IPC and iNEMI Sponsor Reliability Summit in Conjunction with IPC Printed Circuits Expo®, APEX® and the Designers Summit
Discussions to focus on reliability testing protocols
BANNOCKBURN, Ill. and HERNDON, Va. (February 13, 2007) — IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries® — and the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), in cooperation with GEIA, HDPUG and JEDEC, are sponsoring an all-day summit to discuss and prioritize reliability issues in electronic assemblies. Held in conjunction with IPC Printed Circuits Expo, APEX and the Designers Summit, "Reliability Summit: Keeping industry reliability test protocols current with rapidly changing markets," is a free forum scheduled for Friday, February 23, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Interconnect technology has undergone significant changes in recent years and these changes have far-reaching effects on reliability testing. Emerging technologies, such as system-in-a-package (SiP), large high-I/O packages with multiple chips, and embedded passives are making the reliability testing protocols for substrates unclear. It is sometimes difficult to tell whether substrates are components (and testable under JEDEC standards) or small PCBs (which are testable to IPC standards).
"Lead-free" is another factor. The higher temperatures required for Pb-free processing are impacting the validity of reliability testing protocols. There appear to be three different levels of interest in testing protocols: the component level, the assembly or solder joint level, and the substrate level.
"Keeping testing standards and protocols current is a serious challenge," says David Bergman, IPC vice president of standards, technology and international relations. "The standards development process typically requires two years, but the market is changing technology in six months. Compounding this is the fact that collecting data for reliability evaluation is a long and expensive process. We need to reevaluate our current reliability evaluation protocols."
"NIST is constantly developing new test protocols as part of its standards and measurement technology development process, and OEMs are proposing new protocols to meet new product and market requirements," says Bob Pfahl, vice president for iNEMI. "However, there is not a clear path for validating these changed protocols and invalidating previous approaches. In addition, there are new and unusual market applications that are beyond the scope of current protocols. One example of this is medical implants. Electronics are increasingly used in the medical field, but the OEMs serving this market may not be aware of current protocols or standards processes."
The Reliability Summit brings together representatives from standards-making organizations, industry consortia, OEMs and academia to discuss current practices, identify areas for improvement and approaches for implementation.
Attendance at the summit is free, but attendees must register. For more information, and to register for the summit, go to
http://www.GoIPCShows.org/ReliabilitySummit.asp.
About iNEMI
The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative’s mission is to identify and close technology gaps, which includes the development and integration of the electronics industry supply infrastructure. Based in Herndon, Va., this industry-led consortium is made up of approximately 70 manufacturers, suppliers, industry associations and consortia, government agencies and universities. iNEMI roadmaps the needs of the electronics industry, identifies gaps in the technology infrastructure, establishes implementation projects to eliminate these gaps (both business and technical), and stimulates standards activities to speed the introduction of new technologies. The consortium also works with government agencies, universities and other funding agencies to set priorities for future industry needs and R&D initiatives. For additional information about iNEMI, visit http://www.iNEMI.org.
About IPC
IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 2,400 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics interconnect industry, including design, printed circuit board manufacturing and electronics assembly. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $1.5 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Garden Grove, Calif.; Stockholm, Sweden; and Shanghai, China.