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This Time?
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Embedding Components: A New Opportunity
pcdandf.com circuitsassembly.com August 2011
Mike Buetow
mOneY matters
17
rOI
Hardly intellectual, and barely property.
Peter Bigelow
18
This Time?
Will It Add Up
FOCus ON BusINess
Its not me, its you. 29
Innerlayer Breakout Angles Via in Pad Myths Environmental Management Systems Understanding SPI
susan Mucha
Equipping the PcB Design and supply chain with 21st century Data
covEr sTory
teCH talk
20
Its an age-old story: a good design is undone at fabrication or assembly by a file transfer format that doesnt accommodate key data. Yet, we still mechanically accept 30-year-old ways of communicating design intent to manufacturing. Change could finally be brewing, though, as a new industry consortium made up of Oems, users and CaD/Cam providers drives for standardization across design, fabrication, assembly and test. by KEiTh FElTon anD hEmanT shah 31 BoarD rEgisTraTion
ON the COVer: Data transfer long the bane of good manufacturing now has some new allies.
DesIgNers NOteBOOk
thermal vias.
Duane Benson
38
sCreeN PrINtINg
scrap the waste. 35
Clive Ashmore
40
seLeCtIVe sOLDerINg
two is better than one.
Al Cable
41
DeFeCts DAtABAse
eliminating test prints.
Departments
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gettINg LeAN
leaning npI.
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46 47
steve Fraser
48
teChNICAL ABstrACts
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Intelligent Design
mike buetow editorin-chief
e left off last month ostensibly discussing standards and how they come to be. The first standard I worked on was IPC-D-350, one of the first of the would-be slayers of Gerber, the so-called unintelligent data format. Indeed, Ive spent a good part of my life watching electronic data transfer formats come and go, and at the end of the day, Gerber, warts and all, has remained the one to beat. So Im not prepared to rise up and shout to the heavens that IPC-2581, the latest iteration in 40 years worth of attempts at an industry standard, is at long last the answer. But as we noted in Around the World last month, there are enough notable differences in the process this time around to make it newsworthy. First and foremost, there are real live CAD tool vendors not just showing up at the meetings, but actively participating (!). To understand why this is significant, we must go back to my IPC-D-350 days. Digital Equipment and the late, great Harry Parkinson were instrumental in trying to revive interest, and we at IPC also had support from several smaller software folks like Dino Ditta at Router Solutions and Steve Klare at Intercept Technology. But we never managed to break through, and a big part of the problem was the major CAD vendors collective refusal to offer IPC-D-350 as an output (or input). The response always was, Well do it if our customers ask us. But what they were really saying was, We dont want to make it easy for our customers to migrate their designs to a competitors tools. In the meantime, AT&T offered up RS-274X (aka extended Gerber), which UCamco continues to support, and Valor developed ODB++, and (like Gerber) while it was originally conceived as much a machine language as a format for electronic design data, it was accepted by fabricators desperate for something, anything, more intelligent than Gerber. Under the leadership of Dieter Bergman, IPC also continued the fight, enlisting the help of the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) through not one but two (GenCAM, Offspring) successors to IPC-D-350. (For a short history of the standards, visit pcdandf.com/cms/designnews/8107-a-short-history-ofelectronic-data-formats.) Yet even now, after decades of trying, no group has been able to dismount Gerber from its perch, and its long past time we did. Data transfer formats are not something anyone ever will make money from, but every day we go without a better one, everyone will lose some. Curiously, just a few weeks ago, I was contacted by David Gerber, son of H. Joseph Gerber, who invented the photoplotter and the eponymously named de facto standard that ran it. Gerbers genius
cut across many industries, from electronics to apparel, and he was awarded the 1994 National Medal of Technology for his lifes work. For such an esteemed inventor, Gerbers backstory is even more interesting than his career. As a teenager in 1940, he fled Nazi Germany for America. As an aeronautical engineering student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he discovered a way to reduce the time-consuming nature of graphing calculus problems using (seriously) an expandable ruler created from the elastic waistband of his pajamas. And of course, he formed The Gerber Scientific Instrument Co. in 1948, which is still going strong today. The younger Gerber is writing a book about his fathers exploits. I look forward to learning more about the life of one of our industrys true unsung heroes. But at the same time, Im going to do everything I can to help retire one of his legacies. In our cover story this month, Hemant Shah of Cadence explains a new consortium taking root. The consortium is backed by a Whos Who of OEMs and EDA vendors, including Harris, Ericsson, Fujitsu, nVidia, Sanmina-SCI, Cadence, Zuken, Adiva and Downstream Technologies. Its goal is to accelerate the adoption of IPC-2581 as an open, neutrally maintained global standard to encourage innovation, improve efficiency and reduce costs. The members are committed to adopting IPC-2581, which as I noted gives this latest effort a big leg up on all previous attempts. Where does UP Media Group stand on this? For 20 years, we have supported the development of an intelligent, robust format for electronics data transfer. As such, we fully support the consortiums effort to ensure a viable, supported and independent data transfer format that is driven by user needs. That new task group attempting to update IPC2581 recognizes that design needs will at some point break Gerber. Many of the players are new to the game, and a lot of the old rivalries appear to have died off due to retirements and, well, death. Thats good, because the industry needs a better standard than Gerber. Thanks in part to his son, Joseph Gerbers name and many contributions will hopefully never be forgotten. But its time his namesake data format is. Otherbeginnings.On a personal note, congratulations to our columnist Jie Bai on the birth of her baby.
mbuetow@upmediagroup.com @mikebuetow
August 2011
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P .D.CircuitsnamedKathy NargiTothtechnicaldirector.Shehas 30 years experience in PCB fabrication and materials, and istheformereditorofPCD&F . Lewis Gordon, who founded now-defunct PCB manufacturer Midland Standard Industries,diedat73. Retired Enthone president Francis A. Schneiders died on July 4. He spent 42 years at Enthone, beginning in 1950 as aresearchchemist.
PCBWestRegistrationOpens
SANTA CLARA, CA Registration is now open for PCB West 2011. The event will take
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PCD&F Briefs
PCBfabricatorYu Fo Electronicwillsellits Taoyuanfactoryforabout$4.6million. PCBfabsHannStar Board(hannstarboard. com) and Global Brands Manufacture (gbm.com.tw)arepartofagroupofcompaniespledgingupto$800milliontoward anewcampusinWesternChina. Mass Design (massdesign.com) has orderedaBrkle(burkleusa.com)drill.
