April 2007 CA TOC

FEATURES

• Solder Paste Inspection
  Is SPI the Yield Improvement Tool We’ve Waited For?
  A number of articles and technical papers have been published on solder paste inspection, most making similar points. Why another? Perhaps because even today, many manufacturers still struggle to obtain significant yield improvements.
  Matthew T. Holzmann

• Cover Story
  Humidity and Pollution Effects on Pb-Free Assemblies
  Understanding the two major sources of climatic-induced failures helps toward preventing and minimizing potential failures.
  Helmut Schweigart, Ph.D. and Harald Wack, Ph.D.

• Apex Recap
  Apex: Exhilarating, Exhausting, but Never Dull
  Attendance slipped, but all the new gear was a buyer’s paradise.
  Mike Buetow

• Design for Placement
  Placement Machine Tolerances and Limitations
  Together, the OEM and EMS provider can institute several steps to create a more effective assembly environment. It starts with DfA.
  Zulki Khan

• Patents
  Pb-Free Soldering and Materials IP
  Many companies are active in Pb-free soldering, and they are protecting their ideas via patenting. IBM leads the way.
  Danny R. Graves

FIRST PERSON

• Caveat Lector
  Lessons from the floor.
  Mike Buetow

• Letters

MONEY MATTERS

• Focus on Business
  Innovation’s myriad aspects.
  Dr. Jonathan Linton

• Global Sourcing
  The changing PWB landscape.
  Mike Buetow

TECH TALK

• Screen Printing
  Investigate the supplier, not just the equipment.
  Joe Belmonte

• Better Manufacturing
  The “Four Horsemen of the Pb-free Apocalypse.”
  Phil Zarrow

• Tech Tips
  Practices make perfect.
  American Competitiveness Institute

• Wave Soldering
  Good soldering starts at design.
  Gerjan Diepstraten

• RoHS Revisited
  April’s Pb-free surprises.
  John Burke

• Pb-Free Lessons Learned
  Optimizing processes using DoEs.
  Chrys Shea

• Process Doctor
  Can cleaning harm products?
  Terry Munson

• ESD Basics
  ESD keepout distance for 2000V products.
  Dave Swenson

• Equipment Advances
  Panasonic’s CM602 placement machine.

• Technical Abstracts

DEPARTMENTS

Industry News
Market Watch
Ad Index
Assembly Insider
Product Spotlight

On the cover: How metallization and operating voltage influence electrochemical migration. (Photo courtesy ZestronUSA)