July 2009

Photovoltaics
The Sky is Just the Beginning

In This Issue
‹ Organic Photovoltaics (OPV)
‹ Wet Chemistry for
Silicon Solar Cells

circuitree.com
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July 2009 • Vol. 22, No. 7 • www.circuitree.com
features
16
An Overview of Wet Chemistry
Processing for the Manufacture of
Silicon Solar Cells
Matt Moynihan
The PV industry remains one of the
few industries with sustainable long-
term growth opportunity because
drivers such as concerns over
imported oil dependence and global
warming remain strong even during
the current economic situation.

22
Organic Photovoltaics Offer
Promise for Future Development
Jim Handy and Alain Harrus
There are several new technologies
in development, any of which
16 22 may ultimately displace today’s
conventional technologies. Perhaps
one of the most promising is
organic PV (OPV).
columns 27
BPA Growth Curves
14 Mark Hutton
Web Exclusive:
Tapping Into PCBs
Tech Talk Where Are We on the Business Cycle?
for PV Thermal Issues
Karl Dietz
Zulki Khan
Fine Lines in High Yield (Part CLXVI) - 28
Read it at
Through-Silicon-Via Technology — Part A. Intelligent Design
www.circuitree.com/CDA/Articles
Lee W. Ritchey
15 On the Use of Blind and Buried Vias.
Flexible Thinking
Joe Fjelstad 29 departments
Bending and Flexing Design Concerns III - Environmentally Speaking
Back to Basics, Part 25. Fern Abrams 5 Lead Wire
Change in Climate for Climate 6 The Wire
26 Change Regulation.
Ask the Flexperts 34 Technical Product
Mark Verbrugge 30 Spotlights
Treat Me Gently…Treat Me Kind. Market Outlook 37 Classified Ads
Walt Custer and Jonathan Custer-Topai
Ever Increasing (But Still Restrained) 40 Upcoming Events
Optimism. 40 Ad Index

www.circuitree.com • Circuitree July Issue, 2009, Volume 22, Number 7

CIRCUITREE (ISSN 1059-843X) is published 12 times annually, monthly, by BNP Media II, L.L.C., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge
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2 July 2009 • circuitree.com

 Find The Right Direction.
Moving your company forward in an uncertain economy requires the best market insight available.

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Group Publisher • Tom Esposito
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(610) 436-4220 x 8530, espositot@bnpmedia.com

Hot, Hot, Hot

Associate Publisher/Editor in Chief • Darryl Seland
(610) 436-4220 x 8532, darryl@circuitree.com

Technical Editor • Karl Dietz

By Dar ryl Seland

T
technicaleditor@circuitree.com

India Editor • Muniswamy Anil Kumar
Editorial Advisor • Happy Holden
Global Sales Manager • Christopher Wilson
(248) 244-8264, wilson@circuitree.com
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(412) 306-4358, holmesj@bnpmedia.com
Cover Image • Courtesy of NASA
o say that photovoltaics (PV) is a hot topic could very well be an under-
statement.
While it started as a practical way to power satellites and other spacecraft, a
majority of PV modules are used for power-grid energy production. In fact,
according to statistics for sustainable investing (socialfunds.com), photovoltaic produc-
tion has doubled every two years since 2002 and is currently the fastest growing energy
technology in the world.
Moreover, PVs and solar energy are actively talked about as part of the solution to a
wide array of political and economic concerns—the environment, developing countries,
trade, terrorism, war, and, of course, energy—all for one big reason: it will reduce the
world’s dependence on oil for its energy needs.

Production Manager • Nann Barkiewicz

barkiewiczn@bnpmedia.com

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Audience Development
Christine A. Baloga – Corporate Audience
Development Director
Christina Gietzen – Audience Development Coordinator
Megan Masson – Multimedia Coordinator
Catherine M. Ronan – Corporate Audience Audit Manager

For subscription information or service, please contact The new White House Administration has stated many times that it believes the future
Customer Service at: Tel. (847) 763-9534 or of our economy and national security relies heavily on the challenges of developing new,
Fax (847) 763-9538 or e-mail: CTR@halldata.com cleaner forms of energy.
www.circuitree.com
Some of these challenges, particularly with solar energy and PVs, are grid parity and the
Contact Info for List Rental Customers: efficiency of the technology. Grid parity is the point at which photovoltaics can provide
POSTAL: Robert Liska, List Manager energy equal to or cheaper than the traditional power grids that commonly run on fossil
800-223-2194 • robert.liska@edithroman.com fuels or nuclear power. Some of the largest users of photovoltaics—Germany, Japan, and
EMAIL: Shawn Kingston, Account Manager
the U.S.—offer financial incentives to help spark investment and usage, but what it comes
800-409-4443 • shawn.kingston@epostdirect.com
Back Issues – Ann Kalb – (248) 244-6499, down to is improving the technology. And that’s where the PCB industry comes in.
kalba@bnpmedia.com Read this month’s features, dedicated entirely to the topic of photovoltaics, and find
out how.
Corporate Directors Discover the environmental and technological benefits of organic PVs in “Organic
Publishing: Timothy A. Fausch
Publishing: David M. Lurie Photovoltaics Offer Promise for Future Development,” and get “An Overview of Wet
Publishing: John R. Schrei Chemistry Processing for the Manufacture of Silicon Solar Cells.”
Audience Development: Christine A. Baloga Also, learn how PCB technology can help tackle heat dissipation in CircuiTree’s Web-
Custom Media: Steve M. Beyer exclusive article, “Tapping Into PCBs for PV Thermal Issues.”
Corporate Strategy: Rita M. Foumia
Information Technology: Scott Kesler
Production: Vincent M. Miconi Enjoy and thanks for reading!
Finance: Lisa L. Paulus
Creative: Michael T. Powell
Marketing: Michele Weston-Rowe
Directories: Nikki Smith
Human Resources: Marlene J. Witthoft
Conferences & Events: Scott A. Wolters

circuitree.com • July 2009 5

Ningbo Solar Extends
Manufacturing Capability With
DEK Metallization Lines
Ningbo Solar has purchased eight metal-
lization lines from DEK Solar in a bid to
extend its capacity to deliver high quality
solar cells to the global marketplace. One
of the world’s leading photovoltaic manu-
facturers, Ningbo Solar decided to imple-
ment the DEK PV1200 lines following an
extensive evaluation period which yielded
impressive results.
Ningbo Solar purchased its first PV1200
line in Q2 2008 for installation in Q3. In fact,
led by DEK’s China Service Manager Speed
Yan with the backing of the company’s
global engineering team, installation was
so efficient that DEK was able to hand over
the line in the second week. Soon after the
first line installation, Ningbo Solar placed
an order for a further seven lines which
were delivered later in the year.
Calumet Electronics Announces
Acquisition of Laser Direct
Imaging Capability
Laser Direct Imaging (LDI) of printed cir-
cuit boards uses a laser to image a pattern
directly onto a photoresist-coated panel,
completely eliminating the production and
use of a traditional photo tool. The most
obvious benefits of LDI are the time and
handling defects associated with the cre-
ation, use, handling and storage of photo
tools.
Calumet is now operating an Orbotech
DP-100 Direct Imaging System and offers
a video presentation on the application
on its Web site. For more information, visit
http://www.calumetelectronics.com/PCB_
University.htm.
Richter Elektronik Awards
Orders to Höllmüller Equipment
Herrenberg — Richter Elektronik GmbH’s
requirement for a new SES machine (for
stripping-etching-stripping) and a Solder-
mask Developer has been met by HMS
Höllmüller with its new ComTech EVOLU-
TION designs.
Based on results with thin laminate trans-
port and the ability to produce extremely
fine pattern structures, the design features
of the newly developed ComPlate and
ComTech EVOLUTION modules were critical
factors for the awarding of the contract.
The customer became convinced of the
advantages of this technology during a visit
circuitree.com • July 2009 7
 to the HMS Roth facility.
The completed machines will be deliv-
ered to Richter´s facilities in Summer 2009.
Digi-Key Corporation,
EnerSys Ink Distribution Deal
Thief River Falls, Minn. — Electronic com-
ponents distributor Digi-Key Corporation
announced the companies have entered
into a global distribution agreement. Digi-
Exhibition
September 23–24
Technical Conference
September 23
Key is stocking EnerSys’ 2-, 4-, and 6-volt
Cyclon® batteries. These products, slated
to be featured in future print and online
catalogs, are now available for purchase on
Digi-Key’s global web sites.
Ucamco Launches New PCB CAM
Productivity Enhancement Service
Ucamco (formerly Barco ETS) reports that
their new online PCB CAM productivity
Be Global, Stay Local!
service is increasing front-end engineering
throughput up to 30 percent.
The new service is based around
advanced remote-access software. This
gives Ucamco’s software support engi-
neers in Ghent, Belgium, secure access to
a customer’s workstation anywhere in the
world. The Ucamco engineer observes
and records the complete data prepara-
tion process for two to three jobs. Working
offline, he can then prepare a free report,
based on his knowledge of UCAM soft-
ware and industry best practice, recom-
mending changes to the customer’s pro-
cess and itemizing the time savings which
can be gained. If the customer agrees, the
Ucamco engineer will prepare offline new
set-ups, new software modules, targeted
scripts, and/or a customer-specific training
program. At a time convenient to the cus-
tomer he will use the remote-access soft-
ware to download the new features and
provide the training fully online.
For more information contact Filip at
info@ucamco.com.
Koh Young Europe
Celebrates Grand Opening
Seoul, South Korea – 3D inspection leader
*ÀœviÃȜ˜>ÊiÛiœ«“i˜ÌÊ Koh Young Technology Inc. celebrated

œÕÀÃiÃÊ
Find the tools, processes, the official Grand Opening of its European
September 24 offices on May 14 with an ‘open house’ and
equipment and resources program for customers, distributors, and
-Ì>˜`>À`ÃÊiÛiœ«“i˜ÌÊ to help your company streamline, staff. The event, complete with a ribbon-
iï˜}ÃÊ
September 20–23 become more efficient
and save money.

cutting ceremony at the Alzenau, Germany

facility, marked the official opening of two
Koh Young Europe offices in Germany and
Ireland, respectively. The new offices are

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nÇLJ{ÇӇ{ÇÓ{Ê­1°-°É
>˜>`>® and support in this growing area of Koh
Young’s global reach. Koh Young Europe

8 July 2009 • circuitree.com

Ltd. in Dublin, Ireland functions as the tech-
nical service and support and administra-
tion office. Koh Young Europe GmbH in
Alzenau, Germany is the European demo
and training center.
The German office is located in close
proximity to Frankfurt Airport and features
an equipment demonstration and sales
center, plus seminar and training facilities
in the same building. A screen printer in the
facility allows hands-on process training
with customers. Harald Eppinger, European
Sales Manager, has been appointed Man-
aging Director for the German office, while
Thorsten Niermeyer, Global Sales Director,
has been appointed Managing Director for
the Dublin office.

Insulectro Launches New Website

Lake Forest, Calif. — Insulectro, a leading
North American supplier of materials used
to manufacture printed circuit boards,
announced the launch of a new website

CT07094Chem.indd 1 6/3/09 9:22:05 AM

797 VA Computrace
CVS with unsurpassed precision
• Improved bath monitoring
• Reduced operating costs
• Modular setup
797 VA Computrace for
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For the determination of organic additives such as
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circuitree.com • July 2009 9

CT06094Metr.indd 1 4/28/09 1:29:52 PM
designed with the latest technological
capabilities and tools.
The new site can be found on the
Internet at www.insulectro.com.
Henkel Appoints Wise to
Lead Global Sales Efforts for
Electronics
ect o cs Assembly
s Business
In a move designed
to further expand the
company’s market and
sales leadership, Henkel
Corporation has selected
Mr. Jim Wise to direct
the global sales effort for its electronics
assembly business.
With over 23 years of chemical industry
experience, the last 20 of which have
been spent with Henkel businesses, Wise
brings unique perspective and expertise
to his new role. Providing a rare combina-
tion of both scientific understanding and
management skill, Wise’s background
includes positions in chemistry R&D,
technical service, applications, manufac-
turing, sales and new business develop-
ment. Wise formerly held top-level posi-
tions with Nacan, Acheson and Emerson
& Cuming and was an asset gained
through Henkel’s acquisition of National
Starch and Chemical’s Adhesives and
Electronics Materials business.
As manager of the global sales effor t,
Wise has several business development
priorities, the first of which is to address
current and emerging customer require-
ments, delivering robust, yet cost-effec-
tive materials solutions that enable
competitiveness for today’s and tomor-
row’s assembly technologies. In addition,
effectively communicating the breadth
of the organization to customers is top
on Wise’s list, as Henkel now success-
fully delivers materials solutions and
an unmatched depth of knowledge for
numerous product classes that include
solder materials, conductive adhesives,
circuit board protection materials, inks
what’s new
and coatings, underfills and thermally
conductive materials, just to name a few.
A native of Canada, Wise is a graduate of
McMaster University in Hamilton Ontario,
Canada, where he received a Bachelors of
Science in Chemistry, minored in Physics
and Mathematics and graduated with
honors. As leader of Henkel’s global sales
initiatives, Wise will be based in the com-
pany’s Billerica, Massachusetts facility
and will report to Henkel’s electronics
assembly group Senior Vice-President and
General Manager, Joseph DeBiase.
Huntsman Advanced
Materials Announces New
Global Management Team
Basel, Switzerland – Advanced Mate-
rials, a division of Huntsman Corporation,
announces a new leadership team, effective
immediately. Reporting to André Genton,
President of Advanced Materials are:
• Harald Wiedemann Vice President, Europe
Middle-East & Indian subcontinent
 • James Huntsman Vice President,
Am ericas
• Steen Weien Hansen Vice President, Asia
Pacific
• Tu Pham Vice President, Strategy and
Business Development
• Christophe Struyvelt Vice President,
Finance
Rehm Thermal Systems Signs Distribu-
tion Agreement with Altus Group
Rehm Thermal Systems continued their
global expansion program with the
announcement of a new partnership
agreement. Altus Group will now handle
the distribution of Rehm’s diverse line of
soldering products in the United Kingdom
and Ireland.
3M Announces
Management Changes
St. Paul, Minn.— (Business Wire) — 3M
announced changes to its senior man-
agement team following the retire-
ment of Dr. Moe S. Nozari, executive vice
president, Consumer and Office Business,
effective July 1. Nozari, 67, has been with
3M since 1971.
Joe E. Harlan has been elected executive
vice president, Consumer and Office Busi-
ness, effective July 1. Harlan came to 3M
from GE in 2001 and in that time has served
as vice president, Financial Planning and
Analysis; president and chairman of the
board, Sumitomo 3M Limited; and, since
2004, as executive vice president, Electro
and Communications Business.
Joaquin Delgado has been elected
executive vice president, Electro and
Communications Business, effective July
1. Delgado, who holds a Ph.D. in Polymer
Science and Engineering, joined 3M in
1987 and served in numerous technical
capacities before being named managing
director, 3M Korea, in 2003. He was named
vice president, Research and New Business
Ventures, Consumer and Office Business
in 2005 and in 2007 was named vice presi-
dent and general manager, Electronics
Markets Materials Division.
Bare Board Group is Supplier of the
Year for National Instruments
Largo, Fla. — Bare Board Group, Inc. (BBG),
a U.S. supplier of quality printed circuit
boards, has earned top honors as Supplier
of the Year for National Instruments, an
internationally known company with more
than 5,000 employees. The award recog-
nizes BBG as the supplier that consistently
performs beyond expectations throughout
the year, delivering world-class perfor-
mance within NI’s global supply chain.
BBG has demonstrated the commitment,
innovation and results that set it apart
from the rest of the industry, according to
Christman, who congratulated BBG for its
“outstanding accomplishments.”
For the second year in a row, BBG was
recently named to the Inc. 5000 list of
fastest growing companies in the United
States, as well as to the Tampa Bay Business