solve the problem of tombstoning in 0402 components. The Low Mass Solution to 0402 Tombstoning, authored by product engineer Eric Reno, details the engineering findings surrounding an age-old issue. Tombstoning occurs when a part is pulled up on one side, assuming a vertical orientation that looks like a graveyard headstone. In his paper, Reno says attempts to resolve tombstoning have overlooked one aspect: the physical component. Although the physical component may be in compliance with EIA 0402, the physical characteristics of the component must be understood and ruled out, he writes. Suntron performed a dimensional evaluation on seven manufacturers of capacitors and six manufacturers of resistors commonly used by its customers. The analysis, which looked at the component body and its terminations, revealed that 86% of the capacitor manufacturers and 50% of the resistor manufacturers had different body and termination dimensions and tolerances. (By comparison, a similar evaluation of the same component manufacturers 0201 and 0603 package types showed identical parts.) Reno says these variations in the components must be accounted for in the pad geometry, or else tombstoning may occur. He also recommends treating each pad as a group, and ensuring the copper density of each pad is equal (or very close), meaning both pads achieve the same temperature and liquidus at the same time. Also, Reno says, both pads should achieve solder flow to exposed copper at the same time, and
August 2011
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01: LED Design, Fabrication and Assembly 02: Basic Setup, Symbols and Schematic 03: A New Type of BGA Array 04: Achieving Signal Integrity & Meeting EMI Radiation Requirements Using High-Speed Connectors 05: Design for Manufacturing 06: Signal Attenuation in Very High Speed Circuits 07: Basic Parts and Placement 08: A Review of Surface Finishes and Related Challenges 09: Faraday Plating Technology 10: Differential Pair Routing 11: Basic Routing and Finishing 12: PCB Design for High Pin Count BGAs 13: Enhancing High-Speed Transmission Using Pre-Emphasis and Equalization Techniques 14: Laying Out Analog/Digital Plane Systems 15: Confessions of a CAM Engineer 16: Placement and Routing of Complex PCBs 17: Buried Planar Capacitance Exhibits Open Lunch on Exhibit Floor F1: What Flex Construction is Right for Me? EA1: Lead-free Manhattan Project F2: HDI Reliability with an Emphasis on CAF EA2: Advanced Packaging F3: Navigating the Pitfalls of Multilayer High Performance RF/MW PCB Design and Fabrication F4: How Advancements in Board-Level Simulation Are Improving the Design & Validation of Circuits EA3: Low Ag Solders F5: Designers Roundtable EA4: Board Surface Finishes F6: Procedures for Handling PWB Defects and Returns F7: Minimizing FPGA Signal Propagation Delay Across a PCB F8: Using High Frequency PCB Laminates for Improving Thermal Management Issues F9: Concurrent Power Integrity Analysis Helps Improve PCB Quality and Saves Board Costs 18: The Science of PCB Stackups 19: RF and Mixed Signal PCB Design Evening Reception on Exhibit Floor 20: Embedded Passive Materials 21: PCB Manufacturing Influence on Signal Loss and Measurement Capability 22: High Density Interconnect Structures 23: Routing and Crosstalk Control in High-Speed Transmission Lines 24: PCB Design for High Pin Count BGAs 25: PCB Layout for EMI and More 26: PCB Layout for Signal Integrity 27: Effective PCB Design: Techniques to Improve Performance 28: Designing with Flex in Mind 29: PCB Design Perfection Starts in the CAD Library
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be as equal in solder volume necessary to control capillary action. Reno recommends a specific pad geometry for 0402, reduces solder mask clearance to 0.002" (from 0.005"), and suggests a connecting trace between pad and plane (or very wide trace) to be equal as the sister pad. For a copy of the paper, visit pcdandf.com/cms/white-papers. MB
RevisedEURoHSDirectivePublished
BRUSSELS The revised EU RoHS Directive was published in the EU Official Journal. The Directive now applies to all electrical and electronic equipment. It was expected to go into effect on July 21. Member States will have 18 months to transpose the Directive into national law. Member States regulations are expected to take force no later than Jan. 2, 2013. The methodology for evaluating substances for priority assessment is congruent with the EU REACH Regulation. Category 8, medical devices, and Category 9, monitoring and control instruments, will come into scope by 2014. Category 11, all other EEE not covered by any other category, will come into scope by 2019. Industry, instead of the EU government, will now have to prove the necessity of an exemption. Exemptions will also have expiration dates, and companies will need to submit renewal applications at least 18 months before the exemptions expire. CD
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METALS InDEx DaTe LME Cash Seller and Settlement for Tin 7/5/10 $7.82 $0.79 4/1/11 5/2/11 6/3/11 7/1/11 $14.22 $14.64 $12.42 $11.83 $1.24 $1.15 $1.13 $1.21
Trends in the U.S. electronics equipment market (shipments only). Computers and electronics products Computers Storage devices Other peripheral equipment Nondefense communications equipment Defense communications equipment A/V equipment Components1 Nondefense search and navigation equipment Mar. -1.5 2.0 9.3 16.8 -8.3 0.2 -1.4 0.8 9.3 % Change apr. May yTD% 4.4 3.5 2.5 -6.6 4.7 -2.4 -7.7 1.1 -5.7 -0.6 -3.1 3.2 4.9 -4.3 0.4 -0.8 2.0 7.9 3.5 18.0 11.9 6.1 -15.1 -11.8 3.7 0.7 9.9
Handy and Harman $260.41 $553.57 $700.92 $531.03 $495.33 Silver (COMEX Silver) LME Cash Seller and $2.92 Settlement for Copper $1.06 $4.25 $4.10 $4.27
Defense search and 2.3 -1.0 1.2 -13.3 navigation equipment Medical, measurement and control -1.1 0.1 1.4 7.2
rRevised. *Preliminary. 1Includes semiconductors. Seasonally adjusted. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce Census Bureau, July 5, 2011
for public clouds will reach $3.6 billion in 2015, while private cloud server revenue will balloon to $5.8 billion, according to IDC (idc.com). The research firm forecasts the number of servers shipped for deployment in public clouds will reach more than 1.2 million in 2015, representing a 2011-2015 CAGR of 21.1%. IDC expects more than 570,000 servers will be shipped for deployment into private clouds in 2015, representing a five-year CAGR of 22.4%.
rose 180 basis points sequentially to 55.3% in June, the 23d straight month of expansion in the sector. New orders and production were both modestly up from May, and employment showed continued strength with an increase of 170 basis points to 59.9%, said the Institute for Supply Management (ism.ws). Price inflation slowed for the second consecutive month, dropping 850 basis points in June to 68% after a 900 basis point drop in May. It is the lowest figure since August 2010, when the index registered 61.5%. "While the rate of price increases has slowed and the list of commodities up in price has shortened, commodity and input prices continue to be a concern across several industries," said ISM spokesman Bradley J. Holcomb. Among the industries reporting growth was Computer & Electronic Products. Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in June for the 23rd consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 25th consecutive month. A PMI over 42.5%, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy.
FeB. PMI New orders Production Inventories Customer inventories Backlogs 61.4 68.0 66.3 48.8 40.0 59.0 Mar. apr. May JUne 61.2 63.3 69.0 47.4 39.5 52.5 60.4 61.7 63.8 53.6 40.5 61.0 53.5 51.0 54.0 48.7 39.5 50.5 55.3 51.6 54.5 54.1 47.0 49.0
vehicle charging stations will be in place worldwide, with annual revenues associated with the purchase and installation of those stations growing to nearly $13 billion that year, a new ABI Research (abiresearch.com) study forecasts. The push away from fossil fuel vehicles opens a new market for makers of printed circuit boards.
Thompson (D-CA) in June introduced an e-waste export bill that would promote responsible electronics recycling, stop global exports of e-waste from the US, and boost green jobs. The Responsible Electronics Recycling Act seeks to avert electronic waste exports to developing countries, where it may be bashed, burned, flushed with acids, and melted down in unsafe conditions.
InDuSTRY MARKET SnApSHoT Book-to-bills of various components/equipment. Jan. Semiconductor equipment1 Semiconductors2 Rigid PCBs3 (North America) Flexible PCBs3 (North America) Computers/electronic products4 0.85 0.97 1.01 5.57 FeB. Mar. apr. 0.87 0.94 1.10 5.67 May 0.95 0.98r 0.97p 0.94 1.04 0.96 0.96 0.99 0.97
Sources: 1SEMI, 2SIA (3-month moving average growth), 3IPC, 4Census Bureau, pPreliminary, rRevised
16
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TheOveruseofIntellectualProperty
Why the term has morphed and what true IP should be.
InTellecTual PrOPerTy Is an intriguing phrase if for no other reason than it is overused and has morphed into conflicting meanings. Way back when I started my career, I was involved in product development at a connector company. At the time, the universally accepted (and narrow) definition of intellectual property included raw R&D, patents and trademarks. Great effort was made to patent everything you could and throw a trademark on anything you could not. Once the idea or concept was protected (read: made into IP via patent or trademark), then much of the data was shared openly in an effort to commercialize the product and maximize its profitability. Who would recognize that meaning today? Whats new is the core definition of what it encompasses; the attitude or swagger some companies wrap around the importance of their IP; and finally, the mystique of even having IP. The widely accepted definition of IP is today considered by most companies to cover just about everything they do from how they harness MIS systems to shop floor processes to how they respond to and invoice customers and, oh yeah, what products and/ or services they develop, patent or market. Over the past 15 to 20 years, the number of NDAs my company signs has grown geometrically. Most are so broad as to conceivably cover not just true technology development, but everything, including the color of a new product brochure. Many others come from companies that do minimal true R&D or are in the business of bringing existing product to market at lower cost. With the broadening of the definition, my guess is most companies may actually end up in a more compromised position, falsely believing their IP is new, when in fact, it may not be. I experienced this about 25 years ago while working for a manufacturer of switches, valves and timers. I made a sales call to a major gas grill company the summer barbeque kind. To my surprise, I was summoned into a large conference room with about 30 of their engineers, marketers and legal staff. The president of the company chewed me up one side and down the other for breach of a signed NDA between our two companies. The chief counsel explained the legal ramifications that would follow. At the heart of the matter was their concept of an automatic gas shutoff valve. Our company, upon hearing this, sent them a sample product that met their overall requirements. This customer in turn assumed we had copied their IP. When I showed them our then 10-year-old catalog with a full line of automatic gas turnoff valves and explained that our company had invented the product for the US Army during World War II, they calmed down.
