SINGAPORE – Dymax, a leading manufacturer of light-curing materials and equipment, is pleased to announce that their ground-breaking conformal coating, 9771, has completed the rigorous qualification testing for Military Specification MIL-I-46058C. This UL94V0 and UL746E recognized dual-cure coating has also been approved to the IPC-CC-830B standard and fully complies with RoHS2 Directives 2015/863/EU.

The MIL-I-46058C standard establishes conformal coating compliance requirements and evaluates them to an extensive list of properties, including curing time and temperature, material thickness, moisture resistance, fungus resistance, insulation resistance, flexibility, hydrolytic stability, and flame resistance. 9771 is now listed in the DOD QPL (Qualified Products Listing) database so military manufacturers know it is approved.

Along with this important recognition, 9771 coating passes NASA Low Outgassing ASTM E595 specification for cleaner PCBs during extreme conditions and meets low-ionic content compliance with Mil-Std 883 Method 5011. Additionally, 9771 is NASA MAPTIS listed and assigned material number 09841, so suppliers searching for low-outgassing coatings can easily find it in the database.

Dymax 9771 conformal coating is 100% solids with a blue fluorescing tracer. This high-performance, dual-cure reworkable conformal coating cures with UV/Visible light and moisture in shadow areas.

REDONDO BEACH, CA ― Surfx Technologies, LLC is proud to announce the launch of its new website, designed to spotlight and prioritize the company's focus on high-volume manufacturing. The redesigned website reflects Surfx’s evolution and expansion, with a strong emphasis on showcasing its robust, high-volume manufacturing equipment, particularly in the Semiconductor and Advanced Packaging markets.

The decision to revamp the website emerged from a strategic shift in Surfx’s business landscape. While the previous website predominantly featured the Atomflo™ plasma technology, Surfx Technologies embarked on a transformative partnership with Mycronic A.B. in 2020. This strategic collaboration empowered Surfx to leverage Mycronic’s world-class automation capabilities while offering access to its leading plasma technology. The result was a fusion of expertise that enabled Surfx to introduce robust, high-volume manufacturing equipment to the Semiconductor manufacturing market.

Although the benefits of this partnership extend to various industries, including medical device, aerospace, electronics manufacturing (EMS), PCB assembly and more, Surfx Technologies is now laser- focused on the Semiconductor and Advanced Packaging markets. The redesigned website reflects this shift in focus by prominently featuring turn-key automation platforms equipped with the world’s most advanced atmospheric Argon plasma known as the Atomflo™.

The new website highlights Surfx’s ST series platforms, including STA, STL and STW, with automation taking center stage. This strategic emphasis positions Surfx as a provider of turnkey plasma platforms rather than merely offering plasma devices. The company's commitment to addressing the modern challenges of mass production is evident through their full suite traceability options including SECS/GEM, MES, FIS and other custom integrations. The ST tools feature state of the art path correction using fiducial inspection and laser height sensing. The tools also boast streamlined path development through Cloudbreak™ software, SMEMA communication, and a fully enclosed work area with safety interlocking system. These solutions ensure that Surfx’s customers in need of plasma technology don't have to contend with the complexities of a fully automated tool for mass production, differentiating Surfx from its competitors, which primarily focus on selling standalone plasma devices.

The new website is also optimized for mobile viewing, providing easy access to information on-the-go. Additionally, it introduces a dedicated Plasma Science page, aimed at educating visitors about the fundamental principles of plasma and its significance in plasma preparation processes.

“Surfx Technologies is thrilled to launch our new website, which reflects our evolution and commitment to high-volume manufacturing and automation,” said Robert Hicks, President & CEO at Surfx Technologies. “Our partnership with Mycronic A.B. has opened new horizons for us, and we are now fully equipped to serve the Semiconductor and advanced packaging markets with turnkey solutions that streamline production processes. We invite visitors to explore our website and discover how we are making a difference in the world of plasma technology and automation.”

For more information, visit www.surfxtechnologies.com

CLINTON, NY – Indium Corporation Regional Technical Manager and Technologist – Advanced Applications Andreas Karch will present at iNEMI’s upcoming seminar, Humidity Robustness and Isolation Coordination for e-Mobility. The seminar, hosted by ZESTRON Europe, will be held on September 27 in Ingolstadt, Germany.

