Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1489269
24 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JANUARY 2023 nity. Big changes are coming from semicon- ductor companies. First, I would say that if CHIPS funding didn't come through, every- one would probably just say, "Okay, we're done. It's a global supply chain, we're too late, so we continue and that's how it will be. We'll have to manage that." But this is an opportunity for companies to understand what's happen- ing. If you think that everything is the same, then unfortunately, you're not paying atten- tion because I would argue there's more hap- pening now than I've ever seen in my entire career. ere are opportunities for companies to transform, whether that will be getting into new market segments like substrates and OSAT, doing a better job of receiving those parts, or doing a better job of producing them as an EMS provider or PCB fab. ere are opportunities for implementing new ways of working, such as with Factory of the Future. ere are not very many times in your career when you will see large investments as we're seeing today, and I encourage companies to take a due diligence and exploratory perspec- tive on this. Don't jump in and think everything is great and easy, but if there really is a need for more regional capabilities—whether it's in Europe or North America—we shouldn't lose or miss this opportunity. As this money is deployed, there's a five-year window in which the gov- ernment and others will make a cost/benefit analysis. If we can show progress as an industry, this is not just a one and done; we could enter more discussions about moving forward. If we mess this up, then we will have lost an opportunity to make a difference. Johnson: Matt, thank you for your comments today. It has really helped to clarify what advanced packaging is about and steps that can be taken to move forward. Kelly: You're welcome, glad to help. SMT007 Fuel cells often fall short when it comes to oper- ating at temperatures beyond 100°C owing to their dependence on water as a proton conduc- tion medium. To overcome this issue, a team of researchers from Japan designed a new hydrogen-bonded starburst-shaped metal complex consisting of ruthenium (III) ion and six imidazole-imidazolate groups. The resulting single molec- ular crystal shows excellent proton conductivity even at tempera- tures as high as 180°C and as low as -70°C. A s t h e w o r l d i s m o v i n g toward more environment- friendly and sustainable sources of energy, fuel cells are receiving a lot of attention. The main advantage of fuel cells is that they use hydrogen, a clean fuel, and produce only water as a by- product while generating electricity. This new and clean source of electricity could replace conven- tional lithium-ion batteries, which currently power all modern electronic devices. Most fuel cells use a Nafion membrane— a synthetic polymer-based ionic membrane— which serve as a water-based proton con- ducting solid electrolyte. The use of water as a proton conduction medium, how- ever, creates a major drawback for the fuel cell, namely the inabil- ity to function properly at temper- atures above 100°C, the temper- ature at which water starts to boil, leading to a drop in proton conduc- tivity. Therefore, there is a need for new proton conductors that can trans- fer protons efficiently even at such high temperatures. (Source: Tokyo University of Science) Novel Multi-Proton Carrier Complex as Efficient Proton Conductor at High Temperatures