A foreword is usually prepared by someone who knows the author or who knows enough to provide additional insight on the purpose of the work. When asked to write this foreword, I had no problem with what I wanted to say about the work or the author. I did, however, wonder why people read a foreword. It is probably of value to know the background of the writer of a book; it is probably also of value to know the background of the individual who is commenting on the work. I consider myself a good friend of the author, and when I was asked to write a few words I felt honored to provide my view of Ray Prasad, his expertise, and the contribution that he has made to our industry. This book is about the industry, its technology, and its struggle to learn and compete in a global market bursting with new ideas to satisfy a voracious appetite for new and innovative electronic products. I had the good fortune to be there at the beginning (or almost) and have witnessed the growth and excitement in the opportunities and challenges afforded the electronic industries' engineering and manufacturing talents. In a few years my involve ment will span half a century.

One of the strongest trends in the design and manufacture of modern electronics packages and assemblies is the utilization of surface mount technology as a replacement for through-hole tech nology. The mounting of electronic devices and components onto the surface of a printed wiring board or other substrate offers many advantages over inserting the leads of devices or components into holes. From the engineering viewpoint, much higher lead counts with shorter wire and interconnection lengths can be accommo dated. This is critical in high performance modern electronics packaging. From the manufacturing viewpoint, the application of automated assembly and robotics is much more adaptable to high lead count surface mounted devices and components. Indeed, the insertion of high lead count parts into fine holes on a substrate might often be nearly impossible. Yet, in spite of these surface mounting advantages, the utilization of surface mount technology is often a problem, primarily due to soldering problems. The most practical soldering methods use solder pastes, whose intricacies are frequently not understood by most of those involved in the engineering and manufacture of electronics assemblies. This publication is the first book devoted exclusively to explanations of the broad combination of the chemical, metallurgical, and rheological principles that are critical to the successful use of solder pastes. The critical relation ships between these characteristics are clearly explained and pre sented. In this excellent presentation, Dr. Hwang highlights three impor tant areas of solder paste technology.

Surface Mount Technology Terms and Concepts is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in SMT. This book clearly defines more than 1000 of the most commonly used terms and concepts. By far the most comprehensive glossary of its kind, as well as more accessible and readable than most technical books devoted to assembly, Surface Mount Technology Terms and Concepts contains all of the terms that engineers and managers engaged in surface mount process, manufacturing, quality, design, and purchasing may encounter.

A guide to gaining the valuable miniaturization and cost-saving benefits of surface mount technology (SMT), showing how to integrate multiple company functions - designs, manufacturing, testing and management - and save time and money at every stage.

Surface Mount Technology has had a profound influence on the electronics industry, and has led to the use of new materials, techniques and manufacturing processes. Since the first edition of this book was written, electronic assemblies have continued to become still smaller and more complex, while soldering still remains the dominant connecting technique. This is a comprehensive guide to current methods of soldering components to their substrates, written by one of the founding fathers of the technology. It also covers component placement, the post-CFC technology of cleaning after soldering, and the principles and methods of quality control and rework. New sections deal with Ball-Grid-Array (BGA) technology, lead-free solders, no-clean fluxes, and the current standard specifications for solders and fluxes. Dr Rudolf Strauss has spent most of his working life with a leading manufacturer of solders and fluxes. He was responsible for a number of innovations including the concept of wave soldering, and for many years has been active as lecturer, consultant, and technical author. His book explains the principles of soldering and surface mount technology in practical terms and plain language, free from jargon. It is addressed to the man, or woman, who has to do the job, but it will also be of help in planning manufacturing strategy and in making purchasing decisions relating to consumables and equipment. Written by founding father of SMT technology Standard specifications have been fully updated New chapter covering Ball Grid Array (BGA) technology