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NanoPrintek presents the world’s first “dry multimaterial printer,” a disruptive technology that transforms the printing of functional materials and devices. The current printing technologies are liquid-based methods such as inkjet and aerosol jet printers, which suffer from major drawbacks, including complex ink formulations, surfactants/contaminants, limited printing inks, and the need for high-temperature post-processing to sinter the particles and remove the surfactants. This talk presents a disruptive inkless multimaterial printing technology where pure nanoparticles of various materials are generated in situ and on demand. These nanoparticles are then directed toward the printer nozzle and laser-sintered in real-time to form desired patterns and structures layer by layer. The Key technology advantages include 1) on-demand and in-situ generation of various pure nanoparticles without contaminations, 2) in-situ and real-time laser sintering of nanoparticles on various substrates with no further post-processing, 3) multimaterial printing of hybrid and tunable nanocomposite materials and structures. This supply-chain resilient technology transitions electronics printing to a new realm where pure, multimaterial, multifunctional, and hybrid materials are printed on demand with various applications in the electronics, healthcare, automotive, aerospace, defense, and energy industries. SAVE THE DATE

The production and consumption of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) in the European Union (EU) are on the rise (Eurostat 2020). Due to low levels of reuse, collection, recycling, and other forms of recovery of waste EEE, the consumption of rare and expensive natural resources is also increasing. This imposes higher economic and environmental pressure on manufacturers of modern electronic devices. As new fields of applications for stretchable electronics continue to emerge, such as wearable smart textiles and medical/health-monitoring devices, the market for stretchable electronics is expected to grow rapidly. Amid the COVID-19 crisis, research indicates that the global stretchable electronics market will reach $2.6 billion by 2027 (Researchandmarkets 2020). The development of methods to assess the ecological impact of not only the electronic device, but also the production process, is an area of research that is growing. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a useful method to identify and quantify the environmental impacts of a product, process, or activity. Comparative LCA can be carried to compare the environmental impacts of two or more products that have similar functionality (Kokare, 2022). The production process for stretchable electronics that is being developed is based on a digital production strategy, where the production steps are digitally controlled and optimised. An example of a proposed production line, including deposition machines, inspection devices et cetera, will be presented. A comparative life cycle assessment of stretchable and rigid electronics-based cardiac monitoring devices will be discussed to elucidate aspects of the production process from an environmental point of view. SAVE THE DATE

Steliyan Vasilev Company: 3E Smart Solutions Embroidery is a textile manufacturing technique that has its roots in historic hand-stitched garment design. However, with the invention of computers, this textile manufacturing technique has seen a resurgence due to its high levels of material optimization. Embroidery allows the textile engineer to place single fibers, yarns, fiber bundles, or even wires with high precision in a variable, predesigned geometry. Because of this high precision, embroidery is highly applicable for integrating functionality into textiles through textile sensors, actuators, or electrodes. Three types of embroidery technologies are commonly used and defined in the literature. These include chain and moss stitch embroidery, standard embroidery as well as tailored fiber, wire, or tube placement. Each of these methods can be utilized in varying ways for the mass production of smart textiles. The embroidery technology offers enormous possibilities for the automatic integration of conductive fibers and electronic components into textiles to create e-textiles. E-textiles are in development for decades but only a few products could make it to the market. The main reason for this lack of products on the market is the high production costs. Manual production steps increase the production costs and lead to high product costs. Furthermore, reproducibility cannot be guaranteed or manually created products. The high level of automation of the embroidery process finally allows the mass production of e-textiles. SAVE THE DATE

