Understanding where an idea came from, its context, how it was perceived by the original thinker, and the impact that idea made on the world, is not only an interesting thought experiment, bu...
With due apologies to Jules Vern and his famous novel, we begin our 2024 blog series with an opening theme of “Around the World in Five Trends”. These are trends that will be critical in ...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/around-the-world-in-five-trends
While Engineers can get mildly enthusiastic about what the rest of the semiconductor industry perceives as unduly narrow areas of technology, they rarely use one superlative, let alone severa...
Yes, we still need to do some things by hand. Such is our collective way at looking at the world, that most of us cannot imagine, that when it comes to invention and innovation, the approache...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/handmade-in-the-usa
De-globalization, also referred to as re-shoring, is a significant trend describing much of the dynamic characterizing the semiconductor industry in 2024, and indeed, going back as far as 201...
The current pace of technological change is only matched by levels in geo-economic uncertainties, themselves without parallel in over a century. That having been said, there are also a number...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/the-circular-economy
Packaging development and process work marks the critical universe of small beginnings. Problems rightly anticipated in these earliest stages of development allow for approaches that are not ...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/anticipating-icebergs
Many of us are familiar with the saying concerning the workman and his tools. It exposes the unfortunate tendency that, when looking upon obvious failure, blame is placed on the tools rather ...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/the-many-faces-of-cost
Almost everyone has heard the saying “worth its salt”, meaning whatever has been purchased, the financial cost was more than justified by the benefits received. It is an emphatic statemen...
As we have noted in a previous blog, the die-bonding ecosystem has grown significantly in market size since the turn of the millennium, and in terms of advanced technologies served, made extr...
The principle of inference is a practice in science that allow us to identify the impact or nature of something that is challenging, if not altogether impossible, to see directly. Surprisingl...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/full-service-bonders
A well-known Danish Children’s toy company, with theme parks around the world, has recently launched its latest product aimed at grown-ups, comprising a 1:200 scaled model of the famed line...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/supporting-solutions-creativity
In a previous article, we noted that the next generation of 6G and quantum encrypted communications will require the extensive use of free space optics (FSO) to supplement fiber-based metropo...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/fso/ai-pushing-data-access-and-evolution
Risk reduction is the essence of sound business behavior, but it is often misunderstood as merely “playing safe”. Playing safe can actually make risks worse by strangling the very innovat...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/global-innovation-101
In earlier blogs we considered new technologies that utilize light in the advance of health care, and the various challenges these represent in terms of device construction and integration. W...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/digital-nose-technologies
In less than two decades the RF “family” has witnessed significant growth in the types and varieties of technology served, materials utilized, approaches to packaging, levels of device ca...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/diamonds-are-an-rf-engineers-best-friend
To begin, let’s start with a brief overview of wedge bonding. Unlike ball bonding, wedge bonding does not have a flame-off action, as there is no ball. And the wire is typically clamped beh...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/wedge-bonding-and-its-advantages
Palomar Innovation Centers are experts in process development and work with customers in the areas of design for manufacture, process development and optimization. This case study documents a...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/case-study-the-unintended-consequences-of-a-design-change
Using the correct system, tooling, process, and making wise material choices while considering material preparation are all factors and important points that need to be considered when lookin...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/systems-tools-and-processes-for-void-free-die-attach
In the blog, we review some of the theoretical principles in exploiting light for diagnostic and therapeutic uses in healthcare, and in treatment of cancer in particular. Thereafter, we consi...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/challenging-packaging-trends-in-cancer-photonics
Surfaces to be soldered in a flux-less environment must be coated prior to soldering. The most common solderable metallic coatings that are used in the electronics assembly industry are gold,...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/plating-requirements-for-soldering-applications
When designing semiconductor packaging, it is often easy to get caught up focusing on the function and performance of a design and not pay enough attention to its assembly process. This is of...
The journey from concept to full-scale semiconductor packaging is often hindered by a number of different obstacles along the way including everything from diverse teams scattered across the ...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/scaling-up-from-prototype-to-full-scale-production
Palomar Innovation Centers are experts in process development and work with customers in the areas of design for manufacture, process development and optimization. This case study documents a...