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fied company, BBG was named Tampa Bay
International Business of the Year in 2007.
Cobar BV Appoints
Accomplished
p New Chemist
The Balver Zinn Group
announces the appoint-
ment of Tim Lawrence
PhD, a Product Develop-
ment Manager with a
consistent track record of
process and product
prod innovation, as well as
patent coverage and commercialization.
Dr. Lawrence received his PhD in Phys-
ical Chemistry from Leicester University,
UK. In 1992, having worked as a Senior
Colloid Chemist for 10 years at the BP
Research Centre in Sunbury on methods of
exploiting crude oil reserves, Dr. Lawrence
joined Multicore Solders Ltd, Hemel Hemp-
stead as a Product Development Manager.
In this role, he worked on all types of sol-
12 July 2009 • circuitree.com
CT07094CPCA.indd 1
dering consumables, liquid flux, cored wire,
solder paste and tacky flux.
N Amer Semiconductor
Equipment Industry Posts April 09
Book-to-Bill Ratio of 0.65
San Jose, Calif. — North America-based
manufacturers of semiconductor equip-
ment posted $253 million in orders in
April 2009 (three-month average basis)
and a book-to-bill ratio of 0.65 according
to the April 2009 Book-to-Bill Report pub-
lished today by SEMI. A book-to-bill of
0.65 means that $65 worth of orders were
received for every $100 of product billed
for the month.
The three-month average of worldwide
bookings in April 2009 was $253 million.
The bookings figure is three percent
greater than the final March 2009 level of
$245.6 million, and about 77 percent less
than the $1.09 billion in orders posted in
April 2008.
The three-month average of worldwide
billings in April 2009 was $389.9 million.
The billings figure is 11 percent less than
the final March 2009 level of $438.3 mil-
lion, and about 71 percent less than the
April 2008 billings level of $1.34 billion.
Isola Grants Square Weave Patent
License to Sanmina – SCI Corp
Chandler, Ariz. – Isola Group, SARL, a
leading designer, developer and manu-
facturer of high performance base mate-
rials for the printed circuit board industry,
today announced they have entered into
a non-exclusive license agreement with
Sanmina – SCI Corp (Sanmina) that grants
Sanmina the right to practice under US
Patent Nos. 5,350,621 and 5,464,658 for
the terms of the patents.
These patents are directed generally
to laminates and printed circuit boards
that incorporate square weave fabric
materials.
5/7/09 2:25:28 PM
STI Celebrates “Take Your
Child to Work Day” with Three
Generations of Rabys
Madison, Ala. — STI Electronics Inc., a full
service organization providing training,

Go your way
electronic and industrial product distri-
bution, consulting, laboratory analysis,
prototyping, and small- to medium-
volume PCB assembly, announces that
three generations of Rabys — Jim, David,
and Ashley — gathered at the new
facility at the end of April to celebrate with the innovation leader
“Take Your Child to Work Day.”
in wet process systems

Jim Raby, founder of STI, has more

than 50 years of experience in the
industry, including development of
the NASA and Department of Defense
Soldering Schools. He initiated the Zero
Defect Program for Wave Soldering
in addition to developing and imple- Take advantage of our latest
Innovation
menting WS-6536D and the DoD-
Std-2000 Specification programs. Jim’s
experience, expertise, and industry
leadership are the foundation on which
all STI products and services are devel-
oped and produced.
David Raby, President and CEO of
• Higher yield
STI Electronics, Inc., is a key factor in
the growth of the company. David has
• More stable process
greatly expanded the services and prod- • Transport for thinnest substrates
ucts provided and continues to direct
the overall focus of the company. • Fine line etching,
Ashley Raby is 11 years old and will new metallisation technologies
soon be making the transition from ele-
mentary school to middle school. Ashley and surface preparation processes
is on her school’s Math team, competi-
tively shows Tennessee Walking Horses
and is in her ninth year of dance. ■ Convincing advantages
... ask for more information!
For the latest daily news
affecting the PCB Industry,
visit the Breaking News page
on Circuitree.com.
Gebr. Schmid GmbH + Co. | Robert-Bosch-Str. 32-34
72250 Freudenstadt | Germany | www.schmid-group.com

