Japan Electronic Industry Development

Among the various lead-free solder alloys, the National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI) recommends Sn-3.9Ag-0.6Cu ( 0.2%) for reflow soldering (Ref 1), while JEITA (Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association) recommends Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu. Under most typical use conditions, Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) alloy in general exhibits a greater resistance to creep as compared to Pb-Sn alloy and hence creeps 10 to 100 times slower (Ref 2). The microstructure, the plastic and creep behavior, and the failure mechanism in Sn-Ag-Cu solder are vastly different compared to Pb-Sn solder, and therefore, it is important to develop appropriate thermomechanical predictive models for Sn-Ag-Cu solder. 

The same theory applies to the woodworking industries in Far East Asia, Indonesia as well as the more developed European Nordic countries, and for the electronics industry in Japan and East Asia, etc. 

By nature, polymers are insulating materials and some of them are employed without any added fillers. However, most applications require either electrical or thermal conductivity or both. According to the final use, thermal stabiUty and resistance to aggressive environment can be important criteria to select a particular type of polymer. In fact, few adhesives have been specifically developed for the electronic industry. Instead, most materials were preexisting compositions that have been tested and incorporated in production processes. Specific requirements such as ionic contamination, water absorption, and better thermal stability appeared later. Major chemical companies and semiconductor manufacturers, in particular in the USA and Japan, launched variants of these polymers fulfilling the demand for organic materials with enhanced properties. 

The background that contributed to the innovation of the LCD, led worldwide by Japan, was the strong motivation for using liquid crystal materials as display elements. This story could hardly be told without the teamwork of university-industry research cooperation in different fields such as chemistry, physics, or electronics for development of the circuitry, the hquid crystal materials, and the liquid crystal-related elements. 

---