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Thick-film technology

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168:)., Commonly used substrates for thick-film processes are 94 or 96% alumina. Alumina is very hard and lasering of the material is the most efficient way to machine it. The thick-film process is also a means of miniaturization, where one substrate normally contains many units (final circuits). With lasering it is possible to scribe, profile and drill holes. Scribing is a process where a line of laser pulses is fired into the material and 30–50% of the material is removed; this weakens the substrate, and after all other processes are completed the substrate can easily be divided into single units. Profiling is, for example, used a lot in sensor fabrication, where a circuit needs to fit round tubes or other different complex shapes. Drilling of holes can provide a "via" (conductive link) between the two sides of the substrate, normally hole sizes are in the range 0.15–0.2 mm. 78: 246:. Many chip resistors are made using thick-film technology. Large substrates are printed with resistors fired, divided into small chips and these are then terminated, so they can be soldered on the PCB board. With laser trimming two modes are used; either passive trimming, where each resistor is trimmed to a specific value and tolerance, or active trimming, where the feedback is used to adjust to a specific voltage, frequency or response by laser trimming the resistors on the circuit while powered up. 54:), which in addition to use in manufacturing electronic devices can also be used for various graphic reproduction targets. It became one of the key manufacturing/miniaturisation techniques of electronic devices/modules during 1950s. Typical film thickness – manufactured with thick film manufacturing processes for electronic devices – is 0.0001 to 0.1 mm. 234:
advanced through the fired resistor while the resistor element is monitored with probe contacts and when final value is reached the abrasive blast is shut off and the nozzle retracts to the zero start position. The abrasive technique can achieve very high tolerances with no heat and no cracking of the glass frit used in the ink formulation.
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Thick-film circuits/modules are widely used in the automotive industry, both in sensors, e.g. mixture of fuel/air, pressure sensors, engine and gearbox controls, sensor for releasing airbags, ignitors to airbags; common is that high reliability is required, often extended temperature range also along
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There are numerous steps in thick film manufacturing which need careful control, like roughness of the substrate, curing temperatures and times of pastes, selected stencil thickness vs. paste type, etc., Therefore the number of pastes used and process steps define the complexity of the process and
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After allowing time after printing for settling of the ink, each layer of ink that is deposited is usually dried at a moderately high temperature of 50 to 200 °C (122 to 392 °F) to evaporate the liquid component of the ink and fix the layer temporarily in position on the substrate so that
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After firing the resistors can be trimmed using a precision abrasive cutting method first developed by S.S. White. The method involves a fine abrasive media, usually 0.027 mm aluminum oxide. The abrasive cutting is fed through a carbide nozzle tip that can be of different sizes. The nozzle is
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Inks for electrodes, terminals, resistors, dielectric layers etc. are commonly prepared by mixing the metal or ceramic powders required with a solvent (ceramic thick film pastes) or polymer pastes to produce a paste for screen-printing. To achieve a homogeneous ink the mixed components of the ink
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can be used for designing thick film circuits. However, the compatibility of tooling formats with stencil manufacturing/manufacturer needs attention as well as the availability of the geometrical, electrical and thermal design rules for simulation and layout design from the final manufacturer.
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The development of the SMT process actually evolves from the thick film process. Also mounting of naked dies (the actual silicon chip without encapsulation) and wire bonding is a standard process, this provides the basis for miniaturization of the circuits as all the extra encapsulation is not
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The simplest form to utilise a thick film technology is a module substrate/board, where wiring is manufactured using thick film process. Additionally resistors and large tolerance capacitors can be manufactured with thick film methods. Thick film wiring can be made compatible with
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The manufacturing of thick film devices/modules is an additive process involving deposition of several (typically max 6–8) successive layers of conductive, resistive and dielectric layers onto an electrically insulating substrate using a
