The ‘Laminate Overview’ gives an overview of the thermal and mechanical properties of different Printed Circuit Board laminates. The overview provides links to laminate datasheets. For each of the laminates an estimation of the number of lead-free soldering cycles to delamination and to failure of a 300µm diameter 20µm copper plated via in a 1.6mm thick PCB is given.

The ‘Bill-Of-Material (BOM) DfM Checklist’ provides a structurized and comprehensive list of electronic component packaging properties with regard to the terminal, material, legislation and assembly properties.
The BOM DfM Checklist can be used:

• To collect all relevant component data and identify missing data;
• To verify RoHS compliancy;
• To verify lead-free soldering compatibility of the BOM;
• To perform a BOM risk analysis for lead-free assembly and PBA reliability (e.g. terminal metallurgy, temperatures sensitivity, …);
• As a basis for assembly instructions;
• Etc.

The assembly parameters that are critical to PBA quality and reliability are: assembly quality assurance approach, solder materials, solder processes, assembly logistics, Quality and RoHS compliancy control. Additionally, the document provides a recommendation regarding the minimal requirements for the listed parameters for professional RoHS compliant electronics (IPC class 2).
The PBA Assembly Checklist can be used:

• To establish PB Assembly specifications (design).
• As part of assembly qualification and quality control (industrialisation, quality).
• As part of EMS service communication and specification (industrialisation, purchasing).
• As part of assembly documentation and customer communication (production, EMS).
• As an assembly auditing tool (industrialisation, quality, production).
• As part of RoHS compliancy documentation (OEM and EMS).

The ‘PBA Failure Risk Assessment FMEA’ provides a comprehensive overview of potential Printed Board Assembly quality and reliability issues together with the major risk factors. Where and how to address these issues in the product development cycle is indicated. This tool can be used as a pro-active FMEA tool in PBA development. FMEA: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis.

The ‘PCB Supplier Capability List’ specifies the available and qualified technologies at a PCB manufacturing supplier with quantified manufacturing capabilities and boundary conditions.

The ‘PBA Supplier Capability List’ specifies the available and qualified technologies at an electronic assembly (EMS) supplier with quantified assembly capabilities and boundary conditions.

The ‘Design-to-Manufacturing (DtM) mapping tool’ specifies for each design feature identified by the PBA passport the technology and manufacturing capabilities required at the PCB and the assembly supplier.

The ‘PBA Passport’ identifies and lists the PBA design features that determine the technologies and the manufacturing capability required to realize the PBA design. It is a basic tool for Design-for-X evaluation and for design-to-manufacturing mapping.

The NPI Questionnaire aims at creating a comprehensive view on the PCB/PBA technology requirements, the industrialization context, the operational context of the product and the business priorities. The NPI questionnaire can be used for the product portfolio as a whole, a product class or an individual PBA product. The NPI Questionnaire information provides the basis on which PBA specifications and Design-for-X strategies can be built. The NPI Questionnaire contains five parts (sheets), which are:

• Part 1: What are the PCB technology needs? Identification of PCB technology needs: substrate types, interconnection density, etc.
• Part 2: What are the PBA technology needs? Identification of PBA technology needs: PBA type and processes, packaging technologies, etc.
• Part 3: Which PCB/PBA standards are used? Identification of industry standards used in PBA development.
• Part 4: Product Deployment Identification of NPI methodology: design, prototyping, qualification, industrialisation, production, operation, maintenance and associated quality and volume expectations.
• Part 5: What are the business priorities ? Identification of business priorities regarding cost, quality, reliability, flexibility, time-to-market, etc. Note: “If everything is important nothing is important.”. Identify the priorities.

The IPC Standards Guide provides a structure for PCB and PBA information and more generally for electronic hardware information. IPC standards are mapped to this structure. Electronic hardware is categorized into different interconnect levels: IC level 0, component package level 1, PBA level 2, rack/box level 3,… Each level is divided into two subcategories: the hardware item itself and the interconnecting medium. For PBA this is respectively the PBA and the PCB. Each subcategory uses the same generic tree structure identifying different aspects of the hardware item: ‘parts & materials’, ‘design’, ‘fabrication’, ‘internal build-up & structure’, ‘testing’ and ‘properties of the finished item’. Each aspect is further subdivided into a more detailled structure. To find the IPC standards that deal with the topic of interest, specify the topic and look it up in the tree structure. The relevant IPC standards are listed there.
Example: IPC-4101 – ‘Specification for Base Materials for Rigid and Multilayer Boards’ can be found under Level 2 – interconnecting medium PCB – ‘Parts & Materials’ – ‘Basic Materials’ – ‘Laminate & Pre-preg’ together with other IPC standards that discuss other types and other aspects of laminates and pre-pregs.
IPC product ID, version, document title and status information are listed. The standard itself (pdf file) can be purchased via the official IPC website (Association Connecting Electronics Industries): www.ipc.org.