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46 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2020 blind/buried via structures. As a result, tighter via densities and signal integrity requirements in printed boards have revealed reliability con- cerns with microvia structures in high-perfor- mance products. Avoiding post-fabrication mi- crovia failures is critical to the success of your products, and there are details that designers need to know. Gerry's presentation reviewed concerns and reliability testing relating to microvias. He pro- vided an overview of the HDI processes and presented the use of current test methods and the superiority of testing with the IPC-D-cou- pon and IPC-TM-650 test methods 2.6.7.2 and 2.6.27. Gerry also discussed the warning state- ment in the forthcoming IPC-6012E: Qualifica- tion and Performance Specification for Rigid Printed Boards. If you're interested in learning from an in- dustry subject-matter expert like Gerry Parti- da, attend and become a member of a local PCEA chapter in your area. We also had Mike Creeden, Insulectro's tech- nical director of design education, provide an overview of the new PCEA that included its in- ception details, the PCEA purpose/mission, and the advantages of membership. Mike's presen- tation was received extremely well with lots of interest and engagement by all in attendance. At the end of the meeting, we opened the floor for discussion, as we always do. The main discussion this time was on the PCEA topic and the Orange County Chapter's future. When considering whether to affiliate with IPC or the new PCEA in an earlier chapter leader- ship meeting leading up to the chapter meet- ing, our chapter officers unanimously voted to become a PCEA chapter. In the chapter meet- ing, chapter leadership (and Mike Creeden) let members know our new direction going for- ward and the decision to leave the umbrella of IPC. The chapter's leadership decision and the new direction for the chapter were wide- ly accepted with great enthusiasm and eager- ness to move forward as part of the collective of PCEA. I hope to see you at our next "lunch 'n learn" event under our new chapter name: Printed Circuit Engineering Association—Or- ange County Chapter (PCEA-OCC). PCEA Activities There has been and continues to be a lot of activity going on as PCEA's foundation is being laid. Several legacy IPC chapters have already made the decision to affiliate with PCEA, like the Orange County Chapter's ac- tions. In early February, we held an executive board meeting. The overall structure of PCEA is forming nicely with executive board mem- ber elections wrapping up. The newly elected Executive Board members will be introduced in April's column. Also, PCEA's website is up and running, but is still in its early stages of creation. It is our hope to have our official website released later in March. I encourage everyone to check out the website and sign up to receive more details of PCEA as we unfold in the industry. In the coming months, we will expand the number of chapters while realizing a steady growth of our membership. If you're inter- ested in joining or starting a chapter in your area, please feel free to participate and join the many professionals who are the backbone of Mike Creeden