The DTI/PCIF technology mission on

Citation

Coultard, F. (1999), "The DTI/PCIF technology mission on", Circuit World, Vol. 25 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/cw.1999.21725daf.002

The DTI/PCIF technology mission on

The DTI/PCIF technology mission on "build up technology"

Editor's comment: we are pleased to welcome Frank Coultard (Plate 1) (Technical Director at the PCIF) as a regular contributor to Circuit World. Frank will offer a unique European perspective of the printed circuit industry. However, for his column in this issue, he is reporting on a recent inward trade mission to Japan and their development and use of Build Up Technologies (BUT).

Plate 1Frank Coultard

"Juxtaposition with Japan"

Keywords: Japan, PCIF, DTI

The PCIF, with the invaluable assistance of the DTI, have recently mounted a Technology Mission to Japan on the subject of "Build up technology" (BUT). The team of seven left on 18 May and returned on 29 May with the exception of Dr Tim Reynoldson of the DTI who was able to stay on for the JPCA Show in Tokyo to represent the mission.

In that time the delegates (see list below) were privileged to visit seven state-of-the-art plants in Japan, taking in also Gakuin University, the reception at the AGM of the JPCA in Tokyo and a further meeting with the JPCA staff at their headquarters.

Delegate list
Dr Paul Barlow	Prestwick Circuits
Professor William Campbell	Napier University, Edinburgh
Steve Payne	Fellow of Churchill Memorial Trust
Peter Starkey	Starkey Technical Services and Consultant to the PCIF
Chris Wall	Electra Polymers
Dr Tim Reynoldson	Department of Trade and Industry
Frank Coultard	Director of PCIF

It should be emphasised that the JPCA were extremely helpful in setting up the hectic and densely packed programme and also that the host companies were models of courtesy and co-operation. The British Embassy also spent considerable time and effort in smoothing the way for the mission. Dr Mike Norton, The Science and Technology Counsellor of the Embassy and his wife, Sue, kindly hosted a buffet supper at their home to enable the delegates to meet key people in the industry early in the mission programme.

The mission will be preparing a report for the DTI and will disseminate the information gained by a series of seminars, workshops and other publicity.

It should be noted that the landmass of Japan is 1.5 times that of the UK. Also that the area available for habitation, because of extensive mountainous regions is about 20 percent of that landmass. Now absorb the fact that the population is 126 million (UK population is about 60 million) meaning that the entire Japanese population is sandwiched into an area the size of Wales! This has led to the use of pragmatism, compromise and great ingenuity in planning, all of which is to be lauded.

Japan is one of the world's leading consumers of energy and relies on imports for about 80 percent of the necessary primary energy resources. The first oil crisis in 1973 has resulted in one of the most energy efficient economies in the world.

In spite of recent economic difficulties Japan still can claim to be the world's second biggest economy. 1996 saw a GDP of $4.6 trillion, five times that of the UK, about 60 percent that of the USA and about equal to that of Germany, France and Italy put together. Its per capita GDP is ahead of both the USA and the UK.

The mission started with a visit to the highly enthusiastic, talented and well-known Professor Honma at Kanto Gakuin University. He explained how academia and industry work together in Japan, also highlighting some of the work in which he is involved, much of it concentrating on the importance of the integrity of plating adhesion. He focused on connection reliability and referred to his work on a new technology roadmap on BUT which is due for publication in a few months, the result of an industry project of which he is the leader.

Attendance at the JPCA reception associated with the AGM illustrated how this organisation is well supported by its 505 corporate members. Predictably the mission members were made to feel very welcome and were introduced to many key senior personalities of the industry.

We were entertained at a high quality luncheon with the President of OK Print before visiting the OK Print Company which is an SME concentrating on high value added specialist products, a niche enthusiast. BUT here is still being evaluated, although we were not shown any process, with no single method selected as the leader. Questions as in all other companies were answered with surprising candour. Whilst OK have some European customers, they wish to expand the list. Throughout Japan, the overall impression in the plant was one of extreme cleanliness and tidiness with evidence of much self-discipline.

The meeting with the JPCA at their headquarters was full, frank and most informative. The JPCA was established in 1962 as a voluntary organisation and in 1977 became the first and only printed circuit industry organisation to be approved by the MITI. Membership fees are modest and its many projects include emphasis on the drafting of standards and collaboration on conducting extensive training and proficiency testing programmes throughout the industry. The JPCA gains most of its revenue from running the JPCA Show and other events.

Next, a visit to Diatec Co. Ltd, one of three subsidiaries of the Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company which specialises in the use of thin copper material. MGC's development of the SUEP (surface uniform etching process) enables the production of 25 micron lines and spaces with ease from 18 micron thin copper starting material; work is proceeding on even thinner materials; photos of the tracks showed very square side-walls and clean etching of conductors. Much good-natured banter at question time.

On to a buffet dinner, hosted by Dr M. Norton, the Science and Technology Counsellor from the British Embassy and his charming wife, Sue at their residence in Tokyo where we were able to meet many of the important leaders in the PCB industry and indeed many of those who we were to visit later at their plants; a delightful and friendly evening.

