Solder Ability Test

The solder ability of a substrate is a measure of the ease with which a soldered joint can be made to that material. Good solder ability requires wetting (low contact angle) of the substrate by the solder.

The solder ability of a substrate is a measure of the ease with which a soldered joint can be made to that material. Good solder ability requires wetting (low contact angle) of the substrate by the solder. The procedure, considered to be destructive, tests whether the packaging materials and processes used during manufacturing operations produce a component that can be successfully

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Conductive Anodic Filament Testing

Conductive anodic filament, also called CAF, is a metallic filament that forms from an electrochemical migration process and is known to cause printed circuit board (PCB) failures. Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) testing helps to determine the reliability of a printed circuit board (PCB) laminate material or a finished product. With conductor spacing and overall part sizes getting smaller and smaller, the necessity for this test is increasing.

Conductive anodic filament, also called CAF, is a metallic filament that forms from an elector-chemical migration process and is known to cause printed circuit board (PCB) failures. Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) testing helps to determine the reliability of a printed circuit board (PCB) laminate material or a finished product. With conductor spacing and overall part

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Parylene Conformal Coating

Conformal Coating - Conformal coating material is a thin polymeric film which ‘conforms’ to the contours of a printed circuit board to protect the board's components. Typically applied at 25-250 μm it is applied to electronic circuitry to act as protection against moisture, dust, chemicals, and temperature extremes that, if uncoated (non-protected), could result in damage or failure of the electronics to function. Reasons for use of Conformal Coating Conformal coatings are used to protect electronic components from the environmental factors they are exposed to. Examples of these factors include moisture, dust, salt, chemicals, temperature changes and mechanical abrasion. Successful conformal coating will prevent the board from corroding. More recently, conformal coatings are being used to reduce the formation of whiskers, and can also prevent current bleed between closely positioned components.

Conformal Coating – Conformal coating material is a thin polymeric film which ‘conforms’ to the contours of a printed circuit board to protect the board’s components. Typically applied at 25-250 μm it is applied to electronic circuitry to act as protection against moisture, dust, chemicals, and temperature extremes that, if uncoated (non-protected), could result in damage or failure of the electronics to function.

Reasons for use of Conformal Coating

Conformal coatings are used to protect electronic components from the environmental factors they are exposed to. Examples of these factors include moisture, dust, salt, chemicals, temperature changes and mechanical abrasion. Successful conformal coating will prevent the board from corroding. More recently, conformal coatings are being used to reduce the formation of whiskers, and can also prevent current bleed between closely positioned components. Conformal coatings are breathable, allowing trapped moisture in electronic boards to escape while maintaining protection from contamination. These coatings are not sealants, and prolonged exposure to vapours will cause transmission and degradation to occur. There are typically four classes of conformal coatings: Acrylic, Urethane, Silicone, and Varnish. While each has its own specific physical and chemical properties each are able to perform the following functions:

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Application of Rapid Thermal Processing / Annealing Systems

Rapid thermal processing (or RTP) refers to a semiconductor manufacturing process which heats silicon wafers to high temperatures (up to 1200 C or greater) on a timescale of several seconds or less. The wafers must be brought down (temperature) slow enough however, so they do not break due to thermal shock..Such rapid heating rates are

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Surface Insulation Resistance Testing

Surface insulation reistance testing

Surface Insulation Resistance (SIR) is defined as the resistance, across the surface of the base material, between adjacent conductors of a Printed Circuit Board (PCB). On a typical PCB surface there are primarily four paths for current leakage between adjacent conductors; Through the air, Through surface Contamination, Along the surface, and Through the substrate. The

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Xenon Arc Weatherometer

A laboratory device which used to simulates the damaging effects of long-term outdoor exposure of materials and coatings by exposing test samples to varying conditions of the most aggressive components of weathering – light, moisture, and heat. Xenon arc testing – Purpose To observe/study and experience-effect on property changes of materials, including the effects of

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Innovative ways Industries are using Glove Boxes

Studying Meteorites As a cooperative effort with NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Smithsonian, the U.S. funds the curation and collection of Antarctic meteorites. By studying the “stardust” on meteorites, scientists can gain insight about the formation of our solar system, and increase their understanding of the role of stars in the universe. These

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