The Motivation Behind HPCAP The evolution of printing technologies has always been driven by an important factor: increasing precision while diversifying applications. To accomplish this, HPCAP (High Precision Capillary Printing) developed by Hummink emerges as a groundbreaking technology that leverages the power of capillary forces and resonance without the need for other external factors reaching high resolutions and expanding the applications. Introducing HPCAP Drawing inspiration from Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), HPCAP employs a macro-resonator as its primary sensing mechanism to provide feedback during contact and printing processes. What sets this technology apart is its exclusive reliance on capillary forces and resonance as the sole driving forces for printing, completely devoid of UV, laser, or pressure-based dispensing mechanisms. This mechanism employs a glass pipette, filled with various inks, as its printing tip. Its precise control mechanism and compatibility with a wide array of inks make it a promising solution for several high-resolution applications reaching as fine as 100 nanometers. In a way, it can be compared to the world's smallest fountain pen, enabling precision printing on a sub-micron scale. How Does it Work? A macro-resonator (or tuning fork) oscillating at a resonance frequency of about 1 kHz is attached to a mechanical bridge. The oscillation is generated by a piezodither that excites the macro-resonator. The bridge, driven by a piezostage, allows the resonator to move with a 5 nm precision in Z axis (Z-fine). State-of-the-art electronics are used to control the resonance of the macro-resonator through three different parameters: the resonance phase, amplitude, and frequency. Any shift in these values can be controlled to achieve different printing features, indirectly modifying the print geometry (thickness, line width...). Amplitude can be adjusted between 5 nm and 100 nm, and any frequency shift of 100 mHz or more can be accurately detected. A glass pipette is attached to the extremity of the macro-resonator, and oscillates in phase with the latter. This pipette is made of a pulled glass capillary; and despite its fragility, the real-time detection of interaction between the substrate and the pipette avoids any uncontrolled damage to both the substrate and the pipette, while maintaining a high-quality dispensing mechanism. By controlling the pulling parameters (heat, force etc...), a wide range of pipette diameter can be achieved, from 100 nm to 50 μm. The pipette can be filled with various inks. Pipettes are typically filled with a few tens of microliters. Since the dispensed volume is in the nanoliter range (orders of magnitude lower than the pipette volume), a single pipette can print up to hundreds of kilometers, depending on the dispensing diameter. The figures below show that the first step of the HPCAP printing process is to approach the tip to the substrate surface. As the macro-resonator is oscillating at its proper resonance frequency, a slight change of a few hundreds of mHz can be observed once a small meniscus is formed between the ink inside the pipette and the substrate. The formed meniscus is stabilized by the macroresonator's oscillation, and this frequency shift is then locked by the electronic feedback loop. After this initial step, capillary printing can be achieved by moving the substrate in the XY axis. As the frequency shift value must remain constant, the Z-fine bridge will move the resonator (hence the pipette) in the Z direction to perfectly follow the topography of the substrate, while allowing continuous deposition. As explained earlier, the only driving force for printing is the capillary force and the resonance of the macro-resonator. Save the Date for The Future of Electronics RESHAPED show in Boston and Berlin HPCAP Stands Out: Unlike inkjet printing technologies, HPCAP is not a drop-on-demand technology. It ensures the continuous printing of any ink on any substrate, without the characteristic defects that can be observed with inkjet printing. Other technologies rely on electric field (EHD) or pressure (robocasting) as a driving force for printing. However, most of these technologies struggle with sub-micronic resolutions and precisions, as the required external energy for dispensing/extruding dramatically increases with smaller printing dimensions. This can be explained by the increased pressure drop as described by the Hagen-Poiseuille equation. For HPCAP technology, the ink is not pushed from the inside of the pipette, but rather pulled by the substrate from the outside, with the pressure drop governed by the Laplace- Young equation. Though both these equations are a simplification of the underlying mechanisms behind ink dispensing through narrow channels, they provide an understanding of the differences in required printing forces between pressure driven (where dp scales with 1/𝑅4) and capillarity (where dp scale with 1/𝑅 ). The strength of capillary forces at these resolutions allows HPCAP to dispense at submicronic resolutions and with high viscosity materials. Hagen-Poiseuille Equation. Where ∆𝑃 is the pressure drop, 𝜂 is the dynamic viscosity, L is the significant length of the channel, Q the volumetric flow rate, and R the pipette radius. Laplace-Young Equation. where 𝛾 is the surface tension of the fluid, and R the pipette radius. HPCAP Applications: Since HPCAP does not need an external source of energy, it is thus unlike other additive manufacturing technologies that use laser or UV for instance not limited to photosensitive material. Polymers (PMMA, SU8, PVP, epoxy...), conductive inks (silver, copper, gold...), 2D materials (nanowires, graphene) with viscosities up to 100,000 cP have been successfully printed using HPCAP