ITRI 50000
A White Paper on Domestic PWB Technology
Hurdles and Barriers, and a Strategy to
Overcome Those Obstacles

To capture this dichotomy, we prepared this report in two sections. The first section discusses the current
status of the industry and the technical challenges we face. The strengths and weaknesses of the U.S.
PWB fabricators are listed and discussed, and the status of research and development in the industry is
reviewed. In the second section, specific recommendations are made for actions that need to be taken by
each segment of the industry.
It is the intention of the ITRI staff that this be the first draft of a document that will be revised and
updated periodically. The industry is too complex and the issues too volatile to be treated completely in
one document. Furthermore, the rapid change in the industry will make any discussion of this type
quickly out of date. Future revisions will be based on and will benefit from the feedback we receive from
this first version.