-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
Getting to Know Your Designer
In this issue, we examine how fabs work with their design customers, educating them on the critical elements of fabrication needed to be successful, as well as the many tradeoffs involved. How well do you really know your customer? What makes for a closer, more synchronized working relationship?
Economic Headwinds
In this issue, the biggest names in PCB manufacturing share their economic outlook for the upcoming year and beyond. As you will see, they were all bullish on our industry, but there was some apprehension as well. No one wants to get burned by another the supply chain disruption.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
PCB Requirements for E-Mobility
March 23, 2021 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
Nolan Johnson, Barry Matties, and Happy Holden speak with Christian Klein, section manager for PCBs in the automotive electronics division, about Bosch’s recent presentation on PCB requirements of the future in regard to automotive and electro mobility trends and challenges.
Nolan Johnson: We’ve been looking through the presentation from Bosch on requirements for PCBs going on in the future, and there are quite a lot of requirements. How do you see the requirements for printed circuit board manufacturing for automotive playing out? What do you see as the future landscape?
Christian Klein: That depends on the area or on the use case. We have two big megatrends. One is electro mobility and the other one is connected cars. These megatrends require different technologies. For example, electro mobility needs substrates on which we can integrate power components at temperatures up to 160°C, perhaps even higher, as well as currents up to several hundred amps. Those are difficult requirements for these kinds of PCBs. On the other side, we have PCBs for computers. They are more like graphic cards or servers and are already used in the consumer industry, but not in the automotive environment. Therefore, we have to distinguish between these two use cases and with different requirements for the PCB. What is common is that they all need to survive the automotive environment.
Barry Matties: Since the presentation at the World Conference was looking at future requirements, are the requirements currently being met?
Klein: At the moment the requirements are being met. But today, electrical cars often still use power electronics based on ceramic substrates. For autonomous driving the requirements will increase. The new components need even more sophisticated HDI technology than before. Computers need a higher data rate; it is increasing every year. Therefore, we will be forced to use other materials in the future for the high-speed electronics: very low loss or ultra-low loss materials with suitable Dk and Df values. These materials are normally a bit more brittle and not that robust regarding micro-cracks like the traditional materials. Taking into account the known failure modes like CAF or micro-cracks, this could be challenging.
In the automotive environment, temperature cycling and temperature storage are important parameters. But it is the humidity for which we have to be really careful. Vehicles have subsystems that are always on with low power consumption. There could be electrochemical migration in these systems. If you have to use these new materials due to the high-speed electronic requirements, then we have to be very careful. Therefore—at the moment—we have solutions, but for the next generation with bigger bandwidth and higher frequency, we have to go to other materials, and these have to be qualified.
Matties: Are you looking at the cleaning standards and changing the requirements as you talk about the electrochemical migration?
Klein: Cleaning is always discussed because cleaning is quite difficult. The problem is that up to now nobody can offer the perfect cleaning solution. After assembly, some of the solder paste residuals could stay in small gaps below the QFPs and other components. That is very difficult to clean perfectly. Regarding the bare PCB itself we do not really see a problem. What is still on the board after the PCB production will evaporate during first reflow. Thereafter, it depends on the use case. If a designer makes the housing of the PCB quite tight and uses a pressure compensation element, the warm and humid air does not get directly onto the PCB itself, and dewing can be avoided. Therefore, we must be really careful in designing our units that dewing of water will not happen. Cleaning has not been a big topic because we use a specific design of our control units to avoid this dewing.
To read this entire interview, which appeared in the March 2021 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
Nihon Superior Sets New Standards in Lead-Free Soldering Technology at APEX 2024
03/13/2024 | PVANihon Superior Co. Ltd., an advanced joining material supplier, will exhibit in Booth 1325 during the 2024 IPC APEX EXPO, scheduled to take place April 9-11, 2024 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.
Apollo Seiko Presents the Next Frontier in Non-Contact Soldering at 2024 IPC APEX EXPO
03/12/2024 | Apollo SeikoApollo Seiko, a leading innovator in soldering technology, is pleased to announce plans to showcase its latest advancements at Booth 1408 during the 2024 IPC APEX EXPO, taking place April 9-11, 2024 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.
Essemtec Exhibiting at IPC APEX Expo at Booth 2409
03/12/2024 | EssemtecEssemtec presents its agile dispensing platform on the TARANTULA machine. The machine can be equipped with five different valves, for a comprehensive range of dispensing applications such as Solder Paste and SMT Glue, LED Encapsulation, Silver Epoxy, Dam, and Underfill.
StenTech to Unveil Cutting-Edge StenTech BluPrint™ CVD Surface Treatment at 2024 IPC APEX EXPO
03/12/2024 | StenTechStenTech® Inc., a leading global company specializing in SMT Printing Solutions, will introduce the new StenTech BluPrint™ Chemical Vapor Deposited (CVD) Surface Treatment at the 2024 IPC APEX EXPO.
Revolutionizing Soldering: Kurtz Ersa to Debut Cutting-Edge Lineup at APEX
03/12/2024 | Kurtz ErsaKurtz Ersa Inc., a leading supplier of electronics production equipment, is pleased to announce plans to showcase its latest advancements and a range of cutting-edge soldering machines at the 2024 IPC APEX EXPO.