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FEATURES

PCB PROCUREMENT
10 Tips for Purchasing PCBs
Four industry veterans with backgrounds in PCB materials, chemistry, fabrication and assembly provided their expert advice, often echoing each other’s recommendations. If you want to maximize PCB quality, price, performance, delivery or overall value, try following some of these insiders’ tips.
by Marissa Oskarsen

CATCHING COUNTERFEITS
Verifying Component Authenticity Using Decapsulation
Decapsulation is a process that has been around for some time and has many different applications. Whether for analysis or verification purposes, the goal is the same: expose the die to perform the task at hand. While different methods are available to achieve this, manual etching has become a primary choice for exposing the die, as it leaves the device in question functional.
by Don Davis

FIXING THE FENCE
RF Shield Rework
RF shield rework is difficult due to continually shrinking package sizes, reduction of pitch and reduced clear space available around components. This increased density and complexity drives new techniques for removing and replacing RF shields. A new solution involves high-energy conduction heating and custom tips.
by Paul Wood

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Martin’s law.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• Global Sourcing
  Making sense of the macros.
  Jennifer Read

• ROI
  Taken for granted.
  Peter Bigelow
  

TECH TALK

• On the Forefront
  Supply chain unlinked.
  E. Jan Vardaman
  

• Process Doctor
  Smaller and tighter heightens residues’ effects.
  Dr. Mike Bixenman

• Materials World
  Printed electronics applications.
  Jie Bai
  

• Solar Technologies
  Solar conversion efficiency.
  Tom Falcon
  

• Technical Abstracts
  In Case You Missed It.