August 2011
In their zeal to go to market, they assumed theyd reinvented the proverbial wheel! This is the swagger some companies associate with their IP. The worst are military prime contractors. At every meeting I have ever attended, toughas-nails management pounds their chests reminding everyone they build mission-critical product where lives are at risk if anything goes wrong. Error is not an option. Could they really believe their industry is unique? More lives are lost on Americas highways every month than in battle each year globally. We could easily throw the medical industry in the mix as well. If only the military primes were as quick to make improvements to their IP, so as to ruggedize or reduce costs on existing technology platforms like the auto or medical industries. A loose definition combined with a dash of attitude has helped create the mystique that accompanies intellectual property. As various global organizations and governments push for greater protection of it, the more everyone expands their definition or misuses the term, and the more difficult it becomes to protect true IP. It is just not economically feasible to protect everything a company does in the normal course of business. Equally, for those who put in place costly hierarchies that give the appearance of protecting intellectual property, the resources spent may be far in excess of any real value their real IP has. In short, the value of the mystique may not be worth the cost to protect it. Possibly all parties should consider revisiting the old, narrow, purist definition. Protect your R&D with a vengeance. Make sure anyone you might share that R&D with has the ability (systems, commitment and, most of all, people) to honor and protect it. If you have a patent or trademark, you go after anyone, anywhere who infringes on that legal document. But when you send basic CAD data for a me-too product to a supplier, be realistic and know that it is what it is: not R&D, not a patent, not even patent-pending, but just a piece of the many designs to be fabricated and components ordered and needed to make a product function. Intellectual property should not include generic product platforms, nor should it encompass everything, especially a marketing brochure associated with a hot new product. IP should be the true core R&D the patentable design and/or concept that truly has value. If companies become more realistic about IP, it will be easier to cost-effectively and adequately protect it. Equally, reasonably differentiating what is real IP from what is not will enable greater collaboration with valued suppliers, leading to design improvement and cost-reduction, especially on non-critical design and technology, while making it clearer and therefore easier for critical patent or trademark protection. PCD&F
PETER BIGELow
is president and CEO of IMI (imipcb.com); pbigelow@imipcb. com. His column appears monthly.
17
FOCUS ON BUSINESS
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
Why are bad customers so hard for EMS companies to shed?
WHen implementing operational improvements,
SuSan Mucha is
president of PowellMucha Consulting Inc. (powellmuchaconsulting. com), and author of Find It. Book It. Grow It. A Robust Process for Account Acquisition in Electronics Manufacturing Services; smucha@powellmuchaconsulting. com.
most electronics manufacturing services companies focus on optimizing processes on the production floor, reducing inventory turns or other key metrics. One area that often doesnt get enough continuous improvement focus is customer base composition. Most EMS companies have a few customers that either dont fit their business model or are so out of control in terms of forecasting or receivables that they cost more than they bring in. Why do these customers exist? Three reasons. First, most customers dont become bad customers overnight. Typically, their attractiveness diminishes over time due to strategy changes in their sourcing patterns, staff changes or financial difficulties. Second, downturns followed by component availability challenges on the scale weve seen in the past year tend to mask the process of a good customer becoming a bad customer because all projects are facing demand volatility and asking for favors. Finally, EMS companies are scared. The recession hit hard, and there is fear that de-booking customers today may take away needed revenue in the event of continuing market softness. The fallacy is that bad customers often consume program management, procurement and operations time that could be better used on customers with the potential to grow. In some cases, opportunities for growth are missed because a bad customer is occupying too much program management mindshare. Plus, a program that ships dollars with every board makes low margins even smaller. So, should you rush to de-book your bad customers all at once? The better solution is setting up a continuing process that helps better qualify both good and bad customers, and developing an account growth planning model. [Ed.: For more on this, see Muchas book.] The rationale is that when program managers analyze and develop roadmaps for each account, they will have a baseline with which to measure customer quality. A good account growth plan doesnt have to be wordy, but at a minimum should include: List of the customer core team. Current business description. Core value proposition analysis why does this company need your company? Service enhancement needs what do they need that you are currently selling them? Growth opportunities other divisions or products that should be pursued. Competitive issues who else do they source to? Revenue/profitability trends. Near-term goals.
Strategic goals. Overall account assessment. Develop an assessment for each customer that can be reviewed quarterly to analyze trends in the account. In some cases, part of this plan may be shared with the customer. In other cases, it may be used internally. Management can also review the plans in making capital equipment or staffing decisions. A second area that helps separate good customers from bad is the business review meeting. Depending on customer preference, these meetings are held quarterly, semiannually or annually. It is a good opportunity to discuss what is working and not working in the account. It also provides the opportunity to introduce new capabilities to higher levels of the customer core team. From an agenda standpoint, customers normally want to focus on performance metrics, corrective actions and cost-reduction initiatives. However, EMS providers shouldnt miss the opportunity to include some of their preferred topics in the agenda as well. These topics can include: Accounts receivable status. Status of component substitution approvals. Open action items that the customer needs to address. Forecast variance issues. Long lead time component approval status. Review of the quarters past successes. New business opportunities. Corrective actions that the customer should address. Having these types of topics as standing agenda items helps build the concept of partnership in the relationship. It also eliminates the feeling of finger pointing that can arise when topics such as AR or component approvals are only brought up when there is a major issue. The customers behavior as these topics are discussed is also a good indicator of whether you are growing a strong partnership or winding down a troublesome relationship with little chance of improvement. And, when you have a customer facing temporary business difficulties, these types of meetings can provide a nonthreatening way to better understand their situation and their probability of recovery. When youve decided which customers to show the door, what are your options? First, try to give them choices rather than ultimatums. One option is to gradually increase pricing on bad fit business to encourage them to move elsewhere. Another option is to develop relationships with smaller EMS companies that might be a better fit and refer companies there. In that model, there may be an established handoff process that makes the transition smoother. The final continued on pg. 20
AuguSt 2011
18
SIGnAlInTeGRITYInSIGHTS
ProblemSolving,SIStyle
Finding the right solution means knowing where to look.
An old joke goes like this. Late one night, theres a guy down on his hands and knees outside on a street corner, looking around. Another fellow comes up to him and asks him what hes doing. The first man says, I dropped my car keys and I cant get home unless I find them. The other fellow says, Ill help you look. Theyre both on their hands and knees hunting around for a few minutes when the Good Samaritan pauses, then says, I cant find them anywhere. Where did you drop them? The first guy looks up, pointing way down the street and says, Over there. The second guy says, If you dropped them over there, why are you looking here? The first guy replies, Because the lights better over here. This story, unfortunately, mirrors the approach of
many popular solutions to signal integrity problems. We look for solutions not where they really are, but where they are easier to find. For example, when we select the values of capacitors for decoupling the power distribution network (PDN), we follow simple rules provided by others who have no idea about our specific application. Its usually something like: Use three different values, 1 F, 0.1 F and 0.01 F per power pin, or its: Use the largest amount of capacitance that will fit in the smallest body size. You might even hear the recommendation to plot the impedance profile of the capacitors and choose the combination giving the lowest peak impedance. If we follow this direction, we might think that using only capacitors of the same value is best. The light certainly is shining brightly on the simple approach to select caps of the same value, or perhaps three different values. But the real solution is the one that results in the lowest peak impedance, as seen by the chip pads. If only the properties of just the specific capacitors where the light is better are considered, one conclusion will be reached. When the entire PDN ecosystem is included a harder problem to analyze an entirely different conclusion emerges. The robust solution is not just about the properties of the capacitors. Its about how they interact with the entire PDN ecology, including the on-die capacitance and the package lead inductance. When you take into account all these factors, you find the robust solution (where the light is very dim) is much harder to reach. In this example, you need to optimize the specific capacitor values to minimize the peak impedance. Capacitor selection in PDN design is just one of a number of examples where we choose a solution that is easier, where the light is better, rather than the one that will help us find our keys and get home safely. PCD&F
Focus On Business, continued from pg. 18 option is simply to tell the customer why the business is no longer a fit and discuss whether or not changes in the project would make it a better match. If account behavior cant be changed, a reasonable deadline for transfer should be established. A benefit of having a good contract is that the termination process and cost liabilities should be clearly spelled out. Like a good prenup, this makes breaking up easier to do. In these scenarios, the goal is to make the transition for exiting customers as smooth as possible. It is a small industry, and a disgruntled customer can share their version of the bad breakup with a lot of contacts at potentially good customers if things go badly. CA
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Via-in-PadMyths
When it comes to heat transfer, bigger is not always better.
True or noT true? When you need thermal vias, more is better; bigger is better. Logically, this would seem to be the case. There are limits though, especially if you want a reliably assembled product. Older parts with heat slugs easily accessible for bolting on heatsinks didnt have this issue. Just bolt on a piece of metal and maybe blow a fan across it. Its different with a lot of the new, smaller surface mount packages. Many have a heat slug on the bottom, which requires carefully placed thermal vias to a copper pad on the underside of the board. An extreme case of flooding the land with vias can be seen in Figure 1. In terms of assembly, you can hack this together for a prototype, but itll never fly in a production environment. It would be much better to use fewer smaller vias and have the center land covered with solder mask, except where the metal on the chip is exposed, as in Figure 2. On the subject of vias, Im sure you have seen charts on the current carrying capacity of traces, but what about vias? Thats a good question. Ive heard that you first need to know the thickness of the via wall. Then, once you know that, the trace-width equivalent for the via can be calculated by using the formula for the circumference (diameter x ). For whatever number that gives you, compare the closest smaller trace width. Now heres a question for all you PCB fabrication gurus out there: Since vias are not created in the same
way as the trace plating is, can that simple formula be used? While the trace copper is laminated onto a nice smooth PCB surface, the vias are typically created by deposition of copper dust in the via and then electroplating more copper. Then the surface finish is applied to all of the exposed metal. The via walls would generally be rougher than the flat substrate surface. Does that have an impact on the current capacity of a via? Further, since airflow will be somewhat restricted in a via relative to a surface, should the vias effective width be compared to an internal trace instead of an exposed surface trace? Should it be a compromise between the two? Look closely at Figure 3. The via wall looks thinner than the traces. Youll have to make sure your board fabricator can give an accurate thickness of the via wall. PCD&F
ed.:readDuanesblogeachweekatcircuitsassembly.com/blog/.
