What Recent Radiopaque Marker Recalls Teach Us About Marker Band Design and Inspection Recent public recall notices across the broader device market have a useful message for engineers: radiopaque features are still not “solved.” Missing markers, non-visible markers, and detached radiopaque components are not theoretical failure modes. They are exactly the kinds of issues that […]
Introduction: Thermal shock resistance, maximum working temperature, and CTE describe three different conditions, and reading them as one number leads to the wrong substrate choice. When engineers compare silicon nitride ceramic substrates for power modules, high-temperature sensors, or aerospace electronics, two figures often sit next to each other on the datasheet: a thermal shock rating […]
Introduction: Fracture toughness above 6.0 MPa·m^(1/2) changes the way a crack travels through silicon nitride, and that is why these ceramic substrates hold up better inside power modules. A cracked ceramic substrate rarely fails alone. When the insulating layer in a power module breaks, the copper above it can delaminate, solder joints can lose contact, […]
A surprising number of tungsten purchasing problems start with a surface finish that was never discussed clearly. The drawing calls out thickness and purity, the buyer assumes a standard finish, the supplier ships material that is technically correct, and the shop discovers too late that “technically correct” is not the same as “ready for this […]