple C
F r,
de
Foun
Co-

DESIGN • PRINTED BOARDS • ELECTRONICS ASSEMBLY • TEST

 DISCOVER … … a world of solutions for your technology and manufacturing challenges.

No other event in the world provides the content

or expertise like IPC APEX EXPO! REGISTER TODAY!
Technical Conference Pre-register for FREE show floor admission or register by March 14, 2011
April 12–14 and save 20% on the technical conference, courses and other fee-based
Catch up on new research and innovations from industry experts. Sessions activities. Special registration packages help you save even more. View
focus on advanced technologies, counterfeit components, embedded registration options and savings programs at www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/
components, high speed/RF, lead-free reliability, solar and much more. register.
Professional Development Courses Hotel Reservations
April 10–11 and 14 Mandalay Bay Resort and Convention Center
More than 40 half-day courses will get you up-to-speed on the latest in 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South
emerging technologies, cleaning, design, lead free, materials, quality and
Las Vegas
reliability, and more.
$164 (available until March 14)
Standards Development Meetings Visit www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org/hotel to make your reservations.
April 10–14
IPC APEX EXPO guests will enjoy daily resort amenities free (regularly
Participate in the meetings that set the standards and guidelines that your $15/day), including in-room wireless Internet, cardio center access, daily
company, customers, and the entire industry rely on. newspaper, and more.
PCB and EMS Executive Management Travel
Meetings Travel between April 1 and April 20, 2011 and save 5% off the lowest
April 11 applicable fares on any American Airlines/Oneworld carrier. Book online at
Exclusively for senior executives in the PCB and EMS industries, these www.aa.com and reference auth # A8241BY.
full-day management meetings offer unparalleled learning and networking
forums. Steve Wozniak will attend the networking dinner.

Designers Forum MORE EVENT HIGHLIGHTS …

April 11 AND THEY’RE ALL FREE!
A half-day program of education and networking focused on the best in
design. Innovative Technology Center
Get a sneak preview of the equipment, materials and services that will enhance
Exhibition
April 12–14 how we do business.
See and compare equipment. Discover new processes to gain greater
efficiency. Find suppliers to save you hundreds of thousands of dollars. International Reception
Uncover new solutions to improve your bottom line. Monday, April 11 • 5:30 pm–6:30 pm
We’re expecting representatives from more than 50 countries to join us for this
FREE KEYNOTE SESSIONS
festive gathering.
How to Foster Creativity and Innovation in a
Technical Environment First-Timers’ Welcome Breakfast
Steve Wozniak,
Tuesday, April 12 • 7:30 am–8:30 am
Co-founder of Apple Computer
Tuesday, April 12 • 8:30 am–9:30 am Learn how to put IPC’s resources to use for you and your company.
Following the keynote session, Wozniak will sign copies
of his autobiography on the show floor. Women in Electronics Networking Breakfast
Global Business Outlook: Navigating the Recovery Wednesday, April 13 • 7:30 am–8:30 am
Walt Custer, Custer Consulting Women are making a greater impact in all areas of the electronics
Sharon Starr, IPC
industry. Celebrate with your peers and build your industry
Wednesday, April 13 • 8:00 am–9:30 am
network for continued success.

DESIGN · PRINTED BOARDS · E L E C T R O N I C S A S S E M B LY · TEST

 CONNECT …
… with experts and industry information to build your network and knowledge base

FREE BUZZ SESSIONS ON THE SHOW FLOOR BZ06 Increase Reliability and Quality with the Help of IPC
Standards
BZ01 Corporate Social Responsibility: Measuring Your
Carbon Footprint Thursday, April 14 • 10:15 am–11:00 am
Moderator: Lars Wallin, IPC
Tuesday, April 12 • 1:30 pm–3:00 pm
How can IPC standards enhance the reliability and quality of your products? Aimed
Moderator: John Sharp, TriQuint Semiconductor
at production managers, production technicians, designers, CAD staff, PCB manufac-
Panelists: Wendy Dittmer, EICC; Chris Kral, WSP Environmental; Jerry
turers, purchasers, and quality engineers, this BUZZ session will give you a general
Meyers, Intel; John Plyler, Motorola
picture of IPC and what standards and training programs are suitable for all OEM and
If your customers are asking about your corporate social responsibility EMS manufacturers.
(CSR) policy, this session can set you straight on the issues by providing
an overview of industry trends and goals. Tackling a CSR issue of growing BZ07 IPC Technology Roadmap
consumer interest, our expert panel will discuss greenhouse gas tracking
Thursday, April 14 • 11:15 am–12:15 pm
and carbon footprints — two items which are beginning to appear on
Panelists: Jack Fisher, Interconnect Technology Analysis, Inc.;
product labels.
Dieter Bergman, IPC
BZ02 Corporate Social Responsibility: Conflict Metals The critical information contained in the 2011 IPC International Technology Roadmap
Tuesday, April 12 • 3:15 pm–4:45 pm will be reviewed. A key figure in the Roadmap’s development, Jack Fisher will
Moderator: John Sharp, TriQuint Semiconductor explain how it can be used to develop business and market strategies and to validate
Panelists: Fern Abrams, IPC; Wendy Dittmer, EICC; Chris Kral, WSP and justify capital investment or to guide development activities.
Environmental; Jerry Meyers, Intel; John Plyler, Motorola
In a second session on CSR, experts will address conflict metals: tin,
tantalum, gold and tungsten. Panelists will provide a brief overview of
conflict metals issues as well as the latest available information on U.S.
SEC regulations requiring reporting of the source and chain of custody for
these metals. A presentation on supply chain management will explain
how to go about it and how to use the information you get back.

BZ03 Cage Match: Design for Test (DFT) vs. Design for
Manufacturing (DFM)
Wednesday, April 13 • 10:15 am–11:00 am
Moderator: Rick Nelson, Test & Measurement World
In a world where electronic products need to meet the lowest cost of
production and still meet quality requirements through test, it’s a cage
match in offices across the globe. Who wins — DFT or DFM? Perhaps both
can with solutions and innovations provided by our panel of experts.
BZ04 Overview of UL’s Printed Circuit Boards Recognition
Program
Wednesday, April 13 • 11:15 am–12:00 pm
Moderator: Ovidiu Munteanu, Underwriters Laboratories
Learn the purpose, importance and benefits, of the UL Components
Program, and how it specifically applies to PCBs.
BZ05 Best Practice for Intellectual Property Protection in
PCB Manufacturing
Wednesday, April 13 • 1:30 pm–3:30 pm
Moderator: Fern Abrams IPC
Panelists: Jos Purvis, Cisco Systems; Michael Moisan, TTM; Raj Kumar,
DDi; Sydney Pope, DoD (Invited)
Did you know that a printed board has as much intellectual property (IP)
built into it as the IC chip? Find out what you and your suppliers should
be doing to protect the IP designed into printed boards. Speakers from
leading commercial and defense OEMs and PCB manufacturers will talk
about best practices for protecting IP.
MORE FREE ACTIVITIES ON THE SHOW FLOOR
NEW! Solar Assembly and Solar Living Pavilion
Solar power is hotter than ever and it presents a huge opportunity for electronics
assemblers. Visit the new IPC Solar Pavilion and see solar panels set up to power
a typical family room. Multimedia displays on panel assembly, lamination, tabbing,
stringing and cell manufacturing will answer your questions and shed light on how
you can take advantage of this growing market.
Thanks to our Solar Pavilion sponsors:
Bombard Renewable Energy · Bürkle · Celestica · Indium · Komax Solar
NEW! NPL Defect Database Clinic
Get your toughest challenges resolved! International consultant Bob Willis will
provide free and unbiased help on your puzzling boards and assemblies.
Send your questions in advance to ProcessDefectClinic@ ipc.org.
Show Floor Reception
Wednesday, April 13 • 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
Kick back with your colleagues at IPC’s very own happy hour. Walk the exhibition,
scope out all the new exhibitor offerings and catch up with friends — new and old.
All-Academic Poster Competition
With a collegial spirit, we’re embracing a little healthy competition among interna-
tional colleges and universities with a strong focus on electronics. Visit the exhibition
to view their technical posters, then vote for your favorite.
 THRIVE …
It’s the one show in 2011 you should not miss!
Cirris Systems Fuji America Corporation
Put the resources of the world’s premier technical conference Cogiscan Inc. GEN3–Ascentech
and largest U.S. exhibition for printed boards, design, Computrol, Inc. Generon IGS
electronics assembly and test to work for you. Control Micro Systems, Inc. Glenbrook Technologies, Inc.
EXHIBIT HALL Conveyor Technologies of Sanford, Global Laminates, Inc.
NC, Inc. Global PCB Marketplace
Tuesday, April 12 • 10:00 am–6:00 pm
Count On Tools, Inc. Global SMT & Packaging
Wednesday, April 13 • 10:00 am–6:00 pm
Crystal Mark, Inc. GOEPEL Electronics LLC
Thursday, April 14 • 10:00 am–2:00 pm
Custer Consulting Group Gordon Brush Mfg. Co., Inc.
Save valuable time and thousands in travel expenses by visiting multiple
suppliers all in one convenient place — everything from adhesives to CyberOptics Corporation GPD Global
workstations and all the materials, equipment, software and services Datapaq, Inc. GSC
in between. DEK USA Inc. Guangdong Shengyi Sci. Tech. Co.,
Dempa Publications, Inc. Ltd.
3M Electronic Solution Division AT&S Americas LLC
DeNora Tech, Inc. Heller Industries
AccuAssembly Atotech USA, Inc.
Digitaltest Inc. Henkel Corporation
Acculogic, Inc. Austin American Technology
Corporation DIS Inc. HEPCO, Inc.
ACE Production Technologies
AXTEL, Inc. Divsys International, LLC Heraeus Contact Materials Division
ADS Gold Inc.
Bare Board Group DMI International Hesse & Knipps
Advanced West
Besi North America, Inc. Dow Electronic Materials HIROX-USA, Inc.
Aegis Industrial Software Corp.
Blackfox Training Institute DuPont Electronic Technologies Hitachi High Technologies America,
Agilent Technologies Inc.
Bliss Industries, Inc. Eastman Kodak Company
AI Technology, Inc. Hitachi Via Mechanics (USA), Inc.
Bombard Renewable Energy Easy Braid Co.
AIM Hong Kong Printed Circuit Association
BPM Microsystems ECD–Electronic Controls Design, Inc.
Air Products (HKPCA)
Brock Electronics ECI Technology
Airtech International, Inc. HumiSeal Div. Chase Corp.
BTU International, Inc. EIPC
Airtex Solutions I Source Technical Services
Bürkle North America, Inc. ELANTAS PDG, Inc.
AIR-VAC Engineering Co. IBE SMT Equipment
C. A. Picard Inc. Electra Polymers Ltd.
All4-PCB (North America) Inc. IBL Technologies LLC
cab Technology, Inc. Electronics Protection
American Hakko Products ICAPE
Caltex Scientific Electronics Sourcing North America
AmeriVacS (ESNA) IMAPS
Amistar Automation, Inc. Calumet Electronics Corp. Indium Corporation
Elektor US
Amtech - Advanced SMT Solder Camtek USA Inovaxe Corporation
EMCHINA.org.cn
Products CCI InsulFAB PCB Tooling
EMSNow
APE.com Cencorp Integrated Ideas & Technologies, Inc.
EMT Worldwide
Apexyl Enterprises Ltd./JiuJiang Flex Chad Industries Integrated Process Systems
Co., Ltd. Equipment Technologies, Inc.
CheckSum LLC Interconnect Systems, Inc.
Apollo Seiko ERSA North America
CHEMCUT Corporation INVENTEC PERFORMANCE
APS NOVASTAR ESSEMTEC
China Printed Circuit Assn. CHEMICALS
Aqueous Technologies Europlacer North America
Christopher Associates, Inc. Isola Group
Arcadia Test Inc. Everett Charles Technologies
Cimnet Systems & Intuitive, Consona ITC Intercircuit
Arc-Tronics, Inc. ERP Solutions Excellon Automation
iTherm Technologies
Arlon Technology Enabling Innovation Cincinnati Sub-Zero Exopack Advanced Coatings
Japan Electronics Packaging & Circuit
ASC International Circuit Cellar FASTechnologies, Corp. Association
Ascentec Engineering Circuit Check, Inc. Fisnar Inc. Jevco International Inc.
Assembléon America Inc. Circuitnet FKN Systek JMW Enterprises
ASSEMBLY CircuiTree FlexLink Systems, Inc. JNJ Industries
ASYS Group Americas Inc. Circuits Assembly FocalSpot, Inc. JTAG Technologies
(continued on the next page)
IPC APEX EXPO 2011 Exhibitors (continued)

Juki Automation Systems Nutek Americas Inc. Quik-Tool, LLC TDK–LAMBDA AMERICAS
KIC Oak Mitsui Inc. QxQ, Inc. TEAM A.T.E.
Koh Young Technology, Inc. OEM Press Systems, Inc. RBP Chemical Technology, Inc. Technic Inc.
KVMS Ohmega Technologies Inc. Real-Time with ... IPC Technical Devices Company
Kyzen Corporation OK International Rehm Thermal Systems, LLC Test & Measurement World
L.C.O.A. Omni Training RENA GmbH Test Research USA, Inc.
LaserJob GmbH Omron Industrial Automation Rogers Corporation Testing House, Inc.
Lewis & Clark, Inc. On Site Gas Systems Inc. RPS Automation Texmac/Takaya Inc.
LPKF Laser & Electronics Opticon, Inc. Samsung/Dynatech Ticer Technologies
M+B Plating Racks Orbotech Saturn Electronics Corporation Tintronics Industries
MacDermid Inc. Orpro Vision LLC ScanCAD International, Inc. TopLine
Machine Vision Products Ovation Products Schleuniger, Inc. Transition Automation Inc.
Magenta Systems P. Kay Metal, Inc. Schmid Systems Inc. USA Tresky Corporation
Malcomtech International PAC TECH USA Scienscope International Tyco Electronics
MANNCORP PACE Incorporated SEHO North America, Inc. U.S. Tech
Martin (a Finetech Company) Panasonic Factory Solutions Company SEICA Inc. Ucamco USA
Mentor Graphics–Valor Div. of America Seika Machinery, Inc. Underwriters Laboratories
MEPTEC Para Tech Coating, Inc. Senju Comtek Corp. Unicote–Halco LLC
MET Associates Park Electrochemical Corp. SGS Consumer Testing Services United Resin Corporation
Metal Finishing PCB Planet (India) Limited Shenmao Technology Inc. Universal Instruments Corp.
Metro SMT Ltd. PCQR2 Shenzhen Kunqi Xinhua Technology UPA Technology
Metrohm USA Pemtron Co., Ltd. Uyemura International Corp.
MG Chemicals Pentagon EMS SIEMENS Electronics Assembly Vi TECHNOLOGY
Petroferm Systems
Micro Screen LLC Viscom Inc.
Phibro-Tech, Inc. Siemens PLM Software
MicroCraft Vision Engineering
Photo Stencil SiFO Technology
Micron Laser Technology Vitronics Soltec
Pillarhouse USA Simplimatic Automation
Micronic North America ViTrox Technologies Sdn Bhd
Plasma Etch, Inc. Smart Sonic Stencil Cleaning Systems
Microscan Systems, Inc. VJ Technologies
Pluritec North America Ltd. SMT Sales
Microtek Labs V-TEK, Incorporated
Polyonics SMT Technologies
Mid America Taping & Reel Wiring Harness News
Posalux SA SMTnet
Milara/Mirae World Mastery Technology
Precision Placement Machines Solar Assembly and Solar Living
MIRTEC Corp. Pavilion XACT PCB
ML System Inc. Printed Circuit Design & Fab XJTAG
Sonoscan, Inc.
MPO/MedicalDeviceNow.com Printed Circuit Journal X-Line Assets
Sono-Tek Corporation
Multiline Technology Printed Circuit World/Surface Mount YXLON International
World Sony Manufacturing Systems
MYDATA automation Inc. America, Inc. ZESTRON Corporation
Production Solutions, Inc.
National Graphic Supply SPEA America (as of December 23, 2010)
productronica 2011/MMI
Nihon Superior Co., Ltd. Specialty Coating Systems
ProEx
Nikon Metrology, Inc./X-Tek Speedline Technologies, Inc.
PROMATION, Inc.
STI Electronics, Inc.
Preregister for a
NIX of America
Nordson ASYMTEK
Prototron Circuits
Stoelting, LLC free Exhibits Only
PVA
Nordson Dage Sun Chemical Ltd. registration
Q Corporation
Nordson EFD LLC Suntech Circuits
QA Technology Company, Inc. giving you access to the
Nordson YESTECH Taiwan Printed Circuit exhibits, full keynote
QRP, Inc. Association (TPCA)
North Star Imaging, Inc. sessions, free BUZZ
Qualectron Systems Corp. Taiwan Union Technology Corporation sessions and other free
NSWC Crane Division
Qualitek International Inc. Taiyo America Inc. networking activities.
Nujay Technologies Inc.
Quasys AG
 IPC APEX EXPO™ 2011
April 10–14
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION
April 12–14

Find a world of solutions for your technology Mandalay Bay Resort & Convention Center
and manufacturing challenges Las Vegas
www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org

V ER .
SCO
DI
Equipment

Standards Development
Reliability

New Research

EC T.
C ONN
Conflict Metals Package On Package

Intellectual Property

LGA and QFN

IVE . 2
ril 1 n:

THR
Solar Living Pavilion A p
, o
days Ses
si
n
Tue KeynotInnovat K
e io
g IA
nin and
Ope tivity
e a W OZN puter
SMT Processes r E om
o s teri
ng C
S TEVApple C
F r,
de
Foun
Co-

DESIGN • PRINTED BOARDS • ELECTRONICS ASSEMBLY • TEST

 CONNECT • LEARN • NETWORK

Conference and Trade Show

No travel required and

completely free!

