"The post-recession rebound is history. We don't foresee a double-dip, but we do expect growth to slow even more markedly, to a 1.6-percent annualized rate in the second half of the year."

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have cultivated many thousands of nanocrystals in what looks like a pinscreen or "pin art" on silicon, a step toward reliable mass production of semiconductor nanowires for millionths-of-a-meter-scale devices such as sensors and lasers.

"Crystal Systems' sapphire process knowledge complements our expertise in silicon growth technologies and we believe this combination will allow us to quickly deliver products that leapfrog sapphire crystallization technology available from other suppliers," said Tom Gutierrez, GT Solar's president and CEO.

Orbital Sciences Corporation, one of the world's leading space technology companies, today announced that it was selected by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the prime contractor role on the NASA Sounding Rocket Operations Contract II (NSROC II) program.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics has kicked-off volume production at its PCB plant in Kunshan, eastern China; and CKL Electronics will be expanding its monthly capacity for double-sided and multi-layer PCBs. Rising demand for LCD/LED back-lit TVs, meanwhile, are expected to drive the growth of GUH, Ibiden, P.I.E. Industrial and Vitrox.

Bel Fuse Inc. today announced preliminary unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2010, highlighted by a 73% increase in net sales and an increase in net earnings to $4.7 million compared to a net loss of $1.3 million for the second quarter of 2009.

Mikel Williams, President and CEO, said, "With second quarter bookings of approximately $69.7 million and indications of continued solid demand in the marketplace, we are optimistic about our prospects for the second half of 2010."

Engineering support service provider PCB Planet has launched two new services for EMS and design companies.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company's (LMSSC) Advanced Technology Center (ATC) has won a 5-year $7 million contract with the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate for the Complex Event Modeling Simulation and Analysis (CEMSA) project.

Research and Markets: Global and China Led Industry Report 2010 Reveals the LED Market Will Reach US$20.4 Billion in 2012

Mikel Williams, President and CEO, said, "With second quarter bookings of approximately $69.7 million and indications of continued solid demand in the marketplace, we are optimistic about our prospects for the second half of 2010."

"By expanding our presence in Europe, Labtech is a welcome addition to our portfolio of businesses," said Russell Shaller, VP and GM of Teledyne MEC. "Coupled with our Teledyne Cougar microwave component business in the U.S., Labtech's component business augments our already strong position in the field of custom, high-performance microwave components."

While RF purists may feel discomfort at the thought of using crosshatch as a high-frequency return, using crosshatched planes on flex and flex-rigid PCBs is a realistic method of keeping impedance-controlled traces at a manufacturable dimension and retaining the desired flexibility of the assembly.

In this paper, the authors report novel printable materials with the potential to surpass conventional materials to produce fine structures compatible with organic substrates. Specifically, the electronic applications of printable materials are discussed, such as adhesives, inter-layer dielectrics, embedded passives and circuits.

Solder-free and 3-D assembly will help bridge the performance and density gaps needed to extend Moore's Law, as lithography on silicon runs out of steam. It will offer America the chance to restore her electronic manufacturing mojo and provide for her security. Please, America, don't miss this chance to leap-frog the rest of the world!

The company has begun its financial year with one of the best first quarter results in its history. The 14% increase in revenues meant not only a respectable pre-tax profit, but it was also substantially in excess both of AT&S forecasts and of market expectations. Revenues totalled EUR 114 million--37% higher than in the first quarter of 2009/10.

According to Mark Thompson, timing can make or break your controlled impedance board. With many jobs going through turnkey environments, late communication about impedance issues takes valuable time out of the fabrication process and can delay delivery of product, leaving the end-user and the turnkey assembler unhappy.

Materials are the most purchased items in the PCB industry for both business and technology customers. Material suppliers occupied the majority of the space at the show; however, many suppliers considered to be large players in the industry were absent. Why did they pass on this year's show?

Viasystems Group, Inc, today announced that estimated consolidated sales for the quarter ended June 30, 2010 were $239.4 million, representing approximately $53 million, or 28%, sequential growth over $186.6 million sales reported for the previous quarter. This was also the fourth consecutive quarter of improvement in orders booked.

Polar Instruments CEO Martyn Gaudion will be exploring a number of themes. A major SI topic that is set to grow is the emergence of new silicon families designed to push traditional materials into the multi-gigahertz arena. These new chipsets lift transmission speeds up to a point where signal losses rather than reflections become the predominant concern from an SI perspective.

Solder-free and 3-D assembly will help bridge the performance and density gaps needed to extend Moore's Law, as lithography on silicon runs out of steam. It will offer America the chance to restore her electronic manufacturing mojo and provide for her security. Please, America, don't miss this chance to leap-frog the rest of the world!

