Indium Experts Present at SMTA ICSR 2017

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Several Indium Corporation experts will present at the SMTA International Conference on Soldering and Reliability (ICSR) 2017 on June 6-8 in Ontario, Canada.

Brook Sandy-Smith, technical support engineer for PCB assembly materials, will present "Investigating Solder Paste Performance after Worst-Case Shipping Scenarios". Her discussion will include extended shelf life solder pastes, highlighting significant findings from her extensive studies. In addition, Sandy-Smith will moderate the Bottom Termination Component Design Panel at 3 p.m. on June 8.

Dr. HongWen Zhang, research metallurgist, will present "High-Temperature Lead-Free Die-Attach Materials: A Review", which details the metallurgical perspectives of specific die-attach materials, including melting point, interfacial IMC formation, microstructural evolution, and feasible material forms. He will also compare the processing and the cost of each solution with currently available high-lead solders.

Dr. Sihai Chen, research chemist, will present "Low-Temperature Sinterable Silver Paste for High-Power Die-Attach Applications". His presentation will highlight the development of a new silver paste that can be sintered at temperatures as low as 173°C, production of a silver sintering joint with no voids and high thermal conductivity (200W/mK), and the thermal stability of the silver joints and bonding mechanism.

Sandy-Smith specializes in PCB assembly materials, particularly solder paste. She conducts application testing and qualifications for new product introductions. Sandy-Smith earned degrees in chemical engineering (with a focus on materials) and German language from the University of Rhode Island. She previously worked in R&D, developing conductive adhesives for die- and strap-attach, as well as conductive inks for RFID applications. Her areas of expertise include analytical testing of conductive materials, applications such as screen-printing and jet dispensing (jetting), as well as scale-up and pre-production of developmental materials.

Dr. Zhang specializes in the development of Pb-free solder materials for high-temperature and/or high-fatigue resistance applications, and investigating the associated technologies. He and Dr. Ning-Cheng Lee, Vice President of Technology for Indium, invented the mixed powder solder technique in which minor additives are used to improve wetting and modify the bonding interface, thus increasing the bonding strength. On the basis of this technique, the BiAgX solder system was invented as an alternative high-temperature lead-free solder. Dr. Zhang earned his bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Physical Chemistry from Central South University of China, his master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and his Ph.D. in Material Science and Engineering from Michigan Technological University. He also holds a Six Sigma Green Belt from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, and is a certified IPC Specialist for IPC-A-600 and IPC-A-610D.

Dr. Chen specializes in silver sintering paste product development. He has authored several Indium patents for silver sintering paste, thermal interface material, heat dissipating paint, and indium bump bonding. Dr. Chen has published more than 40 papers in journals, including the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Nano Letters, Langmuir, and The Journal of Physical Chemistry. He earned his doctorate in Chemistry from the Chinese Academy of Sciences with a focus on metal and semiconductor nanomaterial synthesis. Dr. Chen also holds a Six Sigma Green Belt and has been certified as an IPC Specialist for IPC-A-610.

About Indium

Indium Corporation is a premier materials manufacturer and supplier to the global electronics, semiconductor, thin-film, and thermal management markets. Products include solders and fluxes; brazes; thermal interface materials; sputtering targets; indium, gallium, germanium, and tin metals and inorganic compounds; and NanoFoil®. Founded in 1934, Indium has global technical support and factories located in China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the USA.

For more information about Indium Corporation, click here.