Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1267313
JULY 2020 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 79 Feinberg: At I-Connect007, we're following a lot of the advances in 3D additive manufactur- ing, and there have been some very significant advantages over the last three to four years. In fact, Barry and I were the initial ones to cover it about five years ago at CES. One of my thoughts is that the geometry that meets with the patent and meets with what gives the higher level of reliability depends on the solder mask, but that geometry can be created by 3D additive printing. This is a process that may very well be applica- ble to 3D additive printing—especially since with 3D additive manufacturing, we're now getting to the point where we can 3D print the dielec- tric, conductors, solder mask, another dielectric, resistors, and capacitors, but not the chips. The chips are going to be very small. One of the issues is making sure that they have a reliable solder joint because these things are being produced not in two-dimensional circuit boards—height and width; there's some thickness, but they're creat- ing the circuit on the outside of a pipe, etc. That's something else that is an opportunity to be dis- cussed with some of these companies. Greenberg: Absolutely. Yaung: It's like any invention. You think of something, and you invent it along that line, and all of a sudden, someone else finds it use- ful in their applications that you never even considered. Matties: That's how these things evolve. This looks great. I appreciate you sharing what you're doing. What are the critical next steps? Greenberg: We want to find the right partner where this is a huge need for them, they have resources, and they're going to work with us. Then, we're going to figure out all the details and all the definitions of how this is to be done. Matties: Is the future of this technique predi- cated on a partnership, or is this something that you can carry forward without a partner? Greenberg: It's going to be predicated on find- ing the right partner. Our focus now is exclu- sively partnership and testing. Matties: Hopefully, this will help. When it comes to rethinking manufacturing, you're definitely an example. As the industry or the world rethinks manufacturing, they have to think in terms of seeking out and examin- ing new processes because it's so easy to get trapped in what we know. Greenberg: We are responding to the issues cre- ated by advances in technology or things that are beyond everyone's control. This is kind of in response to RoHS never truly being resolved. Component miniaturization continues, but it's never been resolved. Everything has been a band-aid, and what we have to offer is the solution that's better than a band-aid. Johnson: Thank you, gentlemen, and good luck to you. Yaung: Thank you. SMT007 QFN unsoldered QFN soldered