Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1499197
42 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2023 Editor's note: Welcome to our newest colum- nist, Preeya Kuray, a materials scientist who will be writing about the impact of global affairs on PCB R&D in America, as well as the growing intersection between the PCB and chip packag- ing industries. Although I fell into the PCB world somewhat accidentally, I remember the exact moment I knew I wanted to become a materials scientist. At an undergraduate engineering informa- tion fair, I saw the breadth of research possible within the materials science discipline: super- conductors, synthesizing gold nanoparticles for cancer cell detection, and organic photo- voltaics. It was all endlessly fascinating, and my curiosity drove me to ask what was possible, and more importantly, what was next. I didn't know the answers, but I knew that I needed to be a part of it. Ten years later, aer completing my PhD in materials science engineering, I found my current industrial R&D role: designing next- generation buildup films for HDI and chip packaging applications at AGC Multi Mate- rial America. Now I can put my passion and experience in materials science into practice for the PCB world, working toward answer- ing questions like these: If the chemical struc- ture of Component X is changed, how will this impact the overall buildup film proper- ties? Will Additive Y bolster or completely dismantle my dielectric constant? Will incor- porating Chemical Z enhance copper peel strength while still maintaining low moisture absorption? My Journey From Atomic Lattices to Circuit Boards Material Insight by Preeya Kuray, AGC MULTI MATERIAL AMERICA