REGISTER TODAY to connect to the industry’s

only live, fully interactive, Web-based conference
and trade show for PCB engineers, designers,
fabricators, assemblers and managers worldwide.

March 8 – 9, 2011
www.virtual-pcb.com

PRINTED CIRCUIT
Brought to you by DESIGN & FAB
 EditEd by mikE buEtow ARouNd tHE WORLD

EU Group Taking on Black Pad Study PCD&F People

KELSO, ENGLAND – A group of European printed circuit industry companies, under PWB fabricator Colonial Circuits appoint-
the auspices of The Institute Circuit Technology (instct.org), are embarking on a ed Mike Tucker director of engineering.
study of black pad and related problems on printed circuit boards. P. D. Circuits named Dan
The group, a mix of fabricators, suppliers and other academia, are investigating Spencer western regional
the scope, extent and factors that cause black pad when electroless nickel/immersion sales manager. He has 30
gold (ENIG) finishes are used. Plans call for the development of a nondestructive test years’ experience in process
method to show the presence of black pad, and the development and testing of lower engineering, purchasing and
sales management roles with
cost, less aggressive surface chemistries (OSPs) as replacements for conventional Hadco, Sanmina SCI and Endicott Inter-
ENIG using both aqueous and ionic liquid based electrolytes. connect Technologies.
The group also wants to develop new standards supporting their use.
Vulcan Flex Circuit named Greg Bartlett
The program is called Advanced Surface Protection for Improved Reliability general manager.
PCB Systems.
Participating companies include board fabricators Graphic Plc (graphic.plc.
uk) and Merlin Circuit Technology (merlincircuit.co.uk), suppliers such as Atotech PCD&F brieFs
(atotech.com), trade groups (EIPC Services, Global Interconnection Services, ITRI), Siemens Building Technologies Division
and various academic institutions. – MB (siemens.com) in Switzerland has migrat-
ed to Mentor’s (mentor.com) Expedition
Enterprise printed circuit board design
flow and HyperLynx SI analysis tool.

Rogers Buys Power Substrate Maker Israeli financial journalist Shlomi Cohen
believes Eltek (eltek.co.il) is on the block,
ROGERS, CT – Rogers Corp. (rogers.com) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire
citing the departure of its top shareholder
100% of the stock of Curamik Electronics, a manufacturer of power electronic sub- from the fabricator’s board and a spike in
strate products, for �116 million ($155 million). the volume of shares trading hands over
The deal was subject to closing adjustments and financed through a combination the past several months.
of borrowings under existing bank credit facilities and cash. Mho Trak (mhotrak.com), a PCB fabricator
Eschenbach, Germany-based Curamik, founded in 1983, is a leader in production located in Letchworth Garden City, Eng-
of direct copper bonded ceramic substrate products. The acquisition is expected to land, has been severely damaged by fire.
complement Rogers’ existing power electronics product portfolio. Curamik is forecast The United States Patent and Trademark
to add $115 million to $125 million in sales and to be accretive to net earnings. – MB Office (uspto.gov) has granted Viasys-
tems (viasystems.com) a patent for a
thermal management solution for print-
ed circuit boards. Patent no. 7,741,566
PCB Design Bureau Opens in Toronto B2 for “Microelectronic Substrates with
Thermally Conductive Pathways and
TORONTO – The printed circuit board industry’s newest design service bureau has Methods of Making Same” describes a
opened here. method for using a copper heatsink as
Boardtech Integration Canada (boardtechintegration.com) specializes in PCB an integral part of the board, rather than
as an attachment.
design, schematic capture and library maintenance.
Tom Li has been named director of Boardtech, whose employees reportedly aver- PCB manufacturer Teknoflex (flexiblecir-
age more than 15 years’ experience in layout, circuit and system design. – MB cuits.co.uk) purchased a Baty (baty.co.uk)
Venture Plus CNC inspection machine.
PWB fabricator Lyncolec (lyncolec.co.uk)
ordered a MicroCraft (microcraft.com)
Presentations Sought for PCB West 2011 ELX6146 tester for its Poole, UK, facility.
Also, Garner Osborne Circuits (garneros-
SMYRNA, GA – UP Media Group Inc. seeks abstracts for PCB West 2011, to be held borne.co.uk) purchased one for its New-
Sept. 27-29, 2010, in Santa Clara, CA. The event includes a three-day technical con- bury, UK, plant.
ference and one-day exhibition to be held at the Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center.
PCB West (pcbwest.com) annually provides a conference and exhibition focused on
the design and manufacture of PCBs, HDI, electronics assembly and circuit board test.
CirCuits Assembly People
Papers and presentations of the following durations are sought for the technical EMS firm Kitron named as managing
conference: one-hour lectures and presentations; two-hour workshops, and half-day directors Thomas Löfgren (Karlskoga
site), Roland Lutz (Kitron GmbH), and
seminars (3.5 hours).
Jan Liholt (Kitron Inc.).
Papers and presentations must be noncommercial in nature and should focus on
technology, techniques or methodology. Abstracts of 300 words or fewer should be EMS firm Axis Electronics named Stuart
Hill cell production manager.
submitted to conference co-chairs Pete Waddell (pwaddell@upmediagroup.com) or
Mike Buetow (mbuetow@upmediagroup.com) by March 5. – MB

FEbRuARy 2011 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 9

ARouNd tHE WORLD
Koh Young named Bill Astle
sales manager for the Ameri-
cas. He previously was Agi-
lent’s national sales manager
and AOI business development
manager.
Rockwell Collins engineer Dave Hillman
was awarded Best of Conference at the
recent SMTA International for his Pb-Free
symposium presentation “NASA DoD -55°
to +125°C Thermal Cycle Test Results.” Best
of Proceedings went to Pradeep Lall, Rahul
Vaidya and Vikrant More, Auburn Univer-
sity; and Kai Goebel, NASA Ames Research
Center, for “Interrogation of Damage-State
in Lead-Free Electronics under Sequential
Exposure to Thermal Aging and Thermal
Cycling.” Craig Hamilton, John McMahon,
Jose Traya, Wang Yong Kang and Khoo
Kok Wei, Celestica; and Matthew Kelly and
Marie Cole, IBM, won Best Internation-
al Paper for “High Complexity Lead-Free
Wave and Rework: the Effects of Material,
Process and Board Design on Barrel Fill.”
STI Electronics named Ray
Cirimele master instructor on
its training services staff. A
US veteran, Cirimele has 20
years’ experience at the Naval
Weapons Center at China Lake,
Northrop and the Electronics Manufactur-
ing Productivity Facility (EMPF).
AsteelFlash named Joop Ruijgrok execu-
tive vice president of sales and marketing,
and John Burke engineering director.
Southwest Systems Technology named
Arnoldo Gómez to its sales team in central
Mexico.
ACE Production Technologies named Ryan
Tiemann customer service manager for
selective soldering.
EMS firm Qual-Pro named Bob Miller vice
president, Sales.
CirCuits Assembly Briefs
China cut its export quotas for rare earths
by 35% in the first round of permits for
2011, threatening to extend a global short-
age of the minerals needed for smart-
phones, hybrid cars and guided missiles.
The US PTO has awarded Speedline
(speedline.com) a patent for dual-head dis-
pensing. Also, the US PTO has issued P. Kay
Metal (pkaymetal.com) a patent covering
its chemical dross elimination and reduc-
tion formula, as used in the soldering pro-
cess. The patent covers the use of a variety
of liquid chemical additives, including the
formula sold as MS2, used to eliminate
solder dross and recover usable metal in
10 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
EditEd by mikE buEtow
Antenna Types Focus of White Paper
SAN DIEGO – A new white paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of antennas
on ceramic chips versus those on printed circuit board traces, "Ceramic Chip Antennas
vs. PCB Trace Antennas: A Comparison" is available from Pulse Electronics at pulse-
electronics.com/file.php?id=3721.
The purpose of a trace antenna on a printed circuit board (PCB) is to provide a
method of wireless communication. The trace is laminated on the PCB’s surface, or in
some cases, the traces can occupy several layers of a multilayer board and vias are used
to interconnect the traces on each layer. A ceramic antenna is a separate component
that is attached during the final stage in the surface mount process. The article, writ-
ten by Jouni Lifländer, RF designer at Pulse Finland Oy, discusses the advantages and
disadvantages of each type of antenna and which antenna best fits specific situations.
“Multi-purpose machine-to-machine devices require a high-quality radio interface
that will operate in the Zigbee, ISM, and cellular bands, including LTE: bands that lie
between 700 and 2500 MHz. A trace antenna on a PCB is often the first type of inter-
face considered for one of these applications. However, using a ceramic antenna can be
a good or even better alternative,” says Lifländer. “In these products, size constraints
are more stringent and multiple antennas often need to be placed inside the same device,
resulting in the need for high immunity between the antennas. Ceramic antennas enable
flexibility in design, overall cost savings in the final product, have fewer problems with
interference, and provide improved performance over trace antennas. This paper delves
more deeply into these issues.” – CD
PCB Technologies to Buy Melta
MIGDAL HAEMEK, ISRAEL – PCB Technologies (pcb.co.il) will acquire fellow PWB fabri-
cator Melta-Inter Industries (melta.co.il) for an estimated NIS 50 million ($14 million).
The deal includes NIS 25 million for Melta-Inter’s fixed assets and other goods,
including inventory. If accounts receivable exceeds NIS 10 million, PCB will be an
additional amount.
PCB Technologies is one of Israel’s largest PWB and EMS companies. The publicly
traded Melta has built boards since 1979. – MB
API Acquires SenDec in EMS Deal
NEW YORK – API Technologies (apitech.com), with help from a private equity firm, has
acquired fellow EMS company SenDec (sendec.com) in an all-stock transaction.
Under the terms of the merger transaction, API acquired 100% of the equity of Sen-
Dec, which includes SenDec’s electronics manufacturing operations and approximately $30
million cash, in exchange for the issuance of 22 million API common shares to an affiliate
of Vintage Capital Management. API intends to use the cash to pay down existing debt.
Fairport, NY-based SenDec generated approximately $90 million in revenue and
over $3.5 million in net income during its fiscal year ended July 31, 2010. API, which is
traded over the counter, had sales of $88.6 million for the four quarters ended Aug. 31.
Its fiscal year ends in May. Once the transaction is closed, the company will immediately
pursue a listing on the Nasdaq Exchange.
The combination of SenDec and API will create a mid-tier defense electronics plat-
form with a broad range of capabilities to better serve its customers’ current and future
needs during a dynamically transforming era for the defense community.
Upon completion of the transaction, Brian Kahn, managing member of Vintage, will
become chairman and CEO of API. SenDec will operate as a subsidiary of API, and Ken
Fiske will continue as its CEO. API Defense USA will continue to operate as a subsidiary
of API and Steve Pudles will continue as its CEO.
SenDec’s merger with API effectively doubles the size of the company and presents
FEbRuARy 2011
 ARouNd tHE WORLD EditEd by mikE buEtow

a variety of immediate revenue synergies and growth opportunities in the defense

the wave soldering process.
sector, the firms said in a press release. – MB
Microcomputer Systems Components
(bk-mikro.com) purchased its second
BPM Microsystems (bpmicro.com) 4710
automated programmer.
Foxconn Nearing Finish on ‘Massive’
ASM Pacific Technology (asmpacific.com)
has completed its acquisition of Siemens Campus
Electronics Assembly Systems (siplace.
com) and its 1,200 employees. ZHENGZHOU CITY – Foxconn (foxconn.com) is nearing completion on the first phase
of a massive campus in this northern China city and will hire more than 140,000
ECD (ecd.com) named Iberiana Technical
(ITEC) distributor in Spain and Portugal. workers in the coming year, a local news source is reporting.
The 140 hectacre campus will be surrounded by more than 30 suppliers to the
Lockheed Martin (lmco.cmo) has pur-
world’s largest ODM/EMS company, Chinanews.com says.
chased an IBL Technologies (ibl-tech.com)
BLC-609 vapor phase system. The company will situate some 68 dormitories on or near the site, sources told
Chinanews.
ACI Technologies (aciusa.org) is installing
The site is expected to produce $75 billion in revenue over the first five years, the
an Acculogic (acculogic.com) Scorpion
Model 810D flying probe tester. source indicated. – MB

Top 25 EMS firm Fabrinet (fabrinet.com) is

expected to add Building 6 by 2012; the new
building should support an additional $75
million to $90 million in annual revenue.
Koh Young (kohyoung.com) has opened a
sales and service facility in Kansai, Japan.
EN ElectronicNetwork has acquired the
manufacturing site of Görmiller Electronic
out of insolvency. No financial terms were
disclosed for the deal.
RMD Instruments (leadtracer.com) named
Kirby & Demarest (kirbydemarest.com) dis-
tributor of its RoHS and component screen-
ing systems in Oregon, Washington, Idaho,
Montana, Utah and British Columbia.
Petroferm (petroferm.com) named JNJ Indus-
tries (jnj-industries.com) exclusive distributor
for BIOACT SC-10-saturated cleaning wipes.
Guardian Capital Partners (guardiancapital-
partners.net) has purchased EMS provider
PPI-Time Zero (ppi-timezero.com) from Sau-
gatuck Capital, owner of the firm since 2001.
PPI caters to the aerospace, medical and
controls and instrumentation markets.
Whizz Systems (whizzsystems.com) will
invest RM14 million ($4.6 million) to estab-
lish a PCB design and electronics assembly
plant on a 2.36-acre plot in Kulim, Kedah,
Malaysia. Tje Santa Clara, CA-based com-
pany, founded in 1988, will launch opera-
tions in a temporary building in April while
construction on a new building takes place.
Ground-breaking will be early this year, and
the scheduled completion date is two years.
Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) will
build industrial parks in Shenyang and
Yingkou, respectively, both of which are
Liaoning Province, in Northeast China. The
Shenyang factory will build spare parts and
components; the Yingkou facility will pro-
duce printed circuit boards, reports indicate.
NOTE to Divest Krakow JV
DANDERYD, SWEDEN – Electronics manufacturing services provider NOTE (note.com)
has signed an agreement to divest its 50% holding in a subsidiary in Krakow, Poland.
The NOTEFideltronik Electronics plant will be sold to former partner and 50%
owner Zibigniew Fidelus, also principal owner of Polish EMS producer Fideltronik
(fideltronik.com.pl). This divestment was expected to generate a small-scale capital
gain in NOTE’s fourth quarter, and reduce consolidated net debt by some 10%.
The two parties also signed an undisclosed deal to continue cooperation. The
forecast net result is a minor reduction in NOTE’s annual sales.
The move is the latest in a series of attempts by the EMS firm to reduce costs and
increase capacity utilization. Over the past year, NOTE divested or closed operations
in Skellefteå and Skänninge, Sweden, and Tauragé, Lithuania, and plans to shut its
site in Gdansk, Poland, at year-end. Following the divestiture of the Krakow site,
NOTE’s volume production primarily will be in Pärnu, Estonia, and Tangxia, China,
while low-volume manufacturing is in Sweden, Norway, Finland and the UK. – MB
Sons, Private Equity Firm Acquire Chemigraphic
CRAWLEY, UK – A private equity group is behind the recent purchase of electronic
manufacturing services provider Chemigraphic (chemigraphic.co.uk).
RJD Partners supplied capital for the buyout of Chemigraphic, an EMS firm with
annual sales of about £17 million.
The company was founded in 1972. RJD is financing the purchase by the founders’
sons. Bob Adams, a former Thales and EADS executive, has been named CEO. – MB
ASYS Opens Support Center in San Jose
SAN JOSE – ASYS Group Americas (asys-group.com/asys-inc) has opened a sales and
support center here. The center includes sales and service personnel, as well as spare
parts stocking.
ASYS provides manufacturing equipment for the electronics and photovoltaics
industry, and says its revenues doubled in 2010.
The firm now has operating offices in Georgia, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Cali-
fornia, along with support centers in Mexico and Brazil.– CD

