Printed Circuit Design & Fab - October 2008 - (Page 4)

OUR LINE The People’s Choice survey. I want to thank all of you who took the time to respond. Over 900 readers (12.9% of those polled) submitted their thoughts on the topics covered in 2008 and suggested topics for 2009. Responses came from a broad cross-section of readers. The largest group, with over 500 responses (56.8%), was the designers, including elecKAtHy trical engineers from different disciplines and design/layout practitioners. nArgi-totH (Managers are not included in these numbers.) A whopping 64.5% work for OEMs, 10.5% for service bureaus and 9% are employed by both. The remaining 16% work for merchant and captive PCB fabricators, or are consultants, educators or other design supply-chain members. Among designers, the columnists who speak the same language scored high grades. Over 90% indicated they regularly read the columns by Dr. Abe Riazi (Interconnect Strategies), Charles Pfeil (BGA Bulletin), Dr. Bruce Archambeault (EMC for the Real World) and Susy Webb (Tip Jar). About 83% also read the columns on business and fabrication topics. In general, topics designers want covered range from layout and design techniques (95.7%) to PCB fabrication (69%). Over 95% of designers seek more coverage on emerging technologies, new products and processes, while 37.8% are looking for information on process improvement and quality issues. When we drill down to the specific topics, it gets very interesting. When asked about technical subjects, the topic with the highest level (72.3%) of interest for designers is DfM techniques, followed closely by high-speed/signal integrity/EMC design (68.6%) and PCB design basics (67.1%). When asked about topical subjects, standards are at the top of everyone’s list. With a 66.7% response, it outpaced the next closest topic, lead-free manufacturing (45.6%). Environmental issues came in at 43.5% and education at 40.2%. Over 25% of you took the time to write in specific topics you would like to see covered in 2009. These topics and others were voted on at Designer Decision 2008, during PCB West. The six topics receiving the highest number of votes have been added to our editorial calendar for 2009. Review the winning topics at pcdandf.com/cms/designerdecision2008. Fabricators let their voices be heard, too. And it comes as no surprise the columns with a fab focus are the ones most read by fabrication engineers, managers and supporting supply chain readers. Coming in at the top of the pack, Final Finish Forum; with rotating contributors Don Cullen, Jim Kenny and George Milad is read by 96.8% of those who work for fabricators. Positive Plating by Mike Carano and From the Field (company profiles) both scored an over 90% readership. Predictably, PCB fabrication topics lead the way, with 81.6% of the fabricators wanting to read more on this topic. New products and processes, emerging technologies, process improvement and quality all came in over 50%. On technical topics, fabricators had high interest in topics covering laminate materials selection (66.9%), advanced technologies (66.9%) and final finishes (63.2%). Specific topics like drilling, imaging, lamination and plating also scored high, above 50%. Fabricators were interested in design topics too. DfM and PCB design basics got high marks. Differing starkly from their design counterparts, for fabricators the No. 1 topical subject was the global PCB market (61%), followed closely by lead-free manufacturing (58.1%). Lead-free related topics including laminate selection, final finishes and design for lead-free manufacturing taken together were by far still something fabricator want to hear more about. Your voices have been heard so look for your choices in the 2009 editorial coverage. There will be new columns and a few new approaches next year. Helping me will be latest addition, associate editor Margo Lakin. She recently joined Printed Circuit Design & Fab, having previously served as associate editor with Art & Antiques magazine. She has a bachelor’s in English and has worked as an editorial assistant with the Kennesaw (GA) University Press. Look for her coverage of news, products and industry issues in the coming months. Finally, our sincere apologies to Dr. Hayao Nakahara and readers who had difficulties with Table 3 in the September cover story, “The NTI $100 Million Club.” Table 3 was printed with incorrect headlines. A corrected Table 3 can be found at pcdandf.com/cms/cms/ content/view/5130/95/. 