Industrial Pretreatment Technology

Industrial Pretreatment Technology For Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing at Merix Corporation in Forest Grove, Oregon 2006 Pacific Northwest Pretreatment Conference – Sept. 28, 2006 By Stephen G. Edward, PE

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology AGENDA • Merix Corporation • Circuit Board Manufacturing • Industrial Wastewater Pretreatment • Lessons Learned and Keys to a Successful Compliance Program

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology History • Merix’ Forest Grove facility built in 1982 as the Circuit Board Division of Tektronix. • Market changed from captive to merchant providing small to medium volumes of high quality / high tech boards in test, internet server, and communications equipment. • Spun off into separate entity as Merix Corporation in 1994. • Started up a new mass lam facility in Wood Village in 2002. • In 2004, added an ultra-short lead time facility in California. • In 2005, added five commodity facilities in Asia.

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Merix Corporation Today

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Merix Corporation Today Merix is a leading manufacturer of technologically advanced, multilayer, rigid printed circuit boards for use in sophisticated electronic equipment. Merix provides quick-turn prototype, pre-production and volume board production to its customers. Principal markets served by Merix include data communications and wireless telecommunications, automotive, high-end computing, and test and measurement end markets in the electronics industry.

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing • Each design custom – Design Review • Laminate / Prepreg • Imaging Processes • Mechanical Processes • Plating Processes • Finishing Processes • Typical Bare Printed Circuit Board Assay

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Printed Circuit Board Business Challenges • Global Competition • Rapid Evolution of products and processes. • Typical Oregon Products • Order Size: 1-20 Panels • Copper Layers: < 40 • Mixed Dielectrics • Blind and Buried Vias • Embedded passives • Heat Sinks

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Wastewater Characteristics • Heavy Metals (Copper, Nickel, Tin, Lead, Silver, Gold, Manganese) • Chelators and Complexers • Acids • Bases • Cyanide • Soluble Photoresist Polymers • COD / BOD

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Industrial Pretreatment • Effective Technologies • Neutralization (pH) • Chemical Precipitation (Metals & Photoresist) • Clarification (Separation of Metals & Photoresist) • Ion Exchange (Metals, including gold cyanide complex) • Reverse Osmosis (Small dissolved solids) • Ultrafiltration (Polymers) • For efficiency, Use Appropriate Wastewater Segregation

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Merix – FG Permit Requirements • Daily Flow Proportional Sampling and Analysis for: • Metals: Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Ni, Zn. • Chemical Oxygen Demand. • Continuous analysis of pH. • Weekly analysis for CN. • Semi-annual analysis for Sulfate. • Periodic analysis for TTO.

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Merix – FG Wastewater Pretreatment Facility

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Industrial Pretreatment Example 1 for Copper • Wastewater Description: • [Cu] = 50 mg/L • Not chelated or complexed • Treatment Technology: • Adjust pH to 8.9 • Add polymer and/or flocculant • Clarify • Results: • [Cu] < 0.5 mg/L  Complies with Permit Limits

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Industrial Pretreatment Example 2 for Copper • Wastewater Description: • [Cu] = 50 mg/L • Chelated or complexed • Treatment Technology: • Adjust pH to 8.9 • Add polymer and/or flocculant • Clarify • Results: • [Cu] > 5 mg/L  Exceeds Permit Limits

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Industrial Pretreatment Example 3 for Copper • Wastewater Description: • [Cu] = 50 mg/L • Chelated or complexed • Treatment Technology: • Add Ferrous Sulfate or Sulfide Chemistry • Adjust pH to 8.9 • Add polymer and/or flocculant • Clarify • Results: • [Cu] < 2 mg/L  Complies with Permit Limits

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Industrial Pretreatment Example 4 for Copper • Wastewater Description: • [Cu] = 50 mg/L • Chelated or complexed • Treatment Technology: • Pass through Ion Exchange Resin • Results: • [Cu] < 0.2 mg/L  Complies with Permit Limits

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Industrial Pretreatment Example 5 for Copper • Wastewater Description: • [Cu] = 50 mg/L • Chelated or complexed • Contains Dissolved Photoresist Polymer • Treatment Technology: • Pass through Ion Exchange Resin • Results: • Initial: [Cu] < 0.2 mg/L  Complies with Permit Limits • Later: [Cu] = 50 mg/L  Exceeds Permit Limits

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Industrial Pretreatment Example 6 for Copper • Wastewater Description: • [Cu] = 50 mg/L, Chelated or complexed • Contains Dissolved Photoresist Polymer • Treatment Technology: • Lower pH < 5.5 • Add Ferrous Sulfate or Sulfide Chemistry • Raise pH to 8.9 • Add polymer and/or flocculant and Clarify • Results: • [Cu] < 2 mg/L  Complies with Permit Limits

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Industrial Pretreatment Keys • Segregation Strategies • Unplanned chelation or complexing. • Unanticipated Photoresist impacts • Clogging of pumps and filters. • Coating of probes and other critical control devices. • Coating of resin. • Human Beings • Flexible, but, subject to Errors.

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology How Are We Doing? • 2002: Zero Violations. • 2003: Zero Violations. • 2004: Three minor Permit Limit exceedances. • 2005: Zero Violations. • 2006 to date: One paperwork Violation.

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Plan for Success • Unless there is no chance for an upset, applied IP Technology should be flexible. Think stable and forgiving! • Use effective administrative programs: Chemical pre-screening. • Recruit and Retain quality personnel. • Continuously improve education of personnel. • Recognize and reward superior performance. • Wastewater segregation strategy should anticipate potential upsets and errors.

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Ease of Control & Monitoring

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Storage for Segregation & Equalization

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Plan for Success (cont.) • Benchmark to identify unknown options. • Share environmental successes with competitors and learn from them. • Enhanced industry performance helps minimize negative public perceptions. • Institutionalize successful methods. • Properly implemented, an EMS will enhance compliance systems. • Merix uses the ISO 14001 International Standard as model for site Environmental Management Systems.

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Summary • Must understand the manufacturing operations and its requirements. • Need to understand the limitations of the specific IP Technology in the context of its application. • Implement Systems that minimize surprises and the opportunity for errors. • Select and retain the right quality of employees. • Institutionalize continuous improvement.

Merix Corporation -Industrial Pretreatment Technology Questions?

Industrial Pretreatment Technology