12 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY FEbRuARy 2011

METALS InDEx
DaTe 1/4/10 10/4/10 11/1/10 11/29/10 1/3/11
LME Cash Seller and $7.89 $11.36 $11.55 $10.91 $12.22
Settlement for Tin
LME Cash Seller and $1.11 $1.03 $1.10 $1.03 $1.17
Settlement for Lead
Handy and Harman $257.20 $317.47 $362.17 $390.70 $452.31
Silver (COMEX Silver)
LME Cash Seller and $3.39 $3.68 $3.73 $3.76 $4.42
Settlement for Copper
SMT Equipment to Top $5.5B by 2015
LOnDOn – The global market for SMT equipment is pro-
jected to top $5.5 billion by 2015, with growth driven
by technological advancements, particularly component
miniaturization, according to a new research report.
Fully automated screen printers are expected to expe-
rience the highest demand, increasingly driven by mid-
range automatic screen printers, with US sales projected
to reach $44 million by 2014, Companies and Markets
(companiesandmarkets.com) says. Vision systems are
expected to migrate from manual to sensor or structured
light-based systems.
Flip Chip, WLP Use on Rise
AUSTIn, Tx – Adoption of flip chip and wafer level pack-
aging continues to expand to a wide range of devices,
says TechSearch International (techsearchinc.com). The
firm projects a compound annual growth rate of more
than 15% for flip chip units. In unit volumes, WLPs are
expected to see a 12.48% CAGR from 2009 to 2014.
Drivers for flip chip continue to be performance, on-
chip power distribution, pad-limited designs, and form
factor requirements. The use of FCIP is expanding for
microprocessors, ASICs, FPGAs, DSPs, media devices,
chipsets, and graphics chips. Driven by form factor, many
wireless products are adopting flip chip interconnect. Solder
bumped devices are found in applications such as automo-
tive electronics, computers and peripherals, telecommunica-
tions, and consumer products. TechSearch projects strong
growth for Cu pillar and 300 mm bumping.
Printed Electronics at ‘Tipping Point’
CAMBRIDGE, MA – Printed electronics is seeing a surge
in orders, government and industry-funded develop-
ment programs, acquisitions and company fundraising,
InDUSTRY BOOK-TO-BILLS
JUlY aUg. SePT. OCT. nOV.
Semiconductor equipment1 1.23 1.17 1.03 0.98r 0.96p
Semiconductors2 37% 32.7% 25.6% -r -p
Rigid PCBs3 (North America) 1.11 1.08 1.03 0.98 0.96
Flexible PCBs3 (North America) 1.06 1.01 0.97 1.00 0.92
Computers/electronic products4 4.88 4.90 4.94 4.91r 4.87p
Sources: 1SEMI, 2SIA (3-month moving average growth), 3IPC, 4Census Bureau, ppreliminary, rrevised
February 2011
EDITED BY CHELSEY DRYSDALE
MARKET WATCH
ELEvATED A/v
Trends in the U.S. electronics equipment market (shipments only).
% Change
SePT. OCT. nOV. YTD
Computers/electronics products 0.4 -1.9 -0.8 11.7
Computers 3.0 -4.5 2.9 19.7
Storage devices -7.1 2.1 3.4 20.9
Other peripheral equipment 2.4 0.2 -2.1 5.4
Nondefense
communications equipment
-4.3 -0.2 4.7 -4.0
Defense communications equipment 11.5 -10.7 1.2 -3.9
A/V equipment -1.4 -0.7 10.9 3.1
Semiconductors
Components1 -3.9 2.0 -0.8 15.1
Nondefense search and 16.9 -3.7 -3.7 2.3
navigation equipment
Defense search and 1.8 -3.3 -0.7 -4.6
navigation equipment
Medical, measurement and control -0.9 3.5 1.9 17.6
rRevised. *Preliminary. 1Includes semiconductors. Seasonally adjusted.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce Census Bureau, Jan. 4, 2011
says IDTechEx (idtechex.com). It is now at a “tipping point”
because of a sharp improvement in performance, price and
repertoire, says the research firm.
Printed transistor circuits are now lower cost than primi-
tive silicon chips such as timers and basic RFID.
RFID antennas, membrane keyboards, on-board battery
testers, and electronic tamper evidence in packages are printed
and orders are increasing, with volumes of several topping one
billion units a year.
US Manufacturing Ticks Up in December
TEMPE, AZ – Economic activity in the manufacturing sector
expanded in December for the 17th consecutive month, with
the PMI registering 57%, up 0.4 percentage points, says the
Institute for Supply Management (ism.ws).
A reading above 50% indicates the manufacturing econo-
my is generally expanding.
ISM spokesperson Norbert J. Ore said, “The manufac-
turing sector continued its growth trend, as indicated by this
month's report. We saw significant recovery for much of the
US manufacturing sector in 2010. The recovery centered on
strength in autos, metals, food, machinery, computers and
electronics, while those industries tied primarily to housing
continue to struggle."
aUg. SePT. OCT. nOV. DeC.
PMI 55.5 54.4 56.9 56.6 57.0
New orders 53.5 51.1 58.9 56.6 60.9
Production 57.0 56.5 62.7 55.0 60.7
Inventories 50.2 55.6 53.9 56.7 51.8
Customer inventories 39.0 42.5 44.0 45.5 40.0
Backlogs 54.5 46.5 46.0 46.0 47.0
Source: Institute for Supply Management, Jan. 3, 2011
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 13
 GLOBAL SOURCING
Procurement‘Trio’PosesOEMIssues
a sharp procurement eye must be constantly cast on innumerable potential pitfalls.
WITh PCB PrOCurEMEnT come two extremes you
can hardly escape: the new component and the old.
And right in the middle are those components not
designed in the US. All three scenarios pose chal-
lenges and potential pitfalls for OEMs.
It’s important to clearly define “new” in this case
to avoid disservice to other, well-documented new
components. Here, when these “new” components
come on the market, they are not stabilized and time
tested. This means that at this early stage of their
product lifecycle, meaningful product data are not yet
sufficiently available, and they are mostly intended
for evaluation use.
Do not rely on an early spec sheet of a brand new
component. And don’t take as certain product pro-
motions or conference papers, lest you inadvertently
introduce adverse effects to the product, or spend
inordinate time trying to source the part only to learn
it’s not yet available.
At the other end of this spectrum are old compo-
nents. These are obsolete devices component makers
are no longer producing. In many cases, they are
leaded devices, or those once provided in different
packages. Most OEMs seeking the continued use
of these devices are in military/aerospace and medi-
cal electronics. Historically, once a certain device is
designed into end-products like these, there is little
chance of upgrading that component because OEMs
don’t want to undergo additional long, costly and
difficult certification.
Assembly site. Then there are foreign OEMs – in
most cases, startups – that produce PCB designs in
their respective countries using locally designed and
manufactured components, but for any number of
reasons move production to the US.
Take, for example, a European startup company
keen on obtaining critical US certifications. The US-
based EMS firm would receive a bill-of-materials
(BoM) calling out components available in Europe,
but not in the US. In this case, these components would
need to be procured from Europe, bringing currency
ZULkI khAN
fluctuations, availability and warranty issues into
is founder and
president, NexLogic
picture. Right away, that EMS firm faces the daunting
Technologies
and time-intensive task of locating and securing each
(nexlogic.com); zk@ and every component in that BoM. More important,
nexlogic.com. the procurement team must ensure the project remains
profitable despite said fluctuations, and be able to
honor warranties associated with these components.
If the OEM were to delay the project after a contract
is signed, and during that period – say three to four
months – the currency has fluctuated, what appeared
to be a sound business transaction could quickly
swing to the red for the EMS firm.
14 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
If a foreign company is not intent on receiving
US certifications, as a rule-of-thumb, it’s best that
company uses a particular component BoM available
locally, and perform both pilot and production runs
in its respective country. On the other hand, many
US OEMs rely on China or Taiwan manufacturing
partners to provide local components. It is difficult
to cross-match those components with part numbers
available in the US. Similar ones might be located,
but at different price points. If some components need
to be changed in the US, customer verification and
approval are paramount before changing the BoM
and starting manufacturing.
newcomponents.Designing in new components as
described is potentially an inordinately costly mistake
at both the OEM and EMS levels. First, production
quantities may not be available. Second, bugs may
not be ironed out, and the new product might still
have some flaws. Design teams must fully understand
tradeoffs and pitfalls of favoring newly minted com-
ponents versus those already successfully used in a
myriad of system applications.
Sometimes, the BoM may include more expensive
or long lead-time components. A seasoned procure-
ment team steps in to encourage the OEM to opt for an
alternate component costing $5 rather than $25 with a
two-week rather than a 26-week lead-time, for exam-
ple. Also, procurement gets involved when they spot
a component that can operate equally as well with a
lower spec than what the original design calls for. Let’s
say the BoM includes a 2A IC, but the design requires
only 0.5A current. A highly technical procurement
team member can provide the OEM significant savings
by utilizing similar, yet less expensive components, and
still help maintain the PCB design’s integrity.
Obsolete components. Class III OEMs are most
prone to maintaining relatively older components
in designs. Once those components are designed in,
those particular designs undergo extensive, complex
and time-consuming certifications, validations and a
host of testing. Component upgrades are undesirable
because the OEMs don’t want to go through those
costly stages again.
But when they do upgrade, most wait until the
last moment, only to discover that those specific
components are obsolete and unavailable. This can
mean scouring the broker market, or even overseas,
designing in the old source code and firmware, and
taking the old database and designing it with the new
components, new source code and firmware.
Also, the importance of traceability cannot be
continued on p. 18
february 2011
 5 ‘Weak’ Days
Valuable lessons in customer satisfaction sometimes come at a price.
WHAT CAN WE learn from this?
I recently had a week filled with doing some
simple “chores.” Some were for work, others for
household needs. All seemed to my experienced, yet
naïve, eyes to be simple, no-brainer stuff, and yet, all
demonstrated how complicated we mortals make even
the most basic tasks. Come along as I share my week.
Monday. It’s time to start a painting project, or
more accurately, continue a project began last sum-
mer. I happened to have a gallon of paint left, but
knew I would need a couple more, so off to the big
box store I went. The chipper sales clerk in the paint
department took my order; then I heard her say, “Uh
oh.” Turns out the paint manufacturer, in an attempt
to be “green,” changed the base formula in order
to reduce some nasty chemical. To match the color,
she would have to use the new, improved base. “No
problem,” she said as new paint was mixed.
Yes, problem: The paint did not look at all
the same! “I can’t imagine what happened,” she
exclaimed. “I knew it,” I thought. Some 45 minutes
and six cans of paint later, they had a pretty close
match – to a standard color. Let’s see: six gallons
scrap, over an hour’s time, two gallons of paint sold
– how much did they lose on that sale?
Tuesday. I need to buy a part to fix a leaky toilet.
Plumbing is not my forté, so I find a smaller, local
hardware store. Once there, I immediately find a clerk
and ask for assistance. Describing the broken part, I
am whisked to the plumbing area, where he hands me
four different packages of parts and assures me I need
them. But my problem is that none of the parts – indi-
vidually or collectively – looks at all like what is caus-
ing, well, my problem. And all the parts cost upward
of $50. I do spot a package on the wall that looks like
what I described, and it is only $5.89. Needless to say,
I check out with the $5.89 part, which proves to prop-
erly fix my problem. So much for value-add service!
Wednesday. I am told more paint is needed. This
time I take the almost empty, newly mixed can of
paint that is a pretty good match of what I had really
PETER BIGELOW wanted back to the same big box store. Today I get
is president and CEO a different but equally affable sales clerk. I explain
of IMI (imipcb.com); the trouble from a few days earlier and, pointing to
pbigelow@imipcb. the almost empty can, that I want exactly what they
com. His column
mixed two days earlier. The sales clerk then explains
appears monthly.
that he is not regularly in the paint department, but
is an expert on lumber. Eight gallons later, I walk
away with another two gallons of an almost pretty
good match to what had been a pretty good match
to the paint I had originally wanted. Proceeding to
checkout, I wonder if anyone would want a good deal
on off-white bluish eggshell paint, because I know a
place with tons of it, albeit not quite matching.
16 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
Thursday. Jeez, paint. Again. This time I need
an oil-based gloss for doors in the plant. I go to three
paint stores; each tells me they no longer carry that
flavor, as it is not “green.” I tell them I need it for
a manufacturing plant, which prompts a lecture on
how it is illegal in this state to use oil-based paints
where people can smell “VOCs” and “alklyds” and
who knows what else. All I want is a GD quart of
paint for the doors in a manufacturing plant. After a
while the manager appears and asks what the prob-
lem is. The clerk paints me as the Father of Global
Warming as I refuse to buy latex gloss paint. I again
ask why I can’t get a quart of oil-based gloss enamel.
The manager goes to the back room, brings out a
quart of “gloss black” and asks, “Will this do?” I
purchase the paint and, as I walk out, am told “just
don’t use it on wood; that’s illegal.” Guess he didn’t
hear what I was using it for.
Friday. I am sent to the grocery store to get food
seasoning. Despite a list complete with the name and
manufacturer of the ingredient clearly written out by
my wife, I cannot seem to find it in the “super” store.
A middle-aged clerk spies me and asks, “Whaddayaa
looking faw?” I show him the neatly written name
and manufacturer. After following him around what
seemed like about 15 of the store’s 12 aisles, he stops
and decides, “They seem to no longer make it, but
if you blend these three ingredients, they will taste
about the same.” Knowing my fate if I head home
with three things that might taste “about the same,”
I thank him and head home wondering if he ever has
worked in a paint department at a big box store.
So what did I learn from this? I experienced a series
of painful reminders about the importance of customer
service, business ethics and all that it encompasses.
The chemical manufacturer races to be “green”
(or RoHS compliant), but forgets the customer needs
consistent and “exact” specifications, not just “pretty
close” performance. All we want from our suppliers
(and our customers from us) is consistent, reliable
product – and not to be their beta site!
Are we overselling (or overdesigning) to more
than satisfy a basic application? Yes, rebuilding my
toilet may be better, but all I really needed or wanted
was one simple part. How often do we try to over-
complicate a simple thing either to boost profitability
or simply because we forget to “keep it simple”? Cus-
tomers rely on each of us to make their jobs simpler,
and when we make the buying experience seamless
and cost-effective, now that’s true value-add!
Sometimes mistakes happen, but rather than focus
on root cause analysis to prevent the problem from hap-
pening again, all too often we simply change the player
continued on p. 18
FEBRUARY 2011
 UP MEDIA GROUP,
publisher of PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY,
announces

The premier online training resource for

professionals involved in the engineering
and design of printed circuit boards and
related technologies
• The industry’s first and only e-learning and
training resource
• A virtual campus for YOUR learning on
YOUR time
• One annual tuition fee with unlimited access
to courses - or -
• Pay-as-you-go option
• Content delivered via
written tutorials and
streaming video
• Certificates awarded
upon completion
• No costly travel or
time lost away
from work
• FREE resources such
as white papers,
seminars, webinars
and flash
presentations

Pete Waddell, 30-year industry veteran, former PCB designer and publisher of
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB, leads the initiative and development of content.

www.printedcircuituniversity.com
Offering online educational resources in technologies
and techniques for the printed circuit professional

Tuition-based
Design Excellence Certificate (DEC) Curriculum
Signal Integrity DEC Now Available
• Built on the robust, established and
time-proven beTheSignal platform
• Featuring instruction by Dr. Eric Bogatin

Upcoming Design Excellence Curricula will include:

• EMI/EMC
• RF/Microwave
• Packaging
• FPGA
• Flex Circuits
• PCB Manufacturing
• PCB Assembly

