Isola Group S.à r.l., a market leader in copper-clad laminates and dielectric prepreg materials used to fabricate advanced multilayer printed circuit boards (PCBs), announced that Dr. Antonio “Tony” Caputo has joined its Analytical Services Lab in Chandler, Ariz. Dr. Caputo’s work at Isola will focus on research of the chemical nature of Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) failures; this is a failure mode in printed wiring boards (PWBs) that occurs under conditions of high humidity and high voltage gradients. The ability to identify how CAF forms chemically, and to understand the fundamental reaction conditions that accelerate CAF formation, will enable Isola to introduce new laminate systems that are more CAF resistant.

Dr. Caputo has spent over a decade studying electrochemical corrosion failure modes and researching the importance of CAF. He has worked in collaboration with the Center for Microelectronics, Assembly, and Packaging (CMAP), BlackBerry, and CAF experts throughout the world. Dr. Caputo has authored numerous publications and book chapters related to the topic, including “Design Limitations Related to Conductive Anodic Filament Formation in a Micro-World” and “Characterization and Electrochemical Mechanism for Bromide-Containing Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) Failure.”

On September 16, 2014 at 12:00 pm EDT, Dr. Caputo will present a webinar entitled, “Electrochemical Corrosion Failure Modes in PWBs.” His presentation will address the factors that increase CAF failures, the importance of hole drilling in designing an appropriate CAF test vehicle and how to evaluate the interaction between solder flux and PWB material. To learn more and to register for this event, please visit: http://bit.ly/1wtrfFR.

Dr. Caputo obtained degrees in chemistry and engineering as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. Upon completion of his doctorate, Dr. Caputo was a postdoctoral associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he remains a research affiliate. He is a member of the IPC’s (Association Connecting Electronics Industries) CAF committee. This task group is responsible for determining the causes of electrochemical migration (ECM) activity within printed circuit boards. He is also a part of the IPC’s 5-32b SIR and Electrochemical Migration Task Group, which will explore Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF) growth and other ECM failure mechanisms within the boards.

For more information about CAF testing or to contact Dr. Caputo directly, please call 1-800-537-7656.