technology. With a few adjustments in rheological, capillary, and colloidal properties, any ink can be printed, and any material is potentially processable. This strong versatility allows HPCAP technology to address a broad range of applications where high precision and resolution are required. High resolution interconnects and repair for semiconductor and display applications One of the major applications for HPCAP technology is the dispensing of conductive inks for complex and high- resolution interconnections. The figure below (a, b, and d) shows SEM images of printed examples for such applications. All results were obtained with Hummink manufactured silver ink. A and b in the figure show examples of printed lines used in the repair of open circuit defects in display and packaging and Image d in the figure demonstrates 3D packaging capabilities of HPCAP technology by printing high aspect ratio conductive pillars. Printed Biosensors Fully printed biosensors have gained increasing attention for the past years because of their cost efficiency, design versatility, and possible enhanced performances. As a technology capable of depositing a wide range of active material, such as conductive inks or biomaterials, HPCAP has been used in collaboration with renown labs to demonstrate its ability to print fully functional biosensors. The figure below shows a functional biosensing device printed with HPCAP technology. Gap reduction between electrodes has been a major challenge for fully printed electrodes. It has several positive impacts : It increases the field effect, hence improving the sensitivity of the biosensors at comparable field effect and sensitivity, it reduces the energy consumption of biosensors with adjusted geometries, selectivity of the biosensors can also be adjusted Save the Date for The Future of Electronics RESHAPED show in Boston and Berlin Watchmaking Luxury watchmaking predominantly revolves around the production of high-quality, upscale products. The dials of these watches, which are often the centerpieces of their design, are meticulously crafted using expensive, delicate, and fragile materials. The intricate topography of watch dials, as depicted in Figure below has posed challenges for traditional inkjet printing techniques, preventing them from achieving the desired high-resolution decorations. Additionally, newer printing technologies that rely on external energy sources have often been too aggressive, posing significant risks to these delicate substrates.However, as discussed in the prior section, the innovative HPCAP technology offers a solution. It incorporates real- time detection of the interaction between the pipette and the substrate, ensuring no harm comes to the latter. Notably, HPCAP's capabilities extend beyond mere decoration. It can dispense a variety of inks—from precious metals and quantum dots for ornamental purposes to functional materials like resins and glues. Given these attributes, HPCAP is being closely examined as a viable technology for both functionalizing and personalizing watch dials. Conclusion: HPCAP technology stands out in the landscape of printing technologies, offering a unique approach that shuns conventional energy sources, relying solely on capillary forces and resonance. Its incredible precision is exemplified by its ability to navigate the Z-axis with a 5 nm accuracy. The versatility of HPCAP is evident in its compatibility with numerous inks, irrespective of their viscosity. This versatility offers a broad spectrum of applications, from the high-stakes realm of semiconductor repair to the intricate world of watchmaking and decoration. As industries continue to demand higher precision and versatility in printing, HPCAP provides a forward-looking solution that is poised to redefine the standards of the printing world. Save the Date for The Future of Electronics RESHAPED show in Boston and Berlin

TechBlick, the leading platform for emerging technologies has announced that it will hold a US edition of its very successful 'The Future of Electronics RESHAPED' conference and exhibition in Boston on 12 & 13 June, 2024. TechBlick is responding to huge demand by the global industry to hold this event. It will be the most important industry and research meeting in this field in the US and the first event for a number of years to bring the entire ecosystem together. The Future of Electronics RESHAPED conference and exhibition will focus on additive, sustainable, flexible, hybrid, wearable, structural and 3D electronics. As well as a world-class agenda and exhibition, the event will also feature expert-led masterclasses and company tours to some of the innovative organisations in the Boston area. Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, CEO of TechBlick reported "Following the success of our recent Berlin Event a couple of weeks ago which saw a 50% growth both in attendee and exhibitor numbers, we feel confident that we can hold a successful US event. Indeed we have had such strong exhibitor interest that we have already had to add extra exhibition space. For further information visit https://www.techblick.com/electronicsreshapedusa Join the global industry at the long-awaited TechBlick US event on 12 & 13 June 2024 in Boston and also in Berlin on 23 & 24 October 2024.