www.printedcircuituniversity.com

EconomicTrendsSpawnNewEMSBusinessModels
Setting up alliances for local low-volume production.
ONEOfThE positives of the economic roller coaster
of the last three years is that it is inspiring executives
to look very closely at their business models, and that
is creating more opportunity for US-based electron-
ics manufacturing services companies and driving
changes in traditional EMS business models and
supply-chain partnerships.
I recently talked with Gary Burnett, Sr., CEO of
Burton Industries (burtonindustries.com), on ways
the regionally focused EMS provider is evolving
as a result of changes in the business environment.
Burton’s production takes place in a facility in Iron-
wood, MI, while administrative activities and sales
are handled in Hazelhurst, WI.
According to Burnett, Burton is seeing several inter-
esting trends in its Midwest customer base, including:
■ Greater focus on total cost, including the opportunity
cost associated with the lack of schedule flexibility.
■ A requirement for shorter lead-time driven by lack
of demand predictability combined with concerns
over inventory.
■ Changes in business or product focus driven by the
combination of an economic downturn and state
economic incentives to add product lines that cre-
ate jobs within the region.
■ Growth in local startups looking to keep jobs in
the region.
■ Economic pressure on companies to focus on core
competencies and outsource capital-intensive busi-
ness activities such as manufacturing.
“These trends are creating projects that are best
served by a one-stop shop, capable of full service
support,” Burnett said. “However, these projects
typically have volumes that aren’t a good fit for
larger, full service EMS providers during the first two
years of production. Yet, the requirement for product
development assistance, mechanical and other cus-
tom components, and post-manufacturing support
such as repair depot, makes it difficult for smaller
EMS providers to support.”
In the past, Burton had set up appropriate sup-
ply chains and serviced these types of projects on a
case-by-case basis, but acknowledges the approach
can be labor intensive. More recently, the company
has developed a formal approach, founding and par-
ticipating in a supplier alliance group known as the
Worldwide Industrial Network (WIN) alliance. “As
we’ve seen demand for this niche grow, we talked
with a few key supply partners and decided to join
together in a formalized supplier alliance to support
it,” Burnett said.
The project complexity challenge is typically
non-electronic. Project volumes typically are less than
February 2011
FOCUS ON BUSINESS
10,000 pieces a year, and at those volumes, tooling
for the unit housing is often the most noticeable
expense. One of the drivers for formalized partnering
was the ability to recruit a base of custom component
suppliers capable of offering both low-volume “soft”
tooling solutions and higher volume hard tooling
solutions. Working with companies able to manu-
facture locally, support smaller lot sizes and provide
responsive service was also critical. As the model
has evolved, Burnett has also seen value in including
suppliers that could support global sourcing require-
ments or customer desires for scalability in the event
of significant volume increases.
According to Burnett, very specific criteria have
been developed for the supplier alliance. While con-
tracts aren’t signed relative to membership in the alli-
ance, each new member verbally agrees to meet these
criteria. (The reason for no contract is that member-
ship in the alliance isn’t meant to drive exclusivity
in sourcing or teaming. Instead, the goal is to create
strong working relationships that align with common
values and business models.) Membership require-
ments include:
■ A strong ability to support NPI.
■ The ability to scale production resources with
project growth.
■ Local presence in the region and, in some cases,
the ability to support offshore production in
higher volumes.
■ Supplier business model that aligns with Burton’s
SUSAN MUChA is
customer niches and includes a high focus on cus-
president of Powell-
tomer service, quality and a willingness to meet Bur- Mucha Consulting
ton’s metrics for schedule flexibility/customer service. Inc. (powell-
Alliance partners now include a tooling and muchaconsulting.
plastics injection molding firm with both US and com), and author
Asia manufacturing capabilities, a manufacturer of of Find It. Book
soft-sided cases and a conformal coating supplier. It. Grow It. A
Final sources for product design to augment Burton’s Robust Process
in-house engineering services, potting, metal fabrica- for Account
tion as well as Asian sources for PCB fabrication, Acquisition
transformers and other price-sensitive components, in Electronics
and higher volume assembly options are also in the Manufacturing
identification and evaluation stage. Services;
“We recognize we are in a global manufacturing smucha@powell-
environment and the Alliance needs to reflect a range muchaconsulting.
of geographic options,” Burnett adds. “We want our com.
customers to see us as a cost-competitive option for
product that fits best in the US. At the same time, add-
ing some Asian supply base options helps us keep a
customer who has a mix of onshore and offshore needs.
Our formula of partnering with Asian suppliers that
may not have much US presence lets customers have a
strong US interface and project scalability without the
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 17
 FOCUS ON BUSINESS
excess overhead that can come with global EMS providers.”
In the alliance’s current EMS business model, Burton’s
materials and program management personnel manage the
alliance partners so that customers have a one-stop shop. The
major difference between a typical supply-chain relationship
and the alliance is the fact that common processes for proj-
ect launch and production management are in development
among alliance partners, eliminating the learning curve that
occurs with a larger, more independent pool of suppliers.
This focus on common NPI and production management
techniques has the added benefit of disseminating best prac-
tices between the group. Alliance partners must be willing
to support customer requirements for smaller lot sizes and
greater flexibility. While that is currently achieved via close
communication, systems compatibility has been evaluated
in recruiting members and eventually a common production
status data sharing portal will be developed. One final dif-
ference is that alliance is evolving from a model driven by
Burton into one where all participants are equally interested
in using the alliance framework as a value-added component
in their manufacturing activities. Alliance partners share
leads and sell each others’ services, when appropriate. And,
any partner could effectively be the “program manager” with
their respective customers.
According to Burnett, about 30% of Burton’s customer
base is using alliance partners, and two of the past three cus-
tomers the company won attributed their selection to avail-
ability of the alliance. (Production volumes range from 2,000
to 100,000 per year.)
One recent project focused on a water purification
product. Burton teamed with a local design engineering
firm and identified custom materials local sources such as
a transformer and metal fabricated parts. The third-party
engineering firm developed the BoM, and Burton fine-tuned
the AVL and made DfM/DfT recommendations. The project
is now in production.
Interestingly, the one thing Burnett isn’t interested in is
standalone prototyping projects. “Prototypes can move away.
We want to develop partnerships for sustaining production.
We’ve structured a highly supportive, local, very flexible solu-
tion for projects whose volumes and complexity can make
them hard-to-source,” he said.
Burnett also sees a margin improvement benefit to the
alliance. “One of the challenges we face in this business niche
is that sometimes we get projects with very bad approved
vendor lists and significant customer resistance to supplier
changes. It can be hard to recoup 100% of the cost driven
by poor quality suppliers. Longer term, we hope the alliance
framework will make it easier for us to enter the product
development process earlier and/or better justify redesign
recommendations when needed. High quality suppliers, effi-
cient communications processes and well-designed product
improves margins by eliminating hidden costs. In the EMS
realm, even small margin improvements are noticeable.”
Burton is also looking for ways to team with Michigan’s
Economic Development Corp. The company was able to tap
some incentives when establishing its Michigan production
facility by locating in a HUB-zone. There may be opportuni-
ties to team with regional prospective customers for addi-
tional incentives if projects it sources end up creating jobs.
18 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
“It is a true win-win situation when economic incentives
help fund projects that ultimately allow us to add jobs within
our company and the supplier alliance. The customer gets all
the benefits of outsourcing and the region adds jobs,” he added.
While the WIN alliance model isn’t unique in EMS, it
does highlight a workable solution evolving in response to
changes in the market. US manufacturing continues to be
a viable option for many outsourced projects. However,
competitive cost in this environment is likely to be achieved
through a combination of efficient production processes,
closely-knit supplier networks, minimized logistics and trans-
action costs, and the inventory minimization achievable
through enhanced responsiveness, rather than by internal
EMS efficiency alone. CA
Global Sourcing, continued from p. 14
overemphasized. To maintain strict traceability, Class III
OEMs want the EMS to manage well-organized lot code and
batch code records over an extended period of time, from five
to seven years.
Procurement responsibilities. It’s procurement’s job to
quickly identify blatant as well as potential issues so that the
OEM understands those issues and the consequences. This
includes component return policies. The EMS firm negotiates
warranties and assurances along with the purchase contract.
Ideal procurement is synonymous with technical depth, as
well as experience in bonded inventory, just-in-time warehous-
ing, price negotiations, contract procurement, and an array of
other skills. A good procurement team has at least two to three
savvy negotiators. Procurement must interact with the EMS’s
incoming inspection team and encourage stringent procedures
to avoid counterfeit parts and ensure moisture-sensitive device
(MSD) practices are properly managed.
Finally, not all brokers are created equal. Most are reputable
and provide highly acceptable components. But a good number
are shady, creative, and in some cases, outright crooks. A good
procurement team knows how to spot shady brokers. CA
ROI, continued from p. 16
and hope for a better outcome. How much scrap does it take
for us to figure out that we have to change the process, not
simply move someone from one department to another?
And finally, when you don’t have the answer, say so.
Don’t put customers through a death march searching for an
answer, or make them connect a zillion dots in order to con-
coct a complex solution to a simple task. How many times,
instead of calling in a more experienced colleague, do we try
to BS a customer, hoping they will just buy what we have? If
you cannot satisfy the result, don’t substitute a menagerie of
options that might work. It’s always better to say, “We don’t
have that,” or offer a referral, even to a competitor, to where
the customer might find what they need.
In five short days, I had five real lessons of how impor-
tant consistency, process, service and honesty are in the
buying experience. PCD&F
February 2011
ShouldYouMask0.4mmBGAPads?
at 0.5 mm, NSMD pads are recommended. at 0.4 mm, everything changes.
We’veBeenGettinG more and
more questions about laying out
the 0.4 mm pitch TI OMAP
BGA, as is used in the Beagle-
board. The OMAP processor
is a package on package (POP)
part with 0.4 mm pitch on the
bottom and a land on top for
a 0.5 mm pitch BGA memory
chip. We find that many design-
ers are intimidated by the POP
aspect of the component, but
that’s the easy part. It’s the 0.4
mm pitch land on the PCB that
causes the most trouble. At first
glance, it looks like any other
BGA, but some of the rules
change at these tiny geometries.
At 0.5 mm pitch and larger,
we generally recommend non-
soldermask defined (NSMD)
pads for BGAs. The NSMD pad
will permit better adhesion, with
the solder being able to grip the
sides of the copper, in addition
to the top surface. Even down to
0.5 mm pitch BGAs, most com-
ponent manufacturers still advise
NSMD pads. Granted, you need
to make sure your fabricator
can do a good job of mask reg-
istration. It’s not good to have
pads that are half SMD and half
NSMD. We’ve seen that.
Once you go to 0.4 mm pitch
BGAs, though, things get differ-
ent. We’re seeing more and more
of these. Some CSP (chip-scale
package) or WSP (wafer scale
package) BGA and LGA parts
are starting to show up in 0.4
mm pitch, as well as some bigger
parts like the TI OMAP proces-
sor. At that size, you start to
Figure 1.thisillustrationshows
howsoldercanbridgeonnSDM
pads(left),whileremainingintact
onSMDpads.
FEBRuaRy 2011
see more risk of solder bridging
with NSMD pads. The Beagle-
board folks have discovered that
NSMD pads can lead to bridging
and poor yields and therefore
recommend SMD pads.
Here’s what Texas Instru-
ments says in its helpful guide,
“PCB Design Guidelines for
0.4mm Package-On-Package
(PoP) Packages,” (section 10,
pg. 8):
“Industry reliability studies
have revealed that NSMD-type
pads are highly recommended
for most 0.5 mm pitch BGA
applications. However, there is
a problem with this approach at
0.4 mm pitch.
“Real-world assembly
experiments with the Beagle-
Board and the OMAP35x EVM
revealed a tendency for solder
bridging between pads when
NSMD were used. There was
insufficient solder mask web-
bing between the pads to ward
off bridging. Therefore, a SMD
design was used, which resulted
in much better assembly yields
with no solder bridging.”
(The TI design guide is a
great general resource, by the
way: http://focus.ti.com/lit/
an/spraav1b/spraav1b.pdf.
Pages 8-12 discuss pads, mask
and vias.)
Figure 1 is a somewhat
exaggerated view, but it shows
Figure 2.Simulatedstaggered
0.4mmpitchBGA.
the potential problem here.
With such small geometries, you
probably aren’t going to be able
to route escape traces on the
top layer either. You’ll have to
put blind vias in the pads and
escape through the inner lay-
ers. By the way: no open vias
in pads! The pad needs to be
solid metal with such a part. No
exceptions. Don’t try using sol-
der mask to cap the vias at this
pitch either. Plate over it. It has
to be all metal.
If you have a 0.4 mm BGA
part from a different manufac-
turer, check with that particular
manufacturer for the final say.
Some 0.4 mm pitch parts have a
staggered arrangement (Figure
2), and in that case, there is
enough room center to center
to successfully use NSMD pads.
In a presentation about
its development, Beagleboard
designer Gerald Coley notes
that their first two runs had
NSMD pads, resulting in a 10%
yield. After another run of PCBs
where the pads on the PCB were
the same size as the pads on
the device and the PCB pads
were soldermask defined, yields
rose to 96%. Verify that your
fabricator does in fact follow
your instructions. Some will
think they know better and will
change the mask layout. PCD&F
ed.: Read Duane’s blog each week at
DUANE BENSoN
circuitsassembly.com/blog/.
is marketing manager
at Screaming Circuits
(screamingcircuits.
com); dbenson@
screamingcircuits.
com. His column
appears bimonthly.
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 19
 Power Supply DeSign

Paralleling CaPaCitors

Differences in maximum ripple current and ESR can lead to a shift in the
ripple current – and premature failure. by Mark Woolley and Jae Choi

During the design of a power supply, careful consideration

must be given to the equivalent series resistance and ripple
current, as well as the total output capacitance. The capaci-
tors should be as identical as possible, with the same ESR and
ripple current capacity.
Early life failures can occur as a result of using two dif-
ferent capacitors. In the case below, the capacitance value
and working voltage rating of each were the same. However,
the maximum ripple current and ESR were substantially dif-
ferent. This causes a shift in the ripple current through the
capacitors and caused the supply to fail prematurely.
The design of the power supply called for the following:
■ Maximum ripple current: 1400mA.
■ Maximum allowable ESR: 50mΩ.
■ Total capacitance: 940µF.
This design used two different capacitors in parallel
Figure 1.Asimplifiedschematicofthecircuit.
to meet these requirements. One capacitor was a Series A
capacitor, while the second parallel capacitor was a Series B
capacitor. Table 1 compares the two capacitors. The capaci-
tors were well matched, except in two areas: the maximum Eq. 1
allowable ripple current and the ESR.
The ESR of a capacitor acts as a resistance in series with
the capacitance (Figure 1). The difference in ESR meant that Given the values shown above and the estimated total
the ripple current did not split evenly between the two capaci- ripple current of 1400mA, IR1 is ~500mA (640mA max),
tors. Equation 1 shows the calculation of current through the while IR2 is ~900mA (760mA Max). The ripple current
resistors (and hence the capacitors). through C2 is about 20% greater than allowed. This exces-
sive ripple current caused C2 to overheat and lose its elec-
trolyte. C2 then acted as an open circuit, forcing all ripple
current through C1, quickly causing its failure as well.
The standard practice of using parallel capacitors to
Table 1.CapacitorSpecifications increase the ripple current capacity and reduce the total
SerieS A SerieS B output resistance must be used with caution. The capacitors
must be identical in ESR and ripple current, as well as in
Capacitance 470µF 470µF
capacitance. Otherwise, the ripple current will not be split
Temperature Range -40° to 105°C -40° to 105°C evenly and will cause early life failures. PCD&F
Capacitance Tolerance ±20% ±20%
Load Life 5000 hr. @ 105°C 6000 hr. @ 105°C
Rated Ripple Current 760mA 640mA Mark WoolleyandJae Choi arewithAvaya(avaya.com);
ESR 0.072W 0.130W woolleym@avaya.com.

20 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY February 2011

 DfM

Hand to MACHINE

Be sure your designs reflect the assembler’s soldering methods.

by DUANE BENSON

It’s getting very difficult to hand solder many parts these rect footprint, make sure your CAD library land patterns
days. Some give it a try, but in general, if you’re dealing match the actual part being used. PCD&F
with the really tiny parts or leadless parts, it’s just not
possible, or at least not practical.
Sometimes a designer will start with the idea of hand DUANE BENSON is marketing manager at Screaming Circuits
soldering the board, and then either decide against it when (screamingcircuits.com); dbenson@screamingcircuits.com.
first looking at the raw PCB, or will build one and then
decide it’s too much work. That’s not a bad thing. You can
get more reliable assembly, and it keeps me employed. But
there are times when a layout designed with hand assem-
bly in mind does not work for machine assembly.
Case in point: FIGURE 1. There are two things wrong SEARCHING FOR
here. The first is that the land pattern is for a smaller part
than the actual component. Let’s pretend that problem EMS PROVIDERS?
doesn’t exist. The other problem is that big via hole in
the middle of the pad. When hand soldering parts with
a solder pad underneath, like QFNs or QFPs, folks will The CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
often put a large hole there. They’ll solder the outside con- Directory of EMS Companies
nections first, then turn the PCB over and stick a soldering lists more than 2,000 EMS
iron and some solder in that big via to solder up the pad. facility listings worldwide,
That works more or less including detailed info on:
for hand soldering, but it’s • Facility address, phone, fax,
a really bad thing to have a
URL and contact person
big open via like that when
machine-assembling parts. The • Annual sales revenue
solder will flow down and out • Number of employees
the other side. You’ll get a • Number and type of
mess on the bottom of the assembly lines
PCB, and you may get little or • Size of manufacturing floor
no solder on the pad. • Services offered
The moral of this story is
• Certifications
that if you’ve designed your
PCB for hand soldering and
later send it out for automated
assembly, go through the lay-
NOW IN EXCEL!
out and make sure you remove
things put in there for hand circuitsassembly.com/
circuitsassembly.com/
FIGURE 1. The open via-
in-pad is fine for hand soldering that aren’t conducive dems
dems
soldering, but a no-no to reliable machine assembly.
for automated reflow. And, coming back to the incor-

FEBRUARY 2011 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 21

StencilS

How Stencil Manufacturing Methods

IMpact precISIon and accuracy
Parameters that influence positional accuracy are studied on a number
of laser-formed stencils. by Ahne OOsterhOf and stephAn schmidt

For each method used to manufacture stencils, the important Metals. The metal used for laser cutting has typically been
parameters are the quality of the equipment, the control over stainless steel, type 302 or type 304, produced in a rolling
the process to fabricate the stencil, the quality and behavior mill. The resulting sheets are very uniform in thickness, but
of the metal during manufacture, the temperature differences the specified thickness can typically vary by about 12 µm. To
during the various processes, and the varying tension on the
materials in the different process steps.
The machine used to cut the stencils consists of two sys-
tems: the laser and the moving mechanism. The laser must
have a small and very stable beam. The size of the beam
determines whether very small details can be cut faithfully. If
the beam is not stable in size and the main power concentra-
tion moves around, the kerf will not be exactly as intended;
circular apertures will not be round, and straight wall aper-
tures will have wavy sides (Figure 1).
Most lasers produce a stream of high-power pulses to cut
through the metal. Early lasers were pulsing at low frequen-
cies, resulting in a scalloped cut when the metal was moved
too quickly. Present day lasers employ a much higher pulse
frequency, permitting faster cutting speed without resulting in
a scalloped cut line.
To verify that the laser beam is stable and produces con-
stant power, close examination of the aperture size, shape
and wall is required. With a 40 to 100x microscope, it is easy
to see whether the walls of an aperture are properly formed.
Various movement system designs exist. Early systems
had a stationary laser beam, while the table holding the metal
sheet or stencil frame moved in the X and Y axes. In some
later systems, the beam moves in X axis and the table in the Y
axis. The next step is to hold the metal stationary and move
only the beam in the X and Y axes.
The reduction in mass to be moved makes it easier to
increase cutting speed without sacrificing the ability to faith-
fully reproduce the detailed shapes of the stencil apertures.
In each design it is important that X and Y axes move
perpendicularly to each other and that both move in a per-
fectly straight line (Figure 1). The movement system has to
be perfectly calibrated to ensure control over the amount of
movement to within a few micrometers. Most laser systems
advertise location precision of 5 to 10 µm over a given dis- Figure 1.Stencilcutusingalasercuttingsystemwithstable
tance. andnon-stablepositioningsystem.

22 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY February 2011

Advanced SMT
Solutions for
Electronics Assembly
As a multinational distributor, SEIKA has a strong reputation for providing
high-performance and quality SMT solutions at cost-effective pricing.
We even provide every product with full technical support, installation,
and engineering services.
Our reputation along with our partners is solid in Asia and Japan, and now Visit us at
it’s time the rest of the world discovers what the East already knows – www.seikausa.com
our advanced machinery and materials for the electronics industry. to see more of our products!

Hioki Flying Probe Tester McDry Dry Cabinets

• High-speed, fixture-less testing • Store MSDs safely without nitrogen
• Fine pitch probing capability of 0.2mm • Conforms to IPC/JEDEC J-STD 033b.1

Sayaka PCB Router Hirox Digital Microscopes

• Low stress depanelization • Inspect objects in 360° with patented
• Easy software programming Hirox design
• BGA, QFP, cross section inspection
with measurement

YJ Link Conveyors Seika Solder Paste

• Patented magnetic roller mechanism
Recycling System
limits stress on PCB’s during transfer
• Recover 90% of your solder paste waste
• Safety covers with interlocked doors
• ROI within months!

