Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1525368
10 PCB007 MAGAZINE I AUGUST 2024 Mike Carano is a program manager and SME for advanced packaging and PCB technologies at Trusted Semiconductor Solutions. He has more than 40 years of experience in the elec- tronics industry, with special expertise in man- ufacturing, performance chemicals, semicon- ductors, medical devices, and advanced pack- aging. For this issue, we reached out to Mike to learn more about how dialing in on wet pro- cess can benefit your bottom line. "When things get out of control, the vari- ation in your wet process begins," Mike says. "Just because they look like good boards and may even pass electrical test, it does not nec- essarily mean you have good boards. Once the chemistry is headed toward the right or le side of the process control parameter cliff, the plating is compromised. If the copper is thin- ner than it should be, when the customer puts it into service, the board may fail aer 500 cycles vs. the requisite 1,000 or 2,000 cycles. e root cause issue is that you plated 7/10ths of a mil of copper instead of one-mil of copper because you were not controlling your pro- cess. e fact that you passed your own elec- tric test becomes inconsequential." What he's really talking about is the need for a paradigm shi "where tight control of your processes is the way you manage your organi- zation, wet process being one particular and crucial area of operations." Feature Interview by the I-Connect007 Editorial Team