Andreas’ presentation, No-Clean Flux Residues in Automotive Applications Must Meet Higher Requirements, will examine the influence of no-clean flux chemistries on the reliability of automotive PCB applications. In particular, the study focuses on failure caused by dendritic growth for high-power, low-standoff components for enhanced SIR conditions.

Due to increased automotive electrification (48V, HEV, EV) and the subsequent utilization of high-power components such as DPAKs and Power-QFNs in under-the-hood electronics, the SIR (Surface Insulation Resistance) specifications for evaluating the electrical reliability of no-clean solder paste flux chemistry have also become more stringent. For example, test voltage has increased from 5V to 10–50V, test time has increased from 168 to 500–1,000 hours, pitch has decreased from 0.5mm to 0.2–0.3mm, and minimum SIR threshold has increased from 100MΩ to 500MΩ.

No-clean solder pastes are normally used in automotive PCB assembly to solder low-standoff components such as DPAKs and power-QFNs (gap between the PCB pad and the component underbody is typically under 75µ).

“During reflow, volatiles in the flux chemistry such as activators and solvents boil off; however, a lower standoff reduces the opportunity for the flux volatiles to vent, resulting in ‘wet’ flux residue post-reflow,” said Andreas. “It is, therefore, critical that the no-clean flux residue does not cause ionic dendritic growth and corrosion under low-standoff power components, throughout the working life of the product.”

Andreas serves as Technologist – Advanced Applications and Technical Manager for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland for Indium Corporation. He has more than 20 years of experience in automotive electronics and power electronics, including the development of advanced customized solutions. In 2014, the Austrian Patent Office awarded him the “Inventum” award for his patent for innovate LED automotive lighting as one of the top ten applicants. He is an ECQA-certified development engineer and has earned the Six Sigma Yellow Belt.

LYON, FRANCE – The processor market had a remarkable year in 2021, achieving a historic high of US$155.5 billion with a robust growth rate of 22.3%. However, the following year, it experienced a slight downturn, with revenue settling at US$154 billion. The primary factor contributing to this decline was the CPU segment, which was mainly impacted by reduced shipments in the PC category and increased competition from non-x86 APUs.

Conversely, the APU market saw significant growth in 2022, and the data center sector exhibited substantial expansion, leading to a shift in revenue distribution. While the total revenue for processors is expected to reach US$242 billion by 2028, CPUs are expected to maintain their dominant position, GPUs are projected to experience significant growth, and data center is poised to emerge as the fastest-growing market.

In this context, Yole Intelligence releases its Status of the Processor Industry 2023 report. In this report, the company, part of Yole Group, gives a broad overview of the semiconductor processor industry, as well as an in-depth understanding of the market trends, ecosystem, and players and offers critical technical insights and analyses into future technology trends and challenges.

More advanced iterations of processors demand increased integration of circuitry, particularly larger blocks of logic and SRAM. In the past, progress toward denser logic was as straightforward as the next lithography shrink. However, as transistors continue to shrink in size, they have become more intricate and expensive to manufacture. In 2022, the industry is approaching the end of the finFET era, with gate-all-around architectures at 3nm and 2nm on the horizon.

This evolution is led by major players like Intel, TSMC, AMD, NVIDIA, and Samsung. High-performance packaging platforms like Si interposers and hybrid bonding are becoming increasingly pivotal across various applications, reveals Yole Intelligence in this new report.

The processor market is largely dominated by a few key players: Intel, AMD, Nvidia, and Qualcomm, with these giants holding 54% of the total market share.

Competition is growing, with new entrants and tech giants like Amazon and Alibaba entering the CPU arena. Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Apple lead in APUs, with 32% of the market. The SoC FPGA and AI ASIC segments are led by AMD, Intel, and tech giants like Google and Amazon.

The processor startup landscape is dynamic, raising substantial funds, especially in AI-focused endeavors, with China leading the pack. The semiconductor industry in China is evolving, driven by investments and a growing ecosystem. In 2022, notable M&A activities included AMD’s acquisition of Xilinx and Pensando, Intel’s failed attempt to acquire Tower Semiconductor, and Nvidia’s abandoned bid for Arm.