According to Mark Thompson, timing can make or break your controlled impedance board. With many jobs going through turnkey environments, late communication about impedance issues takes valuable time out of the fabrication process and can delay delivery of product, leaving the end-user and the turnkey assembler unhappy.

Editor Joe Fjelstad talks with Calvin Mackenzie of LPMS and Doug Downie of Bostik about a new low-pressure molding process. The new process allows resins to be extruded at approximately 70 psi to encapsulate fragile PCBs and flexible circuits.

Materials are the most purchased items in the PCB industry for both business and technology customers. Material suppliers occupied the majority of the space at the show; however, many suppliers considered to be large players in the industry were absent. Why did they pass on this year's show?

Many Internet sources provide education and training in our respective fields. You just have to know where to look. It's not quite like attending a live training event, but you can improve your skill set through the Internet, and you can often do so free of charge.

Polar Instruments CEO Martyn Gaudion will be exploring a number of themes. A major SI topic that is set to grow is the emergence of new silicon families designed to push traditional materials into the multi-gigahertz arena. These new chipsets lift transmission speeds up to a point where signal losses rather than reflections become the predominant concern from an SI perspective.

John Ritchie, Product Manager for Rogers Corporation, reviews his company's new high-frequency laminate product, RO4360, which features a Dk of 6.15. The new product can address issues concerning what Ritchie sees as three mega-trends in the industry: The drive toward mass transit, sustainable energy and Internet growth.

There's a chance that International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) and other regulations that dictate how North American companies handle controlled products will undergo dramatic alterations in the next few years.

Demands for higher performance, multifunctionality and size reduction require package substrates to offer improved high-speed signal transmission, higher wiring density and high system reliability. An SAP is widely used with build-up dielectric materials to form the circuit features. Features of such metallization processes are detailed here.

JPCA exhibitors that featured printable electronics fell into three categories: Material suppliers, manufacturing equipment and tool vendors, and electronics circuit/device manufacturers. Most executives affiliated with JPCA agreed that printable electronics must be included in business plans going forward.

Solder-free and 3-D assembly will help bridge the performance and density gaps needed to extend Moore's Law, as lithography on silicon runs out of steam. It will offer America the chance to restore her electronic manufacturing mojo and provide for her security. Please, America, don't miss this chance to leap-frog the rest of the world!

According to Mark Thompson, timing can make or break your controlled impedance board. With many jobs going through turnkey environments, late communication about impedance issues takes valuable time out of the fabrication process and can delay delivery of product, leaving the end-user and the turnkey assembler unhappy.

Materials are the most purchased items in the PCB industry for both business and technology customers. Material suppliers occupied the majority of the space at the show; however, many suppliers considered to be large players in the industry were absent. Why did they pass on this year's show?

Many Internet sources provide education and training in our respective fields. You just have to know where to look. It's not quite like attending a live training event, but you can improve your skill set through the Internet, and you can often do so free of charge.

Polar Instruments CEO Martyn Gaudion will be exploring a number of themes. A major SI topic that is set to grow is the emergence of new silicon families designed to push traditional materials into the multi-gigahertz arena. These new chipsets lift transmission speeds up to a point where signal losses rather than reflections become the predominant concern from an SI perspective.

Demands for higher performance, multifunctionality and size reduction require package substrates to offer improved high-speed signal transmission, higher wiring density and high system reliability. An SAP is widely used with build-up dielectric materials to form the circuit features. Features of such metallization processes are detailed here.

JPCA exhibitors that featured printable electronics fell into three categories: Material suppliers, manufacturing equipment and tool vendors, and electronics circuit/device manufacturers. Most executives affiliated with JPCA agreed that printable electronics must be included in business plans going forward.

Corner cracks are observed less often than barrel cracks, but with high-rel boards, we can't be too careful. Unlike barrel cracks, which can fail catastrophically, knee cracks tend to propagate over time. The damaged pad actually resembles a funnel and the warp and weft of the glass give the funnel an uneven, puckered shape.

Fine-line generation could be considered the main dish of a multi-course meal offered by the printed circuit industry. Japanese PCB manufacturers, especially flexible circuit manufacturers, are continuously competing internally with their fine-line generation capabilities.

Every now and then, a true technological breakthrough comes along. The paper circuit is just such a breakthrough. These new circuits--printed on standard photocopier paper--can be as complicated as fine-line 6-layer circuits, and they cost far less than traditional PCBs to build. But printing companies will have the jump on traditional PCB fabricators when it comes to paper circuits.