36 The PCB Design Magazine • April 2016
Copper Via-Fill Technology in Development
The use of via-in-pad technology is increasing rapid-
ly in today's PCB designs. The need for miniaturiza-
tion, combined with the rapidly decreasing pitch of
component footprints, drives printed circuit board
designers here. Via-in-pad requires the vias to be
filled, planarized and then over-plated with copper.
The Quiet Mainstreaming of
HDI Manufacturing
Advances in technology continue to push the en-
velope of what's possible. And nowhere has the
impact of those advances been felt more pro-
foundly than in the evolution of the current class
of mobile devices. Although design engineers
have driven this evolution, the push to meet the
associated manufacturing challenges has been re-
sponsible for a revolution in PCB manufacturing.
Weiner's World
Gene Weiner discusses PhiChem's upcoming open
house event at its global HQ and R&D center in
Shanghai during SeMICOn China 2016, CPCA
2016 and productronica China 2016. He also fo-
cuses on the IPC Ambassador Council's plans to
produce an executive forum in conjunction with
IPC APeX eXPO 2017, IPC's association with next-
Flex, and much more.
The Sum of All Parts: The Cost of Quality
Throughout the decades, irrespective of industry or
sector, markets have thrived on competition. They
have, however, also relied upon some semblance
of unity within their respective competitors. Indus-
tries rely upon their individual member companies'
ability to work together for the greater good.
Rex Rozario, Part 4: A 10,000-ft. view of his
Business Ventures, the Industry, and Life
In our final installment, Rex describes the common
thread woven through all of his successful business
ventures and varied interests: confidence and the
fortitude to follow his dreams until they are real-
ized. Rex also takes a look back at the evolution of
the global PCB industry, and explains his approach
to profitability, which includes building (and re-
warding) a successful team.
DuPont, Taconic and PFC Team-Up
for High-Speed Fle
At DesignCon, I sat down with three flex circuit
specialists: Glenn Oliver of DuPont, Tom McCarthy
of Taconic, and Steve Kelly of PFC Flexible Circuits.
Our discussion covered a lot of territory, most no-
tably the findings they described in the paper they
were about to present later that day at DesignCon,
and more.
Rex Rozario: The PCB Industry's
True Renaissance Man
In this exclusive multi-part interview that was con-
ducted recently, I-Connect007's Barry Matties will
introduce you to all of the people that Rex Rozario
is, and where he, his team, and Graphic PlC are
headed to next.
Happy's Essential Skills:
Problem Solving
Related to TQC and a very important role of an
engineer is solving problems. Using a problem-
solving methodology is a job that all engineers will
use sooner or later, but if you are in product or
process engineering in manufacturing, it will be
sooner! This was the situation that introduced me
to printed circuit manufacturing.
Happy's Essential Skills:
Design of Experiments
Design of experiments (DOe) is one of the most
powerful and influential engineering tools for
product yield improvements, new products or pro-
cesses development, or for problem solving. As
mentioned in my last column, process problems
led me to a career in printed circuits, and quickly
solving those problems led me to a bonus stock
award and a great life.
Manufacturing Institutes can
Boost the Nation
In his most recent State of the Union address,
President Obama highlighted a remarkable trend
of recent years: the turnaround in many corners
of America's manufacturing sector. nearly 900,000
new jobs have been created by U.S. manufacturers
in the last six years.
pcb007
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