DUANE BENSoN
is marketing manager at Screaming Circuits (screamingcircuits. com); dbenson@ screamingcircuits. com. His column appears bimonthly.
Figure 1.Poordesignfloodsthelandwithvias.
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emerging Technologies
Changing
New technology drives new apps. Embedding components gives American manufacturing another chance to shine. by Matthew holzMann
The electronics landscape is changing in ways unforeseen even a few years ago, and the interconnect, or printed circuit board (to use the old definition), is at the forefront of those changes. The underlying technology is changing in ways that few in the West now understand. With huge cost pressures and the shift of basic electronics manufacturing to Asia, these new manufacturing processes have fundamentally altered the topography in ways that present significant opportunities to designers and systems engineers, managers and marketers. These changes are also significant challenges to the relevance of the manufacturing and technology base in North America and Europe. Consider the iPhone. Every day, new applications that go far beyond the original concept are being introduced. These include: Translation software in over 25 languages phonetically. Networking and situational awareness software. Personal identification software with network uplinks. Remote control software. The iPhone has been on the market for just over 3- years. It is often forgotten that the software is driven by the capabilities of the hardware. In short, the new technology drives new apps. Virtually all the components of the iPhone, however, are made outside the US, and the units are assembled in China and Taiwan. Apple has excellent designers and systems integrators whose expertise in the requirements for the technology is unsurpassed. But what actually makes it work the underlying technology is no longer understood in North America, except for a relatively few engineers. If we were called for any reason to manufacture these types of products in this country, we could not do so. We no longer have the manufacturing infrastructure. Several key technologies make handheld and portable devices such powerful tools. The user interfaces are deeply intuitive. The massive miniature hard drives now hold up to 160 GB. The CPU board is a marvel of the most advanced circuit board and processor technology, and the circuit boards themselves are changing on a fundamental level. High-density interconnect printed circuit boards are at the heart of todays high-end technology. Signal paths are shortened; power consumption is reduced, and the package can be miniaturized. This technology was invented in the West, but today almost all the advances come from Japan.
24
HDI is critical to miniaturization, ruggedization and highlevel reliability, all nonnegotiable requirements for military electronics, as one example. Commercial and industrial applications are even greater. Unfortunately, HDI is hardly on the radar of the American manufacturing infrastructure. Over $150 billion per year in finished products containing HDI, such as notebook computers, cellphones, GPS devices, consumer electronics, etc., are imported into North America every year. Annual demand for HDI substrates from assemblers in North America is well over $2 billion. The Japanese HDI industry is now producing $10 billion to $12 billion/year in revenue roughly what the US and Japan each produced from all substrate types in 2000.1 Regrettably, the available capacity from US manufacturers is less than $200 million/year, including military and black box applications. This is a 50 to 60 times discrepancy. HDI has become an enabling technology. Once the three-dimensional topography of HDI becomes a focus, other things start happening. Surface mount technology (SMT) began replacing plated through-hole technology in the early 1990s, and is now standard, even on most military and aerospace products. Improved product reliability and reduced costs contributed to mass conversion of most devices to SMT. While there are residual throughhole products on many printed circuit assemblies today, SMT constitutes over 90% of the market. SMT is now being gradually challenged by HDI-enabled embedded technology, in which both active and passive components are mounted inside the PCB.2,3,4 This is another game-changing technology. Very little if any work is being done on this in North America. Embedded technology has several key advantages. First, the package can be made even smaller than it is today. In addition, because the package itself is rigid, reliability can be significantly enhanced in certain applications.4 To date, system-in-package (SiP) devices, including ASICs and memory, have been embedded successfully in commercial-grade substrates, making the interconnect an active device. The security applications of this breakthrough technology alone should be of interest to the telecommunications, wireless, Internet and military communities. By embedding code and processors in the interconnect, the difficulty of
August 2011
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decryption or of reverse-engineering can be enhanced exponentially. Signal paths are further reduced and signal integrity significantly enhanced. RF shielding can further enhance product security. In an age when commercial manufacturers typically have a six-month jump on the competition, embedded technology has the ability to provide significantly higher levels of technology security. Within this milieu is another new technology that is rapidly changing the electronics landscape: MEMS (microelectromechanical structures) and next, MESO-MEMS. Presently, these devices are used for gyroscopes and tracking systems in GPS devices; lab-on-achip applications; motion and distance detection systems in automotive applications, and even the Nintendo WII dance and exercise handsets.5 Again, very little of this technology is being manufactured in the West, and there is virtually no manufacturing exposure to the opportunities offered. Optoelectronic circuit board technology is yet another field where the primary advances are now being made overseas. This will have significant ramifications in high-speed signal transmission, security, and many other applications. The interconnect is changing from a passive to an active component. It is shrinking and becoming both more reliable and complex. It has become the nexus of the next-generation of electronic devices. While software development in North America is unparalleled, it must be matched with a deep and intimate understanding of the hardware and its capabilities and limitations. The common thread running through all this is that the North American scientific, engineering and manufacturing base has lost touch with these fundamental electronics advances and the ability to develop, commercialize and utilize them successfully. This has profound ramifications for our industrial base. Where do the new products come from? Where do the startups that later become industrial giants obtain their technology? A number of years ago, with the outsourcing/offshoring phenomenon, the desire to simplify and commodify acquisition processes, reduce costs and use commercially available, off-the-shelf technology, the US government and firsttier manufacturers deemphasized their
26
August 2011
Conception : Delivered
ts a I rd! boa
ACD is a leading EMS providers offering you the whole package from concept to reality, with everything in between. We take you from the schematic to the design, fabrication, domestic and now offshore assembly, final test, box build and even the logistics of getting the finished product to your customers. ACD will tailor our services to meet your specific needs.
emerging Technologies
involvement in the underlying technologies, setting manufacturing standards and even R&D. Today, we are faced with the results of those decisions. The USs infrastructure and economy are faced with many challenges of the post-recession and post-industrial economies. Our national welfare, defense and technology leadership are being challenged not by opposing powers or growing foreign economies, but rather by our inattention to the details. PCD&F
2 0 T H
A N N I V E R S A R Y
RefeRences
IPCWorld PCB Market Report and Laminate Market Report for theYear 2000, February2002. JimD.Raby,EmbeddedActiveComponentsforHigh-ReliabilityProducts, CirCuits Assembly,February2008. Tuomas Waris, Tanja Karila, Arni Kujala and Pekka Hildn, Embedded Discrete Passive Components in PCBs using IMBTechnology, CARTS Europe,October2008. NoboruFujimaki,KiyoshiKoike,KazuhiroTakami,SigeyukiOgataandHiroshiIinaga,DevelopmentofPrintedCircuitBoard echnologyEmbedding T ActiveandPassiveDevicesfore-FunctionModule, Oki Technical Review, issue216,vol.77 ,no.1,April2010. ArnaudGrivo,IndustrialPCBDevelopmentUsingEmbeddedPassiveand ActiveDiscreteChipsFocusedonProcessandDfR, IPCApex,April2010.
