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This paper aims to discuss the effect of surface treatment on the wettability between copper and a lead-free solder paste. The industrial applications of laser technologies are increasing constantly. A specific laser treatment can modify the surface energy of copper and affect the wetting properties.

The surfaces of copper plates were treated using an Nd:YAG laser with varying laser powers. After laser surface treatment, wetting experiments were performed between the copper plates and SAC305 lead-free solder paste. The effect of laser treatment on copper surface was analysed using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

The experimental results showed that the wetting contact angles changed with the variation in laser power. Furthermore, it means that the surface energy of copper plates was changed by the laser treatment. The results demonstrated that the contact angles also changed when a different soldering paste was used.

Previous laser surface treatment can be a possible way to optimize the wettability between solders and substrates and to increase the quality of the soldered joints.

This paper aims to investigate the non-financial reporting (NFR) practices of Hungarian listed public interest entities for 2016–2018 in terms of the required disclosure content based on the 2014/95/EU Directive (ED).

The authors apply content analysis methodology on Hungarian firms subject to mandatory reporting under the ED. The target variable in the multivariate model is the reporting quality (Q_i) measured by a combined index.

The authors find that the ED had a moderate impact on Hungary's reporting quality because the overall disclosure of the sample only increased from low to medium level. The authors found that the value of intangible assets is a determinant of the reporting quality before and after the implementation of the ED. The findings support the effect of coercive isomorphism on Hungarian NFR practices.

The limitation of the research is the number of firms examined. However, the authors covered the entire (non-bank) community of the Hungarian firms subject to the ED.

The authors suggest that reporting entities build upon the synergy between intellectual capital disclosure and NFR when elaborating their reporting strategies. The authors recommend the integration of ethical matters into corporate strategies and policies. Policymakers may consider the revision of the Hungarian regulations. The authors suggest academics embrace these topics in teaching.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the impact of ED in the context of Hungary. The authors contribute to the existing literature by adding the results of the ridge regression model, highlighting the importance of intangible assets.

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize several dimensions of product‐price knowledge and to develop measurement variables that qualify a person's product‐price knowledge. Assuming product‐price knowledge is a multidimensional construct, the relationship between its dimensions is to be investigated and consumer characteristics are to be analyzed according to whether they influence these dimensions.

Drawing on existing research, the paper theoretically develops a framework that proposes a taxonomy of product‐price knowledge and leads to a road map to identify determinants that probably affect a person's product‐price knowledge. Applying data on 319 shoppers, a path model simultaneously estimates the internal structure of the specified dimensions of product‐price knowledge, and determines the influence of the selected consumer characteristics on product‐price knowledge.

The proposed taxonomy sees product‐price knowledge as encompassing not just isomorphic prices, i.e. actually or formerly perceived and recalled prices. Rather, inferential prices, such as the normal price, or the upper reservation price for a product, as well as knowledge about price‐setting conditions and confidence in memorized prices, comprise important elements of a person's product‐price knowledge. As a result, there are several measurement variables to qualify a person's product‐price knowledge. The empirical results identify price mavenism, price consciousness, the use of a shopping list, and shopping frequency, as determinants of the accuracy and size of, and confidence in, one's product‐price knowledge, even though the impact structure is not uniform. There are some indications that formerly encountered price stimuli represent a relatively obsolete part of a consumer's product‐price knowledge.

Research on product‐price knowledge should not be restricted to measuring the accuracy of recalled paid prices. Size of product‐price knowledge, and confidence in one's price knowledge, are identified as measures that are at least equally important to qualify a person's product‐price knowledge as accuracy. Furthermore, size and confidence are also additional dependent variables in analyzing determinants of consumers' product‐price knowledge. This is important for researchers and practitioners.

The proposed taxonomy and the empirical results lead to finer grained understanding of product‐price knowledge as a multi‐dimensional construct and its determinants.

The purpose of this paper is to present a novel approach on investigating critical current densities in the solder joints of chip-size surface mounted device (SMD) components. The investigation involves a numerical approach and a physical validation with selected track-to-pad connections and high current loads (CXs).

During the investigations, shape of solder fillets was calculated in Surface Evolver, and then the current densities were calculated accordingly in the given geometry. For the verification, CX tests were performed on joints at elevated temperatures. The joints were qualified with X-ray microscopy, cross-section analysis and shear tests.

This study ascertained that the inhomogeneity in current density depends on the track-to-pad structure of the joint. Also this study found that the heavy CX decreases the mechanical strength, but the degradation does not reach the level of electromigration (EM)-induced voiding.

The heavy CX significantly affects joint reliability and the results point out to EM-induced failure-limitations on printed circuit board (PCB)-based assemblies due to the thermomechanical weakness of the FR4 material.

The experiments investigate current density from a novel aspect on more frequently used small-scale components with different track-to-pad configurations – pointing out possible failure sources.

This paper aims to present a novel approach on investigating critical current densities in the solder joints of chip-size surface-mounted components or device (SMD) components and ball grid array (BGA) lead-free solder joints with the focus of via-in-pad geometries. The investigation involves a numerical approach and a physical validation with selected geometry configurations and high current loads to reveal possible failure sources. The work is a continuation of a previous study.

Current density was investigated using finite element modeling on BGA joints. Dummy BGA components, 0402 and 0603 zero ohm jumper resistors, were used, both in daisy chain setups on standard FR4 printed circuit boards (PCBs). Respective physical loading experiments were set to find effects of elevated current density at hot zones of the joints. Cross-section analysis, scanning electron microscopy and shear force tests were used to analyze the joints.

The findings reveal alterations in the joints, while the current loading is not directly affecting the structure. The modeling reveals the current density map in the selected formations with increased current crowding zones. Overall, the degradation does not reach the level of electromigration (EM)-induced voiding due to the limiting factor of the FR4 substrate.

The heavy current load affects joint reliability, but there are limitations of EM-induced failures on PCB-based assemblies due to the thermomechanical weakness of the FR4 material.

The experiments investigate current density from a novel aspect on frequently used BGA surface mounted components with modeling configurations focusing on possible effects of via-in-pad structure.

Price knowledge as a construct has been one of the top behavioral pricing themes in the last four decades, especially in the Anglo‐American literature. In Germany, scientists have paid relatively little attention to this topic during the last 15 years – with some notable exceptions. Therefore, this study analyzes German consumers' price knowledge and, by doing so, replicates and extends existing international work. After reviewing earlier attempts at assessing the construct, a measure is developed for the price estimation error “PEE”, based on explicit price knowledge stored in long‐term memory. Results, including data from about 1,000 consumers on 69 products from a German retail chain, indicate that price knowledge in Germany is relatively low. Based on that observation, implications for the management are discussed.

The aim of this study is to analyze consumers' price knowledge in the market for apparels.

After reviewing earlier attempts at assessing the construct, the price estimation error “PEE” was used, a measure based on explicit price knowledge stored in long‐term memory, as a valid indicator of price knowledge.

The results, including data from about 1,527 consumers on 66 products from the German apparel market, indicate that price knowledge is relatively low.

Although, in the literature, there are several studies on price knowledge in the food industry, little is known about price knowledge in other industry sectors. This is quite surprising since pricing strategy is a concept which is vitally important to all retailers. Therefore, this study is a first contribution to extending the concept of behavioral pricing to the apparel market.