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Current IssueIn Pursuit of Perfection: Defect Reduction
For bare PCB board fabrication, defect reduction is a critical aspect of a company's bottom line profitability. In this issue, we examine how imaging, etching, and plating processes can provide information and insight into reducing defects and increasing yields.
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We take the pulse of the PCB industry by sharing insights from leading fabricators and suppliers in this month's issue. We've gathered their thoughts on the new U.S. administration, spending, the war in Ukraine, and their most pressing needs. It’s an eye-opening and enlightening look behind the curtain.
The Essential Guide to Surface Finishes
We go back to basics this month with a recount of a little history, and look forward to addressing the many challenges that high density, high frequency, adhesion, SI, and corrosion concerns for harsh environments bring to the fore. We compare and contrast surface finishes by type and application, take a hard look at the many iterations of gold plating, and address palladium as a surface finish.
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Advanced Circuits Receives Metro Wastewater Gold Award for the 10th Year
May 1, 2017 | Advanced CircuitsEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Advanced Circuits, has received the 2016 Gold Award from the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District for the tenth year for 100 percent compliance with industrial pre-treatment requirements and a dedicated commitment to environmental excellence. The chemical complexities involved in the fabrication of printed circuit boards, make this prestigious award a significant achievement that puts Advanced Circuits at the forefront of PCB manufactures in North America.
The company has made significant investments to ensure redundancy in its water treatment systems with two main ion exchange units with a full resin rebuild and a third ion exchange unit for its EDTAbased copper waste stream. Advanced Circuits goes above and beyond industry standards to maximize efforts for preventing pollution and minimizing waste by recycling all scrap metal, waste copper etch solutions, reducing water usage with counter flow rinses and automated sensors, along with other environmentally conscious measures.
About Advanced Circuits
Since 1989, Advanced Circuits has been the leading printed circuit board manufacturer specializing in both Prototype and Production quantities and is ranked in sales volume among the top 3 PCB fabricators in North America. Offering true one-stop convenience and assured quality with in-house fabrication and small-quantity/quick-turn assembly services, Advanced Circuits’ PCB solutions range from the simplest designs to the most rigorous requirements for the medical, commercial, defense, and aerospace marketplace. Advanced Circuits is MIL-PRF-31032, MIL-PRF-55110, AS9100, ISO 9001 Certified, IPC 6012 3/3A, IPC 6018 Class 3 Qualified, and ITAR Registered as well as being DOD contracts ready. The company is well known for its expedited turn time capabilities including Same Day and Weekend turns and its industry best on-time shipping record. For more information, visit www.4pcb.com or call 800-979-4PCB (4722).
Suggested Items
Preventing Surface Prep Defects and Ensuring Reliability
06/10/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIn printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication, surface preparation is a critical process that ensures strong adhesion, reliable plating, and long-term product performance. Without proper surface treatment, manufacturers may encounter defects such as delamination, poor solder mask adhesion, and plating failures. This article examines key surface preparation techniques, common defects resulting from improper processes, and real-world case studies that illustrate best practices.
RF PCB Design Tips and Tricks
05/08/2025 | Cherie Litson, EPTAC MIT CID/CID+There are many great books, videos, and information online about designing PCBs for RF circuits. A few of my favorite RF sources are Hans Rosenberg, Stephen Chavez, and Rick Hartley, but there are many more. These PCB design engineers have a very good perspective on what it takes to take an RF design from schematic concept to PCB layout.
Trouble in Your Tank: Causes of Plating Voids, Pre-electroless Copper
05/09/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankIn the business of printed circuit fabrication, yield-reducing and costly defects can easily catch even the most seasoned engineers and production personnel off guard. In this month’s column, I’ll investigate copper plating voids with their genesis in the pre-plating process steps.
Elephantech: For a Greener Tomorrow
04/16/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineNobuhiko Okamoto is the global sales and marketing manager for Elephantech Inc., a Japanese startup with a vision to make electronics more sustainable. The company is developing a metal inkjet technology that can print directly on the substrate and then give it a copper thickness by plating. In this interview, he discusses this novel technology's environmental advantages, as well as its potential benefits for the PCB manufacturing and semiconductor packaging segments.
Trouble in Your Tank: Organic Addition Agents in Electrolytic Copper Plating
04/15/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankThere are numerous factors at play in the science of electroplating or, as most often called, electrolytic plating. One critical element is the use of organic addition agents and their role in copper plating. The function and use of these chemical compounds will be explored in more detail.