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Current IssueSales: From Pitch to PO
From the first cold call to finally receiving that first purchase order, the July PCB007 Magazine breaks down some critical parts of the sales stack. To up your sales game, read on!
The Hole Truth: Via Integrity in an HDI World
From the drilled hole to registration across multiple sequential lamination cycles, to the quality of your copper plating, via reliability in an HDI world is becoming an ever-greater challenge. This month we look at “The Hole Truth,” from creating the “perfect” via to how you can assure via quality and reliability, the first time, every time.
In 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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Megasonic Acoustic Surface Treatment Process for Enhanced Copper Electrodeposition in Via Interconnects
July 4, 2017 | Thomas Jones, Dr. David Flynn, Marc P.Y. Desmulliez and Dennis PriceEstimated reading time: 1 minute

Introduction
A printed circuit board is populated with a multitude of electro-mechanical components plus various active and passive devices such as transistors, capacitors, inductors and resistors, which enable the functionality and assembly of the PCB. Increasing the density of the components on the surface of a board enables greater functionality and use. A high-density (HD) design is desirable for technology high end applications, which include automotive, aerospace, space, defense, mobile phones, medical, networking, communications, and computer storage[1].
The current trend in PCB markets is lowtechnology, high-volume demand and is typically supplied by low-cost, large-scale facilities in Southeast Asia, such as China, India and Thailand. High-value, low-volume PCB markets are typically supplied by smaller-sized facilities in western regions such as North America and Europe, but also economically developed east
ern locations such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan[2]. The UK PCB demand typically focuses on this latter market. Manufacturing developments bringing increased capability and cost savings to a factory in the UK would be highly desirable and enable increased market competitiveness. For more than four years, Merlin Circuit Technology Ltd (MCT), in Deeside, North Wales, has been working in collaboration with Heriot-Watt University (HWU) in Edinburgh, Scotland, on a UK government project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), looking to improve HD PCB manufacturing capability through enhancements to the electrodeposition of copper using high frequency acoustic, applied within a copper plating bath [3,4,5]. This article outlines some of the key findings from this project.
To read the full version of this article which appeared in the June 2017 issue of The PCB Magazine.
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Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
OKI Launches Rigid-Flex PCBs with Embedded Copper Coins Featuring Improved Heat Dissipation for Space Equipment Applications
07/29/2025 | BUSINESS WIREOKI Circuit Technology, the OKI Group’s printed circuit board (PCB) business company, has developed rigid-flex PCBs with embedded copper coins that offer improved heat dissipation for use in rockets and satellite-mounted equipment operating in vacuum environments.
Designers Notebook: Basic PCB Planning Criteria—Establishing Design Constraints
07/22/2025 | Vern Solberg -- Column: Designer's NotebookPrinted circuit board development flows more smoothly when all critical issues are predefined and understood from the start. As a basic planning strategy, the designer must first consider the product performance criteria, then determine the specific industry standards or specifications that the product must meet. Planning also includes a review of all significant issues that may affect the product’s manufacture, performance, reliability, overall quality, and safety.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
07/18/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007It may be the middle of the summer, but the news doesn’t quit, and there’s plenty to talk about this week, whether you’re talking technical or on a global scale. When I have to choose six items instead of my regular five, you know it’s good. I start by highlighting my interview with Martyn Gaudion on his latest book, share some concerning tariff news, follow that up with some promising (and not-so-promising) investments, and feature a paper from last January’s inaugural Pan-European Design Conference.
Elephantech Launches World’s Smallest-Class Copper Nanofiller
07/17/2025 | ElephantechJapanese deep-tech startup Elephantech has launched its cutting-edge 15 nm class copper nanofiller – the smallest class available globally. This breakthrough makes Elephantech one of the first companies in the world to provide such advanced material for commercial use.
Copper Price Surge Raises Alarms for Electronics
07/15/2025 | Global Electronics Association Advocacy and Government Relations TeamThe copper market is experiencing major turbulence in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of a 50% tariff on imported copper effective Aug. 1. Recent news reports, including from the New York Times, sent U.S. copper futures soaring to record highs, climbing nearly 13% in a single day as manufacturers braced for supply shocks and surging costs.