4 pcdandf.com Editorial Editor: Kathy Nargi-Toth, 678-589-8866, knargitoth@upmediagroup.com ASSoCiAtE Editor: Margo Lakin, 678-5898853, mlakin@upmediagroup.com A bout this time each year, PCD&F conducts our annual readership EditoriAl offiCE: 2400 Lake Park Drive, Suite 440, Smyrna, GA 30080 678-589-8800; fax 678-589-8850 EditoriAl AdviSory BoArd: Dr. Eric Bogatin, Be The Signal; Michael Carano, OM Group; George Dudnikov, Sanmina-SCI; Jack Fisher, Interconnect Technology Analysis; Happy Holden, Mentor Graphics; Istvan Novak, Sun Microsystems ContriButing Editor: Dr. Hayao Nakahara ColumniStS: Bruce Archambeault, Peter Bigelow, Michael Carano, Dominique Numakura, Charles Pfeil, Dr. Abe Riazi, Susy Webb Production Art dirECtor: Katherine Haddox, khaddox@upmediagroup.com produCtion mAnAgEr: Javier Longoria, jlongoria@upmediagroup.com SalES SAlES ASSoCiAtE: Kamden Robb, 678-589-8843, krobb@upmediagroup.com EXHiBit SAlES: Kamden Robb, 678-589-8843, krobb@upmediagroup.com; Frances Stewart, 678-817-1286, fstewart@upmediagroup.com KorEA SAlES: Young Media Inc., +82 2 2273 4818, fax +82 2 2273 4866, ymedia@ymedia.co.kr print rEprintS: Edward Kane, FosteReprints, 866-879-9144 ext. 131, fax 219-561-2009, ekane@fostereprints.com ElECtroniC rEprintS: pcdf_reprints@upmediagroup.com liSt rEntAl: Jennifer Schuler, 918-496-1476, fax 918-496-9465 WEBinArS: Frances Stewart, 678-817-1286, fstewart@upmediagroup.com, pcbshows.com/webinars circulation dirECtor of AudiEnCE dEvElopmEnt: Jennifer Schuler CirCulAtion And SuBSCription inquiriES/ AddrESS CHAngES: fax 918-496-9465, jschuler@upmediagroup.com uP MEdia GrouP, inc. prESidEnt: Pete Waddell viCE prESidEnt, SAlES And mArKEting: Frances Stewart, fstewart@upmediagroup.com viCE prESidEnt, EditoriAl And produCtion: Mike Buetow, mbuetow@upmediagroup.com SpECiAl projECtS mAnAgEr: Ronda Faries, 678-589-8827, rfaries@upmediagroup.com Printed Circuit Design & Fab is distributed without charge to qualified subscribers. For others, annual Subscription Rates in U.S. funds are: $80 (U.S. and Canada), $145 (all other countries). Single copy price is $8.50. All subscription and single copy orders or inquiries should be directed to Printed Circuit Design & Fab, P.O. Box 35621, Tulsa, OK 74153-0621, jschuler@upmediagroup. com, fax 918-496-9465. Photocopies and issues on Microfilm/Microfiche (16mm, 33mm or 105mm) are available from University Microfilms International, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48106, Telephone 313-761-4600. Printed Circuit Design & Fab is published monthly by UP Media Group Inc., 2400 Lake Park Drive, Suite 440, Smyrna, GA 30080. ISSN 1543-6527. GST 124513185/ Agreement #1419617. Periodicals postage paid at Smyrna, GA, and additional mailing offices. © 2008, UP Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in Printed Circuit Design & Fab is forbidden without written permission. printEd CirCuit dESign & fAB OCTOBER 2008 http://www.pcdandf.com http://www.pcdandf.com/cms/designerdecision2008 http://www.pcbshows.com/webinars http://www.pcdandf.com/cms/content/view/5130/95/ http://www.pcdandf.com/cms/content/view/5130/95/

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Printed Circuit Design & Fab - October 2008

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - October 2008 Contents Our Line Market Watch Around the World Happenings Test and Inspection ROI Tip Jar Interconnect Strategies Final Finish Forum The New Wave in High-Speed Modeling The PCB Design Library Mixed Signal Design Considerations Modeling Conductor Surface Roughness Copper Erosion: The Influence of Metallurgy on Copper Dissolution The Wave of the Future Ad Index Building a Profitable Niche Marketplace Off the Shelf BGA Bulletin

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - October 2008

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