PETACH-TIKVA, ISRAEL — Eltek Ltd., a global manufacturer and supplier of technologically advanced solutions in the field of printed circuit boards, announced today the company has received a follow-up purchase order in the amount of $1.1 million from an existing customer in the defense sector. The original purchase order in the amount of $1.4 million was received during the first quarter of 2022. The order will be supplied by Eltek over a period of four months commencing in March 2023.
"This follow-up order represents the customer's recognition of our high technological capabilities and the quality and reliability of our products," commented Eli Yaffe, CEO of Eltek.
SAN JOSE, CA — NextFlex®, America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) Manufacturing Institute, today announced $8.45 million in funding (including $4.25M in cost-share contribution from participants) for nine new projects as part of its Project Call 7.0 to further promote FHE development and adoption throughout the U.S. advanced manufacturing sector.
Project Call 7.0’s awarded projects represent a diverse and innovative set of companies and universities that are jointly focused on maturing the industry’s capabilities while leveraging the strong foundation established in prior Project Calls. Several projects in this latest round of funded projects focus on advancing additive manufacturing approaches for hybrid electronics and addressing critical needs in domestic advanced semiconductor packaging capabilities, which directly aligns with the needs described in the recently passed Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act.
Project Call 7.0 also focuses on using hybrid electronics manufacturing processes and materials to improve environmental sustainability in electronics manufacturing. This will include using water-based inks and lower temperature processing, as well as assessing the manufacturing reshoring of low-cost single use medical devices that utilize more environmentally sustainable manufacturing approaches and materials.
This latest round of funding brings the total amount invested in FHE developments to more than $124M, including cost share contributions from Project Call participants.
“I am pleased to announce these important new projects, which will enhance the state of the art in hybrid electronics, support national efforts for semiconductor package manufacturing, and help to transition an increasing number of new capabilities into the U.S. industrial manufacturing sector for further advancement of the industry,” said Malcolm J. Thompson, PhD, Executive Director. “The NextFlex member community is accelerating FHE and additively manufactured electronics toward commercialization in a number of critical application areas addressed in these projects.”
Project Call 7.0’s awarded funding will go to:
Development led by Lockheed Martin Advanced Technologies Laboratories for creation of FHE interposers for heterogeneous integration of a high-density fiber optic Multi-chip Module (MCM) for thinner interposers with finer feature capabilities.
Development led by GE Research and Binghamton University for Radio Frequency (RF) Multi-chip Module (MCM) with embedded die, printed substrates, antennas, and interconnects for fast turn low loss, high thermal conductivity.
Development led by Raytheon Missiles & Defense for printed interconnect solutions for microwave multichip packaging for improved die density.
Development led by General Dynamics Mission Systems for additively manufactured, doubly curved multilayer circuits with active and passive components for embedded RF functionality in complex structures.
Development led by Auburn University for sustainable, additively printed electronics through water-solvent inks, FHE repairability, and low temperature processing with high reliability.
Development led by Auburn University for in-mold electronics interconnection and thermoforming for 3D-integrated applications including automotive, aerospace, and medical components and devices.
Development led by GE Research and Binghamton University for manufacturing approaches for low-cost, sustainable single-use medical devices with cost and environmental life cycle assessment.
Development led by UES, Inc. for creation of scalable manufacturing systems for ELMNT liquid metal inks for highly stretchable electronics applications.
Development led by Sentinel Occupational Safety, Inc. for safety assessments of FHE wearable chemical and voltage sensors for risk-reduced industry adoption.
WESTFORD, MA, USA; BRISTOL, UK; MUNICH, GERMANY — Zuken, a global leader in the area of software and solutions for electronic and electrical engineering, and Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult are announcing an important milestone in their R&D collaboration aimed at building a development environment for state-of-the-art compound semiconductor products.
CSA Catapult is a UK government-funded non-profit organization headquartered in South Wales that was founded to help the UK become a global leader in compound semiconductors. Working with both large companies and start-ups, CSA Catapult develops and commercializes new semiconductor technology applications.
Collaborating with Zuken on a project to bring a power module layout from a graphical concept to a 3D model, CSA Catapult has identified several requirements and optimizations to Zuken’s CR-8000 Design Force chip, package and PCB co-design software that will provide designers of power electronic products with the ability to co-develop mechanical and electrical design in unison. The integration with industry simulation tools enables the efficient design iteration needed to effectively explore the design envelope for new compound semiconductor products.
As a result of the collaboration, an intuitive function was created to generate interconnections between chips and copper layers in a substrate or a printed circuit board, as well as a function to export a CAD model in a format compatible with FEM software. These advanced features will help designers significantly decrease the time required to generate a 3D model of the power module substrate, chip layout, and chip-to-chip, as well as chip-to-copper interconnections.
Regarding the progress of the R&D collaboration, Dr. Alejandro Villarruel Parra, Senior Power Electronics Engineer at CSA Catapult, said: “The creation of a 3D model of the substrate, chip layout, and chip interconnections is an important part of the early-stage power module design process. Zuken’s advanced design solutions have helped to provide a preview of the module performance, which in turn makes our decision-making process faster when several concepts are being compared or helps to steer the refinement of the module geometry if a concept has already been selected.”
The new capability is included in the 2022 release of CR-8000 Design Force.
