A big topic in the last few years has been the occurrence of (and the damage caused by) the growth of tin whiskers in high-profile and high-reliability products.  Elusive, often misunderstood, and difficult to prevent; tin whiskers have posed significant problems.  In fact, even just two weeks ago TechEye.net was speculating that tin whiskers may be behind the massive Toyota recalls. Whether the whiskers are out to race cars, or are turning into conductive plasma arcs capable of carrying hundreds of amps, it is clear that they are a force …

Every day we read or hear about how a healthy life is about balance.  There are only two things my dad critiques me about when it comes to my health: “sit up straight and stretch more”.  I find that amusingly ironic.  The same desires my dad has for me have made their way into the PCB Industry.  As designers have sought to develop longer lasting and more complex electronics, circuit boards have been forced into a regimen of balancing traditional rigidity with the ability to bend, twist, and essentially be …

The following article can be found it its original form at this link.
Extreme-resolution microflex processes enable a reduction in conductive trace width and pitch that opens a door for miniature-scale microcircuits used in medical devices.

Written by Luke Volpe – director of engineering at Dynamics Research Corp.’s Metrigraphics division (Wilmington, MA).

Microflex circuitry can drive development programs for medical implants.

Technological advances in the medical field often hinge on the ability to create viable components and devices that are chemically compatible to human tissue and small enough to suit the internal workings of …