Business Management

“Natural Disasters and Business Disruption: How Can Electronics Companies Evaluate and Mitigate Their Risk?”
Author: Harvey Stone; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Abstract: Businesses in the electronics industry face increasingly turbulent times. This paper focuses on one particular kind of turbulence: so-called “acts of God”; i.e., natural disasters like floods, droughts, waves, fires and other extreme weather events. It is increasingly critical for all types and sizes of businesses to understand more fully 1) what “Act of God” means; 2) the way human and business activity exacerbates the number and intensity of natural disasters; 3) the financial costs related to natural disasters; 4) leading-edge methods by which businesses are protecting against these natural disasters; and 5) the ways businesses are capitalizing on natural disasters to enter new markets and generate new revenue. Furthermore, it is important for electronics companies to be aware of the growing business-disruption threats from issues related to the earth’s carrying capacity issues that are not directly linked to natural disasters, but are greatly exacerbated by natural disasters. (SMTA International, October 2011)

Component Libraries

“Library Management – Building the Perfect Library”
Author: Zuken Corp.
Abstract: Component selection is critical in the product design cycle. The designer must review and compare component data so that an immediate accurate selection can be made. EDA libraries can incorporate component management systems where specifications, lifecycle, supplier, simulation models and assembly information is stored, facilitating proper component selection. (ZDAC, November 2011)

Final Finishes

“Comparison of Several PCB Final Finishes in a Mixed Flowing Gas Test Environment”
Authors: Robert Veale and James Trainor; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Abstract: One consideration of PCB final finish selection is the susceptibility to creep corrosion in environments containing atmospheric sulfur. In this study, several final finishes were subjected to a Battelle Class III mixed flow gas test to assess creep corrosion susceptibility. PCB finish coatings tested were Pb-free HASL, direct palladium, immersion silver, OSP, ENIG and ENIPEG. The assessment method was an end-point visual examination focusing on the extent of creep corrosion products. (SMTA International, October 2011)

Nanophysics

“Nanoparticle Superlattice Engineering with DNA”
Authors: Robert J. Macfarlane, Byeongdu Lee, Matthew R. Jones, Nadine Harris, George C. Schatz, Chad A. Mirkin; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Abstract: A current limitation in nanoparticle superlattice engineering is that the identities of the particles being assembled often determine the structures that can be synthesized. Therefore, specific crystallographic symmetries or lattice parameters can only be achieved using specific nanoparticles as building blocks (and vice versa). Presented are six design rules that can be used to deliberately prepare nine distinct colloidal crystal structures, with control over lattice parameters on the 25- to 150-nanometer length scale. These design rules outline a strategy to independently adjust each of the relevant crystallographic parameters, including particle size (5 to 60nm), periodicity and interparticle distance. As such, this work represents an advance in synthesizing tailorable macroscale architectures comprising nanoscale materials in a predictable fashion. (Science, Oct. 14, 2011, sciencemag.org/content/334/6053/204.abstract)