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The practical question around CHIPS Act development and electronics assembly is, “Will this change how we do business?” Indium Corporation’s Dr. Andy Mackie sat down with Nolan Johnson to share what he sees as emerging answers to that question from his perspective as an expert in electronics assembly and packaging, and as a participant in standards development through IPC, JEDEC, and SEMI.
When we talk about the CHIPS Act, that leads to a discussion about the assembly process, as they seem so interrelated.
Certainly. As the CHIPS Act money started rolling out last year, IPC hosted a conference in Washington, D.C. to point out that semiconductor chips do not exist in a vacuum; they are part of an electronics ecosystem that includes interconnection and protection. Therefore, U.S.-based packaging and assembly would be needed, alongside U.S. chip fabrication. This appeared to be news to many. The role of solder in advanced packaging has been changing over the years, but solder will continue to be needed.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the September 2023 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