circuitree.com • July 2009 13

CT03094SCHM.indd 1 1/23/09 1:28:34 PM

 Tech Talk
Fine Lines in High Y ield (P art CLXVI)
Through-Silicon-Via (TSV) Technology – Part A
T
he Tech Talk column, now in its
15th year, has mainly focused on
circuit board fabrication issues.
But over the years, related topics
from first-level packaging and other inter-
connect technologies have also been increas-
ingly covered. Discussing through-silicon-via
(TSV) technology in this column is a bit of
a stretch. But it might be of interest to look
at processes such as hole formation, insula-
tion, metallization, and etching and check
for similarities and differences between
TSV processing and first- and second-level
packaging. Part A of this two part series is
focusing on via formation, while Part B will
deal with metallization processes.
The motivation to create conductive
paths through chips comes, in part, from
the fact that there are applications that
require a lot of memory in close proximity
to a logic chip, such as multi-core proces-
sors, and this, in turn, requires that memory
chips are stacked on top of each other and
interconnected. There is also a form factor
that plays a role: there may not be enough
room in small, high-end, hand-held devices
to allow the arrangement of memory chips
in one plane. Furthermore, in a single
plane interconnect platform, the connec-
tions between chips will be longer, which
is undesirable for high-speed applications.
Given the options for interconnecting
stacked chips, the TSV option is the best
one from an electrical performance view
point because it offers lower loop induc-
tance and impedance than wire bonding or
a combination of wire bonding and solder
joints. Through-chip-vias are also found in
CMOS imagers.
One distinguishes between “via-first” and
“via-last” TSV processes. In most cases, “first”
and “last” makes reference to the chronology
of semiconductor formation and TSV for-
mation. “Via-first” means the TSV is formed
before the semiconductors are formed on the
silicon, and conversely, “via-last” means TSV
formation after semiconductor formation.
Occasionally, the “first” and “last” is used to
denote that TSVs are formed either before or
14 July 2009 • circuitree.com
after back-grinding (wafer thinning), but we
shall adhere to the first definition.
The TSVs can be formed by laser drilling
or dry etching. RIE, reactive ion etching,
is one form of dry etch, typically done in a
diode-type reactor. The aggressive ion bom-
bardment of the surface results in a high
etch rate, but care needs to be taken to avoid
damage to the substrate. The DRIE pro-
cess (deep reactive ion etching) is a dry etch
process that either uses inductively couples
plasma (ICP) or ECR (electron cyclotron
resonance). Compared to RIE, this process
has a slower etch rate, can achieve higher
aspect ratio holes, but requires high initial
investment.
Fig 1 Etched TSVs Before Plating
(Source: STS)
Fig 2 Principle of Bosch Etching Process
Figure 1 shows the high aspect ratio DRIE
etched blind TSVs.
One special version of the DRIE process
is the Bosch etching process, named after
the German automotive electronics com-
pany that holds the patents for this tech-
nology (see Figure 2). Part of the process is
the deposition of a polymer on the etched
side wall to protect it from over-etching.
By Kar l Dietz
An etch-mask defines the positions where
the TSVs are to be etched. A portion of the
hole is then etched. Since etching is not
perfectly anisotropic, i.e. selective down-
etching, the etched hole sidewall needs to
be protected from excessive lateral etching,
which is done by depositing a protective
polymer on the hole sidewall. Etching and
polymer deposition steps alternate until the
TSV formation is complete. The result is a
hole sidewall that has a scalloped appear-
ance. The process is slow, but achieves high
aspect ratio holes. C4F8- plasma is used to
form the protective fluoropolymer. SF6-
plasma is used in the etch cycle. The pro-
tective polymer needs to be removed after
the hole formation is complete.
The plasma can be formed in the same
chamber in which the wafer is placed or it
may be formed in a separate chamber (“de-
coupled” system, Ref. 1) from where it dif-
fuses in the wafer chamber.
P. Garrou (Ref. 2) describes the TSV for-
mation with lasers: the laser is typically a
355nm UV, Q-switched, diode-pumped
solid-state (DPSS) source. The laser via
can be as close as 2 microns from the active
device with no degradation of the device.
The sidewall natural slope is 1.3 to 1.6
degrees and controllable. There is a question
if laser drilling can yield TSVs with smaller
than 25 micron diameters.
Acknowledgment
Illustrations and technical information pro-
vided by my colleague, Toshiaki Itabashi, are
gratefully acknowledged. ■
References
Via Hole Formation by Precision DRIE for Through Wafer
Interconnects, Leslie Lea, Surface Technology Systems, Pro-
ceedings, 3D/SiP Advanced Packaging Symposium, May 9-10,
2007, Research Triangle Park, NC
Wafer Level 3D Integration: a Status Report, P. Garrou, Pro-
ceedings, 3D/SiP Advanced Packaging Symposium, May 9-10,
2007, Research Triangle Park, NC
Karl H. Dietz is CircuiTree’s technical editor.
Email karl.h.dietz@USA.dupont.com
 Flexible Thinking
Bending and Flexing Design
Concerns III - Back to Basics, Part 25
T
he last installment of this review
of design issues related to bending
and flexing addressed the I-Beam
effect and looked at some of the
many ways that a flexible circuit can be
flexed, folded, and shaped. This installment
will provide some simple “rules of thumb”
for flexing, both statically and dynamically.
A first recommendation is to design flex
dynamic areas with the copper grain direc-
tion. The orientation of the grain of the
copper foil has a definite effect on flex-
ural life of a design and it has been proven
many times in testing. However, grain direc-
tion is of greatest importance for flex circuit
designs that are fabricated using rolled and
annealed (RA) or traditional electrodeposited
(ED) copper foil. Both of these types of foil
have historically shown a marked difference
in flexural endurance between machine and
transverse or cross directions. In contrast,
grain refined electroplated copper on sput-
tered film does not appear to have any partic-
ular or specific grain direction, thus laminate
orientation for processing is not as critical.
When it comes to bending, it is best to
keep any flexural arc as small as practical
for maximum flex life. In disc drive flex cir-
cuit design, it has been demonstrated that a
smaller flexural arc or total angle of flexure
of the circuit in dynamic designs will pro-
vide the best performance as small as possible
(that is, flex the circuit over the smallest pos-
sible distance). This is a key technique used
in later model disk drive applications to allow
them to achieve the high flex life cycling they
presently obtain that are more than one order
of magnitude greater than earlier designs.
The next concern is the bend radius,
which should be kept as large as possible.
The designer has always been advised to
always provide the largest practical radius
through bend areas. This design approach
or attribute is especially important, even
critical, for dynamic flex. And as pointed
out in the previous installment, it can also
be important in flex applications that are
designed for static applications, but which
can potentially be subjected and must there-
Fig 1 Small Diameter Bend Radii Demand
Greater Elongation From the Materials
Used in Flex Circuit Construction,
Especially Copper Foil
Fig 2 Very Small Bends in the Flex Circuit
are Possible as Demonstrated by This Disc
Drive Application
fore endure millions, or even billions, of low
amplitude, high frequency flexing cycles.
When it comes to bending design, finite
element modeling can be extremely useful
and the method is recommended as it can
provide excellent predictive data for sug-
gesting limits for bending. On the other
hand, there are some long standing and
commonly accepted guidelines that have
served the industry over the years to keep
the design inside the limits. For a rough,
first order approximation of where the limits
are, the industry has a long standing practice
of looking at the application and predeter-
mining how much strain will be induced on
the circuit during bending.
This is determined by the radius and the
distance to the outer surface of the copper
foil. Figure 1 and its simple equation will
help to determine the need. As, can be con-
cluded by calculation, the elongation require-
ments for the copper foil rise significantly as
bend radii decrease. Beyond this simplistic
but instructional analysis, there are a few
commonly used guidelines that have served
well for many years.
By Joe Fjelstad
For normal bending of different flexible
circuit constructions, those guidelines are as
follows: for single metal layer, the minimum
bend radius is 3 to 6 times circuit thickness;
for double-sided flex, the minimum bend
radius is 6 to10 times circuit thickness; for
multilayer flex, the general rule is a radius
greater than 10 to15 times circuit thickness
or more. For dynamic applications, only a
single metal layer is recommended, especially
for high cycle applications and the minimum
radius should be 20 to 40 times circuit thick-
ness or more. Two metal layer circuits can be
flexed dynamically, but there is a need to look
closely at the application. For very high flex
life dynamic flex circuit designs, fabrication
and testing of prototype circuits remains the
preferred method of design verification for a
great many applications.
In spite of these guidelines, rules are
often bent (both literally and figurative). For
example, creasing and hard folding of flex,
while not a preferred practice, can be suc-
cessfully accomplished with some attention
to certain details. When required or desired,
the circuit should be permanently bonded to
itself to prevent it from bending back at the
crease or fold line. A small dowel pin might
be advisable to hold a small radius, or a sepa-
rating base, such as shown in Figure 2, can
be used. The ideal copper for such high strain
bending applications will be a low strength,
high elongation copper. Fully annealed soft
copper is normally a good choice for applica-
tions requiring a small radius bend.
In summary, the flexing and bending of
flexible circuits is fundamental to the tech-
nology and there is a need to understand
some of the basic rules and practices to
assure design quality. This topic will con-
tinue in the next installment. ■
Joseph Fjelstad, founder and president of
Verdant Electronics and co-founder of Silicon-
Pipe, is an author and innovator in electronic
interconnection and packaging technologies.
Download his flex circuit book free at
www.flexiblecircuittechnology.com.
E-mail: jfjelstad@siliconpipe.com
circuitree.com • July 2009 15
 An Overview of Wet Chemistry
Processing for the Manufacture
of Silicon Solar Cells
Matt Moynihan
T
he solar cell industry has been
truly remarkable to observe
over the past ten years. During
this time, the industry has sus-
tained a CAGR of more than 40
percent in cell production. Silicon consump-
tion is currently twice that of the much more
mature semiconductor industry.1 Up until the
first half of 2008, attractive operating mar-
gins were sustained throughout most of the
supply chain. However, since the second half
of 2008, like most other industries, the Pho-
tovoltaic (PV) industry is experiencing signif-
icant challenges. The current credit crisis has
impacted initiation of new PV projects and
module supply is currently exceeding that of
demand. New manufacturing capacity, which
was being added to meet the growth frenzy
during the first half of 2008, is making a bad
situation worse. Companies that entered into
long term silicon contracts at the peak of last
year are scrambling to renegotiate their con-
tracts to more accurately reflect the signifi-
cant drop in silicon prices. Some sources are
16 July 2009 • circuitree.com
predicting module prices will decrease from
$3.80/watt to between $2.50 and $3.00/watt
during 2009.2
Despite these troubled times, the PV
industry remains one of the few indus-
tries with sustainable long-term growth
opportunity. Macroeconomic drivers such
as concerns over imported oil dependence
and global warming remain strong even
during the current economic situation. Oil
prices appear to have hit bottom and will
likely increase again as the world economy
recovers. Although some countries like
Spain are reducing government subsidies,
other countries like the United States, Japan,
and South Korea are showing indications of
increasing incentives to create future demand
for solar energy. The anticipated sharp drop
in the $/watt is a necessary and positive
step for the industry to achieve grid parity,
which will make solar generated power com-
petitive with power received from the grid
independent of government subsidies. As a
result, those companies that have managed
Image Courtesy of NASA
the growth wisely over the past years should
be able to weather the storm and are likely to
emerge even stronger than before.
One of the key factors for any solar cell
manufacturer to survive during such dif-
ficult times is the ability to achieve high
device performance at a low cost. Wet
chemical processing has been adopted from
other more mature industries such as the
semiconductor and printed circuit board
industries and plays a key role in solar cell
manufacturing. The purpose of this article
is to highlight the areas where wet chemical
processing is being utilized in the solar cell
manufacturing process while giving some
insight of how it can further improve cell
efficiency and overall costs.
Overview
Simplistically stated, a solar cell is a semicon-
ductor device that creates electricity from the
sun by utilizing the photovoltaic effect (see
Figure 1). Photons are absorbed from the sun
by the silicon layer and excite nearby elec-
trons sufficiently enough to create a current
in an electrical circuit. The most common
metric to quantify performance is cell effi-
ciency, which represents the ability of the
solar cell to convert sunlight into electricity.
An increase in cell efficiency yields more
power per device. Depending upon the tech-
nology, cell efficiencies can range anywhere
from 8 percent to as much as 22 percent in
production settings.
At the highest level, the solar market can
be split into two segments: crystalline silicon
and thin film. Within each of these segments,
there are numerous sub-segments, which are
described in more detail in Table 1. The
focus of this article will be on the crystalline
Si market segment as this comprises over 80
percent of the total PV market.
Figure 2 shows a generic process flow for
the manufacture of a silicon solar cell. The
key steps that currently utilize wet chemistry
processing include: post-wafering cleaning,
texturing, edge isolation, phosphor silicate
glass (PSG) remove/clean, and plated metal-
lization. Table 2 outlines some of the main
market drivers for each of these process steps.
Depending upon the process line configura-
tion, production throughput for any one of
these steps can be in the range of 1500-2800
wafers per hour. Wafers can be loaded into cas-
settes for batch/vertical processing or loaded
onto a conveyor belt for continuous/hori-
zontal processing. Both equipment configura-
tions are currently commercially available on
the market from a number of vendors.
Table 1 PV Market Segmentation
Segment Technology Typical Efficiency %
Multi-Crystalline
Silicon Mono-Crystalline
Ribbon
Cd-Te
Thin Film CIGS
a-Si/u-Si
Table 2 c-Silicon Market Drivers and Associated Technology Development Areas
Driver How
Improved Efficiency Improved conductivity
Value Proposition: Improved ohmic contact
0.1% efficiency
Improved reflectivity
improvement =
~$550K for 50MWp
New cell designs
production
Lower Costs
Replace Ag
Value Proposition:
0.5% reduction in Higher Yields
breakage/yield =
~$670K for 50MWp
Higher Throughput
production line
Wafer cleaning which is comprised of a series of very thin
Most silicon used for the solar cell industry stainless steel wires (0.12-0.15mm in diam-
is grown and/or machined to produce blocks eter) that are wound on two spools. Glycol,
called ingots. Due to the different growth oil, or water based lubricants dispersed with
processes used, multi-crystalline ingots are silicon carbide abrasives provide the primary
square, while mono-crystalline ingots are cutting action as the wire passes through the
square with rounded corners. They are typi- ingot. Typical wafer thickness after sawing is
cally about 0.54 m. long and have x-y dimen- about 180-200µm, although thinner wafers
sions of 15.6cm x 15.6cm. The wafering have been demonstrated.
process is accomplished by use of a wire saw, After the wafering step, the sliced ingot is
placed into a spray chamber to remove the
bulk of the silicon carbide slurry. The sliced
ingot is then placed in a dip tank with a
solvent that can loosen the adhesive (typi-
cally an organic acid) and releases the wafers
from the mounting plate. Wafers are then
loaded into cassettes for vertical/batch mode
cleaning or arranged on a conveyor belt for
horizontal/continuous processing.
A successful cleaning process, regardless
of whether it is in the vertical or horizontal
configuration, should have the following
Fig 1 Basic Solar Cell Operating Principle
attributes:
1. Ability to produce wafers visually free of any
lubricant, abrasive, or metal ion residues
2. Ability to work on mono-crystalline and
multi-crystalline wafers
3. Wide process latitudes to handle signifi-
cant variation of incoming wafer cleanli-
ness quality
4. Provide a uniform surface compatible
Fig 2 Overview of Wet Chemistry with subsequent texturing/saw damage
Processing Steps Used in c-Si Solar Cell removal
Manufacturing
5. Meet demanding waste stream regulations
Many types of chemistries are used for the
2008 Market Share3
cleaning process and include water, surfac-
14-17 38.30%
tants, solvents, acids, and alkalis. However,
17-22 47.70%
not all materials clean with the same degree
13-16 1.50% of effectiveness. Figure 3 shows a compar-
10-15 6.40% ison of how long it takes to clean off pencil
10-15 1.00% lead from a silicon substrate using three dif-
8-12 5.10% ferent alternatives. It is also quite common
to see varying degrees of contamination on
the wafers prior to cleaning. Contamination
Material Play
can range from excessive dried SiC slurry
Electroplated contacts
to residual metal and metal oxides from
Metallization directly on silcon
the wire during wafering. Contamination
Micro texturing from metal oxides can be enhanced visu-
Finer feature resolution and ally if they are not removed prior to any sil-
backside contacts
icon etching/removal. Figure 4 shows wafers
with different contamination levels pre- and
Cu shows similar electrical properties post-cleaning. As a result, it’s important to
and is 10-20x less understand the origin of the incoming wafer
Cleaners can repaire grain boundary damage contamination so that the proper cleaning
Process developed for horizontal process can be optimized to produce a uni-
inline production processes form appearance.
circuitree.com • July 2009 17
 An Overview of Wet Chemistry Processing for the Manufacture of Silicon Solar Cells
As advanced solar cell designs emerge, more potassium hydroxide (KOH) and isopro- upon the process but are typically less than
cell producers are concerned about residual panol (IPA) are typically used to achieve the 10 percent for each. Process temperatures are
metal contamination. As a result, wafers need purposes described above.4 Concentrations between 80oC to 90oC. The KOH provides
to emerge from the cleaning process with very of each component can vary depending the anisotropic etching along the <100>
low trace metal contaminant levels. Figure plane of the silicon crystal, which exposes
5 shows typical metal levels through various the <111> plane. The role of the IPA is to
parts of the cleaning process. help control KOH etch rate (~1-2 µm/min)
and selectivity to the <111> crystal plane,
Texturing which leads to the random pyramid struc-
The next step after cleaning is wafer texturing. ture as shown in Figure 6. Balancing the
The texturing step has two primary purposes: etch rate with pyramid formation is impor-
tant to ensure that enough silicon is removed
1. Etch the wafer to remove any residual saw to optimize saw damage removal (typically
damage >6µm per side), while maintaining the cor-
2. Provide a matte surface to minimize light rect peak density to minimize reflection.
reflection Figure 6 also shows how the substrate can be
Fig 4 Various Wafer Appearances Before polished etched if the KOH concentration is
For mono-crystalline wafers, a blend of and After Clean not kept within the desired range.
Due to the volatility of the IPA, alkaline
texturing is typically conducted in vertically
1400
configured wet chemical equipment to allow
1200 for lower processing temperatures (typically
Cleaning Time Required (sec)

1000 80oC) while accommodating longer process

times (typically 20-30 minutes). However,
800
novel processes are being developed, which
600 can replace the IPA and will enable higher
400 operational temperatures and shorter process
times. Such systems also are compatible with
200 inline horizontal equipment configurations.
0 To achieve uniform texturing across a
PV C ustomized PV C ustomiz ed
General Purpose multi-crystalline wafer, an etching solution
Dow D etergent + Dow Detergent Water Only
Cleaner
Etch Only that provides an isotropic etch to the dif-
12 ml/l 30 82 420 1200 ferent silicon crystal orientations must be
25 ml/l 24 70 420 1200
used. Typically a blend of nitric acid (HNO3)
50ml/l 18 57 420 1200
and hydrofluoric acids (HF) are used to tex-
turize multi-crystalline wafers. The role of
Fig 3 Comparisons of Time to Remove Graphite from Silicon Surface. All Chemistries the nitric acid is to oxidize the silicon while
Shown Were Processed at 50ºC the hydrofluoric acid is responsible for the
bulk etching. Silicon etch rates for acidic tex-
40 turing are usually in the range of 2-4 µm/
35 min. Due to the exothermic nature of this
reaction, process temperatures are typically
Metal Residues (ppb)

30
< 10oC range. Figure 7 shows the resulting
25 topography of a multi-crystalline wafer after
20 being texturized with HNO3/HF process.
15 Equipment configuration with the acidic
10
texturing process is typically in the hori-
zontal mode. Volatile organic species are
5
less of a concern, but generation of nitrogen
0 oxide gases and safe handling of the acids
5% Dow Acid Precleaner, 5% Dow
Bare Wafer 5% Dow alkaline detergent cleaner
alkaline detergent cleaner (especially the hydrofluoric) needs to be
Copper 35.5 1.26 0.22 considered carefully. Alternative wet chem-
Iron 8.27 1.53 0.6 istries that can minimize or even replace the
Lead 0.5 0.32 0 use of hydrofluoric acid are currently being
Zinc 2.41 1.77 0.53 researched.
For either alkaline or acidic processes,
Fig 5 Metal Ion Contamination as a Function of Different Cleaning Chemistries a final hydrochloric rinse step is used to

18 July 2009 • circuitree.com

remove any metal ion contamination prior using chemical vapor deposition or by use
to the p-n junction formation step. of spray/mist application. Phosphoric acid
based solutions are used as the doping source
Doping/PSG etch/ for spray applications. The wafers are then
edge isolation fired to peak temperatures of over 850oC
The next step in the manufacturing pro- to diffuse the phosphorus into the silicon.
cess is to create the p-n junction through The resistance of the emitter layer can be
a doping step. Dopant chemistry is depos- adjusted by varying the amount of material
ited and diffused into the solar cell to create sprayed onto the wafers and/or by changing
a thin layer called an emitter layer. Most of the firing temperature/time.
today’s crystalline silicon solar cells start off During the diffusion step, a phosphor
as a p-type doped wafer and the emitter layer Fig 7 Resulting Wafer Topography silicate glass (PSG) is formed on the surface
is n-type doped. The most common n-type After Acidic Texturing Step on Multi and must be removed. Typically this step
source is phosphorous, which can be applied Crystalline Wafer is achieved using a glass etch step, which is
comprised of a dilute hydrofluoric acid solu-

