iNEMI Publishes Four Roadmap Topics

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The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) announces the availability of the first roadmap topics in the new iNEMI Roadmap format. Printed circuit boards, sustainable electronics, smart manufacturing, and mmWave materials and test are now available online.

“The in-depth content on these topics is intended to help companies align technology progress with their respective commercial interests and to support high-volume manufacturing,” says Francis Mullany, iNEMI Director of Roadmapping. “The new format provides a more structured, accessible view of the roadmap that is easily updated based on market movements and technology innovations. And, of course, the roadmap continues to chart the future evolution of electronics manufacturing in terms of application drivers, technical needs, gaps, and technical solutions over a 10-year horizon to help guide R&D investment decisions by industry as well as public research programs and government agencies.”

Initial Topics Include Technologies Critical to Complex Integrated Systems

This initial wave of roadmap topics focuses on key technologies and cross-cutting topics critical to complex integrated systems (CIS), as discussed in a recent iNEMI/IPC whitepaper “Complex Integrated Systems: The Future of Electronics Manufacturing." The scope of each topic area now available is described below.

Printed Circuit Boards — Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are a fundamental element of a vast range of electronic products. The PCB manufacturing ecosystem must continuously evolve and react to “technology blurring” with respect to substrates. The initial iNEMI Roadmap discussion of this topic covers a broad spectrum: high-speed PCBs and substrates; test, inspection and measurement; and environmental issues. Other topics currently under preparation include microwave and mmWave PCBs, laminate-based semiconductor packaging and PCB design.

Sustainable Electronics — Sustainability in the design, manufacture, use and end-of-life handling of electronics systems is an increasingly important consideration across the entire electronics manufacturing ecosystem. The iNEMI Roadmap currently focuses on the full scope of circularity and on key materials used. A new reporting format gathers information on sustainability hot-spot issues and roadmaps mitigating technologies on a per-substance basis.

Smart Manufacturing — The term “smart manufacturing” encompasses the adoption of informed, intelligent, automated manufacturing processes at factory, enterprise, and ecosystem levels for increased flexibility, resiliency and efficiency. The initial release of roadmap content looks at the central topic of data flow architecture and at the increasingly important issue of security of smart manufacturing systems and data.

mmWave Materials and Test — As part of the 5G/6G MAESTRO project, work on this topic was supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST’s) Office of Advanced Manufacturing. It considers the challenges posed by the operation of electronics at mmWave frequencies and higher. The focus is on the materials and their characterization and electrical test, primarily for PCBs and packaging substrates.

Publication Schedule

In the coming months, the iNEMI Roadmap will:

Provide qualitative market driver assessments and quantitative requirements for multiple application areas

Map technology gaps and potential solution approaches for other critical technology topics such as board assembly, complex integrated systems, modelling and design

Build a dynamic online presence for the iNEMI Roadmap, collaborating closely with other industry roadmaps