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50 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2025 consequently lower productivity), many manufacturers continued using traditional methods for the solder mask exposure. at is now changing as well. DI machines specifically optimized for solder mask are becoming the new standard. Schmoll intro- duced a model several years ago designed especially for solder mask applications. While the standard model can perform solder mask exposure, the new configuration can deliver up to 50% higher productivity than the five- head in certain scenarios (depending on energy requirements, panel size, and solder mask type). Summary Just as digital photography has replaced film, direct imaging is well on its way to replacing traditional exposure in PCB manufacturing. Key drivers of this transition include: • Superior accuracy and quality • Advanced capabilities such as real-time scaling and traceability • Fewer process steps due to the elimination of phototools • Higher yields and lower defect rates • Automation possibilities e last barrier to complete adoption was solder mask exposure. However, with new machine configurations, this transition is now clearly underway. PCB007 Simon Khesin is the key account manager at Schmoll Maschinen GmbH. To read past columns, click here. Diamond is one of the most prized materials in ad- vanced technologies due to its unmatched hard- ness, ability to conduct heat, and capacity to host quantum-friendly defects. The same qualities that make diamond useful also make it difficult to pro- cess. Engineers and researchers who work with di- amond for quantum sensors, power electronics or thermal management technologies need it in ultra- thin, ultrasmooth layers. But traditional techniques, like laser cutting and polishing, often damage the material or create surface defects. Ion implantation and lift-off is a way to separate a thin layer of diamond from a larger crystal by bom- barding a diamond substrate with high-energy car- bon ions, which penetrate to a specific depth below the surface. The process creates a buried layer in the diamond substrate where the crystalline lattice has been disrupted. That damaged layer effectively acts like a seam: through high-temperature anneal- ing, it turns into smooth graphite, allowing for the di- amond layer above it to be lifted off in one uniform, ultrathin wafer. A team of researchers at Rice University has de- veloped a simpler and more effective way to achieve lift-off: instead of high-temperature annealing, they discovered that growing an extra epilayer of dia- mond atop the substrate after ion implantation is enough to turn the damaged layer graphite-like. According to a study published in Advanced Func- tional Materials, the refined technique can bypass the high-temperature annealing and generates high- er-purity diamond films than the original substrates. Moreover, the substrate sustains minimal damage in the process and can be reused, making the whole process resource-efficient and scalable. According to Zhang, these ultrapure diamond films "could revolu- tionize electronics, enabling faster, more efficient de- vices, or serve as the foundation for quantum comput- ers that solve problems beyond today's reach." Source: Rice University Rice Method Refines Ultrapure Diamond Film Fabrication for Quantum and Electronic Applications