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The advent of novel advanced packaging technologies such as multilayer thin‐film interconnect, combined with continuous improvements in IC clock speed and circuit performance, has placed extreme demands on electronics packaging and package materials. Aluminium nitride (AIN) ceramic offers significant opportunities and advantages for package design, particularly where the effective thermal management and overall reliability of large devices are a high priority. AIN has already been successfully employed at the substrate level for the enhanced thermal relief of power devices. Examples of these applications include heat sinks and device mounts for thyristor modules, power transistors, solid state relays, power SCRs, switching modules, LEDs and various RF package configurations. Both bare and metallised AIN substrates are beginning to find application as a substitute for beryllia (BeO) in mass market and high reliability automotive electronics applications. Successfully implementing AIN in a high level electronics packaging application requires a systems approach in which the intrinsic properties of AIN are considered as ‘first principles’ in shaping the package design process. The unique physicochemical and mechanical properties of AIN require the development of specialised metallisation and co‐firing processes to fabricate the advanced components necessary for hermetic packaging of complex devices and multichip modules. This paper presents a practical and mass manufacturable AIN‐based package tailored to these high level applications. The package design is unique in that it provides for the total separation of the electrical‐signal conduction from the mechanical support/mounting functions of the package. Such a separation of the functions improves both the package durability and reliability relative to currently available electronics packages of conventional designs.

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of experiments performed to attach silicon dies (chips) to low‐temperature co‐fired ceramic (LTCC) substrates with Ag or AgPd pads using SnAgCu or SnPb solder and the results of the characterization of the solder joints.

LTCC substrates were fabricated by stacking and laminating four green tapes with the top layer screen‐printed with Ag or AgPd paste to form pads. Silicon die sizes of 1 × 1 mm and 2 × 2 mm with electroless nickel immersion gold plated were soldered to 2 × 2 mm pads on the LTCC substrates using SnPb or SnAgCu solder. The solder joints were then characterized using X‐ray, die shear, energy dispersive X‐ray and scanning electron microscopy techniques.

The joints made by AgPd pads with SnAgCu solder provided the best results with the highest shear strength having strong interfaces in the joints. However, the joints of Ag pads with SnPb solder did not provide high‐shear strength.

The findings provide certain guidelines to implement LTCC applications. AgPd pads with SnAgCu solder can be considered for applications where small silicon dies need to be attached to LTCC substrates. However, Ag pads with SnAgCu solder can be considered for lead‐free solder applications.

To study the effects of design and assembly process conditions on lead‐free solder joints for an area array component.

Experiments using SnAgCu solder for assembling plastic ball grid array components on printed circuit boards (PCBs) were carried out to investigate the reliability of the solder joints made under various conditions. The process variables studied include solder pad diameters, solder paste volume and reflow peak temperatures.

The average joint diameter increased with the peak reflow temperature, stencil thickness and pad diameter. The average joint height decreased with the increasing peak reflow temperature and pad diameter. However, increased stencil thickness would lead to increased solder paste volume and therefore increases both joint diameter and height. The assembled boards were subjected to a temperature cycling test (−40 to +125°C) for 5,700 cycles and no failures of the daisy chained resistance loops were found, indicating that the thermal fatigue resistance of the SnAgCu solder joints was good.

The findings provide greater confidence to implement a lead‐free soldering process without compromising reliability. Reliable lead free soldering can be made over a wide process window allowing flexibility in design and manufacturing.

The discussion about public sector performance is still present today, despite the profound research that has already tried to address this subject. Furthermore, theory links negative effects on organizational performance with increased levels of organizational complexity. However, literature thus far did not succeed to put forward a successful theory that explains why and how public organizations became increasingly complex. To answer this question, we argue that increased organizational complexity can be explained by viewing public organizations as the hybrid result of different institutional logics, which are shaped by various management views. However, former research mainly concentrated on the separate study of management views such as traditional public management (TPM), NPM, and post-NPM. Although appealing, research that approaches hybridity from this perspective is fairly limited.

We conducted a literature review in which we studied 80 articles about traditional public management, NPM, and post-NPM.

We found that these management views essentially differ on the base of three fault lines, depending on the level of the organizational culture. These fault lines, according to the management view, together result in nine dimensions. By combing dimensions of the different management views, we argue that a public organization becomes hybrid. Furthermore, in line with findings of contingency theory, we explain the level of hybridity might depend on the level of tight coupling for a given organization. Finally, we developed propositions that explain hybridity as the result of isomorphic forces, organizational change, and organizational resistance to change and that link hybridization with processes of selective coupling.

The value of this chapter lies in its real-life applicability.

The purpose of this paper is to outline the development of a training package for service users and carers with an interest in NHS health and social care research. It demonstrates how the developers used their unique experience and expertise as service users and carers to inform their work.

Service users and carers, NHS Research and Development Forum working group members, supported by health professionals, identified a need for research training that was tailored to other service user and carer needs. After reviewing existing provision and drawing on their training and support experience, they developed a training package. Sessions from the training package were piloted, which evaluated positively. In trying to achieve programme accreditation and training roll-out beyond the pilots, the group encountered several challenges.

The training package development group formed good working relationships and a co-production model that proved sustainable. However, challenges were difficult to overcome owing to external factors and financial constraints.

Lessons learnt by the team are useful for other service users and carer groups working with health service professionals. Training for service users and carers should be designed to meet their needs; quality and consistency are also important. The relationships between service user and carer groups, and professionals are important to understanding joint working. Recognising and addressing challenges at the outset can help develop strategies to overcome challenges and ensure project success.

The training package was developed by service users and carers for other service users and carers. Their unique health research experience underpinned the group’s values and training development.

Division D was one of a number of post‐primary teacher preparation initiatives introduced to address a severe staffing shortage in New Zealand which, by 1960, had reached crisis point. This paper explores the origins of the problem of teacher supply and locates the establishment of Division D within the ideological and practical context within which the problem was posed and confronted. It suggests that, because the students entered the profession without the university qualifications which had traditionally defined eligibility to teach in New Zealand secondary schools, the course presented contradictions as both a solution to the Department’s problem of supply, and a problem for status within the profession.

Research suggests that 85 per cent of health research is avoidably wasted. The research and development management community has an important role in the research process and can contribute to improving the quality and value of research. Al-Shahi Salman et al. (2014) identified ways in which the community can contribute towards the reduction of research waste by increasing the efficiency of recruitment and retention of research participants, data management and data sharing in studies, and promoting the integration of research into practice. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

A project undertaken between May 2016 and May 2017 explored the perspective, and contribution, towards reducing research waste amongst the research and development management community. The study identified those categories of research waste the community felt were the most important and of the most value to address. It also examined spheres of influence and barriers to addressing research waste.

The most important and highest value categories of research waste to address were: implementation of research in practice, prioritisation of research, and design, conduct and analysis of research. The research and development management community’s level of influence in those areas was low. The categories where the community felt they had most influence, with the exception of design, conduct and analysis of research, were generally those they thought were less important and valuable, i.e. research taking place to time and target, public and patient involvement, and administration.

Waste in research is a significant area of waste in health care expenditure. This study has provided a better understanding of research waste for the research management community. The research and development management community can take a leadership role in formulating an action plan and identifying measures of success in reducing waste in research.