Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1024460
8 PCB007 MAGAZINE I SEPTEMBER 2018 As our electronic devices and machines be- come more powerful and as Moore's Law chugs along, things in the world of PCBs keep getting smaller. You know the drill—finer lines and spaces, thinner laminates, more layers— cram more circuitry into the same or shrinking area. Where will it all end? Or will it? PCBs are now a p p r o a c h i n g semiconductors with regard to fea- ture sizes, which leads us to our topic this month: substrate-like PCBs (SLP) and the semi- additive processes (SAP) that will help us to achieve the seemingly impossi- ble sub-25-micron features that are coming our way. Are you ready? (I can't hear you…ARE YOU READY?) To help you along that path, our content be- gins this month with an excellent introduction to the subject by Tara Dunn, Omni PCB, who deals with this technology on a regular basis. She clearly explains the terminology and the process, step by step. Atotech's Roger Massey goes into great- er depth on the market trends and drivers be- hind the evolution to SLP. He follows this with a close look at the ne w- er PCB technology that enables this , including both equipment and chemistry. To keep you abreast of what's going on in this segment, Dan Beaulieu interviewed James Rathburn, CEO of HSIO Technologies, which is bridging the gap from IC to PCB using liquid crystal polymer technology. HSIO has partnered with an EMS pro- vider to bring their technology to the market. You need to know about this company. Elsewhere in this issue, Yole Développement's Emilie Jolivet provides useful market informa- tion as you consider how SLP fits with your company's roadmap. First reviewing the evo- lution of PCBs in smartphones to present day Patty's Perspective by Patty Goldman, I-CONNECT007 SLP: The Next Level of Technology