Printed Circuit Design & Fab - January 2008 - (Page 29)

iNEMI’S EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES try today, including nanocomposites and nanostructured packaging materials, sub100 nm IC structures, and thin-film giant magneto-resistive (GMR) read heads for high-density disk drives. Nanotechnology advances will contribute a number of products and processes that could be especially relevant to electronic processes and products, ranging from the extremely long range and innovative to the short range and drop-in, including: ■ Quantum computing using “peapod structures” based on carbon nanotubes (CNT) or Bose-Einstein atomic clusters (long term). ■ DNA strand self-assembly of electronic structures (long term). ■ Transistors based on CNT or GMR layered structures (long term). ■ Mixed nano and MEMS sensor technology (medium term). ■ Plasma display technology based on CNT emitters (medium term). ■ Advanced fillers for nanocomposites and nanoengineered materials with property improvements not possible with micron fillers, such as low CTE with high toughness, high electrical conductivity with low thermal conductivity (high ZT), and high compliance with high current carrying capability (short term). ■ Nano-enabled solders and printable electronic structures using nano-sized metals, particularly silver and copper (short term). Commercialization of nanotechnology products and eventual replacement of existing systems will depend on cost and performance, as well as the dynamics of new market creation. The iNEMI Roadmap process will continue to monitor advances in nanotechnologies and assess how these advances meet the electronics industry’s R&D needs. materials. These applications will likely result in new opportunities to extend the life of current materials and manufacturing infrastructure, enabling them to deliver enhanced device or component functionality. Breakthroughs may take the form of disruptive technologies that supplant existing technologies. Examples of these are quantum computing systems, molecular electronics and spintronics replacing CMOS semiconductor technology. Others may be radically new applications, such as sensor and drug delivery systems that detect emerging disease in the body or treat existing conditions. The electronics industry restructuring over the past decade from vertically integrated OEMs to a multi-firm supply chain has resulted in a disparity in R&D needs versus available resources. Critical R&D needs exist in the middle part of the supply chain (IC assembly services, passive components, EMS assembly) (TABLE 1), and yet these are the firms least capable of providing the resources. A partial solution has been the development of vertical teams to develop critical new technology while sharing costs. The entire industrial supply chain, universities, research institutions and governments need to not only create innovative technologies, but also creative solutions for financing the R&D base that generates these innovations. This must be done in a way that deals with IP in a distributed fashion (rather than the traditional single-company approach) so that ROI for the R&D investments are fairly apportioned, thus encouraging sustainable innovation. PCD&F Au. note: This article is based on information from the 2007 iNEMI Research Priorities, available at http://thor.inemi. org/webdownload/RI/iNEMI_2007_ Research_Priorities.pdf. CHICAGO. SPRING. YOU. MAY 2008. Join us for PCB East 2008 May 11-16 in Tinley Park, IL. www.pcbeast.com Conclusions As we move beyond the digital convergence of electronics products, we anticipate the merger of micro and nano, chemical, mechanical and biological sensors with micro- and nano-electronics for disruptive innovations in many areas. In some cases, the disruptive technologies may also find application by being embedded in conventional product embodiments. As an example, nanoparticle fillers may enhance select properties of existing polymeric JANUARY 2008 REFERENCES 1. 2007 iNEMI Roadmap, March 2007. ALAN RAE is director of research at iNEMI (inemi.org) and vice president of innovation at NanoDynamics Inc. (nanodynamics.com); arae@nanodynamics.com. ROBERT C. PFAHL is vice president of operations and CHARLES RICHARDSON is director of roadmapping at iNEMI. PRINTED CIRCUIT DESIGN & FAB 29 http://www.pcbeast.com/brochure/ http://thor.inemi.org/webdownload/RI/iNEMI_2007_Research_Priorities.pdf http://www.pcbeast.com/brochure/ http://thor.inemi.org/webdownload/RI/iNEMI_2007_Research_Priorities.pdf http://thor.inemi.org/webdownload/RI/iNEMI_2007_Research_Priorities.pdf http://www.inemi.org http://nanodynamics.com

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

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - January 2008 Contents Our Line Market Watch Around the World Happenings ROI PTH Reliability: Designing to Improve PTH Reliability EMC for the Real World PTH Reliability: The Survival and Long-Term Reliability of Lead-Free PCBs iNEMI's Emerging Technologies: Research Priorities for the Electronics Industry Printed Circuit Design & Fab Annual Buyers Guide Special Suppliers Section Guide to Products and Services Off the Shelf: Designcon Preview Marketplace Ad Index BGA Bulletin

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - January 2008

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