Anritsu 3D Solder Paste Atlanta Office:

Inspection Machine 3030 Business Park Drive, #3030-B
• High-speed, ultra-high resolution Norcross, GA 30071
• Easy programming, auto calibration Phone: (770) 446-3116 Fax: (770) 446-3118

Los Angeles Office:

3528 Torrance Blvd., Suite 100
Torrance, CA 90503
Phone: (310) 540-7310 Fax: (310) 540-7930
StencilS
Figure 2.Stencilcutasloosesheet(left)vs.cutinframe(right).
improve paste release, a number of post-
processes have been tried: for example,
electropolishing or chem-polishing, but
not always resulting in improvements.
Other metals being introduced
include nickel sheets and very fine grain
stainless steels. The latter ones in par-
ticular have demonstrated significant
improvements in the printing process.1
Electroforming. Stencils fabricated
using the electroforming (EF) process
consist of pure nickel. The EF process
starts with a film that represents the
aperture pattern to be manufactured.
Making the film introduces additional
process steps with their inherent possibil-
ity of errors, as film material is tempera-
ture- and moisture-sensitive. The film
image is transferred in a photo process
to a mandrel on which a metal layer is
grown in an electrochemical process. To
get a uniform thickness stencil requires
that the chemical actions in the bath are
exactly the same over the full area of
the stencil. This can be difficult, espe-
cially when the aperture density varies
greatly. Also, the growth of the metal
immediately around an aperture can be
faster, resulting in a small ridge or “dam”
around the aperture. This dam has been
used as a seal between the stencil and pad
on the board. However, if this dam is not
exactly aligned with the pad or it gets
damaged, paste can leak through, which
may result in solder balls.
The process also has to be well
controlled so that it can be stopped at
the proper moment when the sheet has
grown to the desired thickness. After
that it must be “peeled” off the man-
drel without damaging the sheet, and
then mounted in a frame.
24 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
Tension. When sheets are laser cut,
they are typically clamped and ten-
sioned in one direction, or they are cut
already mounted in a frame.
If the sheets are mounted in the
frame after cutting, the tension in both
X and Y directions will often differ
from the tension during cutting. The
same, but more so, is true for stencils
made with the electroforming process.
A stainless steel 125 µm (0.005")
stencil manufactured without any stress
on the metal and then placed in a frame
exerting a stress of 35 Newton/cm (com-
mon mesh tension) sees a strain (percent-
age change in length) of 0.0131%. For
a stencil image (or panel image) where
apertures are 0.5 m (20") apart, this can
cause an error of up to 65 µm (0.0025").
Temperature. Most stencil manufac-
turers produce stencils in air-condi-
tioned rooms where the temperature
is about 20ºC. In small, un-air-condi-
tioned rooms, the temperature can eas-
ily vary by 5ºC or more. Similar varia-
tions can exist at the location where the
stencils are used.
The coefficients of thermal expan-
sion are approximately 17 ppm/ºC for
steel and 13 ppm/ºC for nickel. This
number indicates the expansion or con-
traction of the metal in microns per
meter for each ºC. For a stencil image
(or panel image) where apertures are 0.5
m (20") apart, and the temperature dif-
ference between fabricating the stencil
and using the stencil is 5ºC, the change
in dimension in a steel stencil can be
42 µm (0.0017"). For a nickel stencil it
would be about 32 µm (0.0013").
While laser cutting, the hot beam
can cause a local temperature rise in
the metal that can lead to discoloration
(innocent) or even deformation through
local expansion of the metal (trouble-
some). Proper beam control and metal
cooling (airflow or liquid cooling) can
minimize this problem.
Impacts on Use
For newer components, such as CSPs
and very small passive components, the
space between pads on the board can
be less than 200 µm (0.008").
To prevent significant errors as
described above, employ the best stencil
manufacturing equipment and practices
possible. That also means working in
a controlled environment, both at the
stencil manufacturer and user loca-
tions. To prevent errors due to possible
tension differences, it is desirable to cut
the stencil while mounted in the frame.
In short, as a stencil user it is becoming
necessary to know what equipment and
what process is used and what checks
are made by the stencil manufacturer.
Figure 2 shows an example of
one stencil cut from a sheet and then
Figure 3.Apertureswithsomedebris.
February 2011
Award Winning Products and Service

Our Industry Awards Demonstrate Our Commitment to Excellence and to

The Success of Our Customers.

EXPECT MORE...

MV-3 Desktop AOI Series MV-7 Inline AOI Series

3 MORSE ROAD • OXFORD, CT 06478
PHONE: (+1) 203-881-5559 • FAX: (+1) 203-881-3322
www.mirtecusa.com
StencilS
Figure 4.Samplebellcurvesurroundingmeasureddata.Redverticalbarsshowspeclimitsof+/-10µm.
mounted, and another cut in the frame on the same laser. A
definite change in the error trend can be observed.
Stencil verification. The simplest way to determine stencil
precision is to scan it and determine the location and size of
each aperture. Available systems can perform such tests to
accuracies of +/-5 µm (0.002") within a few minutes. A com-
puter program can determine the centroid and size of each
of the scanned apertures and compare those to the original
design. The resulting data can be used for an easy go/no-go
determination, or to perform statistical analysis.
The new scanned laser-cut stencil may have remaining loose
particulate in some of the apertures. This interferes with the
centroid and area calculation, but can easily be recognized and
therefore excluded from the results (Figure 3).
A large stencil (about 460 x 300 mm) with about 21,000
apertures was selected for these tests. Stencils were measured
using a well-calibrated scanner (ScanCheck) with a resolution
of 6,000 pixels per inch (12,000 with interpolation). The result-
ing numbers were then compared to the cutting data and errors
Figure 5.Analysisofmeasurements.
26 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
beyond a given specification presented. All data collected can
be exported for further analysis, as is done here. For this analy-
sis, only the location errors along the long stencil axis are used.
Comparative Measurements
For comparison purposes, a number of stencils were pro-
duced using different methods, machines and processes.
These stencils were produced using commonly available laser-
cutting and electroforming production methods. Four differ-
ent laser system brands, for a total of seven different types of
machines, were selected. Of these stencils, five were produced
both as sheets and in a frame and two cut in a frame, for a
total of 13 laser cut stencils and one electroformed stencil.
The stencils were produced in several different commer-
cial facilities, and environmental conditions were not record-
ed; therefore, a temperature effect cannot be established
separately from the machine accuracy and tension effects.
A specification of +/-10 µm was used, and for each stencil,
the extent and distribution of the location errors were calcu-
lated. This aforementioned specification limit is a commonly
Figure 6.Cuttinginframevs.cuttingasloosesheet.
February 2011
 StencilS

used value for allowable tolerance by observe that most newer systems (fewer ure 7 shows the change in the spread of
many large EMS companies. The value than three years old) provide a higher the data for two stencils cut in the frame
of Cp indicates how often this distribu- positional accuracy compared to the on two different laser systems.
tion of the data fits between the specifi- older systems (three to 15 years old).
cation limits (Figure 4). For these very However, even among new laser systems Conclusion
large and complicated stencils, only we can observe a significant difference in When printing on a board with com-
one showed a Cp value greater than 1 aperture positioning accuracy between ponents that have large pads and large
(Figure 5). In the individual graphs, different laser systems. These differences spaces between pads, a significant align-
the short green bars represent the three are probably related to system architec- ment error between the stencil apertures
sigma limits. At those points the error ture and calibration methods used. Fig- continued on p. 33
Circuits Assembly (4.5x7.5).pdf 12/1/10 11:53:09 AM
rate is 2,750 ppm. Of course, Six Sigma
would be more desirable, where the
error rate would be only 0.002 ppm.
As the stencil can be shifted and
aligned to the board in the printer, the
Cpk value, which uses the worst half
of the distribution and the deviation of
the mean from the center of the specifi-
cation, has not been determined.

Results.The resulting Cp values for the

whole group of stencils are shown in Fig-
ure 5. Yellow bars show the Cp values
for stencils cut as loose sheets, and blue
bars show the range for stencils cut in the
frame. For the measured apertures, the
error range (brown bars) varies from 35
to 185 µm (0.0014"to 0.0073").
The data show a noticeable group-
ing based on the chosen manufacturing
techniques. In general, stencils cut in
a mounted frame show significantly
higher aperture positional accuracy
than stencils cut as loose sheets and
subsequently mounted into a frame.
Figure 6 shows the distribution of
the data for a stencil cut in the frame
and as a sheet using the same laser. The
noticeable change in the spread of the
data shows the result of the change in
tension while cutting the stencil versus
the tension after the stencil has been
mounted in a frame.
Another factor for the change in
positional accuracy is the choice of
laser cutting system. In general, we can

Figure 7.Identicalstencilscutontwo
differentmodernlasersystems.

February 2011 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 27

 THERE’S NO OTHER SHOW LIKE IT IN THE WORLD!
Benefit from the industry’s premier technical conference, courses and IPC standards development meetings.
Visit hundreds of exhibitors. Meet thousands of peers and industry experts.

“I found selective soldering equipment at the

show I didn’t even know existed! We had
Equipment looked everywhere but didn’t find what we
needed until we went to IPC APEX EXPO.
We’re going to cut costs and run cleaner
Photovoltaics with less waste. Seeing the equipment and
meeting the vendors yourself is critical.”
Reliability
George Reid, Facilities Manager,
Ditron Manufacturing

Network
IPC APEX EXPO™ 2011
April 10–14
Package On Package
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION
April 12–14
Mandalay Bay Resort
& Convention Center
Las Vegas
www.IPCAPEXEXPO.org
New Research

LGA and QFN

p r il 12n:
Solutions
,A sio
sday te Ses ion
Tue ing Keynd Innova K
o t
SMT Processes n
Ope tivity a
a
n
O Z NIAuter
EW
Cr e mp
t e ring E V p l e Co
Fo s
ST der, A
n
p
ou
Co-F

design • printed boards • e l e c t r o n i c s a s s e m b ly • test


ODM or EMS: Which is
BESt fOr YOur PrOjEct?
ODMs offer unmatched product development expertise, while EMS firms
have superior flexibility and service. by Jim Chen
In a world of shrinking product development cycles and con-
tinual cost pressures, it is important to consider all costs in
the outsourcing equation. Outsourcing options have contin-
ued to evolve, and the supplier’s choice of business model has
both positive and negative cost implications. Here, we look at
the advantages and tradeoffs between two of these business
models: original design manufacturer (ODM) and electronics
manufacturing services (EMS). Tailyn Communication Co.
has had extensive experience with the differences between
these models, as the company is both an ODM and EMS
company that serves the industrial PC, wireless communica-
tions, point of sale and networking markets.
Outsourcing can provide a collaborative approach that
leverages supplier expertise, purchasing power, manufactur-
ing capability and logistics channels. However, achieving
lowest total cost requires careful evaluation of project goals,
outsourcing business models and supply base options.
Developing product around existing ODM technology
may save time and cost in product development. In other
cases, tapping an EMS provider with robust engineering skills
may represent the best option.
Key Benefits of Each Model
The EMS business model taps shared engineering expertise,
purchasing capability and manufacturing capacity. Its ben-
efits can include:
■ Access to a wider range of product development and engi-
neering expertise than may be found internally at the OEM.
■ Minimization of fixed costs associated with product manu-
facturing and reduction in working capital.
■ Access to greater purchasing power.
■ Access to robust project launch and design for manufac-
turability/testability (DfM/DfT) processes.
■ Improvements in logistics efficiency.
■ The offloading of operations such as repair depot not in
line with core competencies.
The ODM model taps a supplier’s product development
expertise. Advantages include:
■ Speeding product development by incorporating ODM propri-
etary products and technology in new product development.
February 2011
OutsOurcing
■ Reducing tooling costs by using proprietary packaging or
custom components.
■ Access to application-specific expertise.
■ Access to shared manufacturing capacity.
■ Minimization of fixed costs and reduction in working capital.
Pros and Cons of the EMS Option
The traditional EMS model assumes the OEM owns the
design and the contractor is primarily a manufacturing and
logistics expert. The contractor may provide some support
during the design phase, but traditionally this is related to
DfM/DfT or procurement recommendations, rather than true
conceptual design. That said, EMS providers typically have
engineering expertise over a broad range of products and can
act as extensions of their customers’ product development
teams. This can be particularly attractive to companies with
products requiring enhanced functionality, such as a medical
product that needs to add communications capability.
The model leverages economies of scale in production
resources. Customers have some flexibility in scheduling and
specifying quality requirements and/or other preferences.
From an inventory standpoint, the customer defines the
approved vendor list (AVL) and may also set requirements for
finished goods kanban quantity.
Non-recurring engineering (NRE) and tooling costs are
typically charged at the beginning of the project, but the cus-
tomer then owns tooling and documentation.
One of the biggest advantages of the EMS model is that
its focus is service. Most EMS providers have the capability
to support all phases of the product lifecycle, and in smaller
and mid-size EMS providers, service and flexibility are often
points of differentiation and value.
Finally, while changing EMS providers is not without
cost, since the OEM owns its design and tooling, switching
is always an option.
Pros and Cons of the ODM Option
While OEMs do leverage an ODM’s manufacturing resourc-
es, the largest part of the economies-of-scale savings is
in product design and tooling. Typically in this model,
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 29
 OutsOurcing
OEMs are tapping the ODM’s propri-
etary technology, core parts of product
design or packaging, and application-
specific engineering expertise.
Understanding project goals and
long-term strategy are critical in this
type of relationship because the OEM
and ODM can become permanent
partners in shared product designs.
This is because often the customer is
simply licensing technology or product
elements and using tooling owned by
the ODM.
For example, sourcing to an EMS
provider normally permits greater
choice in facility locations. If the current
EMS provider doesn’t have facilities in
the desired build site region, it isn’t
difficult to find an EMS provider with
similar processes and equipment who
does. Comparatively, changing ODMs
may involve redesign and retooling.
Service and flexibility may also suf-
fer. ODMs differentiate themselves by
technology, engineering expertise and
application-specific product lines. As
a result, they aren’t typically interested
in interrupting production with high
mix products. Nor are they as open
to customer-defined AVLs or finished
30 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
goods kanbans.
If high mix or variable demand is
likely to be an issue, it is important to
understand the ODM’s track record
in supporting high mix or variable
demand projects. Talking to references
with projects of similar size and com-
plexity is one way to sanity-check this
area of the business model.
Material leverage may be a strength
for an ODM, since it may be a high user
of application-specific components that
other companies purchase in lower
quantities. In those cases, restocking
privileges may be more liberal and
material liability may be reduced, since
application-specific focus translates to
higher levels of material commonality.
Software development is an area
that should be watched closely. In some
cases, the software platform is owned
by the ODM. It is important to under-
stand whether software is licensed or
owned by the customer. One option
that can provide enhanced flexibility
in this area is hiring a third-party soft-
ware developer. The positive is that the
work is still outsourced. The negative
is that it adds complexity and could
create a longer learning curve. It can
also make identifying problems a little
more difficult, since if there are issues
with the design, the two vendors may
be blaming each other.
Availability of application-specific
functional test equipment may be anoth-
er advantage. Typically, an EMS provider
expects this equipment to be consigned.
However, an ODM may keep a much
broader complement of equipment in-
house to support its core technologies.
The biggest advantage is reduc-
tion in time-to-market. Being able to
design a product around an established
ODM platform can take months off
the design cycle. Learning curve is
minimized; components may already
be in the pipeline, and packaging may
already be tooled.
How do these benefits and tradeoffs
translate in actual projects? These two
case studies illustrate how each model
supported each customer’s needs.
EMScasestudy.An industrial equip-
ment firm with strong internal prod-
uct development expertise wanted to
improve its overall manufacturing effi-
ciency by tapping the resources of an
EMS provider.
February 2011

