Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1150604
44 SMT007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2019 on higher Tg and lower CTEs both working to solve these new technology challenges. Taiyo America currently offers THP-100 DX1 HTG that has the highest Tg (173°C) and the lowest CTE (19 ppm/56 ppm) available to the market today. In development, we have even better products on the verge of going to mar - ket soon. These products will offer even lower CTEs that will alleviate the back-drill cracking issue that many PCB manufacturers are deal- ing with today. Having a lower CTE will allow the via fill material not to expand or shrink as much during the various harsh tempera- ture conditions, thus reducing the tendency for cracking in the back-drilled via. Improving the reliability of the via fills is one of Taiyo's main goals in designing new products for the HDI market. Taiyo has also worked for several years to develop improved thermally conductive mate- rials. Our product portfolio in the past has fea- tured 2–3 W/m·K of thermal conductivity, but the market needs even more conductivity. As a result, Taiyo will be delivering a product later this year which demonstrates more than 10 W/m·K. Taiyo thinks that a heat-spread- ing product with this capability can greatly enhance the longevity of the PCB's life and reliability—especially in our emerging 5G, IoT, and automotive markets. It is well known that heat is the enemy of electronics and semicon- ductors. If we can design products that can reduce/eliminate or move heat away, we can extend the life of these devices that we so love in our everyday lives. Looking Elsewhere for Inspiration To keep up with all these changes in mobile communication, networking, and automotive, Taiyo also invested in multiple areas of R&D to cover the diversity we see today. Taiyo Amer- ica is very fortunate to have four other sister companies that also do R&D to support the electronics industry. As a supplier of materials, Taiyo is looking into all types of technologies to accommodate new growth areas. We must provide products that meet today's technolog- ical needs while also continuing to develop new products that will be there for the next generation of great gadgets. As we look back at the past 18 years, there's no doubt we enjoyed a world of new toys and gadgets that grow by the day. With this growth comes many changes that tend to drive our industry. We must develop a new product to hold up to new thermal cycle requirements so that we can enjoy more functionality for a more pleasurable and safer drive. New technology forces us to look at new material changes so that we can implement 5G, such as new photo initiators for LDI and DI products or new fillers and resins to lower the CTE and increase the Tg for via fill prod - ucts. These material changes in our products allow these new technologies to expand as the real estate of the PCBs become smaller Figure 3: Over the years, via fill has developed from simple screen printing to vacuum environments.