Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1207026
10 SMT007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2020 Feature Interview by the I-Connect007 Editorial Team The I-Connect007 editorial team recently spoke with Chuck Bauer and Dana Korf in a technical discussion that spanned a number of topics around shrinking components, such as redistribution layers (RDLs), active embed- deds, and why even the most revolutionary technologies must show ROI to be successful. Nolan Johnson: Thanks for joining us. There is a miniaturization and design constraint shift going on as a result of increased densities and shrinking board sizes that also seems to be pushing on the component supply chain. It's not entirely clear to me whether components are driving board design shrinks or whether shrinking board size is driving component miniaturization. Let's start with you, Chuck. Chuck Bauer: It is kind of difficult; I haven't thought about it a lot from that perspective. In general, we all know that the primary custom component of the product is the PCB. Most of the other components are pretty much stan- dardized. But even though the PCB may not be a major piece of the bottom line cost, it is gen- erally the only fully custom component in the product other than some of the external design functions. Packaging capability is driving toward min- iaturization, primarily for two reasons. There's a moderate impact on the cost by miniaturiz- ing the package, but there's a more significant impact on the cost by miniaturizing the board. Semiconductors in Charge: The Changing Face of PCB Manufacturing