Palomar Innovation Centers are experts in process development and work with customers in the areas of design for manufacture, process development and optimization. This case study documents a...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/case-study-reducing-process-steps-to-improve-throughput
It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. Yet, as always, the need is to make the most of the times. In the world of bonders and semiconductors that means aligning machine systems ...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/a-tale-of-two-bonders
While the challenges to fully developing FMCW (frequency modulated continuous wave) LiDAR technology appear steep, the commercial value of integrating the device on a single chip holds the pr...
In the same way that a good craftsman chooses with care the right tools for the job, global defense planners are adapting their strategies to reflect the demands of increasingly changeable ge...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/new-spokes-in-global-defense
Capital equipment investments are justified on the basis of providing a return on investment. Capital equipment for the semiconductor industry is no different. At Palomar Technologies, we are...
The headwinds of inflationary trends, pandemic management, internal political tensions, rising competitiveness, supply chain issues, geopolitical rivalry, energy shortages and the rush to sec...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/obstacles-and-opportunities-in-2022
The RF power amplifier market is expected to increase substantially in the next five years, primarily as a result of the 5G rollout which depends heavily on new power amplifier assemblies in ...
With today’s rapidly changing technology, time-to-market is one of the most important factors for product success. The ability to rapidly develop and test photonic chip assemblies and imple...
The window from Palomar’s UK Innovation Center top floor office looks towards the Cornish coast, not too far from where Google’s Grace Hopper cable connecting New York to London, recentl...
Over the years, microelectronic wire bond process and packaging engineers have debated whether to use ball or wedge bond technologies.
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/modern-wedge-bonding
Our opening graphic contains three illustrations. Moving from left to right, these are respectively those of a stream engine, a nuclear reactor and the properties of quantum cubits. The latte...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/6g-communications-a-truly-quantum-leap
In part three of our series on Packaging Technologies meet Quantum Opportunities, we present an overview of how KETS Quantum Security , Bay Photonics and Palomar Technologies are working to...
The market for the IR sensing devices has been growing steadily, but in recent years, the market experienced a rapid growth. Several factors drove the market. Among them, the sharp increase i...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/efficient-manufacture-of-ir-sensors
This is Part 3 of a 3-part blog series on Logistic Sensor Packaging. For more information, read Part 1 and Part 2 .
This is part 2 of a 3-part blog series on Logistic Sensor Packaging. For more information, read Part 1 .
The next few years hold out sensor opportunities concomitant to the spectacular growth in global robotics. One of the key drivers for the latter is logistics; from small to large scale, from ...
Power electronics are present in our everyday lives in many applications. High-efficiency lighting, elevators, motor converters, solar energy, welding, industrial frequency converters, pumps,...
When it comes to the die bonding process for the assembly of RF power transistors, the most important metric is good thermal management. Ensuring high thermal conductivity of the bond between...
One of the great shifts currently taking place in global defense sensor technologies, is due to a fundamental realignment of military strategies, itself brought about by the convergence of a ...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/sensors-in-new-era-defense
A traditional means to justify the expense of purchasing new bonding equipment is to calculate the units per hour (UPH) of the proposed bonding system, along with the internal costs for direc...
In Part two of our series on Packaging Technologies meet Quantum Opportunities, Palomar’s Dr. Anthony O’Sullivan interviews Dr. Andrew Robertson, Research & Innovation Manager at Bay Phot...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/packaging-technologies-meet-quantum-opportunities-part-two
In the early part of 2021, global analysts McKinsey & Company published a number of articles noting that the COVID crisis has led, among other things, to a resurgence in consumer preference f...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/the-resurgence-of-brand-value
This is the first in a 3-part blog series exploring the world of quantum technologies and its impact on semiconductor packaging.
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/packaging-technologies-meet-quantum-opportunities
Much of the semiconductor packaging industry is engaged with an exciting and growing photonics ecosystem. Anticipating seven percent CAGR over the next five years, this clearly outpaces most ...
Auxiliary wires are commonly defined as an additional wire outside of a normal ball-to-stitch wire bond. Whether it be a pre-wire, generally referred to as stand-off stitch, or a post-wire, a...
“Necessity”, quips the proverb, “is the mother of invention.” Put colloquially, if you are desperate enough to attain a particular goal, you will find a way of achieving it. This is t...
https://www.palomartechnologies.com/blog/interoperability-across-security-and-defense-ecosystems