Speaker: Gaetan Guillemot Company: BeLink Solutions Unless you're a printed electronics expert, you probably have no idea what's going on in the making of new innovations in printed electronics, let alone what it takes to bring technology to mass production. As the automotive, industrial, home automation, medical, aerospace and defense market segments increasingly rely on recent advances in printed electronics, it is more important than ever to establish robust manufacturing processes that provide reliability and quality to this next-generation electronics with the integration of all types of electronic components. This presentation will allow you to understand how BeLink Solutions overcame these challenges from POC to mass production. SAVE THE DATE

MicroLED are the ultimate display technology, but the grand challenge of mass transfer at low cost and high yield with variable pixel pitch and no mura effect remains an important theme. On 29-30 NOV 2023, JJ Lee from eLux, Inc. will present at www.MicroLEDConnect.com on their novel simple fluidic self-assembly (FAS) mass transfer process, which positions each µLED by capture of the device in a well structure that also contains the connecting electrodes. This process uses gravity to trap µLED ✅ Simple µLED and substrate structures, recyclable µLED after FSA, and extremely simple and scalable FSA tools. ✅ Handle µLEDs sized from 5 to 200 µm offering flexibility to make a wide variety of displays with resolutions from 400 to 10 ppi or larger. ✅ Assembly speed as high as tens of millions µLEDs per hour on large panels. ✅ µLED emitter area to µLED size ratio adjustable ✅ Fluidic assembly applies relatively low force on the device so brittle materials such as red µLEDs fabricated from AlGaInP can be assembled in the same way as blue and green emitting GaN µLEDs. Slide [1] shows the progress from LED wafer to uLED array, offering also information on eutectic bonding of TFTs and uLEDs as well as on yield, de-trap, orientation control parameters Slide [2] shows how select harvest of known-good dies as well as randomization in the ink ensure that FAS has low defectivity and no stamp mura. The mura from pick-and-place solution is very clear, resulting from wavelength and luminance difference between stamps. In this presentation, µLED structure, the FSA mechanism and selective harvest will be introduced. A comparison between FSA and other mass transfer technologies clearly validate FSA’s advantages. Finally, we will also compare eLux FSA with other recently published FSA technologies. Slide [4] shows a benchmarking table, comparing in detail FSA on TFT glass and FSA on carrier vs PnP and laser transfer. It suggests that the ability to handle known-good dies, avoid mura, achieve self alignment with a simple etc are amongst key advantages Join us on 29-30 NOV 2024 at MicroLED Connect to hear the latest from innovative players in microLEDs and quantum dots from around the world. The speakers include VueReal, Toray Engineering, eLux, Lextar, GE Research, Mikro Mesa, Q-Pixel, Delo, Mojo, Yole and many others Explore the full agenda here www.MicroLEDConnect.com MicroLED Connect is a joint offering by TechBlick and MicroLED-Info, offering the first-ever MicroLED focused series of onsite and online conferences and exhibition. #MicroLED #QuantumDot #Printing #ColorConversion #AR #VR #MR #FutureofDisplays #AdditiveManufacturing #Assembly #MassTransfer #uLEDs #NoMura

How can equipment manufacturers innovate to meet current and future needs of microLED production? You can join us on 29-30 NOV 2023 at https://www.microledconnect.com/ where Katsumi Araki from Toray Engineering Co., Ltd. will present how they are addressing some of these challenges including 1] Handling of ever smaller microLED die with a stable process: as you can see in slide #2, dies size have shrunk and will continue to do so. To give a sense of the transition consider that a traditional LED is >1mm wherea a microLED die can be less than 2um, a shrinkage of 500-1000 times! This require innovative equipment to handle, to transfer, to bond, to inspect, to repair, etc with near perfect yield 2] Efficient repair process: this is a vital challenge in the industry. To highlight the scale of the challenge, as shown in slide 2, consider a 4mm smart watch. This watch will include 500,000 microLED chips. Thus, a 1% defect will translate into 5000 repair tasks, which would take 7 hours with a standard pick-and-place machine. Or consider a 4k TV. This would have 25M chips and thus at 1% defect rate 250000 chips would need to be repaired, translating to 347 hours with a conventional pick-and-place machine 3] Minimizing image discoloration: when mass transfer is performed using the conventional method (e.g., stamp), uneven brightness and wavelenght are transferred as they. This will need to be addressed In slide [3] you can see the entire process chain from LED chip manufacutring to wafer inspection to 1st repair to mass transfer to bonding to inspection to 2nd repair and beyond, showing also where Toray Engineering is innovating Join us on 29-30 NOV 2024 at MicroLED Connect to hear the latest from innovative players in microLEDs and quantum dots from around the world. The speakers include VueReal, Toray Engineering, eLux, Lextar, GE Research, Mikro Mesa, Q-Pixel, Delo, Mojo, Yole and many others Explore the full agenda here https://www.microledconnect.com/ MicroLED Connect is a joint offering by TechBlick and MicroLED-Info, offering the first-ever MicroLED focused series of onsite and online conferences and exhibition. #MicroLED#QuantumDot#Printing#ColorConversion#AR#VR#MR#FutureofDisplays#AdditiveManufacturing#Repair#Bonding#LIFT#Transfer

