At Nepcon West:

A plethora of packaging technologies and products

This year's Nepcon West Conference and Exhibition, to be held March
1 through 5 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA,/ will have
no fewer than 120 sessions discussing a wide range of electronics packaging
and manufacturing topics. Through exhibits, technical sessions, symposiums,
workshops, and learning and demonstration centers, engineers will be able
to keep up with the latest advances in electronics packaging technology.

Some of the Conference highlights include:

A workshop, titled “Fundamentals for Adapting Chip-Scale Packaging
to Surface-Mount Technology,” that will give designers information
on adapting this state-of-the-art packaging technology to their product
designs.

A symposium on ball grid arrays that will discuss the selection, assembly,
and rework of both plastic and tape BGAs.

A symposium on direct-chip-attach and chip-scale packaging that will
discuss the implementation of low-cost flip-chip packages.

A course, called “High Density Components: Assembly Tips and
Technology,” that explores the many component types and process options
supporting the implementation of high-density designs.

A tutorial, titled “Options in Electronics Packaging: From Design
Through Assembly,” that reviews the current state of the art in laminate
technology from design through assembly, and examines technologies from
through-hole and SMT to high-density MCM-L.

A number of technical sessions covering advances in area array packaging,
flip-chip technologies, quality and reliability of flip-chip and chip-scale
assemblies, and new developments in printed- wiring-board materials and
construction.

The products to be shown at the conference will reflect the industry's
continuing need for more precise component assembly, higher board densities,
and higher circuit performance. Here's a sampling:

Samtec (New Albany, IN) will show several of its recently introduced
connectors, including its TMM Series 2-mm quad-row headers (see photo )

The TMM Series high-density header from Samtec has four rows
of up to 50 pins on 2-mm centers.

and 0.050-in.-center CLP Series right-angle board socket and FTSH Series
terminal strip. (Booth #3221)

Pace (Laurel, MD) is showing the PRC 1500, a complete conductive
and convective rework system that allows for rework of any pc board with
through-hole, surface-mount, or mixed-technology components. (Booth #2167)

Enthone-OMI (New Haven, CT) is showing Envison PDD, a photo- definable
dielectric material used to-manufacture blind and buried vias on pc boards.
It is supplied as a liquid material and uses standard solder mask coating
and photoimaging techniques. (Booth #2325)

Electro-Tech Systems (Glenside, PA) will demonstrate its Model
431 shielded test bag system. This system measures the shielding effectiveness
of static-shielding bags in accordance with industry and government specifications.
(Booth #4504)

CR Technology (Laguna Niguel, CA) will exhibit the RTI-6520
automated pc-board component inspection system that checks for component
presence and position, orientation and polarity, and skew and tombstoning.
(Booth #4423)

CMI International (Elk Grove Village, IL) will show the CMI-100
coating-measurement gauge, offered as the world's smallest coating-thickness
gauge. It combines electronics, probe, and back-lit display into one unit.
(Booth #4415)

/SMTech (Langhorne, PA) is showing an in-line stencil printer
that handles stencil frames up to 29 x 29 in., for pc boards up to 23 x
20 in. Designated the SigmaPrint 500, the stencil printer is suited for
SMT, hybrid, or flexible-circuit applications. (Booth #1305)

For more information on Nepcon West, contact Nepcon Customer Service
at Reed Exhibition Companies, Norwalk, CT, at 800-467-5656, e-mail ,
or visit .