Fig 8 Examples of Front and Rear Side

Fig 6 Pyramid Formation as a Function of KOH Concentration. All Conditions Were Metallization on Two Types of Wafers
Etched for 10 minutes @ 90ºC Used in PV Industry

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 An Overview of Wet Chemistry Processing for the Manufacture of Silicon Solar Cells
P
- tion with, and/or in replacement of, screen
Silicon Nitride
Ag +
Ag Anode
Fig 9 Schematic of Basic Operating Theory for Light Induced Plating
tion.5 Unlike the texturing step, the PSG
etch step does not contain any oxidizers so
that the selectivity of the HF to the under-
lying emitter layer is quite good. Subsequent
cleaning of the wafers surface may be fol-
lowed to ensure the surface is completely
removed of any residual PSG.
The emitter layer is now present on both
sides (and/or on edges) of the wafer and must
be isolated to prevent short circuiting the
solar cell. Edge isolation can be accomplished
using laser ablation, plasma etching, or wet
chemical etching. Wet chemistry isolation is
accomplished by immersing the rear side and
edges of the wafer in an HF-based chemistry.
Due to surface tension effects between the
substrate and chemistry, the emitter layer on
the front side is not exposed to the etchant.
Wafers are then coated with a thin layer of
silicon nitride, which improves device reli-
ability and serves as an anti reflection layer.
Metallization
The purpose of metallization on solar cells
includes the following:
1. Provides a means of collecting electrons
from the front side of the cell
Fig 11 Solar Cell Performance Improvement Due to LIP Ag Plating Process
20 July 2009 • circuitree.com
Power Supply
Contact Roller
Al Back Contact
+ Recently, plating of wafers in combina-
Ag Paste Seed
Light Source
2. Creates a back surface field that improves
the electron migration properties within
the bulk silicon
3. Creates a mirror on the backside of the
wafer to reflect light back into the wafer
4. Provides a means for connecting numerous
cells to create a working module
Figure 8 shows some examples of multi-
crystalline and mono-crystalline silicon solar
cells that have been metallized on the front
side and rear side, respectively. Tradition-
ally, the front side grid (FSG) metallization
is accomplished by using fritted silver pastes
Fig 10 Micrograph Showing LIP Plated
Ag Metal Deposited Onto a Silver Paste
Grid Line Seed Layer
while the backside of the wafer is metallized
with a combination of silver and aluminum
fritted pastes. In order to make contact
through the silicon nitride layer to the under-
lying silicon layer, the pastes are first dried at
temperatures around 150oC and then fired at
temperatures over 850oC for a few seconds.
printed metallization has been getting
increased attention. Plating of solar cells
can be done with electro-less or electrolytic
techniques. For some applications, such as
depositing a thin seed layer that is less than
1µm thick, electro-less plating can provide
sufficient plating rates to fit into produc-
tion requirements. Electro-plating is used to
build thicker deposits, but making contact
to the front side of the wafer can be chal-
lenging as the wafers are only 180-200 µm
thick and can break easily.
An alternative method called Light
Induced Plating (LIP) has been developed
that takes advantage of the current genera-
tion properties of the solar cells.6 As Figure 9
shows, the wafers are placed faced down and
travel across a series of lights, which creates
a localized electric field on the front side of
the wafer. Contact is made on the backside
of the wafer with specially designed contact
rollers. The voltage of the roller can be con-
trolled to minimize anodic dissolution and
attach on the backside of the wafer, thereby
creating preferential plating of the desired
metal on the front side.
One of the primary improvements wafer
plating offers over existing paste technology
is through improved deposit conductivity.
Figure 10 shows a picture of a silver plated
deposit over screen printed silver paste. Note
the porosity in the paste deposit as compared
to the plated deposit. This porosity decreases
the overall conductivity of the deposit, which
in turn creates a collection finger that is
higher in resistance as compared to a plated
feature that is solid. The data in Figure 11
shows the decrease in series resistance and
corresponding increase in cell efficiency
as a result of the LIP silver plating process
(Enlight 620) versus using paste alone.
As with most plating processes, the depo-
sition process is isotropic in nature, which
means that the line width is increasing as
thickness increases. Although this effect can
have a small impact on increasing the degree
of shadowing, it also can help to improve
yield distributions by mending discontinuous
seed layers that result from wetting problems/
defects from the screen print process.
New cell designs are emerging that uti-
lize much thinner finger designs to improve
the overall electron collection efficiency and
to reduce shadowing effects. Unfortunately,
screen print technology has limited resolu-
tion below 80µm. Recent advancements with
inkjet and aerosol deposition technology are
allowing for seed layers to be deposited with
resolution in the 30-40µm range. Plating is
required because these seed layers are typi-
cally quite thin and would result in very high
resistance values of the final collection finger.
Recent cost pressures have created the
demand for lower cost materials that can
be used for metallization such as copper. It
is well published that copper has the ability
to migrate through bulk silicon, which can
compromise the p-n junction and ruin cell
performance. If copper is to be used for met-
allization purposes, then a barrier layer such
as nickel must be used. It is important to
note that the silicon nitride layer should be
sufficiently dense enough so as to not expose
the underlying silicon layer, which would
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result in background plating and increased
copper migration. Screen print technology
is not conducive to depositing nickel or
copper deposits and, therefore, most of the
attention is being placed on using plating
technology to realize copper metallization.
Summary
Despite going through some growing pains,
the photovoltaic industry is well posi-
tioned to continue growing over the long
term. Wet chemical processing technology
from the semiconductor and printed cir-
cuit board industries have successfully been
adopted in most crystalline silicon manufac-
turing lines. The technology is being used
in a number of different process steps with
various equipment configurations and pro-
cess chemistries. In order to meet future
demand for improved cell performance at
lower costs, continued improvement in the
process capabilities will be required. As new
processes are introduced, it will be impor-
tant to consider the impact they may have
on subsequent processing steps and overall
cell performance.
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Tony Ridler,
George Allardyce, Bob Barr, and Yili Guo for
thoughtful feedback and discussions on the
content of this article. ■
Matt Moynihan is R&D Director, Photovoltaic
Business Interconnect Technologies, for Dow
Electronic Materials.
E-mail: mmoynihan@rohmhaas.com
References
1. Photon International, March 2009, p 88
2. Solar Market: Dip in 2008, Rise by 2011, Retrieved on
4/13/2009 from http://www.redherring.com
3. Photon International, March 2009, p 190
4. Sparber et al, Comparison of Texturing Methods for
Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Cells Using KOH and Na2CO3,
Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, 2003
5. Wet Chemical Edge Isolation for Solar Cells, Euro-Asia
Magazine, September 2007, Retrieved on 4/12/2009 from
http://www.euroasiasemiconductor.com/euroasia-magazine/
online-midseptember2007
6. Allardyce et al, The Commercial Application of Light Induced
Electroplating for Improving the Efficiency of Crystalline Silicon
Solar Cells, 22nd EU PVSEC, Milano, Section 2-2.2
circuitree.com • July 2009 21
4/22/08 10:05:34 AM
 ORGANIC PHOTOVOLTAICS
Offer Promise for Future Development

Jim Handy and Alain Harrus

P
hotovoltaic (PV) cells are expected
to be a large part of the solution
to wean developed countries from
their dependence on fossil fuels.
Once used primarily for power generation
in space and other remote locations, they
Holes to
Anode
Sunlight Absorbed
are now increasingly used to meet com-
mercial, industrial, and household energy
needs. While PV technology presently
supplies a relatively small fraction of total
energy production, it is a rapidly growing
source of renewable and sustainable energy,
Sunlight
as shown in Table 1.
Today, two fundamental technologies
are utilized to produce most photovoltaic
cells — crystalline silicon, which accounts
for roughly 90 percent of all solar cells pro-
duced, and thin films, which include amor-
phous silicon (aSi or a-Si), cadmium tellu-
ride (CdTe), and copper indium gallium
(di)selenide (CIGS). The commercial PV
industry is rapidly evolving, however, and it
is difficult to predict which technology may
ultimately prevail. There are several new

technologies in development, any of which

+ Transparent Substrate may ultimately displace today’s conventional
technologies. Perhaps one of the most prom-
Hole Transparent Anode ising is organic PV (OPV).
Transport
Hole Transport Layer (HTL) There are three “major classes” of PV
+ Photoactive Layer (PL) materials: (1) inorganic semiconductors;
Charge
Separation Cathode (2) organic semiconductors; and (3) hybrid
- solar cells, which are a combination of

Electronics to Cathode Fig 1 OPV Cell Structure (Source: Plextronics)

Table 1 Global Installed Capacity of PV Generated Energy

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 CAGR
Gigawatts of production 1.65 2.40 3.78 5.25 7.42 10.50 45%
(Source: Objective Analysis)

22 July 2009 • circuitree.com

organic and inorganic systems. The inor-
ganic PV cells are comprised of the previ-
ously mentioned crystalline silicon wafers
and thin film (a-Si, CdTe and CIGS) mate-
rials, while the OPV devices encompass the
two families of small molecule and polymer
semiconductors. Since the organic semi-
conducting materials can be formulated
as inks, a major advantage of OPV cells is
that they can be manufactured via printing
technologies.
Polymer PV cells have a structure similar
to polymer organic light emitting displays
(OLEDs), and use similar materials. The
active polymer layer is sandwiched between
two conducting electrodes. One of the elec-
trodes is transparent to let the light in (for
PV operations) or out (for display applica-
tions), depending on the required function.
In the case of a PV cell, light absorbed in the
polymer layers creates a pair of negative (elec-
trons) and positive (holes) electric charges.
These charges are collected by the electrodes,
forming an electric current, which can be
used to drive an electronic device.
An example of an OPV cell construction
is depicted in Figure 1. The hole transport
layer (HTL) and the photoactive layer (PL)
perform the same functions as the inorganic
semiconducting materials do to transform
sunlight into electrical energy.
The transparent substrate, which can be
fabricated from glass or transparent poly-
meric materials, and the transparent anode
permit sunlight to impact upon the HTL
and PL semiconducting structures. The
transparent anode — for example, indium-
tin-oxide (as is used in conventional PV
cells) — also lets sunlight through and col-
lects holes generated in the photoactive layer.
The cathode, which can be a metal (e.g. alu-
Table 2 Efficiency of PV Cell Technologies
Technology
Crystalline silicon Monocrystalline silicon
Polycrystalline or multicrystalline silicon
Thin film Amorphous silicon
Cadmium telluride
CIGS
Multijunction
Organic Standard organic cells
Nanostructured material cells
Dye-sensitized
(Sources: Objective Analysis (2008), PIRA/BPA, Science Daily)
Since the organic semiconducting
materials can be for mulated
as inks, a major advantage of OPV cells
is that the y can be manufactured via
printing technologies.
minum), is used to collect electrons gener-
ated in the photoactive layer.
There are three basic types of OPV cells:
(1) standard organic cells, typically made
from semiconducting small molecules or
polymers (e.g. pentacene); (2) cells that
harness nanostructures to achieve higher
efficiencies than standard cells (as illus-
trated in Figure 2); and (3) dye-sensitized
solar cells (e.g. Gratzel cells), which use
dyes to enable absorption of a broader set
of light wavelengths (much like photosyn-
thesis in plants).
Cell efficiency
OPV technology had a slow start because the
first materials showed efficiencies below 0.1
percent. Organic compounds have a rela-
tively narrow absorption spectra, which has
been (to date) a significant limiting factor for
OPV performance.
A more efficient cell can produce more
power from a given area of active material
and the efficiency of the cell is tied to the
material from which it is manufactured.
Today, silicon cells typically deliver the
greatest efficiency, as shown in Table 2. Inor-
ganic thin films still lag behind, the excep-
Efficiency
16-23%
15-20%
5-12%
8-12%
10-14%
6-30%
~ 5%
3-5%
2005 2010 2020
2% 5% 15%
tion being multijunction cells. These cells
use multiple junctions to generate electricity
from different wavelengths of light. (This
technology could also be used with organic
materials to boost efficiency.)
Cost and flexibility
Efficiency, however, is not the whole story.
More important is cost per watt, which
improves with increasing efficiency and
declining manufacturing costs (materials
and processes). This is where OPVs offer a
significant advantage. Despite the fact that
the efficiency of OPV cells still lags behind
silicon devices, their cost, flexibility, and
weight make them attractive and worth pur-
suing. For example:
• They can be manufactured using conven-
tional screen printing processes or even
inkjet printers. These processes, used for
high-volume printing applications, have
been highly refined and are relatively low
in cost.
• Organic materials can be printed onto
flexible substrates. This allows the use
of very inexpensive substrates, simplifies
handling, and enables reel-to-reel pro-
cessing. It also allows a flexible solar cell
to be integrated into a device’s packaging
or case.
• Organics can be used to make a light-
weight power source for portable prod-
ucts. Mobile phones, laptop computers,
and the information appliances of the
future may all have solar cells to supple-
ment their batteries.
One source1 estimates that, with a power
conversion efficiency of only 10 percent, the
cost per watt for OPVs could beat both thin
film and crystalline silicon. Since organic PV
technology is still very new, there is reason
to hope that efficiencies will continue to
increase and costs to drop.
circuitree.com • July 2009 23
 Materials
One of the attractive aspects of OPVs is
that they do not compete with the semi-
conductor market for materials. To date, the
vast majority of photovoltaic devices employ
some sort of silicon-based technology, put-
ting the market on a collision course with
the semiconductor industry since both
markets demand large quantities of silicon.
However, market forces can change this situ-
ation, as recent increases in silicon produc-
tion and the depressed business climate have
resulted in a significant drop in silicon wafer
prices for PV applications.
Organic materials are abundant and provide
a broad range of materials for potential OPV
solutions. There is always the possibility that
some new material will be developed that will
Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
(AIST), Mitsubishi Corp., and Tokki Corp.
have jointly developed an organic thin-film
solar cell, shown in Figure 2, based on a
plastic substrate. The active elements consist
of three layers — phthalocyanine, fullerenes
(a nanomaterial), and lithium fluoride —
between two electrodes.
In addition to efficiency and manufac-
turing process optimization, there are other
issues to address in order to develop a sustain-
able OPV industry. A key issue is the estab-
lishment of viable supply chains to supply
the raw materials used to manufacture OPVs
with the purity required by such systems.
Presently, OPV devices have shorter oper-
ational lifetimes than do conventional PV
devices. The majority of near-term PV appli-
as field researchers, mountaineers, and mili-
tary personnel. For example, tents made from
large-area, flexible solar panels could be used
by aid agencies to power vaccine refrigerators
or other vital medical equipment.
The technology’s promise of low cost also
makes organic PV cells well-suited as power
sources in a range of toys, novelties, greeting
cards, and small portable products such as elec-
tronic calculators. This market is already estab-
lished and can use a product that has a rela-
tively short lifetime, especially if the cells are
printable, inexpensive, lightweight, and flex-
ible. A key high-volume application is as a sup-
plemental power source for point-of-sale dis-
plays, both as packaging and at a shelf level. On
the other hand, the economics of such a system
rely heavily on the efficiency of the OPV cells.