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cover story
Equipping the PCB Design and Supply Chain with 21St CEntury Data
A new, broad industry consortium drives for standardization across design, fabrication, assembly and test. by Keith Felton and hemant shah
PCBs have changed significantly over the past three decades, yet to the surprise of many, we still commonly use 30-yearold ways of communicating design intent to manufacturing. These decades old data-communication formats were originally conceived to drive the emerging numerically controlled machines. Adoption of these formats was further driven by the growth of computer-aided design tools in the early 1980s and the need to move from reprographic photography artwork to digital data-driven manufacturing. Many formats were created by hardware manufacturers themselves, or derived from broader standards, and over time became commonplace. Such numerically controlled equipment included photoplotters, drill/mill machines, assembly (insertion/pick-and-place), test, etc. The Gerber Scientific Corp., a photoplotter hardware manufacturer, created one of the industrys best-known de facto standards, Gerber RS-274-D, which later evolved into RS-274X.1 But Gerber data alone were not enough to produce a completed PCB assembly, so other data formats were created, again to drive specific numerically controlled manufacturing equipment. Using multiple formats to fabricate, assemble and test a PCB is fraught with issues. For starters, there are data inconsistencies caused by the CAD software when producing all the different file formats, especially when data files are not from the same revision of a PCB design. Most formats in use today were designed to drive machines, not to provide a complete relational view of the design data. Over the past three decades, this has been compounded by the evolution of PCB design, manufacturing and test capabilities. Consider just a few of the technology advances since the humble Gerber came about: surface mount components, JTAG test circuits, BGAs, blind and buried vias, microvias, buildup layers, embedded components (discrete and active), and embedded waveguides. The list will continue to grow as designers struggle to address consumer desires for more (functionality, reliability) from less (size, power, weight, cost, etc.). IPC, the trade group, has been aware of the challenges and dynamics of the PCB design and manufacturing segAugust 2011
ment and has been an ardent advocate for the replacement of Gerber for more than 30 years. Over that time, IPC has defined and published multiple data format specifications that vied to streamline the process of transferring data from design tools to numerically controlled manufacturing and test equipment. In the late 1990s, it began looking at a single open, nonproprietary, holistic definition for printed board manufacturing, assembly, inspection and testing. That project was known as Generic Requirements for Implementation of Product Manufacturing Description Data and Transfer Methodology or GenCAM. GenCAM, which under the IPC taxonomy is also known as IPC-2511, was first published in early 2000. It was a revolutionary step beyond Gerber, and, as such, was a stretch for many to adopt. Instead, companies in the PCB supply chain took a passive approach to adoption, waiting for others to take the lead, while continuing to use Gerber despite the known costs incurred from its inadequacies. In early 2001, iNEMI (the International National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative) stepped in to lead a broad, industry-wide project to define the definitive data exchange convergence specification. The goal was to enable accurate, efficient data exchange between designers and manufacturers of printed circuit boards (PCB) and assemblies using a single XLM-based data exchange format. From this effort, an IPC committee developed a new standard, IPC-2581, Generic Requirements for Printed Board Assembly Products Manufacturing Description Data and Transfer Methodology; it was released in March 2004.
A New Consortium
With IPC-2581, the industry finally has a global opportunity to replace Gerber and save millions of dollars wasted by its inadequacies. But as usual with data format specifications, nothing can be done until the supply chain produces, consumes and supports such a specification. This is where a new consortium of PCB design software (EDA) and supply chain companies fits in: to bring companies together to enable, facilitate and drive use of IPC-2581. The charter is simple: To accelerate the adoption of
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
29
Cover Story
IPC-2581 as an open, neutrally maintained global standard to encourage innovation, improve efficiency and reduce costs. The members of the consortium will openly support and promote the adoption and usage of IPC-2581 by enabling their products, offerings and services to import/ export/consume IPC-2581. The consortium was created in June and includes the following founding members from across the PCB design/supply chain: OEMs: Harris, Ericsson, Fujitsu, nVidia. EMS/ODM: Sanmina-SCI. Software tools: ADIVA, Cadence, Downstream Technologies, Zuken. Media: UP Media Group. The consortium is open to any PCB design/supply chain company that is prepared to adopt the consortia goals/objectives and commit to a roadmap for IPC2581 adoption: a) publicly state that the company is a supporter of IPC2581, and b) actively support IPC2581 by either producing or consuming IPC2581 in the next 12 to 16 months. Further, systems companies are asked to require suppliers to produce/consume IPC-2581 data within the next 12 months. EDA design tool companies are asked to output IPC-2581 from board designs. DfM verification companies must export IPC-2581, and fabricators, assemblers and test companies must import and consume IPC-2581. Why is Cadence Design Systems involved, and to what degree? Cadence believes it is in the industrys best interest that an open, public, neutrally maintained standard be adopted by all segments of the PCB design, fabrication, assembly and test supply chain. Cadence commits to develop and maintain IPC-2581 import and export from its Allegro PCB design software and stay current with the latest approved and published IPC-2581 specification. Cadence additionally commits to collaborating with all consortium members to ensure that Allegro-derived IPC-2581 data can be accurately and smoothly consumed by their technology(ies), methodology(ies) and process(es). Whither ODB++? Before being acquired by Mentor Graphics, Valor Systems was in some ways a major contributor to IPC-2581. Indeed, Valor donated its ODB++X format, which was merged with IPCs GenCAM to form the foundation of IPC-2581. With ODB++/ODB++X no longer in the open pseudo standard domain, the consortium feels compelled to ensure that an open, unbiased living standard is maintained, adopted and promoted across the global supply-chain. PCD&F
referenceS
1. Mike Buetow, A Short History of ElectronicDataFormats,pcdandf.com,June 28,2011.
Ed.:UPMediaGroupisactivelysupporting theefforttomoveuserstoanintelligent data transfer standard. This is our corporate position: For 20 years, UP Media Grouphassupportedthedevelopmentof anintelligent,robustformatforelectronics data transfer. We fully support the consortiums effort to ensure a viable, supportedandindependentdatatransfer formatthatisdrivenbyuserneeds.
August 2011
Board registration
anglE
A design for quantitatively determining annular ring and breakout angle on PCB innerlayers. by Russell DuDek anD louis HaRt
If plated through-holes in multilayer printed circuit boards are not suitably registered, board reliability is threatened. Specifically, the annular ring on boards may be insufficient to ensure a good layer-to-layer bond and concomitant PTH integrity. Useful data on PTH registration may be obtained using the test systems described by Paur in his two patents.1,2 These systems provide more than a simple go/no-go measurement, but do not provide continuously variable data. The misregistration data are binned, as the system indicates misregistration within some interval, rather than being continuous. The systems also consume some space on a board panel and entail a slight increase in drilling time and tool use. Acceptance standards IPC-6012 and IPC-6013 define three classes of PCB reliability, in order of increasing reliability requirements, denoted as Class 1, 2 and 3. Classes 1 and 2 permit some missing annular ring on internal layers, expressed as breakout angle. (Figure 2 demonstrates the concept of breakout angle. As of this writing, Class 1 boards may have internal annular ring with 180 breakout, and Class 2 boards may have internal annular ring with 90.) The IPC the acceptance standards call for vertical microsections of coupons on PCBs, which do not allow measurement of breakout in internal annular ring. As Clifford3 demonstrated, even when vertical microsections meet Class 3 acceptability requirements, the PTHs themselves in reality may not meet breakout requirements. Horizontal microsections could reveal the actual breakout, but preparing such microsections is timeconsuming in comparison to vertical ones. Another serious
disadvantage of horizontal microsections is loss of a retainable record, as each section is destroyed as one proceeds into layers deeper and deeper in a PCB. Fabricators and users typically want microsection records and samples retained for some time after boards are made and shipped. This unappealing situation led us to search for an exact way to measure internal annular ring breakout.
Eq. 1 Less frequently seen is the Law of Cosines, which permits calculation of the length of all sides and magnitude of all angles in a triangle, if the length of two sides and magnitude of the angle between them are known. Referring again to Figure 1, if the length of sides A and B and the angle c between them are known, the Law of Cosines allows the length of side C to be calculated: Eq. 2 Refer now to Figure 2, representative of a hole drilled in a circular copper pad of a board. Using Figure 2, we show below that, knowing the displacement d of the center of the drilled hole of diameter r from the center of the circular pad of radius R, one can calculate the breakout angle 2 by using the Law of Cosines. The displacement d of the center of the drilled hole (red dot) and the center of the copper pad (blue dot) is, in terms of x and y,
Figure 1.TheLawofSines.
august 2011
Eq. 3
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
31
Board registration
OrCAD_16.5 Bikes_Half_Page_PCD&F.e$S:Cadence_Autowire_Full_PCD&F.qxp
7/11/11
1:14 PM
Page 1
In the following, the notation (a,b) indicates the angle between a and b. Using the Law of Cosines, Eq. 4 Hence,
Eq. 5
Eq. 6 From Figure 2, notice that Eq. 7 So Eq. 8 How does one determine x and y when the pad is on an internal layer? The next section has the answer. It also includes some comments on measurement of R and r. The latter two parameters are known, at least approximately from the design, but users of this new system can measure true values with relative ease.