BRUSSELS — SEMI, the industry association serving the global electronics design and manufacturing supply chain, today applauded the progress on the European Chips Act by the European Council, expressing strong support for the swift start of the negotiations in 2023.
With the European Council’s adoption today of its negotiating mandate, or so-called “general approach,” member states and the Czech Presidency of the Council have reached a critical milestone in supporting Europe’s efforts to advance manufacturing and supply of critical components, while bolstering R&D capacities for development of next-generation semiconductor innovations.
“The future for Europe as a region of semiconductor manufacturing excellence is brimming with possibility,” said Laith Altimime, president of SEMI Europe. “The adoption of the European Council’s general approach marks a critical step in passage of the European Chips Act as landmark initiative for our industry.”
As a next step, the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) is expected to vote on the European Union Chips Act Report in January 2023. Once approved, the Committee will submit the text to plenary for adoption. The vote in plenary is scheduled to take place in February 2023. The text would constitute the European Parliament’s negotiating position and marks the last step before the start of trialogue negotiations among the European Commission, Parliament, and Council.
“SEMI looks forward to continued collaboration with the European institutions and our member companies to ensure the timely adoption and implementation of the European Chips Act, putting Europe’s semiconductor industry on a competitive footing with other regions,” said Christopher Frieling, director of Advocacy and Public Policy at SEMI Europe.
Visit SEMI Global Advocacy to learn more about public policy efforts and developments, and SEMI Workforce Development for more information on efforts to address the microelectronics industry’s talent needs.
SAN JOSE, CA — Avishtech, the leading provider of PCB simulation solutions, today announced the formal launch of its lab materials services and consulting. The combination of state-of-the-art equipment and the deep knowledge and insight of the company’s materials science experts delivers a new level of information and expertise previously not available to the industry. In addition, access to these services is enabled through an easy-to-use interface on the company’s website or by directly emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; most information is available with 24-48 hours of request and the results include not only the test data but the interpretation of it as well. Avishtech’s experts are only a phone call away during the testing process and the focus is on delivering the correct information in the timeliest manner possible.
Keshav Amla, Founder and CEO of Avishtech notes, “With today’s increasingly tight PCB design parameters, the more information that product developers have up front, the better. In addition, today, there are so many more aspects of materials characteristics and performance traits that influence the operability, reliability and life cycle of a final design than can be found in the typical data sheets provided by materials suppliers. In our state-of-the-art lab, we are able to test for these properties in a highly accurate and repeatable manner and can provide the highest degree of confidence in relating these base properties to results in the real hardware.”
With more companies employing MBSE (models-based-system engineering) design methodologies, there is a greater need for complete and correct information in digital format that will lead to an optimized design that addresses all of the steps in the product development process---from design to the downstream processes of manufacturing, assembly, test, field repairs and product life cycle.
Amla adds, “In an MBSE environment, the focus is on the systematic gathering and reporting of critical design information in the shortest amount of time possible in digital format. Very few, if any, companies will have the capabilities in-house to provide all of the materials performance information in an accurate and timely manner. With the services that we offer, we become an extension of our customers’ design team and we provide a vast amount of information in a clear and concise manner, for a very reasonable price, in the shortest amount of time possible.”
Services provided through Avishtech’s labs include, among others:
Dk/DF Testing
Thermomechanical Analysis (TMA) Z-axis or X/Y Expansion and Tg
Dynamical Mechanical Analysis (DMA) – Tensile or Flexural Modulus and Tg Testing
Rheology Testing
Press Cycle Design/Development
Cure Kinetics Studies
Aging Studies / Shelf-Life Testing
Surface Roughness Characterization
Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTiR)
Thermogravimetric Analysis
Fabrication of special samples for testing in shear
Multicircuits, located in Oshkosh, WI, a small and large quantity and high quality circuit board manufacturer, along with IEC, are pleased to announce the purchase of a brand new ModVIA Expandable Plasma System from Nordson Electronics Solutions.
The ModVIA Expandable Plasma System combines the best in class technology of the VIA Series while retaining the PCB Series size and function. Using MARCH’s High Flux Electrode design, the ModVIA system is capable of uniform plasma treatment for PCB panels, as well as desmear and etchback, and can process rigid and flexible panels.
Nordson Electronics Solutions – For over 30 years Nordson Electronics Solutions has been the global leader in plasma cleaning and plasma surface treatment equipment, and plasma applications technology. Known as Nordson MARCH since 2009, the organization has broad experience advanced semiconductor packaging and assembly, wafer level packaging, printed circuit board manufacturing, life science and medical device assembly, and various large-scale industrial applications.
International Electronic Components (IEC) – IEC is the longest serving distributor of consumables, equipment, and services in the North American printed circuit board industry for over 50 years. IEC has established themselves as a dependable, responsive organization with locations in Toronto, Canada, Santa Clara, CA, Chicago, IL, and Norristown, PA. IEC works closely with its suppliers and customers in order to provide best-in-class service across North America.
Multicircuits Inc. – Since 1990, Multicircuits Inc. has been committed to providing high quality PCB backed with superior customer service. Offering prototyping, fast turnaround, and full production runs of single-sided to multi-layer boards and capable of low and high output, Multicircuits is capable of supplying PCB needs for nearly any application.
