IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1542698
JANUARY 2026 I I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE 95 Are you engaging in advanced packaging? We are dipping our toes into the water, particu- larly with specialized laminate structures and direct wire bonding applications. Honestly, aligning the fabrication side with the precision requirements of direct wire bonding has been a challenge. It is a completely different disci- pline than standard SMT assembly, and the feed- back loops are much tighter. We don't see enough volume yet to claim it as a primary pillar of our business, but the indicators for 2026 are strong. We see more RFQs and proto- type requests that require this level of integration, so while we are still in the early stages, we fully expect this to be a growing part of our conversa- tion by the end of the year. As a PCB supplier, what is the most important thing people working in our field can or should be doing to remain valuable? Get your hands dirty with the technology, not just the software. We have entered an era of incredible simulation tools and digital twins, but a simulation will never teach you the true personality of a machine. " My advice to the next generation is to step away from the CAD station and get on the floor." My advice to the next generation is to step away from the CAD station and get on the floor. Don't just read the spec sheet for the laser; go see how it actually interacts with the material. Learn the quirks of the lamination press that no manual can write down. The technology we are using today, from LDI to flying probe testers, is powerful but it isn't magic. To remain valuable, you need to be the person who understands the gap between what the machine should do and what it actually does. The engineers who will lead this industry in 2030 are the ones who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty with the hard- ware, understand its physical limitations, and then figure out how to push past them. PCB007 Chung-Ang University Researchers Develop Interlayer Material for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries Chung-Ang University Researchers Develop Interlayer Material for Lithium-sulfur Batteries Carbon-supported single-atom catalysts with metal-N moieties are highly promis- ing for lithium–sulfur batteries. They can enhance redox kinetics and suppress the dis- solution of lithium polysulfides. However, car- bon substrate structure optimization and cat- alyst coordination environment modulation must be done simultaneously to maximize the potential of these catalysts. Taking on this challenge, a team of research- ers led by two associate professors from Chung-Ang University—Seung-Keun Park from the Department of Advanced Materials Engi- neering and Inho Nam from the Department of Chemical Engineering—has demonstrated dual–level engineering of metal–organic frame- work (MOF)–derived hierarchical porous car- bon nanofibers with low–coordinated cobalt single–atom catalysts for high–performance lith- ium–sulfur batteries. Dr. Park reveals the motivation behind their research. "Our motivation lies in addressing the fundamental materials challenges that have lim- ited the development of next-generation energy storage systems. Lithium-ion batteries have been widely adopted but are approaching their intrin- sic energy density limits. Lithium sulfur batter- ies offer much higher theoretical capacity and energy density, yet they are severely restricted by the polysulfide shuttle effect, slow redox kinet- ics, and rapid capacity fading." Source: Chung-Ang University