Light
Plastic Substrate
ITO Electrode
Phthalocyanine Evap Film
Fullerene Evaporated Film
Cathode
Anode LiF Layer
Aluminum Electrode
Hermetic Seal
Fig 2 The AIST Organic Photovoltaic Cell (Source: Objective Analysis, 2008)
significantly improve performance and lower cations lies outside of consumer applications,
processing costs. In the meantime, there are a with the greatest opportunities being the gen-
number of options being pursued to increase eration of electricity for domestic and indus-
OPV efficiency. These include nanomaterials trial purposes (grid electricity), and these
to improve light collection, more transparent applications have a required lifetime of 20
thin films, improved light-trapping schemes, to 30 years. Organic materials degrade more
and multijunction topologies. rapidly over time than inorganic materials.
The use of nanostructured material cells The high levels of exposure to sun that solar
has led to more efficient charge separation cells must endure not only cause degrada-
and efficiencies are currently in the 3 to 5 tion but — in the case of dye-sensitized cells
percent range. Work in this area is still pri- — fading. There are also concerns about the
marily a research-based focus for universities effects of sunlight and heat on lightweight
and institutes, and for some companies, such flexible substrates, especially plastics.
as Cambridge Display Technology (CDT).
A wide variety of materials and struc- Applications
tures is being studied. For example, Konarka Military and remote services are expected to
and Sustainable Technologies International be initial key drivers for the development and
(STI) are working on Gratzel cells, which deployment of OPV devices. Lightweight, roll-
use a dye-sensitized nanostructured titanium up power sources would be ideal for people
oxide. In Japan, the National Institute of requiring electricity in remote locations, such
Conclusion
Organic PV has many technical hurdles to
overcome. Improving cell efficiency and life-
time are the keys to expanding the range of
potential products that can use the tech-
nology. Most leading developers are concen-
trating on these issues. Applications are cur-
rently aligned with opportunities where the
use of a flexible cell offsets its lack of effi-
ciency. The first wave of applications is for
consumer-type products such as battery char-
gers and integration of PV cells into textiles
and clothing. In time, technology improve-
ments will open up new applications. ■
References
1) Organic Photovoltaic Solar Cells: Recent Advancements in
Efficiency. Christopher J. Musto. Literature Seminar, November
15, 2007. www.chemistry.illinois.edu/research/materials/sem-
inar_abstracts/2007-2008/Musto.pdf
Jim Handy is a director at market research firm
Objective Analysis and is co-chair of the Photo-
voltaics chapter for the 2009 iNEMI Roadmap.
http://objective-analysis.com/Contact_
Us.html#Jim_Handy
Alain Harrus is a partner with Crosslink Capital
and co-chair of the Photovoltaics chapter for the
2009 iNEMI Roadmap.
E-mail: aharrus@crosslinkcapital.com
For more information about the 2009 iNEMI
Roadmap, visit http://www.inemi.org/cms/road-
mapping/2009_Roadmap.html.
Additional resources for information on PV technology:
http://www.doe.gov/energysources/solar.htm
http://www.solarbuzz.com/
http://www.jema-net.or.jp/English/07eij2002.html
http://www.greentechmedia.com/
http://www.epia.org/

24 July 2009 • circuitree.com

 Ask the Flexper ts By Mark Verbrugge

Treat Me Gently…T reat Me Kind

We are losing a fair number of our flex assemblies during
assembly. How can we prevent the heavy connectors
from damaging circuits leaving deep scratches?

Proper circuit handling is a big issue, both for the manu-

facturer during the build process and for the end user at
assembly. Damage due to improper transport and assembly
is an issue for the PCB “hardboard” industry, but is magnified when
handling a “softer” flex-circuit. Polyimide and Mylar are easily dam-
aged when they come in contact with a sharp connector pin or other
metal component. Sometimes the best efforts to handle circuits in
a “one up” configuration go awry during the many processing steps
involved in final assembly.
It has been my experience that damage to the flex is most likely
to occur during pre-heating and cleaning operations. Note the
glass transition temperature of acrylic adhesive is 103°F (39.4°C).
When pre-heating a flex for component assembly (typically around
225°F/107.2°C), the circuit softens making it extremely prone to sur-
face damage from poor handling. Often, I see that the “common”
practice during degreasing operations is to “dump” circuits en masse
for ultrasonic cleaning, a clear foul leading to severe cover scratches
and gouging.
The most common method of shipping a flex circuit to an end user
is in a heat sealed bag. The bags are then grouped in larger numbers
and placed into a secondary bag prior to boxing. For smaller robust
circuits, this method provides adequate protection while keeping ship-
ping and handling costs low. As circuit size and complexity rise, this
method becomes less effective. Here is where the proverbial “ounce of
protection” can indeed provide a “pound of cure.” Custom packaging
is the answer.
When my own company experienced increasing returns for
“damaged circuits,” we quickly realized most were due to follow-
up processing at our customers facility. No one wants to point a
finger at their customer, so we looked for an answer that would
benefit both parties. By designing custom trays for handling
raw flex circuits and follow-up assembly we can gain significant
reductions in scrap. A custom tray not only protects better during
transit but we also find our customers really like them on the pro- larger, heavier parts.
duction floor. In summary, while a custom shipping tray can add a significant
A properly designed tray should be able to support both shipping layer of protection, proper handling during assembly cannot be under-
and assembly needs. Space considerations should not only be made for stated. Protection from damage falls to both the flex manufacture and
the flat circuit, but also allow for components that may be installed the end user. A careful review of incoming inspection and assembly
after arrival at the customer’s facility. Trays can be manufactured from procedures can significantly reduce scrap from poor handling. Pack-
a variety of plastics, each offering unique advantages. Figure 1 shows aging of raw PCBs is often over looked, but can be an important step
a “stackable” tray utilizing a static preventative coating, critical for in assuring a quality part reaches your end customer. ■
circuits with active components. The clear tray allows for individual
inspection without the need for circuit removal. This cuts down on
inspection handling. Figure 2 shows a more typical “black plastic,” The Flexperts are Mark Finstad and Mark Verbrugge of Minco.
anti-static tray with an integral cover. This can be a good solution for Email: Mark.Finstad@minco.com

26 July 2009 • circuitree.com

 BPA Growth Cur ves
Where Are W e on the Business Cycle?
Headline
W
e hear plenty about the disas-
trous situation “sub primes”
got us into and we have felt
the effect very severely in our
industry. The downturn is into its second
year, the really crucial questions are, “Where
are we on the cycle?” and “When will things
pick up?”
At BPA, we have been facing these issues head
on for the last thirty years. We have been moni-
toring the industry cycles for electronics equip-
ment, semiconductors, and PCBs, and making
some pretty accurate forecasts. (Download a
companion article on the accuracy of BPA’s fore-
casts at www.bpaconsulting.com.)
Let’s take a look. Comparing the World
PCB forecast with the Semiconductor fore-
cast in Figure 1, it can be seen that, indeed,
where the PCB trough falls to -20 percent, the
Semiconductor trough has fallen further to -25
percent.
We can also see that this decline in growth
started from a peak that was lower than the 2001
decline. At that time, inventory levels were at an
all-time high in anticipation of orders for com-
puters and networking infrastructure equipment
that never came. You will remember the dotcom
boom that did not materialize.
The circumstances are not the same this time
around. As can be seen from Figure 1, we believe
the contraction will not be as great as it was in
2001. Why? Three major reasons,
• The growth rates did not reach the extraordi-
nary high peak as those in 2001
• The levels of inventory are not of the same
magnitude
• The slowdown was seen over a longer period
of time before demand went negative
On the demand side, semiconductor manu-
facturers late in the first quarter reported minor
improvements in order rates and capacity utiliza-
tion rising above the 50 percent levels, the first
quarter-on-quarter increase since the second
quarter of 2008. Typical utilization rates are
85 percent or above during a normal growth
phase (e.g. UMCs utilization rate for Q308 was
reported to be 85 percent).
By Mar k Hutton
50%
Semis
40%
PCB
30%
20%
% Growth
10%
0%
-10%
-20%
-30%
-40%
1990
1993
1996
1999
2002
2005
2008
2011
Fig 1 Comparison of PCB and Semiconductor Growth 12/12
Responses to BPA’s quarterly survey1 indicate that output from many Asian and Euro-
pean fabricators has declined by more than 40 percent in Q109. North America has been
in slow decline for more than a year and its first quarter revenues have not been hit quite
as badly. High-volume manufacturing has disappeared from North America and Europe,
with the exception of the latter case for automotive PCBs, which have still been made in
mid-sized volumes in Germany. Indeed, it is estimated that between 40 and 50 percent of
the country’s output is in this sector, compared to a worldwide sector figure of approxi-
mately 4 percent of total PCB shipments.
Surplus inventory is now all but used up, with laminators in particular reporting a slight
increase in demand. However, this is coming from a level that is only half of what it was a
year ago. The quarterly results indicate that there has been no significant overall increase
in the order books for the second quarter (where some companies have won, others have
lost) and so Q2 is expected to remain dampened to the same level as Q1. From such a low
base, even with recovery in Q3 and Q4, it will be impossible for the industry to stage a full
recovery in 2009 and only low growth is expected for 2010.
To further compound the fabricators misery, the competitive marketplace has put
intense pressure on prices, which have been forced down by 5-10 percent at a time when
most fabricators were hoping to push prices up a bit to compensate for the higher raw
material costs experienced in 2008 as fuel prices surged. This has resulted in BPA reducing
its value forecast made in November 2008 for 2009 from just under -10 percent to around
-16 percent for this year. A small percent growth is predicted in 2010 as the trend line
emerges past the 0 line by the end of the first half of 2010. By 2012, BPA’s Forecast PCB
demand will be back to 2007’s level of just over USD49 billion.
1. The PCB service includes a regular quarterly survey of the PCB Industry and the
supply industries worldwide. ■
Mark Hutton is managing director and senior consultant, BPA Consulting Ltd. His areas of expertise
include IC packaging, advanced substrates, assembly materials, and processes.
Email: m.hutton@bpaconsulting.com
circuitree.com • July 2009 27
 Intelligent Design
On the Use of Blind and Buried V ias
I
n recent months, I have encountered
a number of high-layer-count PCB
designs with high-pin-count BGAs,
such as FPGAs with 1 mm pitch con-
tacts, designed with blind and buried via
technology. Using this technology, these
PCBs have been difficult to design, diffi-
cult to manufacture, more expensive than
their through-hole counterparts, and diffi-
cult to test and troubleshoot. At the same
time, PCBs of similar complexity and den-
sity were being done in the same number
of layers using standard through-hole tech-
nology with none of these drawbacks, and at
lower overall cost.
Two specific cases were eighteen-layer
PCBs used in networking products. The
same basic circuit was being manufactured
using standard through-hole technology
with all of the advantages of low cost, ease
of layout, and ease of test. The fabrication
drawing consisted of only one page and had
a single drill file. At the same time, a second
PCB using the blind and buried via approach
cost 20 percent more to build, took twice as
long to layout, was very difficult to test, and
had an eight-page fabrication drawing, four
drill files, and still required eighteen layers.
I was curious as to why these designs
were being done this way when it was not
an improvement over the standard through-
hole method normally used for such designs.
Upon investigation, I discovered that there
are presentations being made at conferences
and some classes being taught that claim
that combining blind and buried vias on this
class of design saves layers by allowing many
of the signals to be routed on layer two of
28 July 2009 • circuitree.com
the PCB. From practical experience, this has
turned out not to be true.
There are places where combining blind
and buried via technology serves a very
important role. Among these are cell phone
PCBs and high-pin-count BGA packages.
In these cases, the motivation isn’t to save
layers. Rather, it is to make possible designs
that would otherwise have no solution. Cell
phones, due to their compact size, have fine
pitch components mounted on both sides of
a single PCB. If standard through-hole tech-
nology were employed, component holes
from components mounted on one side of
the PCB would penetrate mounting pads of
components mounted on the other side. In
order to avoid this problem, blind vias are
used to reach into the second or third layer
of the PCB where connections are made to
other circuit pins or power rails. This is done
on both sides of the PCB connecting to a
common core in the center that contains the
power distribution networks. The result is a
core with four or more layers built with con-
ventional through-hole technology that has
built-up layers on both sides, which are con-
nected to the core using blind vias. This is
often referred to as build-up technology. It
is easy to see that this process will cost more
than a like number of layers using standard
through-hole technology. This is the price
paid for miniaturization.
Dense, high-pin-count BGA packages use
blind and buried vias in a build-up process
much like that used for cell phone PCBs,
but for another reason. The balls or bumps
on the BGA die are usually placed on an 8
mil (.203 mm) pitch. This pitch is far too
By Lee W . Ritche y
fine to allow through-hole vias. As a result,
tiny, blind vias are used to penetrate to layer
two and three of the package where very fine
traces fan out to the 1mm or 50 mil pitch
balls on the bottom of the package that
finally interfaces with the main PCB.
In neither of these cases was the moti-
vation to save layers, save design time, or
improve testability. In fact, the opposite is
usually true. The use of blind and buried
vias was to make the product possible at all!
Testability is compromised in the case of the
cell phone PCB due to the fact that few, if
any, of the component pins are accessible for
conventional in-circuit testing. As a result,
the components used in such a design must
contain special test circuits such as boundary
scan or JTAG that allow testing from a few
test pins that access each IC from a special
test connector. When a design is done with
through-hole technology, all device pins are
accessible from the back side of the PCB
making it easy to do in-circuit test, as well
as allowing easy attachment of oscilloscope
probes during troubleshooting.
After much review, I have determined
that those giving the advice to use blind and
buried via technology on PCBs where it is
not the best solution are well intentioned.
However, those who follow this misplaced
advice are paying a very high price. When
a technology that works in one area is trans-
ferred without adequate qualification, the
results can be mixed at the very least and
disappointing at the worst. Those giving
the advice owe it to their audience to make
sure that, in their enthusiasm to promote
a concept, it fits where it is being offered.
Not doing so can result in some very bad
end results that are not cost competitive or
timely. ■
Lee W. Ritchey is currently president of Speeding
Edge, a leading training and consulting company
specializing in the design of high speed PCBs
and systems. He has spent his 40-year career
designing high-speed PCBs for supercomputers
and high-performance Internet products.
Email: leeritchey@earthlink.net
 Environmentally Speaking
Change in Climate for
Climate Change Regulation
A
new wind has blown into town
and it is hot. Already the new
administration (100 days old
when I wrote this) and Demo-
cratic Congress have signaled their intent to
take action on climate change and the regu-
lation of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Before
you think to yourself that the electronics
industry doesn’t have a stake in climate
change, think again.
At the end of April, the House Energy
and Commerce Committee held hearings
on the Waxman-Markey discussion draft
of “The American Clean Energy and Secu-
rity Act of 2009.” Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) analysis of the draft estimates
that implementation of the bill would cost
households less than $150 a year, while esti-
mates produced by the Republican leader-
ship in the House of Representatives indicate
a cost to families of about $3,000 a year. If
that’s what the bill would cost a household,
imagine what it would cost your business!
A committee markup of the bill scheduled
for the last week of April was abruptly can-
celed amidst rumors that the conservative
Democrats on the committee could not sup-
port the bill. If you think this is clearly good
news, think again and keep reading.
After a thorough scientific review ordered
in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court, on
April 17, the EPA issued a proposed finding
that GHGs contribute to air pollution that
may endanger public health or welfare. The
proposed endangerment finding, which now
moves to a public comment period, identi-
fied six GHGs that pose a potential threat.
Supporters of the House bill said the EPA
endangerment finding has increased pres-
sure on Congress to act. If Congress does
not pass climate change legislation, the EPA
will have to regulate greenhouse gases using
its authority under the Clean Air Act (CAA).
Because the CAA is designed to address local
and regional levels of air pollutants, it is ill-
suited to manage GHG regulation. Regula-
tion of GHGs under the CAA would likely
require more than 100 separate regulations
covering various parts of the economy.
By Fern Abrams
California (CA) is not waiting for Con- groups, recently assessed 11 industry sectors,
gress or the EPA to act. Under the CA Global including technology and semiconductors,
Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) that was on a range of climate change related perfor-
enacted in 2006, California will cut GHG mance measures. Of the sixty-three compa-
emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. Current nies assessed, IBM Corp., Tesco plc, Dell Inc.,
emission levels need to be cut by 15 percent Intel Corp., and Johnson & Johnson ranked
in order to reach 1990 levels. Under a plan the highest in terms of a sustained commit-
approved earlier this year, California plans to ment to controlling GHG emissions.
reduce GHGs requiring vehicles, businesses, As I write this column in early May, many
and households to be more energy effi- things remain up in the air. One thing is clear
cient, relying on more renewable energy and though — it’s going to be a busy spring and
implementing a multi-sector cap-and-trade
program. One of the draft measures requires
the reduction of GHG emissions from Cali-
fornia semiconductors operations that emit
fluorinated gases equivalent to 800 metric
tons of carbon dioxide per year. Smaller
semiconductor operations must monitor
and report their emissions.
In the meantime, the EPA has a draft regu-
lation to require the reporting of GHG emis-
sions by major sources, “Regulation to Estab-
lish Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse
Gases from Upstream Fuel and Chemical
Producers and Importers and Downstream
Emitters.” The draft regulation proposes
to implement a national, mandatory GHG
emissions reporting system. Facilities that
emit GHGs, including carbon dioxide, in
excess of 25,000 metric tons per year would
be required to monitor, document and report.
Policymakers consider GHG reporting and
inventory as critical components to eventu- summer here in Washington. The electronics
ally developing a federal cap-and-trade pro- industry, along with all manufacturing
gram. The inventory will provide policy- industries and the American public, has a lot
makers with the necessary data to determine at stake. Whether or not you believe in cli-
the feasibility of emissions reductions. mate change and the human ability to affect
Even in the absence of regulation, leading it, you will be affected by the legislation and
manufacturers are increasing pressure on their regulations currently being debated.
supply chain to quantify and reduce their For more information on climate change,
emissions of carbon dioxide, a major GHG. visit www.epa.gov; www.house.gov; and
The most recent annual report from the www.ipc.gov/ehs. ■
Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) concluded
that of the top 500 companies worldwide, 74
percent have set emission reduction targets Fern Abrams is IPC’s director of government
and 65 percent have an executive body with relations and environmental policy. She is based
overall responsibility for climate change. A in Washington, D.C. Fern can be reached by
report by Ceres Inc., a coalition of investors, phone at 703-522-0225 or by email at
environmental groups, and public interest FernAbrams@ipc.org.
circuitree.com • July 2009 29

