-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueComing to Terms With AI
In this issue, we examine the profound effect artificial intelligence and machine learning are having on manufacturing and business processes. We follow technology, innovation, and money as automation becomes the new key indicator of growth in our industry.
Box Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Northrop Grumman: 3D Nanomaterials May Counter Gaps in Additive Supply Chain
October 22, 2020 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The best technology is dead in the water if your domestic supply chain won’t support it. That was just one of the takeaways from Dr. Judy Dickson’s talk during the SMTA Additive Electronics TechXchange.
In her presentation, titled “Advanced PWBs: A Collaboration Between Design, Operations, and the Supply Chain,” Dickson, a senior principal systems engineer at Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, laid out the many challenges her department faces in fielding HDI advanced packaging into the next decade. Most of these challenges are related to sourcing the necessary materials in the U.S.
Dickson explained how Northrop Grumman qualifies its suppliers. The company sent sourcing assessments to over 30 suppliers to determine their capabilities and capacity gaps, and the results showed a number of gaps in the domestic supply chain.
Much of her session focused on HDI and high-density build-up (HDBU), with HD technology forming a key part of the company’s next-gen RF sensors. Dickson said that HDI allows vias down to .005” to .006” and mixed materials, while HDBU permits 0.002” vias and 0.0015” dielectrics. The interposers used for HDI and HDBU are difficult to source in the U.S.
Northrop Grumman is currently seeking new sources of materials for their next-gen interposers. And the clock is ticking; according to Dickson’s charts, the company’s demand for HDI is slated to almost triple by 2022 and double again by 2026.
The gaps in the supply chain for HDI and HDBU technologies have lead Northrop Grumman’s engineers to look to other options, including 3D-printed nanomaterials. Dickson discussed some of the work focused on this area, and she noted that research is continuing.
Like many U.S. defense firms, Northrop Grumman can develop the most cutting-edge technologies for our warfighters but finding domestic sources for necessary materials is likely to remain a constant struggle. Thanks to Dr. Dickson for shining a spotlight on this important issue.
Suggested Items
IDTechEx Discusses Low-Loss Materials: The Enabler of Future Connected Vehicles?
05/06/2024 | IDTechExFuture connected vehicles will offer future drivers a safer, smoother, and more convenient driving experience. Not only will drivers get access to more navigation and entertainment options, but they will also gain access to safety technologies that will potentially reduce accidents, improve congestion, and reduce emissions globally by allowing vehicle safety systems to communicate with each other and with city traffic infrastructure.
LQDX Divests Aluminum Soldering Business - Mina™ - to Taiyo America Inc.
05/02/2024 | PRNewswireLQDX, formerly known as Averatek Corp., developer of high-performance materials for advanced semiconductor manufacturing, today announced that it has divested its aluminum soldering business – known as MinaTM – to Taiyo America Inc., a global market leader in advanced electronic materials.
Indium Corporation Expert to Present on Pb-Free Solder for Die-Attach in Discrete Power Applications
04/30/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation Product Manager – Semiconductor Dean Payne will present at the Advanced Packaging for Power Electronics conference, hosted by IMAPS, held May 8-9 in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Adhesive Materials and Equipment Update with Dymax
05/01/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOVirginia Hogan, global business development manager at Dymax, discusses adhesive materials, dispensing and curing equipment, a new, high-reliability conformal coating, and various materials and dispensing methods.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Sustainability in the Industry
04/26/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOGuest Editor Henry Crandall and Chris Nash of Indium Corporation discuss the company's 90th anniversary and its focus on sustainability. They focus on the benefits of sustainable materials, their compatibility, and value propositions. The conversation also highlights how Durafuse LT technology's role in reducing reflow temperatures is leading to significant cost and energy savings. Nash also touches on downstream sustainability efforts such as using recycled materials for packaging.