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22 The PCB Design Magazine • January 2016 with SPC, GenFlex to enable us to do a better job of engineering flex and rigid-flex jobs and final- ly InPlan, which is a rules-based traveler system. We have also invested in a laser direct imag- ing tool that helps us with registration, elimi- nation of phototools and improved line/space control; a cupric etcher which also helps im- prove line/space capability; another X-ray drill machine equipped with state-of-the-art technol- ogy improving registration and our controlled depth drilling capability; an inkjet printer for legends and the latest in via filling capability. Some of these are not yet up and running in our facility, but we anticipate most of these will be implemented by the end of Q1 2016. Beaulieu: how much in total dollars have you put into the company by acquiring all of this new soft- ware and equipment? Vardya: In 2015, we invested more than $1.5 million. Beaulieu: What would you say is the single biggest reason why medical customers should consider us- ing a company like Asc? Vardya: Dan, we definitely understand this market. We are focused on high-reliability, leading-edge technologies, and quick-turn ca- pabilities. We are continuously making invest- ments in terms of resources and equipment to this end. Our goal is to make the customer experience as easy as possible. For engineers, we are more than willing to work with them on design for excellence. For flex and rigid-flex designs, we definitely recommend that engi- neers talk to us during the design phase. A lot of times engineers are looking for quick-turns; however, many times the material lead times can be an impediment. If designers work with us during the design phase, we can work with them on materials. We can even order materi- als prior to placement of the PO to expedite quick-turns. We are also constantly making in- vestments to enable us to do a better job for our customers. Beaulieu: Anaya, once again, thanks for taking the time to talk with me today. i appreciate it. Vardya: Thanks, Dan. It was a pleasure spend- ing time with you today. PCBDESIgN AMERICAN STANDARD CIRCuITS: LEADINg THE WAY IN MEDICAL ELECTRoNICS Whether showing off family photos on smart- phones or watching TV shows on laptops, many people look at liquid crystal displays (lCDs) every day. lCDs are continually being improved, but al- most all currently use color technology that fades over time. now, a team reports in ACS nano that using aluminum nanostructures could provide a viv- id, low-cost alternative for producing digital color. Conventional color technology used in displays is susceptible to photobleaching, or fading. So re- searchers have looked toward alu- minum nanoparticles that can dis- play colors in electronics, thanks to a property called "plasmon reso- nance." To create plasmonic color devices, researchers group nano- structures into arrays called pixels. Color is generated by scattering light onto the pixels, with different arrangements creating different colors. Aluminum plasmonic pixels are advantageous for use in electronic displays because they are in- expensive and can be made in an ultrasmall size, which can increase image resolution. But these pix- els create muted and dull colors. In a recent pub- lication, Stephan link and colleagues developed a method that allows the red end of the color spec- trum to be more vibrant. The researchers used a three-step design ap- proach to create aluminum nanostructure pixels that exploit "Fano interference" — an interaction between the plasmon resonance and the pixel's array structure — to produce vibrant blue-end colors. The researchers then in- corporated a set of red, green and blue pixels into a liquid crystal display that could be electrically turned on and off, demonstrating this work's potential use in com- mercial flat-panel displays. Aluminum Nanoparticles Could Improve Electronic Displays feature