EIPC Summer Conference in Munich to Discuss PCB Supply Chain Under the EU Chips Act

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The EIPC Summer Conference in Munich, scheduled for June 15-16, is set to feature a presentation by Stan Heltzel, Materials Engineer at the European Space Agency, who is responsible for qualifying Printed Circuit Board (PCB) manufacturers and technology development. Heltzel, also the convenor of working groups on space standardization, will focus his presentation on supporting the PCB supply chain under the EU Chips Act.

At the core of Heltzel's talk is a white paper issued by Eurospace, which emphasizes the need to strengthen PCB technology and its supply chain across all market segments. The white paper highlights the existing weaknesses within the European PCB ecosystem, which result in challenges for its supply chain. Key issues identified include the heavy reliance on imported raw materials, difficulties in maintaining a skilled workforce, inadequate training programs in educational institutes, and the dependence on imported critical equipment and chemistry. These factors contribute to the limited availability of experienced personnel from overseas companies.

The decline in the number of PCB facilities in Europe over the past few decades, although showing signs of stabilization in recent years, remains a concern. Approximately 60% of PCBs used in Europe are imported, with China being the primary source. While this dependency is particularly evident in volume markets, even NewSpace equipment integrators occasionally resort to sourcing PCBs overseas due to factors such as lower costs, shorter lead times, and improved capabilities.

Although local sourcing of PCBs is ensured in high-reliability market segments like space and defense through qualification schemes and contractual conditions, the weak European PCB ecosystem has an indirect impact by causing unavailability within its supply chain. To address this issue, Eurospace's white paper calls for the comprehensive strengthening of PCB technology and its supply chain.

The presentation by Stan Heltzel will also shed light on the global market dynamics that have influenced the reshoring trend, including the US-Chinese trade conflict, supply chain disruptions during the pandemic, and the Ukrainian war. The European Chips Act, while providing development opportunities from foundry to OSAT (outsourced semiconductor assembly and test), does not thoroughly analyze the ecosystem beyond back-end packaging and overlooks system-level packaging, specifically PCB technology, and assembly.

The white paper also draws attention to the reliability challenges associated with microvias in the global electronics industry. Despite the significance of this issue, securing development funds for addressing microvia weaknesses has proven difficult. The presentation will reference cases of critical failure in assembled flight electronics within ESA projects due to microvia issues. The malfunctioning modules, as well as other working modules from affected batches, had to be scrapped. The incident underscores the need for robust PCB technology and supply chain reinforcement.

In summary, the EIPC Summer Conference will serve as a platform to discuss the PCB supply chain within the context of the EU Chips Act. Stan Heltzel's presentation will delve into Eurospace's white paper, advocating for the strengthening of PCB technology and its supply chain across all market segments. By addressing the weaknesses of the European PCB ecosystem, the industry aims to reduce reliance on imports, enhance local capabilities, and ensure the availability of critical resources for future advancements in PCB technology.

Click here for more details on the EIPC summer conference.