Azuma Co. Ltd is a company specialising in sub-contracting of the plating of PCBs, unheard of in the UK. Of the 505 corporate members of the JPCA, 14 are specialist plating companies. Established in 1972, Azuma now has three plants, one in Tokyo and two in Yokohama. The company is extremely environmentally conscious; it also designs all its own equipment and assembles it in-house. We toured the "Technocentre", one of the plants in Yokohama where there were two copper panel-plating lines, one dedicated to rigid work and the other to thin materials (aim 0.06mm). Two new lines were planned. Total capacity of the Technocentre at this time is 50,000m5 per month on the normal plating line and 5,000m5 per month on the new vertical plating line. Build up technology is processed at all three plants. The plating lines were pristine and atypical of the traditional expectation of the plating industry. Another striking feature of this factory was the ultra-clean effluent plant, which enabled very low water consumption; final effluent at maximum permitted level of 1ppm copper concentration is achieved.

Next on to Airex Inc, also in Yokohama. Airex Inc. have five plants and produce about 63,000m5 per month of PCBs; 75 percent of sales are with BUT and volumes are increasing. The level of investment in this plant was about 3 billion Yen in equipment and 2 billion Yen in the buildings. The plant tour showed a clean and busy process with horizontal plating lines employed as at Azuma, "Crimson" direct plate for everything, largely on the grounds of reliability and lack of impurities. Laser/via and photo/via techniques were employed for different applications. The majority of the activity was with mobile phone work featuring large percentages with the well-known names but the automotive industry was also tapped. The question/answer session was spirited and open.

We rocketed then by bullet-train past Mount Fuji, with its visible snow capped peak to Osaka to visit the circuit board plant of Matsushita Electronic Components Co. Ltd, (Panasonic). The company employs 34,000 people globally, 13,000 in Japan with annual revenues of $4.1 billion. From the PCB angle 1,500 are employed worldwide with 870 in Japan with sales of $34 million per month. Multilayer activity is 65,000m5 per month including 15000m5 ALIVH per month (currently only available in Japan). This was PCB production on a large scale; Unit One alone contained eight laser drilling machines, nine inner layer lines and 12 ML vacuum presses. The BUT market in Japan was estimated at 515,000m5 per annum with Panasonic at 26 percent. Great emphasis is put on training and Health and Safety, e.g. all employees have regular health checks and special efforts are made to check fatigue levels with shift workers. Matsushita are looking for a European partner in the BUT field. ALIVH is the principal board type here and the company claims they are easy to design. As with all other locations, questions were answered freely and in a friendly manner.

The next morning, Thursday 27 May, we visited Ibiden Co. Ltd at Ogaki, having had a very pleasant formal dinner with the President the previous evening. Ibiden, which is 3rd largest in PCB world rankings snapping at the heels of CMK and Viasystems, has been manufacturing PCBs since 1972, employs 1,054 people of whom 298 are engineers and has annual sales of $788 million. There are three divisions, Ceramics, Housing Materials and Electronics (PCBs and plastic BGAs). Their photo-via process AAP10 (a combination of the fully additive technique with photo-via technology) is now standard practice for 75 micron line and space and single build up layer with no need for change at the moment. The road map includes AAP10-2 and a later version for more advanced work. Apart from the now customary cleanliness and tidiness, there was much emphasis on efficiency and reliability, with ten years' service life expectancy of equipment and a "Total Productive Maintenance" philosophy. A total of 60 percent of the employees here were Japanese of Brazilian descent so most instructional signs in the plant were in Portugese! Great emphasis was placed also on co-operating with customers on design. The market drivers are considered to be cellular phones with the computer market becoming more significant. An extremely impressive world-class operation.

We were the second mission of the day (previous one not on BUT technology) for NEC Corporation who kindly entertained us to a formal Japanese lunch beforehand. Their plant at Toyama has 1,000 employees and produces 50,000m5 per month of ML boards. NEC were given inducements by the Japanese Government to set up in this area on the western coast, an area previously associated with agriculture and fishing.

The plant contrasted with the previous state-of-the-art experience and we were given a thorough tour. Banks of 52 NC drilling machines complemented by six Mitsubishi laser drilling machines and four 12 opening ML presses are an impressive sight. Again that Japanese trait of using only panel plating. The plating lines set at floor level looked more like dry-docks for ships! There was more fencing in the question/answer session here, but all in good spirit. We were short of time and would have enjoyed a longer stay with our friendly hosts.

Our return from Tokyo by air was uneventful but we could savour the privileged ten days and now needed a follow-up meeting in the UK to prepare the ground for the all important dissemination process.

As one company President said over dinner "There is a sense of change in Japan, both politically and economically which will of course affect the PCB industry". There is no end in sight to the deepening recession in Japan's domestic economy although exports are holding up well and overseas investment is the highest ever. Social strains are evident with concern over the birth rate and the flexing of female rights. It could be said that the PCB industry in Japan is racing to develop its technology to keep ahead of the pack. The ingenuity illustrated thus far leaves me in no doubt that they will maintain that lead.

Frank Coultard