Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/935136
54 SMT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2018 their stencils and were able to reduce defects by 52%, increase SMT throughput by over 30%, and save over $1 million per year. Their total investment was less than $5,000 in Nano- Clear products. Las Marias: Highlight some best practices to improve the electronics assembly process. Hughes: We are a big believer in Chrys Shea's research in the SMT industry for improving print processes. Her best practice recommen- dation for improving the SMT print process is something she calls "the trifecta". She recom- mends a combination of: (1) using softer wipe paper; (2) using engineered solvents; and (3) using NanoClear nanocoating on all your sten- cil. She has developed tons of data that shows it saves money, improves print quality, and is easy to do. Las Marias: Is there anything else you'd like to add? Hughes: 2018 is going to be another great year for Aculon. The market is moving towards needing more nanocoatings whether it is for better stencil printing or for waterproofing. We have industry leading products in both cate- gories and are well positioned for continued growth. Las Marias: Thank you very much, Edward. Hughes: Thank you. SMT007 The Internet of Things (IoT) is coming, that much we know. But still it won't, not until we have components and chips that can handle the explosion of data that comes with IoT. Two hurdles need to be overcome. First, current transistors in computer chips must be miniaturized to the size of only few nanometers. Second, analyzing and stor- ing unprecedented amounts of data will require equally huge amounts of energy. Sayani Majumdar, Academy Fellow at Aalto Univer- sity, along with her colleagues, is designing technology to tackle both issues. They have designed and fabricated the basic building blocks of future components in what are called "neuromorphic" computers inspired by the human brain. In their recent article in Advanced Functional Materials, Majumdar and her team show how they have fabricated a new breed of "ferroelectric tunnel junctions", that is, few-nanometer-thick ferroelectric thin films sandwiched between two electrodes. They have abilities beyond existing technologies and bode well for energy-efficient and stable neuromorphic computing. The junctions work in low voltages of less than 5 V and with a variety of electrode materials—including silicon used in chips in most of our electronics. They also can retain data for more than 10 years without power and be manufactured in normal conditions. We are no longer talk- ing of transistors, but 'memristors'. "What we are striving for now, is to integrate millions of our tunnel junction memristors into a network on a one square centimeter area. We can expect to pack so many in such a small space because we have now achieved a record-high difference in the current between on and off- states in the junctions and that provides func- tional stability. The memristors could then perform complex tasks like image and pattern recognition and make decisions autono- mously," says Majumdar. Making IoT Possible with a New Breed of Memristors