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august 2011
Board registration
Notice that the length of the sides of the square pad is designed to be the same as the diameter of the circular pad, R. However, any layer-to-layer variations in printing, developing and etching the internal circular pads will also affect the square pad, so the true circular pad diameter can be determined by measuring the length of a side of the square pad. The length of the chevron is equal to the diagonal of the square, Eq. 9. Eq. 9 The diameter of the drilled hole, r, can be measured directly from the microsection, as the technique and equipment are designed to take the section through the center of the drilled hole. Figure 4 contains the same elements as Figure 3, and adds the line S representing the plane of a vertical crosssection through the center of a hole drilled in a circuit board. The user finds the value of x to be used in Eq. 3 by measuring the distance x between the observed center of the drilled hole and the observed center of the square, then subtracting from x the distance (already known as D from the design of the pads and their locations) between the center of the circular pad and the center of the square pad. Notice that the user makes one measurement, x, to find the value of x from Eq. 10. Eq. 10 The value of y to be used in Eq. 3 is found by measuring the distance y between the center of that portion of the chevron visible in the cross-section and the observed center of the square, then subtracting 2D from the measured distance y. Notice, once again, that just one measurement, y, is made to find the value of y from Eq. 11. Eq. 11 The results from Eq. 10 and 11 allow calculation of break-
Get your designs in gear with OrCAD PCB Designer Contact EMA Design Automation, a Cadence Channel Partner, to learn more about the all new OrCAD PCB Designer 16.5. Call: 800.813.7288, email: info@ema-eda.com, or visit us online at www.ema-eda.com/release16.5.
2010 Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cadence, the Cadence logo, OrCAD, PSpice are registered trademarks of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All others trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
33
Board registration
out angle by utilizing the Law of Cosines. Note that, by definition of internal annular ring per IPC-T-50, the radius of the drilled hole, r, must be used, not the radius of the plated hole.
reFerences
1.Tom R. Paur, US Patent 4,894,606, System for Measuring Misregistration of Printed Circuit Board Layers,January1990. 2.Tom R. Paur, US Patent 4,918,380, System for Measuring Misregistration,April1990. 3. Tom Clifford, Round the Clock, Printed Circuit Design & Manufacture,June2004. Ed.: hisarticlewasfirstpublishedatIPCApex T ExpoinApril2011andisrepublishedhere withtheauthorspermission.
august 2011
Developing an EMS (Environmental Management System) can be beneficial to an electronics manufacturing services company. Benefits include monitoring and complying to regulatory requirements, setting and completing environmental objectives and pollution prevention. By setting either an objectives oriented program or a continuous improvement program, an organization can reduce costs and receive potential cost paybacks for activities such as recycling. An EMS is a management system that creates processes to evaluate and control its environmental impacts and aspects, and comply with local, state and federal regulatory requirements. Many resources are available through state and federal environmental websites to develop an EMS. Upon development, certification can be achieved from the International Standards Organization (ISO). Monitoringandcompliancetoregulatoryrequirements. The environmental regulations landscape continues to be very dynamic with state, local, federal (EPA) and electronics industry-related rules such as RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals). By setting up a system, a facility can monitor and comply with the constantly changing regulations in the US, Europe and the world. The initial step is to catalog and make a list of the permits and reports, such as air release permit, water discharge, hazardous waste permits and reports, etc. Link the permit and report to the agency and regulation that governs the requirement. Upon making the list, verify the regulatory requirements. This can be accomplished by reviewing the requirement on the state or federal website (epa.gov) or by attending workshops. The EPA provides training on such matters as TRI (Toxic Release Inventory) compliance. This workshop helps businesses prepare the TRI report, which contains a facilitys evaluation of its materials handling and determination if a release threshold has been surpassed. As an example, for EMS companies, if 100 lb. of lead solder is used and released to the environment by offsite storage (manifested hazardous waste) or through recycling activities, a report must be completed and submitted to the EPA and state. Global environmental regulation updates can be received differAugust 2011
ently; workshops are available through trade organizations or by electronic update exchanges. As a part of the compliance system, a review can be conducted of what was learned or changed and how it impacts the manufacturing facility. This review or audit can be completed after each workshop or on a yearly basis. Environmental objectives and pollution prevention. Reducing facility impacts to the environment can be achieved by deploying an environmental objectives program. Examples of environmental impacts include release to air, water and soil and are usually regulated by the facilitys environmental permits and reports. This program can be incorporated into existing quality improvement or Lean manufacturing processes. Consider pollution prevention, waste minimization and green design when incorporating new processes, products or materials. A major component of an effective objectives program is recycling. Recycling opportunities. Many opportunities exist to recycle within an EMS company. The foundation of recycling begins with glass, plastic bottles, paper products and cardboard. The recycling of printed circuit assemblies, subassemblies, mechanical hardware, components and solder may result in a payback for the metals extracted and refined. Diligence is required before deeming the material recyclable, given hazardous substances and state and federal regulations. Recyclers will shred the item and extract the metals such as tin, copper, silver, etc., which, given current metal prices, may provide a cost payback. Solder dross (lead and lead-free) is one example of material that can be recycled, given its characteristics and metal content. Other opportunities include computer equipment, printers, packaging materials and scrap metal, such as piping, tooling and fixtures. Reuse of packaging and handling materials. In many cases, the best recycling approach is to reuse the item. This can be best accomplished with packaging and handling materials. Cases may surface in which the packaging material is not recyclable; this may result in a redesign to recyclable material or reusable packaging. Upfront design will be needed for this determination, ideally before product introduction.
PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB / CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY
35
Conclusion
The actions above can all benefit the environment. Moreover, EPA and state recognition and awards are available to successful companies. Employee involvement is important to any recycling program, given their knowledge of the process and products. Employees also have impacts on energy reduction, waste disposal and handling. A material or item that has been historically thrown away may be recycled or reused; employee involvement will bring attention to these new opportunities. By setting up an environmental management system, a facility can monitor and comply with regulatory requirements and set up a program for environmental objectives and projects. In some cases, the results of the environmental project can provide a cost reduction or cost payback. By training and involving employees, many recycling ideas will surface to the benefit of the environment and manufacturing facility. CA
scott MazuR isamanufacturingstaffengineerand environmentalmanagementrepresentativeforBenchmark Electronics(bench.com);scott.mazur@bench.com.
Potential cost and environmental payback. In addition to the benefits of completing environmental objectives and pollution prevention, cost reductions and paybacks can be potentially received. Electronics recycling, given the current market of metal pricing, provides a cost payback for scrap metal, subassemblies and wave solder dross. FiguRe 2 details an approximate cost payback per 1000 lb. of wave solder dross, aluminum cans and metal. The biggest payback would be from the wave solder dross, which will be refined by the recycling supplier and associated metals (tin, copper, silver, etc.) extracted. Depending on market conditions, cardboard and paper recycling may also provide a payback. Some recycling activities will not result in a cost payback; the result will be the environmental
ReFeRences
1.ScottMazur,EnvironmentalRecyclingfortheEMSSMT,October2010. 2. Scott Mazur, Developing an Environmental Management System fortheElectronicsManufacturer, IMAPSNewEnglandSymposium, May2011.
FiguRe 1.Recyclingenergysavingschartinkilowatthr.
circuitsassembly.com/dems
August 2011
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SCREEN PRINTING
The8WastesofPrinting
Or why wait makes waste and what to do about it.
Life hasThe Seven Deadly Sins. And business processes have the Eight Wastes. Well-known among practitioners of Lean Manufacturing, the Eight Wastes apply to any manufacturing or business process and, when reduced, can vastly improve efficiency, enable faster processing and reduce cost. The statistics are eye-opening: According to Lean pundits, 60% to 70% of the actions performed in a process can be classified as a waste. Recently, our company has been participating in Lean training. Im very familiar with Lean and have participated in training before, but this time, the Eight Wastes really caught my attention. We apply all these principles in our facilities, and as I started thinking more about each of them, it struck me how relevant they are to the screen printing process as well. Utilizing the power of the Eight Waste model and some common sense, significant efficiency savings can be found. Lets take a look at each: 1. Waiting. Theres a lot of waiting in printing. The printer waits for upstream systems to be ready for the printed board. Employing techniques such as batch printing (see A New Batch, CirCuits Assembly, February 2011) can help printer utilization and lower waiting time. Ive also witnessed the printer waiting for replenishment of understencil cleaning fabric or chemistry, as well as other consumables such as solder paste. On-board software that warns of impeding fabric or cleaning chemistry replenishment requirements can go a long way toward shortening printer wait. 2. inventory. For me, two elements of inventory cause issues with screen printing. First, the correct inputs need to be available to complete the job at hand. Sounds like common sense, right? It amazes me to see lines stopped because solder paste, solvent and cleaning fabric are not available. Second, available inventory needs to be fit for purpose. Production units that use out-of-date solder paste or cleaning fabric that produces so much lint can add more defects than they resolve. 3. Transportation. Transport in the print process is about getting boards in and out of the printer as quickly as possible. Cycle time can be shortened by optimizing software that permits the camera to wait behind the rear rail, instead of going back to home after each print, for example, or reducing squeegee dwell heights (which tend to be preset very high). High-speed transport conveyors vastly improve board in/board out time. 4. Overproduction. The faster changeover is completed, the less overproduction occurs. If you can changeover the printer in five minutes or fewer, then you dont have to build extra product to cover
CLIvE AShMoRE
is global applied process engineering manager at DEK International (dek. com); cashmore@ dek.com. His column appears bimonthly.