Future of MicroLEDs: wafer level integration combining III-V devices with CMOS transistors to achieve truly monolithic microdisplay? Daniel Lepkowski and Kenneth Lee from nsc (New Silicon Corp) will join https://www.microledconnect.com/ on 29-30 NOV 2023 to explain how they are enabling and progressing technology. Slide [2] shows the approach to front-end heterogeneous integration enabling wafer-scale CMOS+GaN LED systems. First the circuit is designed using CMOS EDA tools running a custom nsc PDK that allows designers to layout, simulate, and iterate CMOS + LED circuits like never before. Then during the tapeout phase, the CMOS front end is produced using a properly suited 200 mm CMOS process at one of many established CMOS foundries. This front-end CMOS wafer is then integrated with an as-grown GaN-on-Si wafer using a proprietary double layer transfer technique. The wafer is then returned to the foundry where LED devices are fabricated and interconnected with CMOS devices using standard CMOS back-end processes. This enables higher interconnect densities and greater manufacturability than is possible using traditional hybrid bonding schemes. Slide [3] shows how they have achieved this on a 200 mm silicon manufacturing line. The device cross section shows how the heterogeneous integration of CMOS and GaN-on-Si looks like on a 200mm Si wafer. Slide [4] also shows how this integration technique can increase reliability, yield and design freedom of packaging and bonding schemes. In the traditional approach, each LED is bonded to a Si chip. In the new approach (PixelatedLightEngine™ technology), system level integration allows increasing the density of interconnects and shifts the questions of reliability and yield to silicon manufacturing lines. This is an important advance Slide [5] shows how they enable rapid technology development through expertise in all aspects of the CMOS technology development pathway including: PDK development and implementation, hybrid III-V/Si circuit design, device physics and compact modeling, process development, and failure analysis. Join us on 29-30 NOV 2024 at MicroLED Connect to hear the latest from innovative players in microLEDs and quantum dots from around the world. The speakers include VueReal, Toray Engineering, eLux, Lextar, GE Research, Mikro Mesa, Q-Pixel, Delo, Mojo, Yole and many others Explore the full agenda here https://lnkd.in/dXcu5Qeb MicroLED Connect is a joint offering by TechBlick and MicroLED-Info, offering the first-ever MicroLED focused series of onsite and online conferences and exhibition. #MicroLED #QuantumDot #Printing #ColorConversion #AR #VR #MR #FutureofDisplays #AdditiveManufacturing #GaN #CMOS #heterogeneousintegration #Epitaxy #PDK #Wafer

In this presentation, Ronald Maandonks will elaborate on Signify's efforts to drive the transition from a linear to a circular economy. He will highlight the significant advantages that technologies like additive manufacturing bring to customers, with a particular focus on 3D printed luminaires. These luminaires are purposefully designed to cater to specific needs and applications across various sectors. Whether it's achieving performance enhancements with higher efficacies in lumen per watt (lm/W) or delivering superior light quality, meeting diverse aesthetic preferences through different colors, textures, or shapes, or enabling seamless system upgrades, the modular concept lies at the heart of addressing these requirements. By allowing for the exchange or addition of modules, this approach not only preserves the value of the product but also minimizes waste, leading to a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions. Furthermore, this innovative method enhances local production capabilities, empowering the ability to manufacture where the products are sold. Overall, the presentation will shed light on Signify's commitment to sustainability, CO2 reduction, and waste reduction through its transformative approach to lighting solutions. SAVE THE DATE

