Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1116895
76 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2019 of the process, and OEMs have recognized that they need to be a key part of their deci- sion making, so consortia have formed. One in particular that many materials suppliers work with, as well as PCB manufacturers, is the High Density Packaging Users Group (HDPUG). Johnson: Where do you feel like you're getting the most effective traction in having that con- versation? Mirshafiei: All the methods that you discussed gain traction whether they are trade shows, webinars, or one-on-one meetings with OEMs. But fundamentally, the most effective for us has been when we are partnered with PCB manu- facturers, have them evaluate our product, and touch the broadest array of OEMs. They can assess the capability of the product both from a thermomechanical evaluation as well as an electrical performance standpoint. This gives the most meaningful feedback about product capability. Johnson: With your role in marketing, where do you see Isola's upcoming rising star prod- ucts? What has Isola excited about the product development that you're doing? Mirshafiei: We have two products that we're very excited about. Tachyon® 400G is our prod- uct that we positioned for the 400-Gbps appli- cation. This is the successor to our Tachyon® 100G. The electrical performance that we're seeing is a substantial improvement based on what we've tested ourselves and the feedback we've received from some leading OEMs. In addition to that, we have a product that we'll be launching shortly in 2019, our IS550H, which is the product that we've positioned for high-power and high-temperature applications for automotive. Those are new products that we're launch- ing that we believe address some of those key market trends that we discussed. Looking at where we are at today with existing products, the one I'm most excited about and experienc- ing the greatest traction is in the automotive radar space. Our Astra® MT77 is getting a lot of market traction in automotive radar applica- tions as well as antenna designs. We're seeing that proliferate in North America, Europe, and Asia, so it's covering broad market segments. Johnson: Why is Astra® getting such great trac- tion in those applications? What is it about that material that's so appealing to those sectors? Mirshafiei: There are a few different elements that are unique about it. It has gone head to head with materials that are based on a ceram- ic-filled Teflon® platform, and there's no doubt that those materials have phenomenal electri- cal performance. But there are some challeng- es that come with those materials, and with Astra®, we're not building it off of Teflon®. We're building a more traditional, high-speed digital platform that we've developed process- es around to maintain consistency and perfor- mance at 77 GHz. The other advantage that we see, and this is where we see flexibility come into the picture, is that we offer it in the form of laminates as well as prepregs, which allows greater design flexibility for OEMs. We've seen some interesting designs in North America where they've hybridized Astra MT77 with high-end, high-speed digital materials that we offer, such as our Tachyon® 100G. What speaks volumes is the flexibility that it gives in design, and it's also at a much more cost- competitive position. That makes it a very com - pelling solution for customers. Another thing that's important here is that the traction that we're seeing with the product is taking time because the RF market's a very conservative market. People have never been fired for us - ing company X. There's a lot of risk aversion, but there are underlying competitive dynam- ics, whether it's automotive applications or 5G. You're not talking about small quantities. Johnson: Not to mention the field reliability that they're going to need. Mirshafiei: Right. That doesn't change at all. When I look at where we see opportunities for innovation, it's going to continue to be re- sponding to the flexibility of designs and the