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FEATURES

NTI-100
The Changing Fab Landscape
The annual list of the largest PCB fabricators reveals big changes coming to Japan and Thailand. But for Brazil, India and the West, it’s more of the same.
by Dr. Hayao Nakahara

CLEANING
Determining Critical Cleaning Process Parameters for QFNs, Part 2
The second part of this two-phase study to assess how to completely clean underneath leadless devices following soldering with Pb-free water soluble and Pb-free no-clean pastes looks at the methodology and results.
by Umut Tosun, Naveen Ravindran and Michael McCutchen

CAPACITY UTILIZATION
Saving on Capex Using Dynamic Capacity Planning
Operations with variability cannot ne run close to 100% loading because queue times become unacceptably high. Thus, management invests in surplus capacity — not to increase throughput, but to keep queue times in check. What is the optimal amount of surplus capacity to purchase, and exactly where? And what is the optimal capital-equipment (capex) purchase plan?
by Bob Kotcher

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Killer apps.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  Tight squeeze.
  Peter Bigelow

TECH TALK

• On the Forefront
  Joint developments.
  E. Jan Vardaman

• Final Finishes
  End times for HASL?
  Lenora Toscano

• Dispensing
  Adhesive application.
  Michael L. Martel

• Selective Soldering
  Making contact.
  Chris Denney

• Defects Database
  Too much paste.
  Dr. Chris Hunt

• Tech Tips
  Yield cause-and-effect.
  Robert Dervaes

• Getting Lean
  The soft benefits of value engineering.
  Steve McEuen

• Test and Inspection
  Skunked.
  Robert Boguski

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FEATURES

Designer Salary Survey
Better with Age
Our annual survey finds PCB designers are an even more experienced crowd, with concerns about workload, yet increasingly lucrative compensation.
by Chelsey Drysdale

Screen Printing
The Future of Printing Technology
What’s in store? Novel deposition methods, new stencil architectures, “virtual” panelized PCBs, and faster, more highly-utilized print platforms.
by Mark Whitmore

Cleaning
Determining Critical Cleaning Process Parameters for QFNs
Results of a two-phase study aimed at complete cleanliness underneath leadless devices or QFNs, using both lead-free water soluble and lead-free no-clean solder pastes.
by Umut Tosun, Naveen Ravindran and Michael McCutchen

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Black days at the former Big Blue.
  Mike Buetow

• Talking Heads
  Multek’s Franck Lize and Bill Beckenbaugh.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  Trending.
  Peter Bigelow

• Focus On Business
  Why succinct surveys count.
  Susan Mucha

TECH TALK

• Screen Printing
  Stencil tension.
  Clive Ashmore

• Materials World
  Improving hole fill.
  Karl Seelig and Carlos Tafoya

• Process Doctor
  Scratching the surface.
  Richard Burke

• Test & Inspection
  Let’s get small.
  Mark Lau

• Solar Technologies
  A sunny forecast.
  Tom Falcon

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FEATURES

Stencils
Analysis of Stencil Tensioning (Elasticity)
Foil tension variations may create distortion and unpredictable print deposition. An explanation of methods for measuring the tension-elasticity across the foil, and how a novel technology can perform fast, real-time mapping of stencil characteristics.
by Ricky Bennett, Ph.D., and Richard Lieske

Reliability
The Role of Failure-Oriented-Accelerated-Testing for Field Functional IC Packages
Devices are known to pass qualification testing, then fail in the field. Does that suggest the test specifications are inadequate?
by Ephraim Suhir, Ph.D.

Defects Database
Trim Those Whiskers
The speed of dendrite formation depends on the material, voltage applied and separation distance between terminations. This is the case in a normal failure but is also exaggerated by the level of surface moisture.
by Dr. Chris Hunt

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Open places.
  Mike Buetow

MONEY MATTERS

• ROI
  Talent over tools.
  Peter Bigelow

TECH TALK

• On the Forefront
  Next-gen packaging.
  E. Jan Vardaman

• Screen Printing
  No more metal blades?
  Michael L. Martel

• Selective Soldering
  Overlapping the Field.
  Chris Denney

• Tech Tips
  Role playing.
  Robert Dervaes

• Test & Inspection
  Role playing.
  Robert Boguski

• Getting Lean
  Adapting to load variances.
  Debra Stebelton and Greg Goetz

• Technical Abstracts
  In Case You Missed It.