Andrew Stemmerman & John Yundt SunRay Scientific Inc. Eatontown, NJ USA andrew@sunrayscientific.com johny@sunrayscientific.com SunRay Scientific of Eatontown, NJ, USA has developed a new and innovative approach to electronic component assembly. This article will outline the developments of this technology and show examples of this magnetically aligned Anisotropic Conductive Epoxy packaging method used on various substrates. Progress will be shared for dense and fine pitch Land Grid Arrays (LGA) on a semi-rigid interposer. Introduction Flip-chip die and die-to-die bonding, from dense to fine pitch, typically require solder balls and underfills. Underfill and/or edge encapsulant is often utilized to provide additional mechanical strength and stress reduction. The result is a complex assembly process flow. Localized placement of Anisotropic Conductive Adhesive (ACA) or Anisotropic Conductive Film (ACF) for specific components typically involves the fine-pitchuse of thermocompression bonding, an additional process step that could also be damaging to thin silicon. Another drawback for traditional interconnect materials is relatively slow processes, limiting the utility of such technologies. Development towards a wafer scale compatible packaging method will be shared, using a pressure-less and low-temperature magnetically aligned Anisotropic Conductive Epoxy (ACE). Figure 1. Flip Chip assembly comparisons: traditional solder balls & underfill attachment (Left); Die attach with z-axis magnetically aligned conductive epoxy (Right) A summary of the novel approach is shown above in Figure 1. First, ferro-magnetic particles dispersed within an epoxy are coated onto a substrate. The ferro-magnetic particles form z-axis magnetically aligned columns, fixed in place during the die-to-substrate cure process without any pressure applied. The formation of the columns during the curing process is illustrated in Figure 2. This technology simplifies the assembly process to a single adhesive application, which provides both electrical interconnection and mechanical reinforcement. No additional underfill material is needed. Fine patterning is not required as the entire area of the component target location is deposited with epoxy. The device alignment process is more forgiving relative to solder ball-to-solder pad alignment. Z-axis columns align after component placement, magnetic pallet exposure and cure is achieved. Figure 2. X-Ray photos of Z-axis magnetically aligned particles ferromagnetic in an Anisotropic Conductive Epoxy (ACE) Thermal or UV curing methods complete the component attachment without any thermocompression (cure method is epoxy formulation dependent). Thermal curing occurs within the 80°C to 160°C temperature range. This article outlines the developments of this technology and shows examples of this magnetically aligned Anisotropic Conductive Epoxy packaging method used on various substrates. Progress will be shared for dense and fine-pitch Land Grid Arrays (LGA) on a semi-rigid interposer. Additionally, advancements made for die-to-die bonding will be presented as well as updates towards achieving ≤ 60-micron pitch. Other proposed direct die-attach packaging concepts will be illustrated. Example #2 covers development work performed on attaching a 126-pin Land Grid Array (LGA) bare die to a polymer semi-rigid multi-layer substrate. The use of the substrate resulted in multiple challenges for bare die attach. The non-planarity of the conductive circuit pads was one issue. The electrical resistance variation between pads had to be minimized for optimum performance. The non-uniformity of the substrate’s conductor pads is evident in the photo on the left. The schematic on the right illustrates how the ACE material allows for “leveling” in connecting the bare die to the non-planar substrate. Figure 3. 126-pad semi-rigid substrate (Left) and illustration of bond between die and substrate Additional learning during this work was in identifying trapped moisture within the polymer-based substrate as a cause for voids in the ACE during cure. These bubbles not only prevented connection in some cases but interfered with proper z-axis column formation. Prebake for the substrate was added as a step for this particular type of assembly. Two formulations were the focus of the work in Example #3. These were the Fine particles ACE and the Ultra Fine particles version. Stencil thicknesses of 0.001” to 0.005” were studied, as this tool has the most impact on establishing bond line thickness. The target for choosing the best formulation, tool and bond line thickness was lowest average resistance values with lowest deviation among the 126 pads. Iterative testing was done. “Heat maps” based on the 126 pad locations were created to visually observe resistance values within set target and acceptance ranges. The next two Figures show results from early work on process development with each epoxy formulation and stencil tools, to the progress made with the final choices on material and stencil thickness. Ultimately the Ultra Fine particles ACE with a 0.001” thick stencil was chosen for this LGA-to-substrate assembly application. Summary Table 1 shows the results of the chosen ACE and stencil, and Figure 6 is a cross-section from the development study. Figure 4. Pad-by-pad resistance measurement studies, early iteration (Left: Ultrafine, Right: Fine) Figure 5. Pad-by-pad resistance measurement studies, final iteration (Left: Ultrafine, Right: Fine) Table 1. Summary of performance metrics (continuity, resistance & deviation, pad-to-pad) Figure 6. Cross-section of component attached and electrically connected with the Z-axis ACE (Photo courtesy of Rochester Institute of Technology) Example #2 takes the LGA and Substrate subassembly to the next level, a large