Solder masks protect PCBs from environmental damage and electrical shorts, enhancing reliability and aesthetics. The application is complex, requiring professional fabrication to ensure quality and compliance with regulations.

Thermal management is all about more than just keeping the temperature of electronic systems and printed circuit boards low. It has been a key issue related to reliability and performance. Of the very basic fundamentals that would be studied in the field, some are concerned with methods of heat transfer. These are through conduction, convection, and radiation. The methods of cooling include natural cooling, forced-air cooling, fluid cooling, and evaporation cooling. Appropriate thermal design rules shall be followed wherein the chosen materials provide optimum thermal conductivity and the components of a system are so laid out that no hot-spotting will take place. Thermal analysis becomes critical in pointing out heat-related issues and optimizing the design. It thus minimizes failure rates and enhances stability and functionality of the electronic systems through comprehensive thermal management.