IPC’s Annual High-Reliability Forum Adds Microvia Summit

IPC’s High Reliability Forum and Microvia Summit, a three-day technical conference to be held in Hanover, Md., May 14-16, will focus on electronics for mil-aero, automotive, and long-life applications.

The conference will commence with a half-day professional development session offered by Bhanu Sood, Ph.D., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, titled, “Focus on PCB Quality to Drive Reliability.” Dr. Sood will review concepts of reliability and risk along with the relationship between quality and failure mechanisms. The application of non-destructive/destructive analysis techniques as well as materials characterization will be illustrated with the support of pertinent case studies.

Technical presentations will cover topics ranging from PCB design and laminate reliability, surface cleanliness and reliability, to microvia considerations and standard development updates. Panel discussions will open the conversation to attendees with subject matter experts addressing board and surface reliability challenges as well as microvia reliability testing.

The Microvia Summit is featured in 2019 since microvia challenges and reliability issues are of great concern to the printed board manufacturing industry and upstream users of printed boards. A new subcommittee, IPC V-TSL-MVIA Weak Interface Microvia Failures Technology Solutions Committee, was formed in 2018 to investigate root causes of microvia interface failure. Speakers from that subcommittee will provide updates on their ongoing efforts.

“The High Reliability Forum and Microvia Summit provides an opportunity for those working with Class 3 electronics to interact with subject matter experts, facilitating true problem solving and cooperation to share best practices across applications focused on exceptional reliability requirements,” said Brook Sandy-Smith, IPC technical education program manager.

The IPC High Reliability Forum and Microvia Summit features sponsorships by Aqueous Technologies Corporation, PCB Technologies Ltd, and NTS. Exhibitors at the conference include BTG Labs, Colonial Circuits, Inc., ELANTAS PDG, Inc., NTS, PCB Technologies, Ltd, Summit Interconnect – Orange, and Zentech Manufacturing.