The company had strong internal
conceptual engineering resources, but
wanted its EMS provider to handle DfM/
DfT analysis and bill of materials (BoM)
development. It wanted a unique product
rather than one using another company’s
proprietary technology.
Tailyn worked as an extension of
their engineering team during the prod-
uct development process. DfM/DfT rec-
ommendations included adjustments to
PCB layout to maximize return on PCB
size and address potential manufactur-
ing quality issues in the SMT process.
The original BoM was analyzed in terms
of best supplier choices for price, quality
and delivery performance, and second
sources were added wherever possible.
The result of early contractor involve-
ment was that one to two PCB design spins
were eliminated, and both quality and sup-
ply chain flexibility were enhanced. Lever-
aging the EMS business model enabled the
customer to do what it did best: design
innovative new products.
ODM case study. A company with
some internal design capability had an
aging product platform. When sales
started to drop, it was left with the
February 2011
choice of maintaining the existing plat-
form and losing market share, or team-
ing with an ODM to rapidly develop a
new platform.
T
It opted to team with Tailyn in a joint
design effort because it would be able to
incorporate the ODM’s technology in its
new platform and launch new products ■
faster than would have been possible with
an internal new product development ■
effort. It also freed its engineering team
to work on other projects. In this case, the
customer blended its expertise in product
field performance knowledge and market ■
intelligence with the ODM’s expertise in ■
basic hardware architecture and software
design.
The combined result was a new gen- ■
eration of product one year ahead of its ■
competitors and the ability to stay price
competitive on existing products. ■
The hybrid model. As indicated, it is
possible to utilize a company that is ■
both an ODM and an EMS provider.
That is a situation where customers
have more flexibility, since the benefits ■
of both models are available.
However, even in a hybrid situation,
continued on page 33
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
OutsOurcing
Key Questions to AsK
When Considering
options
hereareanumberofcritical
questions when evaluating
anODMvs.EMSoption:
What is the desired product life-
cyclelength?
What are internal core technology
competenciesandwhattechnology
expertise needs to be acquired in
theoutsourcingeffort?
Whatarethelikelydemandpatterns?
Are synergies on materials avail-
able from an ODM that would not
bepresentinanEMSrelationship?
Whoownsthetooling?
Is the software licensed from the
ODMorownedbythecustomer?
Istherealocalcontentrequirement
that would make one choice more
attractive?
Does the supplier have a track
record of doing projects of similar
sizeandcomplexity?
Is there a contract that clearly
definesthedisengagementprocess
andproductownershiprights?
31
SPI
Mining Data to
IMprove StencIl prIntIng
An elegant method for sorting print data by component and
defect type. by Chrys shea
A mountain of data is a wonderful thing; it’s filled with
gems of knowledge just waiting to be unearthed. While
those precious gems are worth the hunt, prospecting for
them can be a tedious task, fraught with dead ends in
trial-and-error processes. Once a strong vein has been
identified, however, it can be tapped over and again to
provide good results.
Ray Whittier of Vicor (vicor.com) has developed a
simple yet highly effective recipe for mining the data his
solder paste inspection system acquires. On the production
floor, the machine is essentially a go/no-go gauge, indicat-
ing which prints can be passed on to pick-and-place and
which must be removed from production. To make that
decision, the machine collects a lot of data for each indi-
vidual deposit, including solder paste height, area, volume,
and X-Y position, and associates each data point with
the package type, reference designator, pin number, date,
time of day, etc. While the machine is dutifully executing
its primary function of passing or failing prints, in the
background it is generating a mountain of data that, when
mined astutely, provides excellent diagnostic information.
Figure 1.Sortingdefectsbyassemblynumberidentifies
PCBswiththehighestdefectrates.
32 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
Whittier’s first step is to download the database to an
Excel spreadsheet for easy manipulation. Then he starts
slicing and dicing:
1. The first cut is by assembly number. This identifies the
assemblies with the highest defect rates (Figure 1).
2.The next cut looks at each of the top hitters individually.
This view takes the data for each assembly number and
carves them two ways:
 a. By defect type ( Figure 2 ).
 b. By component type ( Figure 3 ).
Sorting by defect and component type usually reveals
a trend and points to the direction of the root cause. If
a particular defect type is dominant, the root cause may
be systemic. For example, if most failures are excessive
solder volumes, he investigates the support tooling, looks
for gasketing problems, and checks for undersized PWB
pads. If the majority of failures are insufficients, he inves-
tigates paste release problems and checks for undersized
stencil apertures that might drop area ratios (an aperture’s
diameter divided by 4*foil thickness) below 0.66. If the
defects are due to positional errors, he checks the printer’s
program and the stencil positional accuracy.
Sorting by component type reveals the packages expe-
riencing the most defects, and it’s no surprise the minia-
Figure 2.Next,sortbydefecttype…
February 2011

Figure 3.…Andbycomponenttype.
turized components – 0.5 mm BGAs, 0201s and SOT883s
– are the most problematic. To drill a little deeper into
component-related defects, he looks at the defect modes
and fallout rates of individual reference designators with-
in the package types. Defects concentrated in a single loca-
tion might be due to a tooling issue: a weak spot in the
board support system, a component located near an edge
clamp or irregularly formed stencil apertures. Drilling
Stencils, continued from p. 27
and board pads may not cause serious issues. It is like a form
of overprinting, and many solders, in their molten state, will
wick back onto the pad.
However, many of today’s boards have tiny parts with
very small and closely spaced pads where such errors might
cause bridging. Also, Pb-free solder does not spread as well
as Pb-bearing solder. Therefore, the size of the errors encoun-
tered in several of these stencil samples will lead to unaccept-
able levels of production errors.
For a stencil with optimum aperture positioning accu-
racy, we can conclude that laser cutting shows better results
than photo-based processes; stencils cut in a frame show very
little distortion, and stencils cut on modern lasers show sig-
nificantly better positioning accuracy.
Note that additional printing errors can come from,
among others, low mesh tension, inadequate squeegee pres-
sure or insufficient board support.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Florian Roick of LPKF Laser & Electron-
ics, Mike Scimeca of FCT Assembly and Frank Kurisu of Sol-
der Mask Inc. for their kind contributions to this article. CA
reFerenCes
1.RobertF.Dervaes,JeffPoulosandScottWilliams,“ConqueringSMT
Stencil Printing Challenges with Today’s Miniature Components,”
Global SMT & Packaging,April2009.
Ed.ThisarticlewasfirstpublishedattheSMTAPanPacConferencein
January2011andisrepublishedherewithpermissionoftheauthors.
February 2011
SPI
one step further to see the pin numbers where the defects
are located identifies which apertures to check under the
microscope. Alternatively, if defects are distributed across
the board, he looks to the stencil, checking area ratios
and measuring small apertures to make sure inadvertently
undersized ones do not break the area ratio rule.
Download the data, filter it and sort it? It sounds
almost too simple. Elegant is a better description, and suc-
cessful. His process prints around 10,000 paste deposits in
an area that’s roughly the size of a standard mail envelope
at a 5.7∑ level. Impressive.
On highly miniaturized, densely packed PWBs, where
one bad deposit causes an entire panel of 16 boards to
get scrapped, the ability to quickly isolate and resolve the
root causes of print problems is essential to an operation’s
success. For Whittier, mining the data that his SPI system
generates is one of the fastest ways to pinpoint the prob-
lem and get to its source. And while the method outlined
here might not strike the mother lode every time, it always
hits plenty of pay dirt.
Chrys shea isfounderofSheaEngineeringServices
(sheaengineering.com);chrys@sheaengineering.com.
ahne OOsterhOFisfounderofOosterhofConsulting;
ahne@oosterhof.com.stephan sChmidtisgeneral
managerofLPKFLaser&Electronics(lpkfusa.com);
sschmidt@lpkfusa.com.
Outsourcing, continued from p. 31
it is important to understand that there are tradeoffs in each
model. The highest level of product development expertise is
found in the ODM model. The greatest degree of flexibility
and service is likely to be found in the EMS model.
In making a final choice, alignment of expertise with
project requirements, track record on similar projects and
overall trustworthiness need to be carefully evaluated. A
strong relationship is particularly important in a joint devel-
opment or product incorporating shared design. CA
Ed.:ThisarticleisadaptedfromapresentationmadeatSurfaceMount
TechnologyAssociationInternational,October2010.
BiBliOgraphy
1. J. Chen, “ODM or EMS: Which Choice is Best forYour Project?”
Surface Mount Technology Association International Proceedings,
October2010.
Jim ChenisvicepresidentsalesdivisionIatTailyn
Communication(tailyn.com.tw);jimchen@tailyn.com.tx.
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 33
 SCREEN PRINTING

GoingwiththeFlow
Challenges with EMS order visibility spur interest in old – but effective – techniques.

ThenewsreporTed by Bloomberg late last Novem-
ber stated what many manufacturers enjoying a
buoyant 2010 didn’t want to hear: Demand for EMS
services is softening. In the piece, Deutsche Bank
Securities analyst Sherri Scribner is quoted as saying
that while contract manufacturers usually “have very
good visibility into the quarter ahead,” now they are
slightly more cautious “almost across the board.”1
This lack of order predictability, coupled with
the need to realize maximum resource utilization,
spurred some lively conversation within our com-
pany. But, being unable to predict order flow doesn’t
necessarily mean orders aren’t forthcoming, which
presents interesting balancing challenges. Our discus-
sions centered on this question: Barring adding more
continuous cycling of the printer produces faR betteR Results, is full, then the printer has
and this fact leads to our efficiency solution: batch printing. to stop. The idea, though, is
lines for the inevitable gear up to feast from famine,
how can customers get more productivity out of
existing equipment sets? For us, that means keeping
the printer occupied, even when systems down the
line may not be ready for a printed board. If an issue
downstream dictates that the printer must halt, that’s
wasted productivity: 30 min., 40 min., maybe an
hour’s worth of valuable production time lost.
But, what if you kept the printer humming even
while problems down the line were being corrected?
Not only does this maximize printer productivity, but
it also ensures better yields. Let me explain. The print systems, this includes utilizing predictive maintenance
process is not like the placement process or the reflow
process; it’s a bit organic in nature. Printers work best failure. And, for (large) EMS firms that move prod-
in a flow. If the placement machine has a blocked
nozzle or a board gets stuck in the reflow oven, caus-
CLIvE AShMoRE ing the line to stop, the idle time can impede print and processes for equipment around the globe. That
is global applied efficiency. Small, 200 µm stencil apertures start to
process engineering clog; cleaning may be required, and the 30-min. stall
manager at DEK may start pushing the process out of control. When
International (dek. things start back up, the first few boards off the
com); cashmore@ printer may not be up to snuff.
dek.com. His column Continuous cycling of the printer produces far
appears bimonthly. better results, and this fact leads to our efficiency
solution: batch printing. Yes, you read that correctly!
If you dig way back into your memory banks to the
old wave soldering, glue adhesive Type 1 SMT days,
you may recall the batch philosophy. It was largely
forgotten as we transitioned to Type 2 SMT, but that
was primarily due to material capability in terms of
open and abandon times. Today’s solder pastes are far
more robust in that respect and can certainly with-
stand significantly more air exposure before drying
out. Batch printing in its simplest form can be just
a buffer between the printer and placement machine
or the post-print inspection and placement machine.
With today’s newer, greater longevity materials, this
buffering has minimum impact to the overall manu-
facturing process. There is one caveat: Boards must
be kept in a covered batching system to eliminate
exposure to dust or airborne particles.
The process is relatively simple and can be run
according to the manufacturer’s preferences. Boards
are printed, inspected and then loaded into the buffer
racking system. The buffer software determines if/
when the board is required down the line and feeds
the boards back into the pro-
duction flow when signaled.
Of course, when the buffer
to have enough boards in the
buffer that when the printer
is required to print, there’s
sufficient time to reset the printer. This could mean
printing a couple of dummy prints to get it back in
the flow, or doing a full clean down. In any event, the
printer is kept operational, maximizing the resource
and keeping the line flowing, while ensuring good
yields by smoothing out the intermittent stoppages.
Ladies and gentlemen, the batch may be back!
That said, batch printing is only viable when the
printer is operating as it should. If it’s not, you are
flat out of luck! Getting the most out of your resource
means effectively managing your assets. With print
tools like remote diagnostics to intervene ahead of a
uct and lines here, there and yonder, it also means
harmonization of all equipment specs, recipe files,
way, when resources have to be transferred, optimum
performance doesn’t take months to sort out. All of
this seems logical and simple. But, you’d be amazed
at the easy, preemptive actions that aren’t employed.
So, as we begin 2011 with a mixed bag of predic-
tions from analysts, incorporating an old technique
and some proactive asset management may help
maximize productivity, yields and profits, even in the
face of uncertain order balance. CA
RefeRence
1.T.homanandA.Feld,“needforQe2seeninpausingelectron-
icsManufacturingservices,”Bloomberg.com,nov.29,2010.

34 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY DECEMBER 2010


ClearingUpDross
Periodic pot emptying and cleaning, plus nitrogen use, helps reduce dross formation.
Inthe seleCtIve soldering process, dross can be
detrimental. Dross (the term as used here encompass-
es all surface contamination) is created in conjunction
with the presence of oxygen in two different areas of
the process, and by separate means. Each must be
dealt with differently to prevent problems.
Conventional dross, as most people know it, is cre-
ated when the solder basically tumbles back into the
solder pot from the nozzle. As the solder flows back
into the pot, down the drop area from the nozzle tip,
it mixes with the atmosphere and oxidizes to create a
chowder-like substance known as dross. This dross is
usually a combination of oxidized solder alloy and spent
flux. In Pb-based alloys, dross typically floats on top of
the solder in the tank and doesn’t cause any particular
problems. The high density of the Pb-based alloy (e.g.,
Sn63) ensures it remains on top and won’t be drawn
down into the pump, clogging the nozzle, or comingling
with fresh solder being deposited on the board.
A second type of dross is created by the spindle of
the impeller pump driveshaft as it rotates in molten
solder. This is actually the product of the metal-to-
metal contact (even though the solder is liquidous),
the product of essentially a burnishing operation, a
rubbing and scrubbing of the metals. The rotating
shaft creates an interaction with the molten solder
and generates a residue, typically a SnPb oxide or a
tin oxide, and it evidences itself in the form of a fine
black powder that floats on top of the solder and
around the drive shaft.
This black powder-like material can be detrimental
to lead or Pb-free soldering because it can be drawn into
the pump. As the spindle of the impeller rotates, depend-
ing on the volume of this black residue, the rotation can
set up a vortex, or whirlpool, during which time the
material can be sucked into the impeller area. It then
gets into the pumped solder as it is being delivered into
the nozzle. It tends to collect, and therefore can contrib-
ute to the clog-
ging of nozzles,
especially small
ones. The small-
er the nozzle, the
more susceptible
it is to clogging
with this mate-
rial. Moreover,
that black par-
ticulate mat-
ter, present in
the solder flow,
Figure 1.Fixturesusehigh-tem- can also deposit
peraturecompositematerialimper- itself onto the
vioustoattackbyfluxchemistries. board, even into
February 2011
SELECTIVE SOLDERING
the solder fillet itself. This is a concern not only in selec-
tive soldering, but also in wave soldering, and in both
instances is a product of the pumping process.
To mitigate these issues, solder pot and pump-
ing assembly can be enclosed and the area above the
solder and below the cover filled with superheated
nitrogen. The nitrogen is permitted to escape only
from the area surrounding the nozzle. Doing so inerts
the entire solder delivery process, and the return area
of the solder to the solder pot, and can sharply reduce
conventional dross formation. Black powder dross
can be mitigated with nitrogen or the use of protec-
tive graphite sleeves around the pump shaft, which
act as a barrier, protecting the rotational effects of the
pump impeller from interacting with molten solder.
When using Pb-free alloys, dross can be a little
more problematic, due in part to the lower density
of the Pb-free alloy. For instance, a wrench will float
on top of a solder pot full of Sn63, but it will quickly
sink to the bottom of a pot of Pb-free alloy. Contami-
nation that typically floats on a solder pot filled with
Pb-based alloy, and is therefore easy to remove, may
not float on top of a pot of Pb-free alloy, and can
drop to the bottom and comingle with the pumped
solder. It is imperative to ensure that the surface of
the solder is clean daily, and pull the pump assembly
and clean the bottom of the solder pot at least four
times as often as one would with a pot of Sn63.
It’s easy to test the effectiveness of this nitrogen-
inerting approach. We perform a fairly simple empiri-
cal test to confirm nitrogen purity and performance
and its effects on the wave. We simply tin the nozzle,
set the appropriate level of nitrogen purity and flow,
and run the flowing solder at full production readiness
for a 15-min. interval, during which time we observe
the operation closely. We’re not soldering a board at
this time, but actually running in free air, with the
nitrogen surrounding the nozzle. If no discoloration
of the flowing solder is observed, we know that the
volume and purity setting of the nitrogen is sufficient
to protect that nozzle and mitigate the dross. ALAN CABLE
Typically, at the end of an 8-hr. shift, one may is president of
expect to find about a tablespoon of residue float- A.C.E. Production
ing on top of the solder pot. It’s largely spent flux Technologies (ace-
mixed with a little dross, and that’s normal and also protech.com);
usually easy to remove. Dross in the bottom of the acable@ace-protech.
com.
pot, particularly when using Pb-free solders, can be
removed only by emptying the pot. The interval can
be determined by the user. In the beginning, more
often is better; if, upon inspection of the emptied pot,
it can be prudently determined that the frequency is
too great (little or no residue), then that PM interval
can be increased, provided of course that throughput
volume remains mostly static. CA
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 35
 test and inspection
LED Measurement Options at ICT
How to capture color values and light intensity.
ThE wOrLD Of light-emitting diodes has seen a
plethora of new applications in various devices, with
vast improvements in energy efficiency, a wide range
of color, longer lifecycles and so on. Today, almost
every printed circuit board has an LED (Figure 1).
For example, in the automotive industry, LEDs are
used in headlights and dashboard displays. In net-
working they appear on servers, networks, or switch
boards for IT troubleshooting. In the computer indus-
try, LEDs are found on notebooks for wireless, sound
adjustment displays, etc. Most consumer products
– from printers and cellphones to rice cookers and
washing machines – contain LED components.
This myriad usage gives us a fair idea of the
breadth and depth of LED designs available today,
with color and intensity acting as important visual
indicators. But how can manufacturers ensure that
the right LED is mounted on the PCB before it is
shipped to the end-user?
Mounting an LED of the wrong color or intensity
Figure 1. LED demo board before (top) and after
being powered via ICT.
YAng HuA is
technical marketing
engineer at Agilent
Technologies (agilent.
com); hua_yang@
agilent.com.
Figure 2. Diode I-V diagram.
36 PRInTED CIRCuIT DESIgn & FAB / CIRCuITS ASSEMBLY
can cost in rework, labor, materials and so on. This has
opened up a growing trend toward the strategic use of
in-circuit test for measuring their color and intensity.
LEDs need to be powered up during manufacturing
test, and the ideal station to measure it would be ICT,
as at this stage the tester is able to access the pins on
the PCB and, hence, easily turn on the LED.
Traditional ICT on LED. ICT treats LED test as a
forward bias diode test. After turning on the LED,
ICT measures the LED forward bias voltage (Figure
2), which covers LED functionality. Unfortunately, it
won’t tell you the color and intensity of the LED under
test. However, there are ways to accomplish this.
fixture electronics. Most LED color and intensity
measurements are conducted using fixture electron-
ics. Any color on a spectrum is made by mixing red,
green and blue (RGB). Every LED under test will
have a set of RGB values. The hue is the measured
location on the color wheel, defined via the degrees
(Figure 3). The saturation of a color is determined by
a combination of light intensity. All these values can
be obtained through a light sensor, which converts
the light signal into an electrical signal output.
Camera imaging. Another way to capture the color
value is through a camera imaging process. Intensity
is measured by the amount of light emitted by the
LED under test. It is affected by environmental fac-
tors, such as the position or angle of the sensor or
light pipe, the distance between LED and the sen-
sor, etc. These signals are sent to the ICT for analog
measurement, and upon frequency measurement, the
tester will generate results showing the color and
intensity of the LED under test. Because all the LEDs
will be tested through analog test sequentially one by
one, test time becomes a major issue in the produc-
tion environment. CA
Figure 3. hue wheel.
February 2011
 THE BEST PRODUCTS
THE BEST SUPPLIERS

