Indium Experts to Present at SMTconnect 2019

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Indium Corporation experts Andreas Karch, Regional Technical Manager, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and Karthik Vijay, Technical Manager, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, will share their industry knowledge during SMTconnect 2019 from May 7-9 in Nuremberg, Germany.

Vijay will present "Automotive PCBA & No-Clean Solder Paste—Enhanced Electrical Reliability for High-Power Components." As automotive electrification and subsequent use of high-power components in under-the-hood electronics increases—as in 48V, HEV, and EV technologies—surface insulation resistance (SIR) specifications to assess the electrical reliability of the no-clean solder paste flux chemistry have become more stringent. Vijay will discuss the influence of no-clean flux chemistries on dendritic growth for high-power, low-standoff components as it pertains to these enhanced SIR conditions.

Karch will discuss "Future-Proof Flux Systems in Solder Pastes: The Requirements for Electrical Reliability Are Increasing." Due to changes in the operating conditions of electronics assemblies, there are always new mission profiles for lifetime reliability. This also increases the demands on the materials used. In the area of no-clean solder pastes, the focus is on the SIR (surface insulation resistance) test as proof of the electrochemical duration reliability of these flux residues. For example, today's existing test duration has increased from 168 hours to 1,000 hours (+600%). Modern flux systems in solder pastes already have answers to these new challenges.

Vijay is based in the UK and manages Indium Corporation’s technology programs and technical support throughout Europe. His expertise is focused on solder paste, engineered solders, thermal interface materials, and semiconductor-grade electronics assembly materials. Vijay is active in several industry organizations, including IMAPS and the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA), and has presented at industry forums and conferences internationally. He earned his master’s degree in Systems Science and Industrial Engineering from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

As the Regional Technical Manager for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, Karch provides support to Indium Corporation’s customers in those regions, including sharing process knowledge and making product recommendations. He has more than 20 years of automotive industry experience, including the advanced development of customized electronics. Karch is an ECQA-certified integrated design engineer, has a Six Sigma Yellow Belt, and was selected by the Austrian Patent Office as one of the 2014 recipients of the Top 10 Inventum Awards for an automotive LED assembly.  

Indium Corporation will feature the solder products for high-reliability applications at the show, including Indium8.9HF solder paste, which exceeds all requirements for higher electronical reliability and has been approved for use in numerous automotive applications. To enable your process for 48V, please talk with our experts and find out more for your processes. For more information about Indium Corporation’s experts’ recent work, visit www.indium.com/techlibrary or find them at the show in hall 5, booth 310.

About Indium Corporation

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, the company has global technical support and factories located in China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the USA.