This is the last in a series on observations from the JPCA Show 2009 I attended in June. This article’s will focus on fine line fabrications and material suppliers. Competition among flexible circuit manufacturers with fine line capabilities was obvious during the JPCA Show.
IC substrate manufactures featured their micro via holes and fine lines, while material suppliers promoted new materials for both subtractive and semi-additive processes.
Many mid-sized flexible circuits manufacturers displayed 20 microns pitch and finer circuits for single-sided and double-sided circuits. A few companies employed the semi-additive process for pitches finer than 25 microns targeting double-sided circuits. Others continue to use a subtractive (etching) process for pitches finer than 20 microns assuming only single-side circuits.
Some manufacturing representatives told me they were geared up for mid-volume productions; unfortunately, there are no practical ideas ready for implementation.
A couple of engineering experts at the show pitched the idea that flexible substrates for LCD driver modules could be used in actual volume applications for pitches finer than 25 microns. This could be possible, however business continues to decline in Japan and major tape circuit manufactures did not have any demonstration at this year’s show because of serious recent financial issues.
Things were quiet at the show for flexible circuits material suppliers. Many suppliers who regularly reserve booths at the show were not in attendance, and those who did attend reserved smaller booths than last year. Their presentations and displays were routine, run of the mill.
IC substrate manufacturers, laminate suppliers and copper foil suppliers presented a semi additive process capable of generating traces finer than 30 microns pitches on multi-layer circuits.
Engineering insight
Material suppliers proposed using a different semi-additive process with new copper foils that have a low-profile or even no-profile. Many discussions popped up concerning very thin copper foils. One idea was to use copper foils thinner than 3 microns supported by carrier copper foils.
One engineer attending the event pointed out two issues with the semi additive process – one is the high material cost, and the second is the procedure to remove the carrier foil. Another idea examined is to etch down the standard thickness of the copper foils (typically 18 or 12 micron thick).
Another engineer commented that the uniformity of the etched copper was not very secure. Yet, another idea that really displayed thinking-outside-of-the-box is to etch out the whole copper foil with no profile after lamination and create new thin copper layers using an electroless plating process.
Many etching companies continue to evaluate the semi additive processes, but to date; none are used in any volume production.
Foreign representation
Previous JPCA shows attracted foreign laminate suppliers from foreign countries; however, few made the trip this year.
I did come across flexible laminate manufacturers from the U.S. and Korea, plus a rigid laminate supplier from Thailand.
The U.S. manufacturer is an established company whose portfolio of products included new materials this year. The Korean material supplier had a relatively large booth, but company representatives in the booth were not very aggressive promoting their products. The marketing manager for this particular Korean company offered excuses that their production lines are currently at capacity to satisfy domestic [Korean] demand, and they have no more capacity for exporting to the other countries.
Meanwhile, the manufacturer from Thailand was a new face at the show, but promoted traditional copper laminates. I am unsure whether or not such traditional copper laminates still remain in the mainstream.
Source: EPT Newsletter, VentureOutsource.com, July 2009
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