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Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1542698
JANUARY 2026 I I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE 115 For example, we collaborated with Kodak, opti- mizing the process to utilize their KPR resist for making PCBs. I eventually took on the East Coast sales and regional manager positions for what was then a growing PCB resist supplier, Dynachem, and later moved to California to assume the national sales manager position. Over the next five years, I progressed from VP of marketing and sales to executive VP and ultimately president of the company. We achieved consider- able success, particularly developing new prod- ucts, such as Laminar A aqueous processing dry film resist. Eventually, we sold it to Morton. I then started a consulting company, which has kept me busy representing other chemical suppli- ers. I also started writing. How do you create a healthy work-life balance? I am now mostly retired, but I still have a few cli- ents. I write articles and build high-end computers as a hobby. I also play in a country/rock band here in Southern California. We participate in numer- ous events for charitable organizations and have a great time doing so. I am happily married and have four sons and four granddaughters, all of whom play music, which has become my passion. PCB007 Foundations and Drivers of Flex PCBs: Advanced Packaging Nexus, Part 1 Editor's note: Anaya Vardya has written a two-part series about flexible circuits, advanced packaging and why the two are converging. The full Part 1 article will be featured in the Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest. Part 2 will be featured in the February issue of I-Connect007 Magazine. The electronics industry is undergoing a fun- damental transformation driven by demands for smaller form factors, higher performance, and greater functional integration. Two tech- nologies sit at the center of this transforma- tion: flexible PCBs and advanced semiconduc- tor packaging. In this article, I'll explore the technical foundations and key forces driving this convergence. Understanding PCB Flex Flexible PCBs are electrical interconnects fab- ricated on bendable substrates such as poly- imide or polyester. Unlike rigid PCBs, flex cir- cuits can conform to three-dimensional shapes, enabling designers to route signals through space rather than across flat planes. Key attributes of flex PCBs include: ▪ Mechanical flexibility, enabling folding, bending, and dynamic movement ▪ Reduced weight and volume, critical for por- table and wearable devices ▪ Improved reliability, particularly in vibration- prone environments ▪ Connector reduction, eliminating failure- prone mechanical interfaces ▪ Flex circuits exist in multiple configurations: Single-layer and double-layer flex, multilayer flex with high-density interconnects, and rigid-flex hybrids combining structural rigid- ity with flexible interconnects These characteristics make flex PCBs a foun- dational technology for modern compact elec- tronics. To learn about the convergence of flexible circuits and semiconductor technology, subscribe to the Advanced Electronics Packaging Digest. Anaya Vardya is president and CEO of American Stan- dard Circuits (ASC) and ASC Sunstone.