Ever Increasing (But
Still Restrained) Optimism
T
he U.S. economic outlook continues to brighten (modestly).
Stock prices, consumer and business confidence, the ISM “Pur-
chasing Managers” index, and even auto sales were up as we wrote
this column in early June. Although we are clearly still in a reces-
sion, a more optimistic tone is emerging. The Wall Street Journal’s panel of
“Blue Chip” economists recently modified its U.S. GDP growth forecast -
with Q209 still projected to decline (but at a lesser amount than forecasted
earlier) and then growth resuming in the third quarter (Chart 1).
Globally, we appear to have passed the bottom of this current elec-
tronics business cycle (Chart 2). Although actual Q/Q growth won’t
resume until the 3/12 growth rates exceed 1.0, we are clearly seeing an
improved outlook.
For PCBs, SE Asia, of course, dominates world production. Per
Chart 3, Europe and N America continue to experience eroding sales.
Japan took “a large hit” beginning in late 2008 (but recently resumed
growth). In total, world PCB production is again expanding based
upon SE Asia’s huge monthly revenues.
Chart 1
Chart 3
30 July 2009 • circuitree.com
By Walt Custer and Jonathan Custer-T opai
From a regional PCB growth perspective (Chart 4) SE Asia, and
more recently Japan, now have 3/12 growth rates heading “north”
toward their “breakeven” values of 1.0. Unfortunately, N America and
Europe have yet to reach the low points of this current cycle.
Looking forward, we still see about a 25 percent global decline in
PCB shipments this year vs. 2008. Per Chart 5, we entered 2009 in a
deep trough and it will take time to “dig ourselves out.” The forecasted
“recovery path” (red line in Chart 5) that we published in December 2008
seems to be holding true as we log each month of 2009’s actual data.
Chart 6 is our colleague Ed Henderson’s most recent forecast for global
electronic equipment production growth by region. 2009 still looks like
the “bottom,” with recovery in all major geographic areas likely in 2010
and 2011. See www.hendersonventures.com for more details.
PCB fabrication
ALR Services began PCB prototype service.
AT&S launched a new Online Ordering System at www.ats.net.
Chart 2
Chart 4
 Chart 5
Bare Board Group received Supplier of the Year award from National
Instruments.
Career Technology and Merry settled an FPCB shipment lawsuit.
Cicor Technologies appointed Roland Küpfer CEO.
Coretec CFO Andre Kern left the company; CEO Paul Langston
assumed interim (added) responsibilities of CFO.
Dynamic acquired 59.93 percent of touch panel maker
Abon Touch.
Elprinta implemented Polar Instruments’ “Speedstack” software.
Eltek received a USD1.2 million order from a U.S. medical equip-
ment manufacturer.
Endicott Interconnect Technologies eliminated 240 jobs.
Eurocircuits added a second European production plant in Aachen,
Germany.
Fundação CERTI (Florianopolis, Brazil) purchased and imple-
mented Valor’s Trilogy DFM, vPlan, vManage, and solutions.
Hapro added a Teknek SMT-Cleaner for its PCB ID-marking line.
Harbor Electronics (Santa Clara, Calif.) added a Bacher OptiFlex
Post-Etch Punch for its innerlayer registration process.
Hi-Tech installed Höllmüller and Schmid horizontal copper plating
lines in Skopje, Macedonia.
K&F Electronics acquired Ultima Circuits (Sacramento, Calif.).
Kyoden postponed opening its automobile multilayer circuit board
plant in Thailand.
Lenthor Engineering installed an ESI Flex5530 UV Laser Drilling
system.
Merix:
• extended its Bank of America credit availability to USD8 million.
• strengthened its defense and aerospace capabilities.
Murrieta Circuits integrated “SolidWorks” 3D mechanical CAD
(MCAD) software.
PNC added a new quickturn prototyping division.
Printca separated from GPV and become an independent company
called Printca ApS.
Richter Elektronik installed a Strip-Etch-Strip line and a solder-
mask developer from HMS Höllmüller.
Saturn Electronics added two Mania T8T AOI machines.
Schweizer Electronic suspended “short work” in June.
Somacis pcb industries and Graphic appointed Jukka Risto to
Chart 6
enhance sales in Scandinavia.
Teknoflex received AS9100 certification.
Ulf Andersson Electronics began marketing PCBs with up to 500
micron copper layers from Zot.
Materials and process equipment
Alpha - Cookson Electronics Assembly Materials opened a new SMT
Print Technology center in Woking, Surrey.
Atotech & SEMATECH partnered on process solutions for
3D ICs.
Balver Zinn Group:
• appointed Tim Lawrence, Ph.D., to Product Development
Manager.
• named EMS Partners as its representative for Minnesota and North
and South Dakota and Luff Tool and IMK as North American rep-
resentatives.
Bliss Industries reduced prices by 30 percent (the first price reduc-
tion in company history).
BTU International appointed Jan-Paul van Maaren, Ph.D., to VP
Marketing.
Cadence Design Systems introduced a “scalable FPGA-PCB co-
design solution.”
Camtek acquired Printar Ltd.
China-Kinwa High Tech is building a RMB 3 billion electronic
material base in Qinghai Province, Northwest China.
Columbus Chemical Company had a chemical plant fire in
Elba, Wisc.
CyberOptics:
• opened a new sales, service, and training center in Shanghai.
• promoted Dennis Rutherford to VP of Global Sales & Marketing.
Danutek appointed Istvan Nagy Sales Manager.
Data I/O named:
• West Tech as its sales representative in Colorado, Utah, and
Wyoming.
• Process Automation & Tool, LLC, its sales representative in Georgia,
Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi electronics assembly market.
DEK launched its Verification & Traceability Software Suite.
DfR Solutions was selected by the Korea Testing Laboratory to
develop PCB plating QC standards.
circuitree.com • July 2009 31
 DMRPCB.COM released a new additive printed electronics tech-
nology, Silver Bullet, for Green PCB manufacturing.
ESI purchased all intellectual property rights and certain hardware
and software components from XSiL (Dublin, Ireland).
Essemtec and Promass Assembly Systems began jointly developing
board handling systems for SMT, AOl, marking, coating, reflow, wave
solder, and final assembly lines.
Essemtec Benelux began supplying stencils and accessories pro-
duced by Christian Koenen.
Goepel and iSystem formed a test and measurement partnership.
Helmut Fischer Institute developed a new X-Ray technique for
coating thickness analysis.
Henkel:
• appointed Jim Wise to lead global sales for Electronics Assembly
Business.
• was recognized as one of “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by the
Ethisphere Institute and Forbes Magazine.
• is investing more than USD23.7 million to expand its Salisbury,
NC, operations over the next three years.
Honeywell opened a USD50 million R&D centre in Bangalore.
Indium appointed Ostec Enterprises as its sales channel partner in
Russia, Belarus, and the Ukraine.
Indium VP of Technology Dr. Ning-Cheng Lee:
• selected by SMTA International Technical Committee as a Distin-
guished Author and Distinguished Lecturer.
• IEEE’s Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology
Society approved Dr. Lee to be a CPMT Distinguished Lecturer.
Indium Applications Development Program Manager Dave Sbiroli
received IPC’s Distinguished Committee Service award.
Insulectro launched its new information web site at www.insulectro.com.
Isola:
• European president Augusto Meozzi resigned.
• granted a “square weave” patent license to Sanmina-SCI.
Koh Young Technology opened its Alzenau, Germany, facility.
Lincoln International was named “International M&A Advisory
Firm of the Year” by ACQ Finance Magazine.
Micronic Laser Systems AB acquired MYDATA automation AB.
MIRTEC Europe formed distribution partnership with pb tec for
Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
Multiline International Europa and mie GmbH’s General Manager
Dr. Konrad Wundt retired.
Neways received a cable loom systems order from VDL Groep.
Oxford Advanced Surfaces Group developed a 1nm thick, environ-
mentally friendly Onto coating to protect silver against tarnishing.
Photo Stencil celebrated its 30th anniversary.
Rehm Thermal Systems:
• hired and appointed Robert Mihalyi Sales Manager for Central
Eastern Europe (CEE).
• signed a soldering product distribution agreement with Altus Group
in UK and Ireland.
Rogers acquired MTI Global’s silicones business assets.
Savcor Group acquired a majority shareholding in Cencorp.
Siemens Electronics Assembly Systems introduced a placement
machine with rail-mounted gantries that can be moved into use in
32 July 2009 • circuitree.com
only minutes.
Teradyne and OptimalTest agreed to jointly market-test operations
optimization solutions.
ThreeBond began marketing its 3373E screen-printed anisotropic
conductive adhesive with low halogen content for film substrate
bonding.
Tridak launched a new information web site for dispensing and
filling equipment.
Valor appointed Hitech Eletronica its exclusive representative in
Brazil.
Ventec Electronics (Suzhou):
• and TMT formed a strategic partnership agreement for Germany,
Austria, and Switzerland markets.
• appointed Pietro Cucciati its representative for the Italian market.
Vi Technology appointed iNETest Technologies its distributor in
India.
EMS and assembly
Eastern Europe had EMS revenues of USD10.0 billion in 2008 and is
expected to reach USD21.1 billion in 2013. - Frost & Sullivan
EMS sector’s M&A activities declined in 1Q09 to six transactions.
– Lincoln International
Hungary is largest electronics manufacturing market in CEE with
60 percent market share.
Russian electronics manufacturing market will grow from $1.85
billion in 2008 to $4.91 billion in 2015. - Frost & Sullivan
Applied Kilovolts added a MYDATA MY15 pick-and-place machine
in Worthing, West Sussex.
Asteel laid-off 44 employees in Douarnenez, France.
AU Optronics added a TV assembly line in China.
AVerMedia Technologies began construction of a NT 1.1 billion
(USD33 million) TV tuner card factory in northern Taiwan.
Benchmark Electronics named CEO Cary Fu Chairman of the
Board.
Celestica’s former Outsourcing Director Rajeev Thakur was ordered
to pay more than $1 million in restitution for insider trading.
Chemigraphic installed a second Juki SMT line.
China Great Wall Computer and Algerian broadband network
operator EEPAD are jointly investing USD 4 million to set up a man-
ufacturing joint venture in Algeria.
CIL installed a DEK Horizon 02i screen printer.
Cirtronics:
• celebrated its 30 year anniversary.
• is expanding its Milford, NH, manufacturing facility by 75,000 sq. ft.
Corvalent opened its new 24,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Cedar
Park, Texas.
CTS was awarded four production programs for electronic throttle
control accelerator pedal modules and a production contract for a pre-
cision oven-controlled crystal oscillator.
Delta Group Electronics achieved ISO 13485 medical product
assembly certification.
Deutsche Mechatronics received a 5-year manufacturing contract
from Proton Motor for fuel cell hybrid systems.
EC moved its Romanian operations to a new 12,000 sq. ft. manu-
facturing plant in Petrasani, UK.
Elcoteq:
• Beijing obtained satellite television reception equipment manufac-
turing license from Ministry of Commerce of China.
• renewed its membership in the Kempen/SNS Smaller SRI (Socially
Responsible Investment) Europe Index.
Enics:
• became a preferred supplier for Danfoss.
• terminated 101 workers in Finland.
• plans to close its Vaasa operations in 2009.
Exception EMS laid-off 50 employees in Calne, UK.
Flextronics:
• partnered with Freescale Semiconductor on a reference design for
the Enterprise WLAN access point market.
• installed RedPrairie’s warehouse management and transportation
management systems across its global network of facilities.
• received a manufacturing contract from Oerlikon for thin-film PV
equipment.
• became a global manufacturing partner for Enphase Energy for
solar microinverter systems.
Foxconn/Hon Hai:
• increased staff in 1Q by 5 percent (25,000 workers).
• plans to transform itself into an IDM (Integrated Device Manufac-
turer) in 5-10 years.
• Chairman Terry Guo is investing 30 billion Yuan (USD4.4 billion)
to build an optoelectronics business industrial park in Xiamen,
China.
• is spending NT 1.9 billion (USD58 million) to build a R&D center
in the Kaohsiung Software Park (Taiwan).
• delayed its final $45 million investment in its new Juarez, Mexico,
facility.
• affiliate Advanced Optoelectronic Technology (AOT) withdrew an
application to list on the local emerging stock market after profit
failed to reach listing requirements.
• Quellan entered a low power active interconnect strategic alliance
for consumer, desktop, and data center markets.
Globetronics plans to invest RM30 million in CAPEX and hire 400
people in 2009.
Incap completed construction of its new building in Tumkur, India.
Jabil will establish a €16 million production center for solar panels in
Kwidzyn, Poland.
Kimball Electronics:
• Jasper, Indiana, facility received a 3-year manufacturing contract for
automotive Bluetooth hands-free radio devices.
• received lead free automotive order from Eldor.
Kitron cut 120 workers in Norway.
LG Electronics closed its mobile handset manufacturing facility in
Mexico and transferred production to Brazil.
LST électronique entered liquidation.
Microdis Poland added a fully-automated Schleuniger Crimp-
Centre 63 at its harness production facility in Suchy Dwór.
Mikroelektronika installed a PillarHouse Orissa 600 fully auto-
mated selective soldering line.
NexLogic Technologies installed a MyData MY15, Fuji XPF, and a
Speedline MPM125 stencil printer.
PartnerTech received a manufacturing contract for Hydra ink
supply system from Xaar.
PKC laid-off 87 workers in Kempele, Finland, and expects to cut an
additional 41 by October.
Plexus:
• received a contract from QIAGEN to develop a next generation
automated screening system for the pre-processing of human papil-
lomavirus DNA samples.
• pushed back occupancy for its global headquarters in Neenah, Wis-
consin, to summer 2010.
Quanta and Pou Chen Group jv, Techview International, relocated
its LCD factory in Huangjiang, China, to Changshu.
S and Y Industries purchased 12,000 sq. ft. of additional space to
expand engineering and manufacturing activities.
Samsung moved its flat screen TV manufacturing from Slovakia to
Hungary.
Sanmina-SCI:
• cut 155 workers in Haukipudas, Finland.
• Newark, California, facility received AS9100 aerospace
certification.
Scanfil EMS cut 31 workers and transferred part of electronics pro-
duction in Sievi to Parnu, Estonia.
Seidel Electronics laid-off 48 workers in Deutschlandsberg, Austria.
Sibex Electronics began construction of its 52,500 sq. ft. contract
manufacturing facility in Homosassa, Florida.
SiMS added a JUKI FX-3 high-speed chip shooter.
Soyo filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection.
Sparton:
• appointed Drew Richmond deputy general director of Spartronics
Vietnam.
• closed its Jackson, Mich., plant and transferred work to Vietnam
and Brooksville, Fla.
Stadium Electronics appointed Tony Inskip Sales Director for its
EMS business.
Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems Polska plans to close its wire
harness facility in Rawicz in October 2009 and transfer all production
to Romania.
Teac increased floor space at Dongguan Teac Electronics by 60 per-
cent in anticipation of beginning PC, Info equipment production in
autumn 2009.
TT electronics received a £2.5 million/year PCB manufacturing
agreement with Crowcon Detection Instruments.
Universal Electronics added SMT equipment from Universal and
Automated Optical Inspection machines from YesTech.
Vierling Production added a DEK Horizon 03i soldering paste
printer and a DD500 dispenser in Ebermannstadt, Germany. ■
Walt Custer and Jonathan Custer-Topai’s column is sponsored by Dow
Electronic Materials. Custer Consulting Group provides market research,
business analysis, and forecasts for PCB fabrication and assembly,
passive components, semiconductors, and the electronic equipment end
markets. You can reach Walt by phone at 707-785-1777, email at walt@
custerconsulting.com, or visit his Web site: www.custerconsulting.com.
circuitree.com • July 2009 33
 Technical Product Spotlights
3M LC, LC/APC
No Polish Connectors
Further expanding its No Polish Connector
line, 3M has introduced the new No Polish
LC Connector for both multimode and sin-
glemode fiber ap plications an d th e N o
Polish C onnector L C/APC f or sin glemode
fiber applications.
Both e nable fa st o n-site i nstallation
of 250 micro n an d 9 00 micro n te rmina-
tions utilizing a one-piece, pre-assembled
design. Like other members of the 3M No
Polish Connector f amily, th e n ewest con-
nectors are des igned t o s ave i nstallation
technicians tim e w hile h elping to mini -
mize capital investment.
The LC NPC is tested for FTTP and prem-
ises applications for both indoor and out-
door locations and is available in SM, 62.5
micron, 5 0 micron and also 5 0 micron
LOMMF (laser optimized multimode fiber)
for 10 Gb applications. More information,
visit www.3mtelecommunications.com/.
Ucamco Integr8tor v4.1.2
Ucamco (formerly Barco ETS) have launched
version 4.1.2 of th eir Inte gr8tor au tomatic
data inp ut an d anal ysis to ol. Inte gr8tor is
a powerful tool to e nhance customer rela-
tions and increase front-end throughput by
up to 30 p ercent. Its automatic data input
and d esign anal ysis c apability p rovides
the j ob p arameters n eeded f or f ast, a ccu-
rate quotations and for higher throughput
through the front-end tooling process.
The lates t re lease b rings a numb er
of n ew inte resting f eatures an d o ffers
improved p erformance and s tability. In te-
gr8tor runs equally well in a Ucamco UCAM
or Frontline Genesis environment.For more
information, visit www.ucamco.com.
3M EM Eye Meter Series
for EMI, RF, ESD Detection
3M has re leased a n ew, universal test and
measurement platform that offers a highly
expandable, c ost-reducing sol ution t o
manufacturers l ooking f or a ccurate e lec-
trical event detection.
The new 3M EM Eye M eter from the 3M
Electronic Solutions Division provides three
devices in one unit. The meter consists of a
base u nit a nd t hree sepa rate sen sors for
electromagnetic in terference ( EMI), radio
34 July 2009 • circuitree.com
frequency (RF) and electrostatic discharge
(ESD) d etection. T he m odular d esign c an
save manu facturers m oney by all owing
them to p urchase th e f unctionality th ey
need, when they need it.
The EM Eye M eter ins tantly disp lays
information on its color touch screen and
logs data on an SD c ard. The 3M meter is
the o nly k nown o ne of it s k ind cur rently
on th e mar ket that offers a to uch s creen
display, offering inc omparable c onve-
nience and ease of use. The meter’s hand-
held size p rovides p ortability an d all ows
manufacturers to check their control plans
more o ften, p otentially r educing p roduc-
tion disruptions.
Bliss Industries Rack to
Support All Juki Feeders
Bliss In dustries In c., p rovider of han dling
carts an d r acks f or e lectronics ass embly,
announces that it now provides a rack to
support all Juki feeders.
With J uki b eing th e numb er o ne p ick-
and-place ma chine c ompany in th e
world, it w as o nly natur al f or B liss In dus-
tries to ann ounce th e re lease of s everal
new mo dels of fe eder rac ks t o s upport
Juki’s 700 NF & FF, 2000 CTF feeders. Bliss’
engineering team designed a rack to sup-
port all t ypes of J uki feeders in o ne r ack.
Bliss offers a setup rack, along with 22, 36
and 6 0” r acks. All of th ese r acks fit Bliss’
standard o pen s tyle c arts, al ong w ith
two oth er f eeder r acks. B liss n ow sup -
ports all th e J uki an d p revious Zev atech
feeders.For m ore inf ormation, v isit w ww.
blissindustries.com.
Juki Introduces Feeder
Refurbishment Program
Juki C orporation ann ounces that , in a
continuing e ffort t o offer th e Lowes t
Cost of O wnership to it s customers, it has
started a F eeder R efurbishment Pro gram
designed t o i nspect, r epair a nd ca librate
existing feeders at minimal cost and quick
turn around for its customers.
As part of this program the company
also will offer fully refurbished Juki feeders
for s ale at a ve ry c ompetitive mar ket
price. Top feeder performance is essential
to running production at peak efficiency.
Properly maintained feeders will improve
line performance and reduce changeover
time by increasing th e capability to gang
pick parts, reducing the number of com-
ponent misp icks, e liminating th e n eed
to manually teach feeder pick positions,
and c orrecting fe eder advanc ement
problems. F or more i nformation, e -mail
jukifeederdepot@jas-smt.com.
Harvard Apparatus
PHD ULTR Syringe Pump
The PHD ULTRA™ provides maximum ver-
satility for configurations and applications.
It c an han dle flow r ates f rom p icoliter to
220 ml /min w ith th e high est a ccuracy,
precision and s moothness of flow. This
pump c an b e s tood o n e nd to ma ximize
performance for certain applications, and
the s creen tur ns w ith th e p ump, s o yo u
can always read it.
Models are a vailable i n i nfusion only ,
infuse/withdraw, programmable and push
pull. Multiple syringe holders can accom-
modate 2 to 1 0 s yringes f or multi chan -
nels or larger res ervoir c apacities. B oth
standard and remot e mo dels are a vail-
able. R emote m odes ha ve th e p umping
mechanism up to 30 ft away from the con-
trol unit . T hese f eatures an d m ore mak e
the P HD U LTRA™ th e ultimate p roblem
solver f or yo ur m ost d emanding fluidics
applications. Fo r m ore inf ormation, v isit
www.harvardapparatus.com.
SiSoft Support for Netro-
nome’s NFP-32xx
Signal Integrity Software, Inc. ™ announced
support for the NFP-32xx from Netronome
Systems, a l eading d eveloper of highl y
programmable semic onductor pr oducts
that p rovide inte lligent an d s ecure flow
processing f or v irtualized s ervers an d
network e quipment. Si Soft has wo rked
closely w ith N etronome to anal yze an d
ensure th e signal inte grity o n all th e

