-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
The Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
Getting to Know Your Designer
In this issue, we examine how fabs work with their design customers, educating them on the critical elements of fabrication needed to be successful, as well as the many tradeoffs involved. How well do you really know your customer? What makes for a closer, more synchronized working relationship?
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
Atotech Launches Next Revolution in Electroless Copper for Advanced FPCB
September 3, 2018 | AtotechEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Atotech introduces a new horizontal electroless copper process specifically developed to ensure a blister-free electroless copper deposition and shiny surface appearance after electrolytic copper plating. The new process, Printoganth RA, is compatible with electro-deposited copper (ED), rolled and annealed (RA) as well as “super-flexible RA” (HA) copper foils and best suited to meet OEM requirements for mobile applications.
Image Caption: Printoganth RA – Shiny surface appearance after electrolytic copper plating moderated growth of copper crystals.
RA copper foils are most commonly used for the metallization of next generation flexible substrates. Their special crystal structure, particularly for the “super flexible” HA copper foils, however, requires sophisticated plating solutions in order to achieve the desired surface morphology. One major challenge is the surface appearance after the electrolytic copper plating step. The surface has to have a certain shiny appearance, in order to enable an even etching during structuring and to ensure a reliable automated optical inspection (AOI). In order to overcome this challenge and offer a technically sound solution the Atotech team developed the new Printoganth RA process that complies with different materials when plating advanced flexible and flex-rigid PCBs.
Phenomenal Throwing Power Meets Excellent Coverage with Good Adhesion
Printoganth RA features an excellent coverage on all relevant base materials, including FR4, PI and PI adhesives. A phenomenal throwing power of more than 70% into blind micro vias (BMV) enables good coverage and thicker electroless copper deposits, also at critical spots such as the BMV corners or on exposed adhesive layers within vias. Due to its favorable internal stress characteristics, Printoganth RA allows for an excellent and blister free adhesion of the electroless deposited copper layer even on smooth substrates like PI.
Customer Verification
“Extensive tests at customer sites have confirmed the outstanding performance of Printoganth RA,” states Lars-Eric Pribyl, global product manager for desmear and metallization at Atotech Group. “Already today, two leading manufacturers of FPCBs for next generation smartphones are currently using the Atotech process, which is favored by leading smartphone OEMs. It is the combination of higher process safety thanks to higher throwing power and higher yield rates due to the shiny surface after electroplating that convinced them.”
About Atotech
Atotech is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of specialty chemicals and equipment for the printed circuit board, IC-substrate and semiconductor industries, as well as for the decorative and functional surface finishing industries. Atotech has annual sales of USD1.2 billion (2017). The company is fully committed to sustainability – we develop technologies to minimize waste and to reduce environmental impact. Atotech has its headquarters in Berlin, Germany, and employs about 4,000 people in over 40 countries. For more information, click here.
Suggested Items
Trouble in Your Tank: Supporting IC Substrates and Advanced Packaging, Part 5
03/19/2024 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankDirect metallization systems based on conductive graphite or carbon dispersion are quickly gaining acceptance worldwide. Indeed, the environmental and productivity gains one can achieve with these processes are outstanding. In today’s highly competitive and litigious environment, direct metallization reduces costs associated with compliance, waste treatment, and legal issues related to chemical exposure. What makes these processes leaders in the direct metallization space?
AT&S Shines with Purest Copper on World Recycling Day
03/18/2024 | AT&SThe Styrian microelectronics specialist AT&S is taking World Recycling Day as an opportunity to review the progress that has been made in recent months at its sites around the world in terms of the efficient use of resources:
Matrix to Exhibit at IPC APEX EXPO 2024 in Anaheim, CA
03/05/2024 | MatrixMatrix will be exhibiting at IPC APEX EXPO 2024, to be held on April 9-12, 2024, at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA.
The Chemical Connection: Getting to Know Your Vendor
02/16/2024 | Don Ball -- Column: The Chemical ConnectionAfter working for a capital equipment supplier for almost 50 years, I’ve found that the most important part of getting to know your vendor is good communication among all parties. While contact between fabricators of a constantly changing product line and the designers of those products may occur daily or weekly, conversations between you and your equipment supplier may be years apart. That lengthy gap often means that previous contacts may have been promoted, retired, or moved on to other opportunities. You may have also migrated to a new supplier with whom you have little or no history. In either case, you will be interacting with someone you are unfamiliar with (as they are with you). Therefore, it is essential for both sides to communicate clearly so expectations will align.
EIPC Winter Conference 2024, Day 2: A Closer Look at Global Trends
02/14/2024 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007The opening session of the second day’s conference proceedings focused on global PCB trends and was introduced and moderated by Dr. Michele Stampanoni, vice president of strategic sales and business development at Cicor Group in Switzerland. He opened the session with Dr. Hayao Nakahara’s knowledgeable and enlightening video presentation on the IC substrates industry.