Keywords
Citation
Ellis, B. (1999), "High density without specific gravity or it is enough to make you screen", Circuit World, Vol. 25 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/cw.1999.21725aaa.002
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
High density without specific gravity or it is enough to make you screen
High density without specific gravity or it is enough to make you screen
Keywords HDIScircuits, Internet
I have been contacted by two companies for harsh judgements of their Web sites in about ten commentaries such as this one, covering nearly 50 sites. In one case, the company accepted the criticism in the spirit in which it was intended and, as a result, is making efforts to improve it. This makes me think that writing this column is serving a useful purpose. The other company e-mailed me a diatribe of irony and condemnation, which was water off a duck's back. When I mention that a site is poor, there is a real reason which I try to explain, so that the owner can improve it. In this review, out of five criticisms, I consider that two are negative: one of these is the longest simply because I want the owner to improve it and I try to tell him how. At the same time, other new site developers may avoid falling into the same traps.
It seems very strange, but many times when I wish to find something on the Internet, how few companies seem to make their Web sites visible. For this issue of Circuit World, I decided to find out a little about how I could, hypothetically, find who would make high density interconnect structure circuits for me. To do this, I used the most common ten or so Internet search engines, with what I would have thought would have been the ideal keyword, "microvia". Yes, I found hundreds of results including, of course, the site of conferences, magazines, organisations like the IPC and many others. What I did not find were many manufacturers of HDIS circuits. After more than two hours searching, I succeeded in finding exactly five. If any readers of this column manufacture such circuits and have a Web site, then I would seriously suggest that they may care to find out better how to make their sites known to the search engines.
To take the sites that I was able to find in alphabetical order, the first one belongs to Automata Inc. in Virginia, at http://www.automata.com. The home page of this site comes as a shock in the way it is constructed (Plate 1). This is not so much a negative criticism as a simple statement around the rather vivid use of colour in the form of a site map. In fact, the site is quite well designed and is of conventional structure. It is also very complete with all the information that any visitor would require. One feature which I cannot fail to mention is what the authors have described as a "webibliography". This is a remarkable collection of links to both internal and external papers and other technical information. A visit to this site is well worth it for this focal point alone. As far as one is able to judge, this company is well equipped to manufacture HDIS circuits using, principally, laser ablation techniques. Another rather outstanding exhibit on this site is a plant tour, which is guided by what looks like an ordinary road map where each of the 40-odd towns or villages is a part of the plant which you are invited to have a look at. If I were to give a mark for inventiveness without overloading the resources of the system, this site would merit five stars on this count.
| * | Site construction: | **** |
| * | Technical content: | ***** |
Our second visit is to Circuit Technology Inc. at http://www.circuit-technology.com. One may assume that the company may be in Texas, as they advertise the Dallas chapter of the SMTA, but you will not find their address, telephone number or whatever on the site. Unfortunately, this is altogether a very poor site. Many of the features do not work because of poor programming. From the point of view of appearance, the background is a dark bluish slate colour and the greater part of the text is in black, so that the contrast is very poor (and it will not print out with some browsers). Even more difficult to read, on the home page, there is a set of instructions on how to navigate the site and this is in a green, which gives almost no contrast. By persevering, one can just make out that they recommend using their site map for navigation. This feature is put into a secondary window and I strongly recommend that users select "outline", giving a text version, which is much simpler to follow than the graphics version, which tells you nothing until you "hover" over a minute rectangle. This site map has a search feature, but this works only on the titles and not on the whole site. For example, if you type in "microvia", there will not be a response. In fact, other than the single mention of the word microvia in a listing of the product capabilities, there are no technical details regarding what the company is capable or incapable of producing, or how they do it. In comparison to the first example, I have little doubt which company a potential purchaser would consider first. Of course, it may be that Circuit Technology is capable of making the best circuits in the world but the Web site is simply just not very convincing in describing what the company is able to do.
Plate 1Automata plant tour map
| * | Site construction: | * |
| * | Technical content: | * |
Let us now hop across the Atlantic to have a look at the only European site on the list. This is the Swiss company Dyconex AG at http://www.dyconex.ch When one says Swiss, it is easy to imagine a staid, conservative image, and one would hardly be disappointed to find that this site is, indeed, very traditional. It is not necessarily very easy to navigate within the site, except if one uses the site map, which makes it very simple. Of all the sites which we are visiting today, this one is, by far, the fastest to download. In case, dear reader, you may think that this is because it is local to my company, let me disillusion you by stating that this column is being written on a Mediterranean island on which I am installing my new home. No! The simple reason is that the pages written by this company use graphics very modestly and only where strictly necessary. Once you get the hang of how the site is set out, you will find an enormous amount of technical information on their manufacturing procedures and capabilities. Unlike most of the other companies in this review, Dyconex has chosen plasma ablation as their means of producing microvias. Another feature on this site is a library of technical papers that have been published by the company: unlike Automata, this does not include any external documentation.
| * | Site construction: | **** |
| * | Technical content: | **** |
Back again to the Western side of the Atlantic, we land up in the Florida site of MicroVia Inc., formerly Continental Circuits Inc. This company, to be found at http://www.microvia.com, claims that 70 per cent of its production is devoted to advanced technology circuits, including HDIS and microvias. The site is quite conventional but it has too many large graphics. I would sincerely suggest that this company replaces these by thumbnail pictures which are "clickable" to produce the full size version, because some of the pages take several minutes to download, which I find unacceptable. This company specialises in photomechanical development of the microvias, as opposed to laser or plasma methods. In my opinion, each of these has its advantages and disadvantages and the average user of HDIS circuits would be well advised to let the manufacturer use his favourite technology, provided that the technical characteristics and the price are right. This site is very complete and offers an amazing amount of technical information but, for me, the highlight is a page on how to save costs on advanced technology printed circuits. I would strongly advise every single person involved in the design and specification of such components to print this page out and post it on the wall in front of his desk.
| * | Site construction: | *** |
| * | Technical content: | **** |
Our last visit is to Multek Inc. at http://www.multek.com, with three locations in California, Minnesota and Texas. Unfortunately, this site is very poor indeed, although a warning is given that it is still under construction. It is to be hoped that this will be completed very rapidly, because as it stands the site does not promote the company or its products. At the time of writing, it was impossible to go further than the home page, which consisted of a graphics catalogue of the available products and services, with no other details. Certainly, one of the catalogue items was microvia circuits.
| * | Site construction: | * |
| * | Technical content: | * |
Putting myself back into the shoes of a prospective purchaser of HDIS circuits, from what I have seen among these five sites, I would give most credibility to Automata Inc. and Dyconex AG. Of course, if I were to purchase such circuits, I would need to negotiate further with the prospective suppliers than would be possible to judge from a Web site. That having been said, there is little doubt that the first impression obtained from the Web site could tip the balance very much in favour of or against a company and some prospective purchasers may use the information on the Internet for a first shortlist.
On a totally different subject, those of you who use sophisticated circuits with controlled characteristic impedances may care to examine the Polar Web site at http://www.polar.co.uk. This company is, of course, well known for its approach to characteristic impedance, but it has just brought out a new software for calculating the conductor dimensions needed to secure a specific impedance in a three-dimensional structure, as well as crosstalk and reflections. The site offers a free evaluation copy of the calculator, which may be downloaded. At the time of writing, I am still evaluating this software but my first impression is favourable and, even more favourable, a reaction time to an e-mail question of less than one hour. In this day and age, such rapid response merits mention.
Web sites mentioned:
- •
- •
- •
- •
- •
- •
Brian EllisProtonique SAb_ellis@protonique.comhttp://www.protonique.com