NFP-32xx high -speed net work i nterfaces
including PCIe, 25Gbps Interlaken, SPI-4.2,
10Gbps X AUI, Q DR, an d D DR3. T he wo rk
performed by Si Soft has resulte d in a s et
of layout guidelines that can be used by
NFP-32xx u sers t o ac celerate implemen -
tation. SiSoft can enable users to anal yze
their des igns t hrough c ustomized NF P-
32xx k its f or Q uantum-SI™ an d Q uantum
Channel D esigner™ as we ll as thro ugh
consulting services.
The N FP-32xx f amily of N etwork F low
Processors™ i s t he i ndustry’s first mer-
chant silic on to re move th e p erformance
barriers i n u nified c omputing a rchitec-
tures by inte grating high -performance
networking, s ecurity p rocessing an d I /O
virtualization wit h general -purpose com-
puting. Ad ditionally, th e N FP-32xx is th e
only l ine of pr ocessors bac kward-com-
patible w ith th e mar ket-leading Inte l®
IXP28XX, protecting customers’ immense
investment in field-proven and net work-
hardened software.
Henkel Multicore
LF700 Solder Paste
With th e majo rity of th e e lectronics
industry fully on board with lead-free man-
ufacturing, solder paste materials require-
ments are now moving beyond basic func-
tionality and toward more advanced, truly
enabling c apabilities. Addressing these
needs, He nkel h as e ngineered M ulti-
core® LF700™, a new lead-free, halide-free
solder paste that has b een formulated to
deliver a w ider range of b enefits and per-
formance char acteristics than o lder-gen-
eration and competitive products.
While conferring the necessary require-
ments f or hali de-free, n o cl ean, l ead-
free p rocesses, Multic ore LF7 00 als o
delivers uniq ue a ttributes t hat fur ther
advance m odern manu facturing. T he
material re duces vo iding in B GA s older
Technical Product Spotlights
joints, delivers a high tack force to pro-
vide sta bility d uring h igh-speed c ompo-
nent plac ement and offers l ong p rinter
abandon times of up to 4 hours even when
printed o nto e xtremely fine-pitch 0.4mm
CSP apertures. Process versatility is at th e
foundation of Multicore LF700, as it offers
excellent s olderability ove r a w ide r ange
of reflow p rofiles in b oth air an d nitrogen
and is effective on several surface finishes
including Ni/Au, Immersion Sn, Immersion
Ag an d OSP c opper. Fo r m ore inf orma-
tion, visit www.henkel.com/electronics.
SPR-45VA SMTru
Vision Assist Automated
Stencil Printer
APS N ovastar, LL C, a gl obal l eader in th e
design, d evelopment an d manu facture
of O EM s olutions f or sh ort to m edium
run S MT an d PCB ass embly is p leased to
announce the availability of the SPR-45VA
Automated Stencil Printer. With its SMTrue
Vision A ssist alignm ent s ystem, n ew
quick chan ge d ouble-sided n esting k it,
and e nhanced a xial an d th eta alignm ent
system, us ers w ill e njoy b enefits usually
relegated t o much m ore e xpensive s ys-
tems wit hout c ompromise t o pre cision
and repeatability.
The APS N ovastar SP R-45VA w ith it s
SMTrue V ision A ssist alignm ent s ystem
provides S MT an d PCB ass emblers w ith
the speed, ease-of-use and reproducibility
they re quire f or s older p aste p rinting
applications down to 12 mil pitch com-
ponents. T he SP R-45VA p rovides a xial
stencil to b oard re gistration w ith dual o r
single c amera assis t to all ow f or a ccurate
printing of 0 201s, ultra micro B GAs, CSPs,
and 1 5 mil p itch Q FPs w ith eas y a djust-
ment f or b oard to lerance v ariation in X ,
Y an d T heta. T he SPR-45VA o perates in a
user-friendly en vironment addres sing a
wide variety of screen printing alignment
mark re gistrations. P neumatic c ontrol
of p ressure, sp eed an d an gle-of-attack
dual squeegee system delivers consistent
results for the most ta xing production or
prototyping printing applications.
Techcon Systems 700
Series Syringe Barrels
Techcon S ystems, a p roduct gro up of O K
International and a leading provider of fluid
dispensing s ystems and pr oducts, debut s
the 700 Series Premier Dispensing Syringe
Barrels as ideal quality syringes that feature
the same look, fit and function as a recently
discontinued i ndustry sta ndard syr inge,
with a substantial cost savings.
Techcon S ystem’s 7 00 S eries s yringe
barrels are silic one- an d chl oride-free,
and are design ed t o work w ith indus try
standard e quipment. T he s yringe b ar-
rels are made f rom lo w f riction p olypro-
pylene t o ensure ac curacy, rep eatability
and p roductivity. T he 7 00 S eries b arrels
feature a double Helix Luer lock for secure
dispense tip at tachment, an d als o are
available in thre e colors: natural for most
generic ap plications, amb er to p rovide
protection of UV/visible light block (up to
520 nm), but with the ability to see mate-
rial inside the syringe barrel, and black for
total light b lock. Fo r m ore inf ormation,
visit www.techconsystems.com.
Aries Fine Pitch
Bump Adapters
Aries El ectronics has laun ched a n ew
series of adapters that enable the use of
virtually an y S MT I C d evice o n a p itch of
0.4 mm or higher to PC boards on 0.5 mm
pitch. These are ideally suited to adapting
an IC device to some of the more popular
TSSOP and QFP packages on 0.5 mm pitch.
The unique Fine Pitch Bump Adapters, an
expansion to Aries’ line of Correct-A-Chip
Adapters, sa ve d esigners s ignificant time
and m oney by e liminating th e n eed f or
costly engineering rework.
This a dapter w ill e nable th e us er to
solder a B GA or other SMT device to p ads
on th e c omponent si de of th e a dapter,
which w ill th en c onnect thro ugh th e
adapter to th e 0. 5 mm p itch r aised c on-
circuitree.com • July 2009 35
 Technical Product Spotlights
nection pads (up to 0.010”) on the bottom.
The c onnection s cheme c omes s tandard
in a p in 1-to-pin 1 ro uting, but can easily
be c ustomized to a ccommodate vi rtually
any c onnection re quirement. Fo r m ore
information, visit www.arieselec.com,
KD Scientific EZFlow 2010
The EZFlow 2010 is a sin gle syringe pump
designed to enhance quick effic ient opera-
tion while maintaining simplicity. It meets
the CE 0 197 directive and is EC 9 3/42 EEC
Annex II, Article 3.
The E ZFlow 2010 c an b e us ed f or inf u-
sions from 0.1 to 300 ml/hr with 2.5% accu-
racy. It has an easy to read LED display and
is v isible f rom many an gles an d w ill con-
tinuously show the flow rate in ml/hr. The
display c an als o b e to ggled to sh ow th e
total volume delivered in ml.
It features automatic syringe detection
and has a fast purge feature. It can be bat-
tery operated and AC powered. It works
with a w ide r ange of s yringes 2 0/30 ml
50/60 ml an d 1 00 ml s yringes. T he unit
automatically detects the syringe size and
adjusts th e s elected flow r ate au tomati-
cally for the syringe size.
The unit has four audible alarms, occlu-
sion d etection, l ow b attery, n ear e nd of
dispense and complete.
KD Scientific designs , manuf actures
and sells a range of qualit y fluidics equip-
ment used by research laboratory markets
worldwide. F or more informa tion, vi sit
www.kdscientific.com.
BEST Inc Rework Stencils
from Polyimide
BEST Inc. has re leased a n ew line of s ten-
cils for PCB rework. These polyimide sten-
cils are designed to b e stay-in-place sten-
cils an d c an a ccommodate sp ace/traces
down to less than 1mm. Standard stencil
thicknesses are ( 4) an d ( 8) mils w ith an
aspect ratio of 1:1. They are designed to
peeled away from their adhesive backing
and permanently placed onto the PCB site
area to b e rewo rked. T he s tencils are cu t
with high precision lasers.
These s tencils e liminate s everal p rob-
lems of m etal s tencils inclu ding: k eeping
the s tencil
in intimate
contact with
the PCB f or
the high est
print quality,
the releasing
of the stencil
from t he
board w hich creates p roblems in s older
paste p rint qualit y an d th e tim e-con-
suming nature of cl eaning th e s tencils.
The polyimide stencils, since they remain
on th e b oard an d have 1:1 asp ect r atios,
print solder paste consistently for higher
rework y ields. Fo r m ore inf ormation,
visit www.solder.net ■