CIRCUITSASSEMBLY.COM/CMS/NPI-AWARD
PCDANDF.COM/CMS/COMPONENT/CONTENT/CATEGORY/229-NPI-AWARD
PROCESS DOCTOR
effectsofFluxresiduesonCoatingAdhesion
flux activators can become a catalyst for electromigration and dendrite growth.
There is no magic bullet to address component reli-
ability; however, conformal coating can go a long way
to extending product reliability within the harsh envi-
ronments they operate – provided it is applied on a resi-
due-free substrate surface. To ensure optimum adhesion
of the protective coating, it is critical that assembly sur-
faces are properly cleaned prior to coating. In essence,
conformal coating is a thin polymer protective film that,
when applied, conforms to the PCB surface. Although
conformal coatings keep the substrate’s surface dry
and free from potential contamination, they are semi-
permeable against humidity, depending on temperature
and material type. For example, water permeability for
polyurethane and acrylate coatings can increase from
near zero at 20ºC to 14,000 g/m2h at 80ºC, comparable
to the vapor permeability of Gore-Tex fibers. And bond
strength, a measure of adhesion, is greatly reduced when
applying a coating to a contaminated surface.
Failures under conformal coatings are related to
remaining contamination, typically classified as ionic
or non-ionic in nature. They may include salts, acidic
flux activators, resin- and rosin-based residues, as
well as organo-metallic complexes. Flux is used to
clean or deoxidize the metal surface to be soldered;
otherwise intermetallic bonding will not take place.
However, any corrosive material left on the surface
must be cleaned after soldering, as this may lead to
climatic failure mechanisms.
For example, if flux activators, which are hygro-
scopic and acidic in nature, are exposed to moisture
in the presence of conductive electrolysis and voltage,
they become a catalyst leading to electrochemical
migration and dendrite growth. Additionally, flux
residues can lead to creeping currents, which can
cause electrical shorts and/or bit failure in RF connec-
tions. In all cases, these are undesirable results.
Once we understand the substrate failure mecha-
nisms, it is important to recognize how conformal
coating itself can fail. Typical failures due to unclean
boards are poor coverage, dewetting, incomplete
polymerization, loss of adhesion and cracking. These
HARALD WACk, can have several measureable root causes.
PH.D., is president For one, ionic contamination levels are critical,
of Zestron (zestron. as they analyze the substrate’s surface purity. High
com); h.wack@ ionic contamination indicates the presence of a large
zestronusa.com.
amount of hygroscopic and conductive impurities.
Due to the absorption of humidity, these impuri-
ties will build a moisture layer between the surface
of the assembly and the coating. This will lead to
coating delamination and possible failure. Also, if a
protective coating is applied over non-ionic contami-
nation such as organic resin, wettability is impaired
and adhesion is compromised due to the different
38 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
temperature-dependent expansion coefficients. Net
result: Coatings can peel.
Another critical factor in achieving optimal con-
formal coating adhesion is substrate surface energy
or surface wetting capability. This quantifies the
disruption of intermolecular bonds that occur when a
surface is created. Since ionic and non-ionic contami-
nants will lower the substrate surface energy, it is vital
to minimize all residues.
So, how clean is clean for substrates, not just
those targeted for conformal coating? For many Class
2 and 3 applications, many of which incorporate
conformal coating as part of their process, cleanli-
ness targets are typically set by IPC standards. Other
times, cleanliness goals are mandated by the customer
or set forth by the cleaning agent supplier. Aggressive
but achievable limits can be as follows:
■ Ionic contamination: <0.4 Ωg/cm2
■ Surface tension: >40 mN/m
■ SIR: >1x10E8Ω2
A clean substrate is critical to component reli-
ability, as well as conformal coating integrity. Many
cleaning methods are available. However, for con-
sistency, it is best to incorporate either batch or
inline cleaning equipment in the production process.
Depending on the flux system used, these machines
can clean with DI water or an engineered cleaning
agent, either solvent- or aqueous-based.
There are limitations with the use of DI water.
It may seem logical to clean OA fluxes with deion-
ized water. But, water-soluble fluxes are typically
activated by halides. In their organic state, these are
difficult to remove with DI water. If partially ionized,
they form hypo-halide solutions that can be very cor-
rosive and result in electrochemical migration and
contamination-induced leakage currents.
Also, due to its poor organic solubilization, DI
water is not capable of cleaning RMA, no-clean, syn-
thetic and highly polymerized “3D” flux residues. A
change from eutectic, water-soluble solder materials
to any of the aforementioned products will inevita-
bly result in the formation of white residues on the
assembly. Pb-free formulations are even more difficult
to clean. Some aqueous cleaning agents have been
shown to effectively clean substrates (reduce ionic
contamination), as well as improve bonding and coat-
ing. This has been demonstrated not only with OA
fluxes, but also RMA and no-clean fluxes.
Many other types of contamination and residue
must be removed prior to coating: fingerprint oils
and salts, fume residues from rework, adhesive resi-
dues and solder balls. To be safe, always clean your
substrates, and certainly before conformal coating. CA
february 2011
 New England’s Project Acceleration Resource
for Electronics Manufacturing

April 6-7, 2011

Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
Boston, MA

Your face-to-face meeting place for

the latest technologies in electronics
manufacturing, including:
• Electronic Manufacturing Services
• Testing & Inspection Equipment
• Automated Assembly Machines
& Systems
• Board Level Components
• Computers/Peripherals/Software
• PCB Productions Equipment
• Embedded Devices
. . . and much more

Supported by:

Register Today at:

Electronics-NE.com
17133_NE_E11

Please use Promo Code AB

Produced and Managed by UBM Canon, 11444 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90064-1549 Tel: 310/445-4200 ubmcanon.com
 THE
THE DEFECTS
DEFECTS DATABASE
DATABASE

CoatingCapillaryAction
The pad/lead junction must be correctly coated to avoid corrosion.

This monTh we feature a recent issue submitted database.npl.co.uk), available to all this publication’s
to the database. Coating inspection under UV light readers, allows engineers to search and view countless
shows the impact of capillary action, although there defects and solutions, or to submit defects online. CA
is evidence the coating coverage on the board and
component surface have capillaried under the PLCC,
as indicated by the tide line around the component
DR. DAvIDE DI (Figure 1).
MAIo is with the Based on inspection criteria, this meets common
National Physical standards, but the thickness of the material will vary
Laboratory Industry on the surface of the board. This is more likely to be
and Innovation seen on low-standoff devices.
division (npl.co.uk); Changing the material viscosity, reducing the
defectsdatabase@ spray travel speed, or increasing the amount of mate-
npl.co.uk. His column rial or solids applied during spray application should
appears monthly. improve the results. Experience tells us that the pad/
lead interface is the area where corrosion is most
likely to occur, so correct coating is most important
around the joint interfaces than on open areas of the
board surface, which are protected by solder mask.
These are typical defects shown in the National
Figure 1.ThetidelinearoundthePLCCisevidence
Physical Laboratory’s interactive assembly and sol- thecoatingcoverageontheboardandcomponent
dering defects database. The database (http://defects- surfacehavecapillaried.

SMT TrOubLeSHOOTING

insufficientsolder
What to do when fillets aren’t forming completely.

insuffiCienT soLder oCCurs profile, and paste itself. cause solder wicking effect that
when the amount of solder paste may look like insufficient solder
deposited on the PWB by the printer Stencil on pads.
is much less than stencil opening description:Solder paste adheres recommendations:
design, or after reflow, there is insuf- on the stencil aperture walls. ■ Attach thermocouple on com-
PAUL LoToSkY ficient solder to form a fillet at the recommendations: ponent and PCB.
is global director – component leads. Potential causes ■ Ensure area ratio > 0.66. ■ Apply soak profile to minimize
customer technical include the stencil, printer, reflow ■ Ensure aspect ratio > 1.5. ∆T before reflow zone.
support at Cookson ■ Ensure no burrs on stencil ■ Set bottom zones to be higher
Electronics (cook- aperture edge. temperature if possible, to keep
sonelectronics.com); PCB hotter than component
plotosky@cookson- Screen Printer leads.
electronics.com. description:Print definitions.
His column appears recommendations: Solder Paste
monthly. description:Solder paste viscos-
■ Verify print setup.
■ Reduce print speed to provide ity.
sufficient time for paste to roll recommendations:
into aperture. ■ Check paste conditions such
as dry paste phenomenon by
Figure 1.intheeventofinsuf- Reflow Profile verifying if paste rolls or skids
ficients,asoakprofilepriorto description: Mismatch in CTE along print direction. CA
reflowmayhelp. between component and PCB can

40 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY february 2011


MarketTrendsUnderscoreValueofLean
Lean principles apply to sourcing strategy and manufacturing execution.
SUcceSSfULLycoMpeTingin the market still means
having the high-quality products your market wants,
when and where they want them. However, the new
twist is competing globally for available material, while
maintaining enough operational efficiency to price
competitively and still make a profit. This calculus is
further complicated by increased competition, changes
in cost structure in traditionally low-cost labor markets
such as China, and greater technological complexity.
Lean manufacturing principles continue to be a
leading tool in addressing those challenges. This month
we look at some of these trends and ways Lean philoso-
phy can help companies lower total cost and increase
their flexibility in addressing market requirements.
challenge #1 – Variable demand. While some
markets consistently have variable demand, a gradual
recovery increases the number of companies with
hard-to-forecast production requirements. Longer
component lead-times and increasing component cost
mean that poorly forecasted demand will drive higher
costs. Yet echoes of the economic downturn makein-
creased inventory unacceptable.
Lean manufacturing principles apply to both sourc-
ing strategy and the actual manufacturing execution.
From a sourcing standpoint, the focus should be on
minimizing transport, overproduction and transactions.
In high-mix, low-volume production, a supplier within
the same region as the end market that responds on pull
signals is likely to be more cost-effective than a supplier
in a low-cost labor market that consolidates shipments.
At the EMS provider, there are several ways Lean
philosophy can support this strategy:
■ Strong program team focused on optimizing
producibility, materials and responsiveness to
variable demand.
■ Close supplier working relationships, which also
operate on pull signals.
■ A production floor strategy that minimizes vari-
able demand-driven bottlenecks through broad
process windows, standardized equipment and
cross-trained personnel.
■ Strong teaming with the customer on issues such
as forecasting and setting of material bonds,
supplier-suggested design improvements, finished
goods kanban sizes and post-manufacturing sup-
port strategy, with particular focus on sole sourced
or critical components.
challenge#2–changesintraditionalcostpara-
digms. Recovery has created several cost-changing
dynamics. First, most Asian countries have had a
much stronger recovery than the US and Europe. This
has driven wage inflation and increased turnover.
february 2011
GETTING LEAN
Demand that exceeds capacity in the semiconductor
industry is inflating materials costs. Additionally,
recovery has fueled increased demand in higher vol-
ume consumer products. This makes low volume,
high mix or variable demand production much less
attractive to large-scale EMS operations in traditional
low-cost centers. Most OEM sourcing teams are rec-
ognizing that sourcing strictly by labor cost alone is
not the best way to achieve lowest total cost.
As mentioned in Challenge #1, supplier selection
should consider whether or not project complexity
dictates a supplier specializing in high-volume pro-
duction in a low-cost labor region or a high-service
supplier capable of supporting variable demand.
While the two aren’t mutually exclusive, analysis of
variables such as labor content, likely lot sizes and
annual volumes may show a clear best choice.
While materials typically represent the largest
portion of product cost, the ability to significantly
reduce materials cost in the current market is limited.
That said, the ability for EMS providers to reduce
cost through more proactive involvement with design
for manufacturability and testability recommenda-
tions remains. A strong focus on DfM/DfT contrib-
utes to improved quality, minimizing very measurable
costs of poor quality such as scrap, rework, missed
shipments and product recalls.
This frontend focus may also identify potential
procurement issues such as sole-sourced components
or components with extended lead-times, enabling
proactive substitution recommendations or broaden-
ing of the approved vendor list (AVL) before these
issues drive added cost in the production process. A
focus on minimizing transaction costs and raw, work-
in-process and finished goods inventory can also help
reduce overall cost.
Improvements in factory throughput driven by Lean
philosophy can be another area contributing to potential
cost reduction. Short production cycle times add sched-
ule flexibility and help minimize inventory requirements.
challenge#3–Miniaturization.The world is getting STEvE FRASER
smaller and so are most products. This drives com- is vice president
plex products with small footprints that in turn drive of operations at
greater need for quality in the production process. Epic Technologies
From a Lean perspective, new product introduc- (epictech.com); steve.
fraser@epictech.com.
tion processes, process control, inspection and test
strategy should be carefully evaluated. Key points to
consider include:
■ Recommending and implementing DfM/DfT modifi-
cations at the NPI phase can provide early identifica-
tion and correction of potential drivers of bad quality.
■ Ranking DfM/DfT recommendations can add effi-
ciency to the customer review process by making
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 41
 GETTING LEAN
the severity of each issue understandable.
■ Equipment and process standardization contributes to
improved quality by minimizing variation in the produc-
tion process.
■ Inspection and test strategies should be integrated into the
production process in ways that don’t cause bottlenecks.
Standardize test platforms wherever possible to add flex-
ibility in capacity and simplify support requirements.
■ Six Sigma expertise and strong in-house failure analysis
capabilities help in quick identification and correction of
quality issues. These tools are also useful in overall con-
tinuous improvement efforts.
challenge #4 – increased customization. Many OEMs
compete based on the ability to deliver outstanding customer
service. In industrial products, customer service may translate
to uniquely configured products or specialized end market sup-
port. Given today’s patterns of variable demand and reluctance
to carry large inventories, supporting a high service customiza-
tion requirement is not an insignificant challenge.
Lean philosophy can be applied to support customization
requirements in a number of ways:
■ Common subassemblies can be built and held in kanbans
for quick configure-to-order capability in highly variable
product lines.
■ Cross-trained production operators can be shifted among
operations as demand varies to eliminate bottlenecks and
42 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
ensure good resource utilization.
■ Test platforms should be standardized and combined with final
programming and pack-and-ship operations to provide flexible
capacity, minimize handling and eliminate mislabeling.
■ Work cell layout should be modular and easily recon-
figurable (often multiple times each day) to meet product
change needs.
challenge #5 – Sustainability. Component lifecycles are
typically driven by consumer products. Yet, many medical,
industrial and defense-related products have much longer life-
cycles. Early identification of potential obsolescence challenges
and contingency plans are important. Several Lean practices
support a proactive approach to sustainability, including:
■ Strong supply-chain teaming efforts, including regular review
of component lifecycle trends and technology roadmaps.
■ Robust analysis of potential issues during NPI, with clear
recommendations for alternative sourcing strategies.
■ Strong program and materials management disciplines
relative to understanding historical demand trends and
setting appropriately-sized material buffers.
The EMS industry exists because of its ability to develop
solutions to customer challenges. A holistic approach to
implementing Lean philosophy throughout the organization
provides tools for improving efficiency and reducing cost at
every step of the process, regardless of challenges from evolving
market trends. CA
february 2011
maChines materials tools
system CaD
Altium Designer 10 compares sche-
maticrevisionsgraphically.Optimizes
component selection based on life-
cycle status, part failure traceability,
design source traceability, and more.
Available as enterprise and desktop
solution.
Altium Ltd.
altium.com
mFg., test Data Control
UniCam FX 9.1 andTest Expert 9.1 manage
and control delivery of product data to the
shopfloor,andprepareandoptimizeproduct
data for manufacturing and test processes.
Feature faster, easier, offline programming
capabilities, merge CAD and BoM data with
support for more than 65 CAD data formats;
processdesignsbysimulatingfactoryinorder
to select and validate best manufacturing
strategies;andconfigurelines,operationsand
define workflows for machine programming
andoptimization.OptimizeandbalanceSMT,
PTHandmanualassemblylinesetup.
Siemens PLM
plm.automation.siemens.com/en_us/
siP PaCkaging
ECPSiPembeddedcomponentpackag-
ingtechnologyenablessystem-in-pack-
agedevices.Isforintegratingactiveand
passive components into PCBs. Used
in products that need to fit the largest
possible number of features into the
smallestpossiblespace.
AT&S
ats.net
February 2011
systems soFtWare
PWB CreeP, Flaking
Corrosion inhiBitor
AlphaSTAR 420R prevents creep and
flaking corrosion seen in harsh PWB
service environments. Is used as a
finalpost-treatmentstepintheAlpha-
STAR PWB immersion silver process.
Is formulated to enhance corrosion
resistance and deliver a tarnish-free
surface. Is water-soluble. Penetrates
micropores.
Enthone
enthone.com
arm-BaseD DeveloPment BoarD
Craneboard offers open source PCB and
design. Uses Beagleboard support and
resources. Is based onTI'sAM35x Sitara
ARMCortex-A8MPU;featuresincludePoE
and CAN bus interfaces. Offers numer-
ous integrated peripherals and provides
power-over-DCwalladapter,PoEenabled
byTI'sTPS23750PoEcontrollerandUSB,
which permits portability. Expansion port
permits adding functionality such as an
LCDpanel,alongwithwirelessandaudio
capabilities,andiscompatiblewithother
ARMCortex-A8opensourceboards.
Mistral Solutions
mistralsolutions.com
metal ClaD emC shielDing
Clip-on Shield 6600 is a flexible rubber
tube with all metal cladding. Gasket
can be clipped onto steel or alumi-
num panels from 0.5 to 3 mm thick. Is
suited for EMI/EMC shielding; electrical
conductivity; grounding/earthing; static
discharge; alternative for fingerstrips.
Shielding effectiveness is >100 dB (10
KHz - 22 GHz). Electrical resistance is
0.004Ω/cm2.Comesinmultipleshapes
anddimensions.
Holland Shielding Systems
hollandshielding.com
thermoPlastiC
laminate materials
XT/duroid are for high-frequency
applications. Feature thin halogen-free
dielectrics and come with low-profile
copper foil cladding bonded directly
tothedielectricwithoutadhesives,for
lowinsertionloss.Areflame-retardant.
Feature a z-axis Dk of 3.23 ±0.05 at 10
GHz and a dissipation factor of 0.0035
or less at 10 GHz.TCK is +7 ppm/°C
from-50°to+150°C;thermalconductiv-
ityis0.35W/m/°K.Estimatedmaximum
operating temperature exceeds 210°C.
ArecompatiblewithPb-free-solder.
Rogers
rogerscorp.com
others oF note
CaD With ‘Parts searCh’
Eagle v. 5.11 CAD incorporates new
functionality for automatic search and
online pricing and availability. Setup
and save options now available for
individual order lists for schematics,
and lists can be added to a shopping
cart. Manufacturer libraries are now
supplied with order codes. Has three
main elements: schematic, layout and
autorouter.
CadSoft Computer
premierfarnell.co
el on Polyester
Flexible electroluminescent system is
formed on polyester films. Is produced
using screen printing process. Layers
arelessthan15µmthickandareflexible
because of organic binder materials.
Total sheet thickness can be as little as
100 µm. Come in blue, pink and yel-
low.Producesflexiblelightsourcesand
signage.
DKN Research
dknresearch.com
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 43

