2016 Magazine Archives
February 2016 Issue
FEATURES
MINIATURE TANTALUM DEVICES
New Embeddable Technologies
Developments in SMT are driven primarily by downsizing and cost reduction. Despite several decades of technical evolution, passive components still take up approximately 70% of board space, making continued miniaturization a primary design concern. In recent years, these drivers have resulted in the rapidly expanding development of embeddable components. By capitalizing on the inherent benefits of SMT, such as reduced parasitic variation due to geometry (e.g., inductance due to lead length), and incorporating a variety of enabling technologies, such as thinner dielectric layers, higher capacitance materials, and tighter termination dimensional control, engineers have successfully developed a new class of ultra-thin passive components capable of being embedded within the layers of a PCB.
by Chris Reynolds
EHS REGULATIONS
GHS: The Final Countdown
We are four months away from the deadline for implementation for the new Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Global Harmonized System program for chemical safety. Here are the final deployment steps needed for full implementation by an electronics manufacturing facility, and its benefits to a company’s chemical introduction process, hazard identification, and emergency management and response program.
by Scott Mazur
FIRST PERSON
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CAVEAT LECTOR
The cost of "free."
Mike Buetow
MONEY MATTERS
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ROI
Older, but better?
Peter Bigelow -
FOCUS ON BUSINESS
Seven negotiation tips.
Susan Mucha
TECH TALK
- ON THE FOREFRONT
Don’t count China out yet.
E. Jan Vardaman - TECH TIPS
It’s geometry, my dear.
Tim O’Neill and Karl Seelig - DEFECTS DATABASE
Post-soldering residues.
Dr. Chris Hunt - GETTING LEAN
Real-world standardized shop-floor communications.
Michael Ford