downtime. In fact, software functions on modern print systems allow operators to preset production runs and receive estimates on the time required for those jobs. Another hidden cause of overproduction is the requirement to produce a few extra to cover end-of-yield loss. Those who follow this column will have picked up many tips to aid in the battle toward yield improvements and, therefore, reduce the need for the extra few. 5. Overprocessing. Cleaning in printing is a huge time-waster. Its a sub-process that is way overused, in my opinion. Consider that if understencil cleaning is taking place every second board or even every fourth board and each clean takes 20 to 30 sec., then the equipment is being used 25% of the time not to print but to clean! New stencil coating technologies can vastly reduce required cleaning frequency by limiting the leaching of flux and paste into the stencil web and, therefore, helping stem overprocessing. 6. intelligence (people skills/underutilization). Well-trained operators are far more productive and effectively utilized. But, intense training can be an expensive proposition. Robust printer software that delivers on-board instruction and help via video and animation ensures a better-equipped operator and, therefore, a more intelligent process. 7. Motion. Motion refers to ergonomics, as well as reducing the number of steps it takes to perform a given task. There are plenty of examples of motion reduction and ergonomics in the print process. These include having the control monitor effectively positioned for easy operator access; understencil fabric changeover via a preloaded cassette to eliminate manual paper feeding; positioning the solvent tank on the printer exterior for greater accessibility; streamlined cover packages and interior cabling for faster, simplified system access for adjustments or maintenance. The list is endless, but you get the idea. 8. Rejects/scrap (defects/quality). Ah, the golden ticket for higher yields. My columns always address defects in some way. You all know my mantra: good inputs = good outputs. Realistically, though, we know that even when we are the best in the world, variables outside of our control will cause defects. In these situations, there are control tools like post-print inspection and production safeguarding technologies that incorporate input and output verification to produce better boards and, at the very least, isolate and remove faulty ones before they move farther down the line. I challenge you to evaluate your processes against the Eight Wastes and come up with at least Eight Saves! CA
August 2011
38
WORK SMARTER!
NEW LOCATION
L AL EE FR
r you se U
da an
G r a ch IS an TR ce to y! AT win IO a N
SELECTIVE SOLDERING
EffectsofaDualNozzleonProcessandQuality
Dual-NozzlE sElEctivE solDEriNg is catching on. At least two equipment suppliers now offer this feature, and more are probably working on making it available. Dual-nozzle selective soldering constitutes an improvement in the technology of selective soldering by improving processing speed and the assembly quality, and for a number of reasons. Until recently, standard selective soldering machines used one nozzle at a time in a program. Although there are multiple soldering sites on any given PCB assembly, the process engineer had to choose a nozzle that could accommodate the smallest soldering site on a given board. Thats difficult, because midrange, complicated printed circuit assemblies have a range of multiple through-hole component types, all the way from single LEDs up to massive connectors, power supplies and torroids. But the smallest site on the board, such as an LED, may also be surrounded by surface mount components and thus have a keep-away zone spec. This limits the nozzle size for the balance of the board, even though it would be more desirable and more practical in many instances to use a larger nozzle that could put more thermal energy into the board for better and faster soldering of larger components. Whats the alternative? Running production in two passes, first with a small nozzle to take care of the smaller components, then again after switching to a larger nozzle to accommodate areas that require the larger size, and with a separate program for the larger nozzle. The interruption in production, as well as running the entire batch of assemblies through a second time, is hardly desirable. An alternative would be the use of very large, highly automated, expensive selective systems, but these can only be justified by very high-volume long-running production. Dual-nozzle technology (Figure 1), however, performs the entire production run in a single pass, using a single program, and without the need to swap nozzles. The program will direct the smaller nozzle to the appropriate components on the board that need it, and then shift on-the-fly to the larger nozzle to accommodate those components that can benefit from it, and that also need the greater thermal energy supplied by a larger wave. Not only does one save time, but using the proper nozzle size for the job ensures better quality. Certain caveats are involved in dual-nozzle soldering. The first is the necessity of a robust mechanism, ensuring repeatability of the nozzles when toggling one to the other. Also, extremely important (and one cannot overemphasize this),
preheating the nitrogen and delivering appropriate and proportional amounts of nitrogen to each nozzle. Preheating the nitrogen to the solder temperature is absolutely essential, as it keeps the nozzle at the molten solder temperature. The failure to keep nitrogen at the liquidus solder temperature tends to cool the nozzle as solder flows up the nozzle stem, and thereby introduces a variable into the process that can affect repeatability and process control. The advantages are apparent. For example, if restricted to a small nozzle lets say, a 3mm nozzle to solder the entire board, but have a multi-row connector, four or five pins wide, with 100 pins in a row, you might be able to solder just one row at a time, dragging slowly down each row. Result: Each row would be soldered individually and slowly, because the thermal energy in that nozzle is very limited. This would greatly increase the amount of time required to process each assembly. A single pass with a much larger nozzle would get the job done faster, and all at once, for that multi-row connector. The larger nozzle would be able to span all four or five rows and solder them simultaneously, and do so at a higher speed, thanks to the availability of a greater amount of thermal energy in that larger wave. Successful dual-nozzle selective soldering depends on a good, optimized soldering program, as well as a robust mechanism and understanding of the need to eliminate variables (e.g., preheating the nitrogen). This is why its benefits improvements in speed, reliability, and repeatable enhanced soldering quality make it popular among an increasingly larger circle of users. CA
ALAN CABLE
is president of A.C.E. Production Technologies (aceprotech.com); acable@aceprotech.com.
40
Solderpastemisalignment
An old trick for eliminating test prints on bare boards.
SolderpaStemiSalignment (Figure 1) may often
occur when setting up the stencil printer and can be easily corrected, but one should not have to conduct the first test print on a bare board and then wash it off. Washing paste off boards leads to solder balls, hole blockage during reflow and, most important, reduces surface solderability on the board. Test prints are good practice, but why contaminate the board surface when a non-stick film could be used (Figure 2)? Basically, apply a sheet of film to the board about to be set up and print on the surface. After assessing the print and its alignment, the film can be peeled off
Figure 1.Solderpastemisalignmentisacommonprinterdefect.
the board surface without contaminating the pad surfaces. The film with its defined print images can also be inspected or measured offline or held for reference. In the early days of surface mount, this technique was used for quality control, as it allowed direct measurements of paste thickness and, of course, coverage in relation to the pad surface. Originally paste dried out quickly, so it was easy to handle the films, which is not the case today. These are typical defects shown in the National Physical Laboratorys interactive assembly and soldering defects database. The database (http://defectsdatabase.npl.co.uk), available to all this publications readers, allows engineers to search and view countless defects and solutions, or to submit defects online. To complement the defect of the month, CirCuits Assembly now features the Defect Video of the Month, presented online by Bob Willis. This describes over 20 different failure modes, many with video examples of the defect occurFigure 2.anon-stickfilmisa ring in real time. CA cheap,practicalwaytoconduct
testprints.
August 2011
41
GETTING LEAN
efits: elimination of non-value activity and faster throughput. This month, we focus on ways that customer and contractor teams can work together more efficiently to shorten new product introduction (NPI) processes. In past columns weve discussed materials strategy, design for manufacturability/testability and ways that manufacturing processes can be optimized to minimize changeover time and variation. Now, we look at the softer issues of team interaction and parallel processing. The benefit of a robust NPI process is that it helps ensure that bugs get worked out of the manufacturing process prior to volume manufacturing. However, NPI isnt an inherently efficient process because of its learning curve element. The key to shortening the NPI cycle is to shorten the critical path timeline, while running processes in parallel. Here are five areas to evaluate: Set up the right team. In the early days of contract printed circuit board assembly, sourcing teams tended to be composed of engineers or managers with engineering backgrounds. There was a high fear factor and everything was closely supervised. Today, contract manufacturing is considered sufficiently routine, and sourcing is often handled by a single commodity manager who may or may not have a strong technical background. For stable volume manufacturing, this approach works fine. However, during product development, NPI and end-of-life, it is important for the contractors team to work closely with the customers engineering team. Trying to gate that process through a non-technical buyer can create bottlenecks or drive miscommunication. define the timeline between NPI and volume production. The time factor between NPI and volume production drives decisions on source of components and type of tooling required. For example, an NPI in support of automotive product design validation with sustaining production scheduled a year out might require a single order of components from a quickturn distribution source and minimal tooling. Comparatively, if production is scheduled to start six weeks after NPI, component sourcing and tooling must support sustaining production. determine what information can be released early. Project setup lead-time can be cut significantly if basic information is released as early as possible. Examples include: Partial bills-of-material (BoM) and approved vendor lists enable purchasing to begin sourcing long lead-time parts and provide input during product
42
development on potential availability issues or suggestions for alternate sources. For transferred projects, early access to custom component vendor lists and terms can help the contractors purchasing team determine if there are issues that would drive alternate sourcing suggestions or logistics cost surprises. A list of tooling and programming being transferred helps the contractor avoid redundant development costs and identify remaining resources needed. Release of PCB panelization information, such as physical board layout and tooling hole placement prior to completion of the electrical design, can permit the contractor to order production tooling. Release of mechanical drawings enables the EMS to understand hardware and assembly workscope, order specialized tooling and develop required assembly processes. Release of packaging specifications can ensure the final design is reviewed concurrent with product development.