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36 July 2009 • circuitree.com

CP0708HouseAd_7-25x4-875.indd
Untitled-1 1 1 7/2/08
6/20/088:42:13
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AMPM
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 [ Classif eds ]
www.dispositionservices.com
2 COMPLETE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD SHOPS
Bidding Begins July 16 Please Visit www.dispositionservices.com for more info
Back Panel Facility, Santa Clara, CA & Universal Mfg., Woodinville, WA

Hitachi ND-1W212E/10P 120,000 Spindle 1 of 2 ATG A2 -12 head and 15 head Fuji FT-303-3 laser photo plotter
flying probe

1 or 2 Hitachi ND-4P250E 100,000 1 of 4 Orbotech Blaser OEM press hot and cold with auto load 6
spindles opening 24X30

EXPOSURE (3) Olec Accuprint AP30, Olec titan 6 KW, Olec Accuprint 8KW, ORC 201B 5K, Optibeam OB7120 6 KW, (2) Teknek film
cleaner, SDI film cleaner, (4) DuPont Hot roll laminators with LED, Millington VF-F with Olec 5 KW, Olec AP-42 Acuprint 8 KW
LPI / SCREENING / PHOTO (2) Circuit Automation DP-10, 4 screening tables, PQ and proheco ovens, (2) DuPont ASL cut sheet
laminator, Maintek 30” 2001 Spartanic 83 VM
MULTILAYER Layup station, Burkle 4 opening hot and cold press 24X30 vacuum, PHI 4 opening 24X30 hot and cold, OEM 140-6-E 6 24X30
hot and cold press vacuum, TMP 4 opening 24X24 hot and cold, TMP 4 opening 24x30 hot and cold separate press vacuum, J&J spot facer
DRILLER / ROUTER (2) power shears Wysong, Hitachi drill router, Hitachi ND-SP1805E mark 10D, Hitachi ND-4K180E, Mark VI drill
router CNC-6, Mark V drill router, Nicolet NXR1002, Multiline Optiline PL, (2) Multiline post etch punch with 3000 controller, Multiline
artwork punch 300 controller AAP-0048, Glenbrook RTX-113real time x ray, Lohr Hermann LH-312 with jump score, Barnaby 505 scoring
machine, (2) Barnaby stackmaster, Carbine product edgemate and bevlester, (2) Excellon EX-300 3 spindle drill router CNC-6
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tester, Everett Charles 9090 tester, CMI X ray fluorescence, (3) complete labs, Tektronix 11801, (2) Orbotech 5008 express plotters
WET PROCESS VCM Vertical developer, Circuit Chemistry vertical developer, Customer made Oxide system 12 tanks and hoist, Customer
made cuposit system 27 tanks facer (3) rite aid chiller, hard and soft gold lines, (3) plating tanks 10’X3’X4’ with copper bars and
fiberglass reinforce, Lantronex hot air leveler, (3) Wersero /ASI scrubber, (3) Aldonex / (4) Rapid rectifiers, PAL Oxide and cuposit lines,
Fab tech strip etch strip system, IS stripmaster 30”, IS pumiflex and Alumina oxide in one never installed, FSL etcher, FSL DES system,
Ishi Hyoki Alumina oxide system, Technic mini tab platter, chemcut etcher 547xl 30” conveyor system consisting of input etcher FRM
RSM/SSM RSM/SSM, blow off output, Chemcut stripper 547XL 30” conveyor consisting of input, stripper, stripper, RSM/SSM, RSM/SSM,
dryer output, Schmid preclean system, Schmid deburr system, Model # MK II-1.5 plasma system 13.5 KW
FACILITIES Air compressor Kaiser DS 140 100 HP and BS60 50 hp Atlas copco 25 HP, Forklift Mitsubishi FBC15 3000 LBs, Spencer
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MORE EQUIPMENT THAN WE CAN LIST VISIT www.dispositionservices.com for more info
38 July 2009 • circuitree.com
 [ Classif eds ]

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Since 1978, DDi Corp. has become a world-class provider of time-critical,

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circuitree.com • July 2009 39

 [ Classif eds ]
RoHS CO MPLIANT P ROCESSES
TO DATE: Over 1,200,000 panels EN/Imm. Au plated
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• Providing Excellent Plating Services since 1988. • Electrolytic tin. -Bright and dull.
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Electroless nickel alloys and many hard to plate processes as well
• Electroless Nickel/Immersion Gold. as delicate parts.
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W W W. C I R C U I T- S E A R C H . C O M
KEVIN M. STACK, President - kstack@circuit-search.com Eva Chen - echen@circuit-search.com

Events

46th Design Automation Conference

Advertiser Page No.
Jul 26, 2009 - Jul 31, 2009
San Francisco, California 3M Scotchgard Phototool Protection System .............................. 1
http://www.dac.com/46th/index.aspx
Chemcut Corporation ............................................................. 9

2009 Medical Electronics Symposia CPCA Show 2010................................................................. 12

Sep 16, 2009 - Sep 17, 2009
Gebr. Schmid GmbH + Co ...................................................... 13
Hosted by SMTA and MEPTEC
Phoenix, Arizona IPC Midwest ........................................................................ 8

http://www.smta.org/education/symposia/sympo-
M&B Plating Racks ................................................................ 7
sia.cfm#medical
Metrohm Ltd. ....................................................................... 9

IPC Midwest 2009

Microtek Laboratories ......................................................... IBC
Sep 23, 2009 - Sep 24, 2009
Schaumberg, Illinois Productronica 2009 ......................................................... 10-11

http://www.IPCMidwestshow.org Wise Software Solutions Inc. .................................................. 6

40 July 2009 • circuitree.com

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