Class 100 Cleanroom oven
No.923isanelectricallyheated,500°F
ovenfordryingprecisionpartsinbas-
kets. Workspace dimensions measure
36"x36"x51".30KWpowerinstalled
in Incoloy-sheathed tubular heating
elements and a 1500 CFM, 2-HP recir-
culating blower provide heated hori-
zontal airflow. Has two 30" x 24" x 6"
thick stainless steel high-temperature
HEPArecirculatingfilters.
The Grieve Corp.
grievecorp.com
high PoWer stereomiCrosCoPes
A60 F and A60 S stereomicroscopes
have a magnification range from 5x to
30x.A60 F has a flex arm;A60 S has a
swingarm.46mmforlargeobjectfield.
UseFusionOpticstechnology;providea
depthoffieldof13.6mminthelowest
zoom level. Achieve a field volume of
22.6cm3.Leftbeampathprovidesdepth
offield;rightbeampathsuppliesahigh-
resolution image. Equipped with LED
ringilluminatorplusremovablediffuser.
Housingisantistaticplastic.
Leica Microsystems
leica-microsystems.com
DiFFusion PumP FluiD
702 is designed for high vacuum and
fast pumping of large volumes of gas
orvaporinproduction.Isusedinvapor
ejector pumps that attain vacuums of
10-4 or 10-5 torr. Is thermally stable,
offering resistance to oxidation, and is
chemically inert. Offers shorter condi-
tioning runs, as well as 20% to 300%
higherpressuresthanmulti-component
organicfluids.
Dow Corning
dowcorning.com
44 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
maChines materials
rePlaCement seleCtive nozzles
Replacement selective solder nozzles
are for RPS Automation's Rhythm,
Harmony, Opus and SS100A selec-
tive soldering machines. Come in
stainless steel alloys said to be more
durable and longer-lasting than OEM
versions. Custom nozzles, including
specialwaveformsizesandextended
orshortenedlengths,alsoavailable.
Count on Tools
cotinc.com
FluiD Pressure Pot
TS1254ismid-sizedandaccommodates
low to medium viscosity fluids, includ-
ing solvents, adhesives and cyanoacry-
late. Comes with pressure relief (safe-
ty) valve and stainless steel chamber,
airtight lid seal and exhaust valve to
depressurize after operation. Material
feed line is located in center of lid to
permit a direct and continuous feed
path from material container to valve
inlet.Comeswith¼"(6mm)Teflontub-
ing;optional4mmtubingkitavailable.
Techcon Systems
techconsystems.com
si ComPonent Coating
Sylgard160elastomerisagraytwo-part
silicone, flowable liquid. Encapsulant
canbeusedtoprotectcomponentsfrom
environments that have high humidity
and moisture, extreme temperatures,
thermal cycling stresses, mechanical
shock and vibration dampening, mold,
mildew, dirt, and other harsh features.
Curestoflexibleelastomerswithacon-
stant cure rate, regardless of sectional
thicknessordegreeconfinement.
Dow Corning
dowcorning.com
tools systems soFtWare
2-heaD PiCk-anD-PlaCe
MC-392,forhigh-mixassembly,hastwo
heads and features a placement rate
of 6,400 cph. Includes ball screw X-Y
driveandclosed-loopservocontrolwith
linearencodingforplacementaccuracy
of 30 µm at 3 Sigma. Comes as inline
configurationwithupto96feedersoras
standaloneunitwithspacefor160feed-
ers.On-the-flyalignmentofSMDsfrom
01005 to 16 x 14 mm, including CSPs
and µBGAs.Vision cameras align com-
ponentsupto150x100mm,including
largeBGAsand0.3mmQFPs.
Manncorp
manncorp.com/pick-and-place/mc392
others oF note
siliCone enCaPsulant
Lord SC-305 is thermally conductive
andforencapsulatinghigh-heatdissipa-
tion applications. Is a two-component
silicone system suited for LED lighting
power supply encapsulation. Cures at
room temperature or by heat. Report-
edly has low stress, high thermal con-
ductivity and superior environmental
resistance.Iscomposedofanaddition-
curing polymer that does not depoly-
merizewhenheatedinconfinedspaces.
MeetsrequirementsofUL94V-O.
Lord
lord.com
loW-temP PB-Free Paste
SB6N58-A730 low-temperature Pb-free
solder paste has a melting point of
201-210°C. Demonstrates high thermal
shock durability. Contains 6% Indium.
Achieveslowstructuraltransformation;
provideslesstransformationwithinthe
alloycomposition.
Koki
ko-ki.co.jp
February 2011
 MARKETPLACE
One-stop PCB Fab & Assembly Precious Metal Finishing for
Commercial, and High Reliability
Printed Circuit Needs.
Need PCBs or Assembly? We make it simple.
NOW OFFERING
Standard PCBs Custom Quotes Assembly ELECTROLESS PALLADIUM!!
for Services
2 Layers complex PCBs
• Low Stress Nickel Plating - Deep Tanks
All Technologies • Hard Gold & Wire Bondable Soft Gold
4 Layers Up to 22 Layers Small to • Electro-less Nickel & Immersion Gold (ENIG)

6 Layers Special Materials medium quantity • Electro-less Nickel - Electro-less Palladium -

Immersion Gold (ENEPIG)
Turnkey or
Blind/Buried vias Consigned • Electro-less Gold - Full Build, Wire Bondable
• Electro-less Silver & Immersion “White” Tin
WWW.PCBFABEXPRESS.COM (408)522-1500 1115 Las Brisas Place • Placentia, CA 92870
support@pcbfabexpress.com (714) 524-8525 • Fax (714) 524-8526
www.superior-processing.com

www.efabpcb.com
Easy to use instant on-line quoting
If you have any questions or need assistance
Call Toll Free 1-877-332-2722
or Contact – sales@efabpcb
Prototypes thru Production VIRTUAL PCB
Check out our low prices and save big $
CONFERENCE AND
Save more with our Proto-Power Pack Specials!
TRADE SHOW
Quality PCBs at competitive prices!
Let us be your on-line PCB shop March 8 – 9, 2011
Lead free / RoHS finishes available www.virtual-pcb.com
ENIG – Immersion Silver –
Immersion Tin – OSP – Lead Free Solder UP Media Group, the Internet, and You

efabpcb is a UL-approved – ISO9001:2000 certified facility

Get
your
daily
dose
of PCB industry news and views.
Subscribe to PCB UPdate
www.pcbupdate.com
The daily e-mail newsletter filled
with news and resources for PCB
design, fab and assembly professionals

FEBRUARY 2011 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 45

 MARKETPLACE

PAY FOR 10, 5 PIECE DEAL!

PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS PROTOTYPE & PRODUCTION

GET 20!
Buy More 4 Less! All Customers Qualify!
2 4 6 8
LAYERS LAYERS LAYERS LAYERS

ALL Customers Qualify

Quickturn Production
$ 19 39 59 79
EACH
$
EACH
$
EACH
$
EACH
Custom Quote & Order
UL Certified Full Service Protos • No Tooling • UL Certified
visit www.pcborder.com for details Quality Products & Service • Order Today!
visit www.pcb4less.com for details
OVERNITE ph: 847-871-1718
PROTOS info@pcborder.com Online Electronics • 847-871-1700 • info@pcb4less.com

OUTSTANDING SALESPEOPLE WANTED
PalPilot is the most technologically diversified PCB manufacturer in the world.
We are seeking "the best of the best" sales people to meet our rapid growth mode.  
Openings include: For the following states:
• National Sales Managers OR, WA, AZ, TX, CO, IL, OH, MI, NC & FL
• Regional Sales Managers
• Independent Sales Representatives           WWW.PALPILOT.COM

High commission and compensation
package are available.  
For more information, visit 
http://palpilot.com/careers.html

46 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY FEBRUARY 2011

 Special Advertising Section

ASSEMBLY INSIDER
AD INDEX
To learn about the advertisers in this issue, go to
pcdandf.com or circuitsassembly.com and select
“Current Issue” to access the digital edition. This
will provide you with direct links to the websites
of each advertiser in this index.
Company Page No.

Alliance Plastics, www.AlliancePlastics.com/PCB . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Aqueous Technologies, www.aqueoustech.com . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 31

Bare Board, www.bareboard.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

BPM Microsystems, www.bpmmicro.com/8THGEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Canon, www.canontradeshows.com/expo/ene11/. . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Christopher Associates, www.christopherweb.com . . . . . . . Cover 3

VIRTUAL PCB
Design 2 Part, www.D2P.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Digi-Key Corp., www.digikey.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover 2

DownStream Technologies, www.downstreamtech.com . . . . . . . . . 7

eFABPAB, www.efabpcb.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW
EMS Directory, www.circuitsassembly.com/dems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

EzPCB, www.ezpcb.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 March 8 – 9, 2011

Fine Circuits, www.finecircuits.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
www.virtual-pcb.com
Imagineering, www.PCBnet.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1, 46
PRINTED CIRCUIT
IPC, www.ipcapexexpo.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 28 UP Media Group, the Internet, and You Brought to you by DESIGN & FAB
Kyzen Corporation, www.kyzen.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

MIRTEC, www.mirtecusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

SEARCHING FOR
Nihon Superior, http://www.nihonsuperior.co.jp/english/ . . . . . . . 11

NPI Awards, www.circuitsassembly.com/cms/npi-award . . . . . . . 37

Online Electronics, www.pcb4less.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 EMS PROVIDERS?

Overnite Protos, www.pcborder.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
NOW IN EXCEL!
PalPilot, http://palpilot.com/careers.html . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

PCB FAB Express, www.pcbfabexpress.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 The CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY

PCB UPdate, www.pcbupdate.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Directory of
EMS Companies
Powell-Mucha Consulting, www.powell-muchaconsulting.com . . 42
lists more than 2,000 EMS
Printed Circuit University, www.printedcircuituniversity.com . . . . . 4 facility listings worldwide,
Seika Machinery, www.seikausa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
including detailed info on:
• Facility contact info
Speedline Technologies, www.speedlinetech.com/mpm . . . . . Cover 4 • Annual sales revenue
Superior Processing, www.superior-processing.com . . . . . . . . . . 45 • Number of employees
• Number and type of
Virtual PCB, www.virtual-pcb.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8, 21, 45, 47 assembly lines
ZESTRON, www.zestron.com . . . . . . . . . . . . Opposite Front Cover, 13 • Size of manufacturing floor
The advertising index is published as an additional service. The publisher
• Services offered
does not assume any liability for errors or omissions. • Certifications

Advertising Sales
North America/Europe/Asia (except Korea): circuits
UP Media Group, Inc.
PO Box 470, Canton, GA 30169 assembly.
CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY Sales Manager: com/dems
Krista Fabian, 302-519-4064, kfabian@upmediagroup.com

PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB Sales Manager:

Frances Stewart, 678-817-1286, fstewart@upmediagroup.com

Korea Sales: Young Media, 82 2 756 4819, ymedia@ymedia.co.kr

FEBRUARY 2011 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY 47

 TECHNICAL ABSTRACTS
InCaseYouMissedIt
Component Solderability
“An Investigation into the Development of Lead-Free
Solder Paste for Package-on-Package (PoP) Compo-
nent Manufacturing Applications”
Authors: Jasbir Bath, et al; jasbir@christopher-
web.com.
Abstract: In the conventional PoP manufactur-
ing process, solder bumps of the top package are
immersed into a layer of tacky flux. Once the flux
immersion is completed, the top package is placed
onto the bottom package and soldered together. One
of the challenges of PoP manufacturing is component
warpage during the reflow process, which led to the
incomplete merger of the solder bump from the top
package with the solder land on the bottom package.
Once the solder bumps of the top PoP component
separate from the land of the bottom component,
even if they come into contact again, the tacky flux
activity is reduced, leading to incomplete merger.
The work focused on the development of solder
paste rather than tacky flux for PoP manufacturing to
reduce the incomplete merger occurring during solder-
ing. The solder paste would have the benefit of reducing
the gap between the land and solder bumps caused by
component warpage, and would hold the two together
more when molten to prevent incomplete merger. Tests
were conducted on Pb-free PoP solder pastes with
adjustments in the flux thixotropic agents, activators
and solvents, in addition to the actual flux content used
in the solder paste. The results of the investigations are
presented. (SMTA International, October 2010)
Nano Materials
“Highly Flexible Silver Nanowire Electrodes for
Shape-Memory Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes”
Authors: Zhibin Yu, et al; qpei@seas.ucla.edu.
Abstract: Indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) is used for
electrodes in LCD displays, solar cells, iPad and smart-
phone touch screens, and organic light-emitting diode
(OLED) displays for televisions and computer moni-
tors. But ITO can be fragile and toxic, and is becoming
more expensive to produce. A new transparent electrode
based on silver nanowires (AgNW) could replace ITO.
The new electrode uses low-cost, non-toxic and stable
This column provides
materials and is easy to fabricate. It is produced on a
abstracts from recent
cross-linked, transparent polyacylate substrate, which is
industry conferences cheaper than glass and can be stiff and rigid or flexible
and company white and stretchable. The resulting AgNW/polymer electrodes
papers. Our goal is have high transparency, low sheet resistance comparable
to provide an added to ITO, and low surface roughness. They are substan-
opportunity for read- tially more compliant than ITO and would be suitable
ers to keep abreast of for the fabrication of high-performance and stretchable
technology and busi- OLEDs and solar cells. The shape-memory property of
ness trends. the polymer substrate could lead to electronic devices
48 PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
that can be deformed to various stable shapes. The
deformation is reversible, causes minimal damage to the
devices, and can be repeated for many cycles. (Advanced
Materials, Dec. 6, 2010)
Printed Electronics
“Printed Electronics for Flexible Solid State Lighting”
Author: Marc Chason; marcchason@sbcglobal.net.
Abstract: Printed electronics technologies are being
introduced as competitors to crystalline semiconductor
technologies in several applications, including logic cir-
cuits, photovoltaic cells and light-emitting diodes. Near-
term, solid state lighting products based on LED tech-
nologies are entering the general illumination market.
These SSL products use conventional SMT processes in
a four-level assembly hierarchy to fabricate light engines
for incorporation into luminaires. In parallel with LED
device development, printed electronics technologies
are also moving forward using ink-based systems to
fabricate organic-LEDs (OLED). However, the OLED
assembly hierarchy used to fabricate light-emitting struc-
tures is significantly different from that for LED-based
devices. LED and printed OLED assembly technologies
are compared, including printing technologies and ink
systems for OLED structures and OLED fabrication and
assembly issues. (SMTA International, October 2010)
Product Management
“Overcoming Complex Manufacturing Issues with
RF MMIC Products: A Case Study”
Authors: Steve Greathouse, et al; steve.great-
house@plexus.com.
Abstract: Any high-speed, high-performance RF
communications product will need a lot of engineering
and expertise involved from inception through full pro-
duction and field support. This paper reviews the startup
to production ramp to volume of a highly complex RF
product, where the authors found that with every process
and component, a new issue or problem will likely come
up that has not been previously encountered. A proactive
approach to reviewing the design, processes and material
properties of a product before it goes into production
will pay itself back many times over in eliminating or
reducing many of the issues encountered in production.
Time spent doing material characterization will eliminate
the need to replicate or change materials or processes
after the product is in qualification or production. Hav-
ing access to advanced failure analysis tools and skilled
professionals who know how to obtain the results desired
aids a new development program immeasurably. These
resources will be utilized extensively for understanding
the process issues and resolving problems. The paper
describes areas to watch and how to apply adequate
safeguards. (SMTA International, October 2010)
February 2011