area 8” x 10” circuit board populated with four of the subassemblies plus components of various sizes and function. This larger assembly involves attaching all the multiple components and subassemblies in one ACE attachment process. Passives range in size from as small as 0201 up to 2220. Other devices are a 26-pin SMT connector and SoICs. This project is underway, and results will be shown by SunRay at TechBlick live in October. Fine-pitch die-to-die bonding with the ACE is the third example. The development methodology is like the other projects. An initial focus was on measuring continuity and resistance at pad sites as part of identifying the optimum process parameters and stencil tool for this application. The degree of difficulty is greater with finer pitch. Dense arrays of 60 microns pitch die, with 30 microns pads and 30 microns spacing, were used. Join the FREE-TO-ATTEND Winter Festival to Hear About the Latest Innovations Spaces are LIMITED on a first come first served basis A Design of Experiments (DoE) was established for the stencil studies. Laser profilometry was used for 3D and 2D scans of the two surfaces to be bonded, as was employed for observing the non-planarity of the semi-rigid board in Example #1. All initial steps were done manually: hand stencil printing, die placement with die bonder, batch oven cure and electrical probing. Prior to using fully functional devices, Quartz substrates patterned with the top layer of each die in the bond pair, were procured and used in early studies. The purpose was to provide enhanced analysis of the bonded die pair before, during, and after bonding/curing has occurred. Bond parameters were observed at each step of the process: pre-bond, bond, and post alignment & cure. Figure 7. Left: Target overlay of quartz substrates; Middle: ACE deposit before bond; Right: Post-bond, before z-axis alignment and cure Due to the finer pitch requirements, the test vehicles have a nickel layer applied during wafer fabrication, at the bond pad locations. Past experimentation, as pictured in Figure 8, has shown nickel application may lower the resistance of the bonded circuit by directing column formation to the metallized bond pad boundary, the nickel pads, acting as localized magnets, attract column formation during exposure to the magnetic pallet. This only applies to the bond pads themselves, to concentrate the ferromagneticmetalized particles within the ACE more towards the connection points. This creates a higher density of columns within each pad. Figure 8. Left: No nickel interlayer and ACE; Right: ACE after cure with Nickel interlayer layer in pads Conclusion Besides the addition of the nickel layer to the functional die, key parameter targets were updated for the project’s next phase. In the short-term alignment, fiducials on the quartz plates were updated to improve bonding in X, Y, and theta; and the size of test probe pads were increased to improve accuracy and reduce testing time. The development efforts for all three examples are still underway. The conclusions thus far are: Successful demonstrations of Heterogenous Packaging using z-axis magnetically aligned epoxy for structural & electrical bonding. Similar established process techniques and test methodologies are usable across applications, although each has unique requirements. The Ultra Fine particles ACE formulation has the best performance for finer pitches and more challenging alignments. Uniform bond lines between device pads are critical for optimum electrical performance. Excellent performance results were obtained, even with manual assembly techniques. Performance will improve with automation. In concept this z-axis magnetically aligned conductive epoxy approach could integrate multiple silicon wafers on top of each other, creating the possibility for an exceptionally dense integrated System-In-a-Package (SIP). Processing temperatures can be as low as 80°C, opening room for alternate substrates and biocompatible assemblies. This anisotropic epoxy is not limited to specific device attachment; it can be used to bond multiple component sizes and styles across an entire substrate. Join the FREE-TO-ATTEND Winter Festival to Hear About the Latest Innovations Spaces are LIMITED on a first come first served basis

Recent advances in Additive Manufacturing (or 2D and 3D Print) have poised many of these technologies to displace or augment traditional electronics manufacturing methods, yet significant further advances are still needed in order to obtain broad adoption for high-volume manufacturing of electronics devices. After presenting a view of how additive manufacturing methods could be leveraged for wearable AR/VR devices as well as highlighting the benefits of additive methods, I will dig into key areas where significant developments are still needed, including: component-level and device reliability; design tools; close-loop in-situ process monitoring; integrated manufacturing workflows; productivity and yield; and material properties. I will then conclude with a few application examples, highlighting unique solutions promised by additive methods as well as gaps which remain. SAVE THE DATE