Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1267313
JULY 2020 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 77 Nolan Johnson: This tech- nology has also evolved out of what you were previ- ously doing with your earlier Schmartboard product. Greenberg: Exactly. Yaung: We are taking it one step further, and this is in addition to what we've been doing. Greenberg: Now, the truth is we are small and don't have the resources to bring this from where it is now to where it needs to be as a proven technol- ogy that could be used. One of the reasons that we're working with Dan is to help us get to the point where we find a partner or some- one who wants to take this to the next level. We're looking for someone with that need, and we have an idea of who those types of custom- ers are. Barry Matties: Do you have companies already interested, and if so, what's their key motivation? Greenberg: We are in the process of speaking to people. We've had a few who are interested in the need, but we are only beginning to talk about what the technology is and how they're going to need to be involved in taking this for- ward. Matties: With your product, how widely accepted for use do you expect this to be? Greenberg: Initially, it's going to be the people that have the critical need. I was watching the SpaceX launch, and that's a perfect applica- tion, as would be any military or automotive technology and critical medical supplies. But like with everything else, cost savings or sig- nificant improvements in yields have to hap- pen—which is one of the things that we claim this will do—before it's brought into the mass market for consumer goods. Matties: How are you validat- ing the data, and what would the timing be for acceptance into space or automotive? Yaung: As Neal explained ear- lier, we are a very small com- pany. We have shown that with the current product line for using this technology to do hand soldering, you can count the total complaints with a couple of fingers, and it all came down to the user error. The technology has been very widely accepted in terms of how this is being used. Many people with a technology background or PCB background came back to us and said, "How come I didn't think of this?" It's so simple. For taking it to the next step to use it in volume production, one of our criteria is not to alter today's manufacturing processes because the minute you start altering them, you have to introduce new equipment. Matties: It's a roadblock. Yaung: Yes. As part of the invention process, that is a no-no for us. Where are the areas that need to be fine-tuned in the manufacturing pro- cess for this to be used? Number one is the PCB. When you make a PCB today, the solder mask layer is put on before finishing the PCB in the process. If you're taking a look at the board, the pads where the IC legs sit on is a little bit higher than the mask in today's technology. Because we reversed that, the way that it changes is the solder mask may have to be put on even earlier, and then the process of taking off the solder mask may have to use a laser to etch out all of the path areas, or apply multiple coats. That's one additional step that needs to be done. The second step to be looked at is when the PCB is put in the manufacturing process for assembly use, they have to put on solder paste. How do you control the solder paste that goes inside each nest or pocket in these IC legs or joints? If you put too much, it's going to flow Andrew Yaung