Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1525368
AUGUST 2024 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 87 That is great advice. What are some of the cutting-edge technologies you are working on these days? Ultra HDI is the word of the day. We're con- stantly tuning our processes to achieve the fea- tures our customers need in that space. Small features are challenging to execute in image and hole formation, but the fragile material sets that go hand in hand with those features require holistic process reviews on handling and registration. I also help lead our embedded resistor proj- ects. Our thin film resistor-conductor mate- rials complement our HDI portfolio, and our customers' designs encourage us to contin- uously expand equipment capabilities. e technology heavily overlaps with RF/micro- wave technology, so tightly controlled traces and etch compensations are crucial, especially when utilized on a plated layer. We also have our mixed material sets and high-layer count boards. We've made big strides in aligning our registration tool with our engi- neering feedback loop to drive investigations into highly sensitive materials and vulnerable processes. e soware helps us understand movement factors through sequential lami- nation cycles and drill down (pun intended) into root causes with insightful analysis tools. I really can't speak highly enough about it. boredom any day of the week, and there's no way to get bored at a board shop (no pun intended). Second, there's a big geopolitical focus on reshoring American manufacturing expertise and capacity. ere's a sense of sat- isfaction that we're doing our part to help fur- ther a universally recognized national priority, especially regarding advanced packaging and cutting-edge technologies. Our industry is having difficulty getting people of your demographic to join us. What are your thoughts on why that is? e issue comes down to markets de-empha- sizing manufacturing in favor of other fields such as health care and consulting. at's not to say that these industries are not equally valu- able, as society obviously benefits from devot- ing talent to drug development, for example, and organizations can value externally sup- ported problem-solving. It's understandable that individuals may choose the climate-con- trolled, lumbar-supported comfort of a phar- maceutical lab or home office over a noisy, smelly, wet process floor. Do you have any suggestions on how to draw more younger people into our industry? I cannot say enough about getting on cam- pus early and oen. Whether it's a first-year- level seminar or a university career fair, put a technical team in front of students to sell the opportunity to grow in a high-tech team-based environment. I also see a competitive advan- tage for organizations with sincere commit- ments to environmental stewardship. Office recycling bins and singing kumbaya during city park cleanups are nice but green-minded graduates want direct impact on operational inefficiencies such as VOC emissions and water consumption. For example, one of the projects that got me onsite was ASC's goal to improve process water reclamation. It's an easy starting point that has encouraged further waste reduction conversations throughout the company. " ...busy beats boredom any day of the week, and there's no way to get bored at a board shop... "