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For many of the metal, ceramic and glass inks used in thick film processes a high temperature (usually greater than 300 °C) firing is required to fix the layers in position permanently on the substrate.
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This step is often necessary because many components are produced on one substrate at the same time. Thus, some means of separating the components from each other is required. This step may be achieved by
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it can be handled or stored before final processing. For inks based on polymers and some solder pastes that cure at these temperatures, this may be the final step that is required. Some inks also require
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massive thermocycling of circuits without failure. Other application areas are space electronics, consumer electronics, and various measurement systems where low cost and/or high reliability is needed.
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A course developed by Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BTE), Dept. of Electronics Technology concerning Technology of electronics products, chapter "Thick Film"
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Vandermeulen, M.; Roy, D.; Pirritano, S.; Bernacki, D.; et, al (2004). "High Density Thick Film Substrates for Miniaturized 3D Chip Stacking Packaging Solutions".
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may be passed through a three-roll mill. Alternatively, ready-made inks may be obtained from several companies offering products for the thick-film technologist.
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At this stage, the devices may require integrating with other electronic components, usually in the form of a printed circuit board. This may be achieved by
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has been developed. Use of these materials however changes typically the process flow and needs different manufacturing tools.
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For improving accuracy, increasing integration density and improving line and space accuracy of traditional screen-printing
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Lasering before processing the substrates has a cost advantage to lasering or dicing using a diamond saw after processing.
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37th International Symposium on Microelectronics (IMAPS 2004): Everything in Electronics...Between the Chip and the System
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Screen-printing is the process of transferring an ink through a patterned woven mesh screen or stencil using a
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Romenesko, B.M.; Falk, P.R.; Hoggarth, K.G. (1986). "Microelectronic Thick-film Technology and Applications".
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Zhang, Z.; et, al. (2011). "Failure analysis of thick film resistors on stainless steel as sensing elements".
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As a low cost manufacturing method it is applicable to produce large volumes of discrete passive devices like
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2011 12th International Conference on Electronic Packaging Technology and High Density Packaging
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After firing, the substrate resistors are trimmed to the correct value. This process is named
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2010 5th International Microsystems Packaging Assembly and Circuits Technology Conference
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A presentation describing the usage of the thick film technology for radio frequencies
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Lu, B. (2010). "Thick film hybrid technology for automotive applications".
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A typical thick-film process would consist of the following stages:
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Thick film technology is also one of the alternatives to be used in
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A blog under EDN comparing thick and thin film resistors
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and competes and complements typically in electronics
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Springer Handbook of Electronic and Photonic Materials
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is used to produce electronic devices/modules such as
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ResearchGate, Project: Printed Thermoelectric Devices
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Integrated Passive Component Technology, Introduction
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Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control