Identify issues requiring regulatory oversight. While electronics is considered a clean industry, some products and substances require government permitting/certification, special handling or specialized auditing procedures. Examples include: Some types of MRO consumables, such as solder flux or conformal coatings. Radioactive material used in some types of smoke detectors. Product functional tests that expose operators to extreme light or sound, such as those found with high-powered LEDs or alarm systems. Explosive devices, such as those used in airbags. Identify issues requiring external interfaces. Convergence is adding communications functionality to many products that previously werent considered communications devices. Associated functional tests for GPS, satellite or RF capabilities may require both a test unit and an external antenna for the test unit. Given the amount of electrical noise present in a factory, specialized shielding may also be required. Early discussion of these types of test requirements ensures the lead-time associated with this setup doesnt delay the rest of the project. EPIC Technologies uses a checklist to ensure these and other issues are discussed and addressed in its NPI process. Good relationships between teams and a strong focus on these types of softer issues are key to shortening NPI cycle time, supporting supply chain, manufacturing Lean process setup, and avoiding costly surprises. Ca
August 2011
Steve FraSer
is vice president of operations at EPIC Technologies (epictech.com); steve. fraser@epictech.com.
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46
Assembly InsIder
UP MEDIA GROUP, publisher of PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB and CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY, announces
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.
ACd, www.acdusa.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 AIm, www.aimsolder.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 bare board, www.bareboard.com/pcbbasics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 bTU, www.btu.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Christopher Associates, www.christopherweb.com . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Circoflex, www.circoflex.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 CsT, www.cst.com/pcb, www.cst.com/eda-webinar . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 design 2 Part, www.d2p.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 directory of ems Companies, www.circuitsassembly.com/dems36, 46 downstream Technologies, www.downstreamtech.com . . . . . . 9, C3 easy braid Company, www.easybraidco.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 emA, www.ema-eda.com/16.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 33 eFAbPCb, www.efabpcb.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 ezPCb, www.ezpcb.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Grieve, www.grievecorp.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Goepel electronics GmbH, www.goepelusa.com/aoi . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Imagineering, Inc., www.PCbnet.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2, 1, 46 IPC, www.ipc.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 litho Circuits, www.litho-circuits.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
The premier online training resource for professionals involved in the engineering and design of printed circuit boards and related technologies The industrys rst 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 Certicates awarded upon completion No costly travel or time lost away from work FREE resources such as white papers, seminars, webinars and videos Tuition-based Design Excellence Certicate (DEC) Curriculum Signal Integrity DEC Now Available Built on the robust, established and time-proven beTheSignal platform Featuring instruction by Dr. Eric Bogatin Future Design Excellence Curricula will include: RF/Microwave HDI PCB Manufacturing PCB Assembly
mentor, www.mentor.com/best-in-class-pcb . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 mIrTeC, www.mirtecusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 national Instruments, www.ni.com/multisim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 nordson yesTeCH, www.nordsonyestech.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Online electronics, www.pcb4less.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Overnite Protos, www.pcborder.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 PCb FAb eXPress, www.pcbfabexpress.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 PCb UPdate, www.pcbupdate.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 PCb WesT, www.pcbwest.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . insert, 10-13, 28 Powell-mucha Consulting, www.powell-muchaconsulting.com . . 41 Printed Circuit University, www.printedcircuituniversity.cominsert, 47 samtec, www.samtec.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 san Francisco Circuits, www.sfcircuits.com/cd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 seika machinery, www.seikausa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 smTA, www.smta.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . insert, 37 superior Processing, www.superior-processing.com . . . . . . . . . . 45 TmP, www.techmach.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Uyemura, www.uyemura.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Zestron, www.zestron.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OFC
The advertising index is published as an additional service. The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions.
Advertising Sales
UP media Group, Inc. PO box 470, Canton, GA 30169
www.printedcircuituniversity.com
August 2011
47
TECHNICAL ABSTRACTS
InCaseYouMissedIt
Adhesives
Novel Anisotropic Conductive Adhesive for 3D Stacking and Lead-Free PCB Packaging A Review Authors: S. Manian Ramkumar, et al; smrmet@ rit.edu. Abstract: In portable consumer products, while chip stacking via the system-in-package (SiP) approach is becoming quite popular, the use of conventional packaging techniques is complicated, and results in large parasitic inductances. The need for planarity, additional processing steps and hightemperature processing makes bumping and flip-chip bonding less than ideal. Conductive adhesives can be typically processed at a relatively low temperature, which is important for thermally sensitive components. This paper provides a summary of the research using a novel anisotropic conductive adhesive (ACA) for component level and Pb-free PCB-level packaging. (Electronic Components and Technology Conference, May-June, 2011) pads achieve the same temperature and liquidus at the same time. Both pads should achieve solder flow to exposed copper at the same time, and be equal in solder volume necessary to control capillary action. Other recommendations include specific pad geometry for 0402a, reducing the soldermask clearance to 0.002" (from 0.005"), and a connecting trace between pad and plane (or very wide trace) equal to the sister pad. (Company white paper, July 2011)
Printed Electronics
Conformal Printing of Electrically Small Antennas on Three-Dimensional Surfaces Authors: Jacob J. Adams, et al.; jjadams@illinois.edu. Abstract: Conformal printing of electrically small antennas onto the convex and concave surfaces of hemispherical glass substrates is demonstrated. Their bandwidth approaches the fundamental limit for their size, offering nearly an order of magnitude improvement over rudimentary monopole designs (Advanced Materials, March 18, 2011)
Assembly Planning
SMT Data Preparation, Load Balancing, and Schedule Performance Author: Bruce Isbell; bruce_isbell@mentor.com. Abstract: The rate of on-time delivery and measurement of actual unit cost compared to planned unit cost are critical Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for the success and profitability of the manufacturing operation. This paper addresses several critical factors in achieving on-time delivery and unit cost targets. (Company white paper, June 2011)
Lead-Free Reliability
Dependence of SnAgCu Solder Joint Properties on Solder Microstructure Authors: Babak Arfaei, et al; arfaei@binghamton.edu. Abstract: It is well known that variations in the microstructure of lead-free solders greatly affect their thermomechanical properties. Tin grain size, orientation and number, as well as secondary Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5 precipitate sizes and numbers, are all seen to influence the mechanical response of solder joints during isothermal and thermal cycling. The solidification temperature of a SnAgCu solder joint dramatically affects its microstructure. In this a study of the effects of solder joint volume and pad sizes on the microstructure and thermomechanical properties of solder joints, solder joint shapes and dimensions spanned the ranges typical of BGA and CSP assemblies. Temperatures of solidification during cool-down were quantified by differential scanning calorimetry. Tin grain structures were characterized by crossed polarizer microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with electron backscattered diffraction. Precipitate sizes and distributions were measured using backscattered scanning electron microscopy. Corresponding properties, including hardness, strength and fatigue resistance, were measured before and after aging for various lengths of time at temperatures up to 125C. Smaller solder joints on smaller pads were shown to be harder and stronger than larger ones, but to age faster and eventually end up softer and weaker. (Electronic Components and Technology Conference, May-June, 2011)
August 2011
PCB Design
The Low Mass Solution to 0402 Tombstoning Author: Eric Reno Abstract: Tombstoning occurs when a part is pulled up on one side, assuming a vertical orientation that looks like a graveyard headstone. Suntron performed a dimensional evaluation on seven manufacturers of capacitors and six manufacturers of resistors commonly used by its customers. The analysis, which looked at the component body and its terminations, revealed that 86% of the capacitor manufacturers and 50% of the resistor manufacturers had different body and termination dimensions and tolerances. (By comparison, a similar evaluation of the same component manufacturers 0201 and 0603 package types showed identical parts.) These variations in the components must be accounted for in the pad geometry, or else tombstoning may occur. Recommendations are to treat each pad as a group, and ensure the copper density of each pad is equal (or very close), meaning both
This column provides abstracts from recent industry conferences and company white papers. Our goal is to provide an added opportunity for readers to keep abreast of technology and business trends. 48