IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
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IPC COMMUNITY 34 FALL 2023 and adoption of Pb-free products in manufac- turing. HDP did several seminal Pb-free solder projects at that time, including with the alloy that became known as SAC305, resulting in a set of guidelines and a pro- cess optimization study being published. HDP has performed 15 Pb-free sol- der projects over the last 20 years, including three in progress. HDP updates IPC on its Pb-free pro- grams when requested, most recently to IPC's Pb-Free Electronics Risk Management (PERM) Council in October 2022. • PCB materials. No laminate materials could be used reliably with SAC305 and other Pb-free solders when they were first introduced. The higher processing tem- peratures of these solders led to a range of potential defects in PCBs. HDP launched the "Pb-Free Bare Board Materials" proj- ect, with the initial report being issued in September 2008, and covering 23 mate- rials. The evaluation of PWB materials is now in its seventh phase, with significant improvements being driven by HDP mem- bers in this phased project over the years. So far, 85 materials have been evaluated over six phases. While project reports and associated data are retained within HDP for use by members, papers based on the results of HDP projects are presented regularly at IPC APEX EXPO and other industry events. Four papers were presented at IPC APEX EXPO in the last three years, including one that received an honor- able mention. What does the future look like? Looking forward, HDP and IPC will continue coordinating on subjects of common inter- est to serve the needs of our members and the industry. The PCB industry faces many emerging challenges, especially for next-gen- eration optical and wireless networks operat- ing at greater than 100 GHz, driving the need for high-speed, high-frequency materials and PCB structures for higher copper densities. Evaluating the performance and reliability of new and evolved materials and processes is central to the evolution of PCB technology to meet these challenges. As HDP enters its fourth decade, it is well positioned to address the industry's current and emerging chal- lenges. HDP will continue its efforts to address the industry's critical challenges. Madan Jagernauth, Marketing Director, HDP Figure 2: Distribution of projects between 2014 and 2023.