615:"Optimising Stencil Thickness and Ink Film Deposit" 50:. Main manufacturing technique is screen printing ( 428:(Second ed.). Elsevier Inc. pp. 104–171. 655:Thick-film components for industrial applications 297:Designing circuits based on thick-film technology 228: 661: 519: 237: 136:Typically thick film circuit substrates are Al 612: 357: 288:Process control of thick film manufacturing 579: 506:Thick film technology for microelectronics 597: 271: 258: 250:Mounting of capacitors and semiconductors 131: 76: 461: 426:Hybrid Microcircuit Technology Handbook 14: 662: 502: 423: 520:Ulrich, R.K.; Scharper, L.W. (2003). 164:(Si) coated with silicon dioxide (SiO 358:Kasap, S.; Capper, P., eds. (2017). 197:photoimageable thick-film technology 184:Screen-printing and its improvements 569:. S. White Company, Industrial Div. 305:tools which are used for designing 24: 547:Johns Hopkins APL Technical Digest 382: 174: 25: 681: 628: 116:)/PWB (printed wiring board) and 613:Willfarht, A.; et., al. (2011). 202: 606: 573: 557: 538: 513: 496: 455: 432: 417: 376: 351: 229:Abrasive trimming of resistors 13: 1: 580:Yebi, A.; Ayalew, B. (2015). 345: 509:(Thesis). Lehigh University. 303:electronic design automation 81:Thick Film Resistor Networks 7: 650:Printing thick film hybrids 393:10.1109/IMPACT.2010.5699549 313: 293:cost of the final product. 238:Laser trimming of resistors 10: 686: 472:10.1109/ICEPT.2011.6066957 325:Integrated passive devices 106:hybrid integrated circuits 99:integrated passive devices 44:integrated passive devices 36:hybrid integrated circuits 670:Electronics manufacturing 524:. John Wiley & Sons. 449:10.13140/RG.2.1.1087.3369 340:Hybrid integrated circuit 219: 424:Andrew, W., ed. (1998). 335:Surface-mount technology 123: 64:surface-mount technology 307:printed circuit boards 272:Integration of devices 259:Separation of elements 132:Lasering of substrates 82: 503:Parikh, M.R. (1989). 114:printed circuit board 80: 32:surface mount devices 28:Thick-film technology 18:Thick film technology 592:(Oct): 101010/1–10. 83: 599:10.1115/1.4030818 531:978-0-471-24431-8 481:978-1-4577-1770-3 402:978-1-4244-9783-6 387:. pp. 1–34. 369:978-3-319-48933-9 16:(Redirected from 677: 623: 622: 610: 604: 603: 601: 577: 571: 570: 561: 555: 554: 542: 536: 535: 517: 511: 510: 500: 494: 493: 466:. pp. 1–5. 459: 453: 452: 436: 430: 429: 421: 415: 414: 380: 374: 373: 355: 301:Same or similar 154:aluminum nitride 40:heating elements 21: 685: 684: 680: 679: 678: 676: 675: 674: 660: 659: 631: 626: 611: 607: 578: 574: 566:Trimming system 563: 562: 558: 543: 539: 532: 518: 514: 501: 497: 482: 460: 456: 437: 433: 422: 418: 403: 381: 377: 370: 356: 352: 348: 316: 299: 290: 274: 261: 252: 240: 231: 222: 212:by exposure to 205: 186: 177: 175:Ink preparation 167: 158:stainless steel 150:beryllium oxide 143: 139: 134: 126: 110:miniaturization 72:screen-printing 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 683: 673: 672: 658: 657: 652: 647: 642: 637: 630: 629:External links 627: 625: 624: 605: 572: 556: 537: 530: 512: 495: 480: 454: 431: 416: 401: 375: 368: 349: 347: 344: 343: 342: 337: 332: 327: 322: 315: 312: 298: 295: 289: 286: 273: 270: 260: 257: 251: 248: 244:laser trimming 239: 236: 230: 227: 221: 218: 204: 201: 185: 182: 176: 173: 165: 141: 137: 133: 130: 125: 122: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 682: 671: 668: 667: 665: 656: 653: 651: 648: 646: 643: 641: 638: 636: 633: 632: 620: 616: 609: 600: 595: 591: 587: 583: 576: 568: 567: 560: 553:(3): 284–289. 552: 548: 541: 533: 527: 523: 516: 508: 507: 499: 491: 487: 483: 477: 473: 469: 465: 458: 450: 446: 442: 435: 427: 420: 412: 408: 404: 398: 394: 390: 386: 379: 371: 365: 361: 354: 350: 341: 338: 336: 333: 331: 328: 326: 323: 321: 318: 317: 311: 308: 304: 294: 285: 283: 279: 269: 267: 256: 247: 245: 235: 226: 217: 215: 211: 203:Drying/Curing 200: 198: 193: 191: 181: 172: 169: 163: 159: 155: 151: 147: 129: 121: 119: 115: 111: 107: 102: 100: 96: 92: 88: 79: 75: 73: 67: 65: 59: 55: 53: 49: 45: 41: 37: 33: 29: 19: 618: 608: 589: 585: 575: 565: 559: 550: 546: 540: 521: 515: 505: 498: 463: 457: 440: 434: 425: 419: 384: 378: 359: 353: 300: 291: 278:wire bonding 275: 266:wafer dicing 262: 253: 241: 232: 223: 206: 194: 187: 178: 170: 135: 127: 120:technology. 103: 84: 68: 60: 56: 27: 26: 255:necessary. 91:thermistors 346:References 330:Thermistor 52:stenciling 320:Thin film 282:soldering 118:thin film 95:varistors 87:resistors 74:process. 34:modules, 664:Category 490:10294851 411:33904731 314:See also 190:squeegee 621:: 6–16. 216:light. 162:silicon 156:(AlN), 152:(BeO), 146:alumina 48:sensors 528:  488:  478:  409:  399:  366:  220:Firing 210:curing 486:S2CID 407:S2CID 124:Steps 526:ISBN 476:ISBN 397:ISBN 364:ISBN 97:and 46:and 594:doi 590:137 468:doi 445:doi 389:doi 280:or 666:: 617:. 588:. 584:. 549:. 484:. 474:. 443:. 405:. 395:. 284:. 268:. 214:UV 192:. 148:, 101:. 93:, 89:, 42:, 38:, 602:. 596:: 551:7 534:. 492:. 470:: 451:. 447:: 413:. 391:: 372:. 166:2 144:/ 142:3 140:O 138:2 20:)

Index

Thick film technology
surface mount devices
hybrid integrated circuits
heating elements
integrated passive devices
sensors
stenciling
surface-mount technology
screen-printing

resistors
thermistors
varistors
integrated passive devices
hybrid integrated circuits
miniaturization
printed circuit board
thin film
alumina
beryllium oxide
aluminum nitride
stainless steel
silicon
squeegee
photoimageable thick-film technology
curing
UV
laser trimming
wafer dicing
wire bonding

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