Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/834021
10 The PCB Magazine • June 2017 Patricia Goldman is managing editor of The PCB Magazine. To contact Goldman, click here. EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGY: IT'S ALL AROUND US We also asked about manufacturing chal- lenges in an open-ended question. We saw some interesting responses like "poor yields if you choose the wrong material set" and "thin core movement during bonding" and "predictability of electrical values after processing" and "exist - ing software tools" and (the painful) "getting it right the first time," along with a few complaints about supply: "limited," "insufficient," "finding it," "capable suppliers." In this month's issue, we asked the "buried" experts to fill you in on some more details and perhaps answer your questions. We started with a veteran of this technology, columnist Vern Sol - berg. He gives a short overview then delves into some calculations on resistor geometry in this first part; the second part will appear in the June issue of The PCB Design Magazine, so you will only have to wait a few days to read it. I asked Compunetics' Jesse Ward to give us a primer on buried capacitor technology since they use it extensively. Using illustrations from his suppliers, he clearly shows how space is saved on the board surface, plus he lists both mechanical and electrical benefits, along with applications. Next, Manuel Herrera of Ohmega Technol- ogy delves into an application of resistor mate- rial—as thin film heater elements. He goes into detail on designing these, along with applica- tions. Getting further into applications is Thomas Hofmann of Hofmann Leiterplatten, a German PCB manufacturer that has developed a meth- od of fabricating PCBs with embedded devices called AML. This paper was presented at the re- cent ECWC conference in Seoul, South Korea, and won a Best Paper award there. It is filled with practical information and an abundance of ap- plication examples. We here at I-Connect007 had a very live- ly discussion when preparing for this issue. We invited Dan Brandler and Manuel Herrera from Ohmega Technology, along with I-Connect007 Contributing Editor Happy Holden to talk with us about embedded components. It was quite a conversation! You will hear (read) it all: inside info on Ohmega, some history on the technolo- gy, more applications, how to do a cost justifica- tion, the significance of buried components for signal integrity (and hence why they are in your smartphone), how direct imaging has improved said technology, and much more! We have an article by Thomas Jones, a re - search associate with Heriot-Watt University and soon to be conferred his PhD. His research on a megasonic treatment process for improved cop- per electrodepositon in vias was the subject for his doctorate and the subject of this article. Rounding out this month's issue are a cou- ple of columns that I particularly like. IPC's John Mitchell speaks to us on congressional site visits. What, you say? Y es, we mean inviting the guys who represent you in Washington to come visit your facility. It's not as complicated as you think and IPC will help set it up for you. And lastly, Steve Williams, of The Right Ap - proach Consulting, brings us a delightful barber- shop story with a great message on delighting your customers. Lots of meat in this issue, as I hope you find in all of them. Next month, we're all about the military industry and what's going on there. We hear business is up, but there are some new re- quirements coming that may make it difficult to participate. You need to know how this will af- fect your company so do tune in. The best way of course is to subscribe and get it delivered. Do it now! PCB Free up board real estate Q: What is the main reason you or your customers utilize embeded technology? Increase active circuit density Improve electrical performance Reduce cost Improve reliability Other Reduce package thickness or height Security 62 61 56 35 32 6 3 9 Table 1: Reasons for embedding components in PCBs.