This task will treat topical issues in the area of passive part types. This year it will concern hand soldering of M55365 tantalum chip capacitors. Hand soldering of M55365 tantalum chip capacitorsis common during assembly of hybrid circuits such as DC/DC converters and during rework of circuits to replace failed capacitors. Considerable debate exists regarding the relative safety of hand soldering versus conventional high-volume soldering techniques such as convection reflow soldering. This project would focus on quantifying the thermal exposure of tantalum chip capacitors during hand soldering and will assess the effects of such soldering on electrical performance and reliability. All effects will be assessed with respect to performance and reliability after conventional reflow soldering.