Nolan’s Notes: Finding Your Sweet Spot
Standard of Excellence: Delivering Excellence—A Daily Goal
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
TopLine to Present at NASA ETW June 13
June 5, 2023 | TopLineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Martin Hart, CEO of TopLine Corporation, will deliver a presentation titled “Next Generation Solder Columns Extend Life for Large Packages for Space Applications and Data Centers” at the upcoming 14th Annual NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging (NEPP) Electronics Technology Workshop (ETW) June 13. This annual Workshop returns to Building 3 Goett Auditorium at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. Admission is free, with limited on-site access (first-come, first-served). WebEx remote attendance will be available to all.
Hart’s presentation compares the 40-year heritage of solder columns and their role in electronics packaging technology, with anticipated challenges to column technology demanded by increasingly larger packages and stress problems associated therewith. Hart looks at some of the exciting advances in columns and their potential to meet such challenges and extend component life for mission critical applications.
“Braided Solder Columns, comprised of an Indium core and Niobium exoskeleton exterior, are capable of operating in minus 150C to minus 270C environments,” Hart says. “This may enable the development of packages that can reliably operate at extremely cold temperatures for Quantum computing, for example, and for applications such as deployment on the back side of the moon.”
The Goddard Space Flight Center is a major NASA space research laboratory located approximately 6.5 miles northeast of Washington, D.C. in Greenbelt, Maryland, United States. Established in 1959 as NASA's first space flight center, GSFC employs approximately 10,000 civil servants and contractors.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Driving Innovation: Direct Imaging vs. Conventional Exposure
07/01/2025 | Simon Khesin -- Column: Driving InnovationMy first camera used Kodak film. I even experimented with developing photos in the bathroom, though I usually dropped the film off at a Kodak center and received the prints two weeks later, only to discover that some images were out of focus or poorly framed. Today, every smartphone contains a high-quality camera capable of producing stunning images instantly.
Hands-On Demos Now Available for Apollo Seiko’s EF and AF Selective Soldering Lines
06/30/2025 | Apollo SeikoApollo Seiko, a leading innovator in soldering technology, is excited to spotlight its expanded lineup of EF and AF Series Selective Soldering Systems, now available for live demonstrations in its newly dedicated demo room.
Indium Corporation Expert to Present on Automotive and Industrial Solder Bonding Solutions at Global Electronics Association Workshop
06/26/2025 | IndiumIndium Corporation Principal Engineer, Advanced Materials, Andy Mackie, Ph.D., MSc, will deliver a technical presentation on innovative solder bonding solutions for automotive and industrial applications at the Global Electronics A
Fresh PCB Concepts: Assembly Challenges with Micro Components and Standard Solder Mask Practices
06/26/2025 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsMicro components have redefined what is possible in PCB design. With package sizes like 01005 and 0201 becoming more common in high-density layouts, designers are now expected to pack more performance into smaller spaces than ever before. While these advancements support miniaturization and functionality, they introduce new assembly challenges, particularly with traditional solder mask and legend application processes.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
06/25/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileTin whiskers are slender, hair-like metallic growths that can develop on the surface of tin-plated electronic components. Typically measuring a few micrometers in diameter and growing several millimeters in length, they form through an electrochemical process influenced by environmental factors such as temperature variations, mechanical or compressive stress, and the aging of solder alloys.