SMD Trends Favor Small Parts, Arrays, Lead-Free Designs

摘要

Recent developments related to surface mounted devices (SMDs) or chip components have been remarkable. These developments have taken place amid pressure from companies to make smaller electronic equipment and electronic equipment with higher performance specifications. In recent developments related to more advanced SMDs, three trends are apparent. One is the trend toward smaller SMDs. The second is the trend toward combining SMDs to form arrays. The third is the trend toward SMDs that pose less danger to the environment. This includes, for example, the development of lead-free technology for SMDs. These trends are evident not only in developments related to established products, but also in the development of new kinds of SMDs. Starting about July 2003, demand for SMDs rose rapidly. For some component makers, demand jumped so quickly that they have not been able to keep up supplies. Demand has been especially strong for SMDs in smaller formats. In the area of general-purpose components, manufacturers from Taiwan, China and Korea have become increasingly competitive with Japanese manufacturers in producing SMDs. For this reason, many Japanese component makers are focusing on especially advanced technologies to set themselves apart from their Asian competitors.