DuPont Microcircuit Materials (MCM) technical experts frequently share significant new findings and information on materials, processes and applications at industry events and through key publications. Some of this content is developed jointly with customers, consultants and other colleagues in the industries we serve, and we are grateful for those collaborations. We have collected papers and presentations on a range of topics for your reference here. Please also check the News & Events section for most recent and upcoming technical presentations.

Our technical papers are organized by the categories below. Click on any link to go to that category.

Automotive

• Next Generation Ceramic Multilayer Systems
  To meet the ever increasing demand for higher circuit density and circuit performance, next generation multilayer systems with advanced patterning techniques were developed using a crystallizable glass technology with proven reliability and performance.
• Photoformed Thick Film Materials and Their Application to Fine Feature Circuitry
  Increased demands for small circuit feature sizes have provided incentives to the development of new photoformable thick film compositions.
• The Use of Thick Print Copper and Silver Conductors for Power Applications
  The market for efficient power devices in applications such as motor control, DC:DC converters and power modules is continuing to increase.

Conductors

• Through-hole Plugs and Thermal Vias
  The demands of many of the current high density and high frequency applications have designers looking for ways to utilize both sides of substrates.
• The Use of Thick Print Copper and Silver Conductors for Power Applications
  The market for efficient power devices in applications such as motor control, DC:DC converters and power modules is continuing to increase.

Electroluminescence

• Improved Characterisation of Electroluminescent Lamps Through Environmental and Electrical Stress Testing
  With increasing use of inorganic Electroluminescent (EL) lamps in very demanding applications, such as in the automotive sector, the importance of accurate and reliable lamp assessment has become even greater.

Fodel®

• Next Generation Ceramic Multilayer Systems
  A thick film material system must provide the density, reliability, electrical and mechanical properties for present and future circuit designs at a cost that is competitive with other technologies.
• Fodel® Photoprintable Thick Film: Materials and Processing
  Fodel® photoprintable thick film material provides ceramic circuitry with densities comparable to those of polyimide thin film materials.
• Photoformed Thick Film Materials and Their Application to Fine Feature Circuitry
  Increased demands for small circuit feature sizes have provided incentives to the development of new photoformable thick film compositions.

Green Tape™

• Material and Process Development for Plateable Conductors on LTCC
  This paper will demonstrate a marriage of process and materials that allow plating of silver based conductors on LTCC for gold and aluminum wire bonding and solderability.
• Improvements in the Thermal-Cycled Adhesion of Co-fired Soldered Conductors on LTCC Substrates
  This paper introduces Ag-Pt conductor materials which allow substantial improvements to both the conductor and ceramic performance in aged and thermal cycled adhesion.
• Low Loss Tape Materials System for 10 to 40GHz Application  
  This paper describes Low Emperature Co-fired Technology (LTCC) and the high frequency and thermal properties of a new low loss material system.
• LTCC Ceramic Components on Printed Wiring Boards - The Issues and Potential Solutions
  The reliable attachement of LTCC components to various types of organic boards through solder balls does in most cases require precautionary solutions of cost effectiveness.
• Improved RF Circuit Performance with an Enhanced and Expanded LTCC System
  Iin this paper we discuss the use of enhanced LTCC materials to produce commercial circuits with improved RF and microwave performance up to 20 GHz.

High Frequency Wireless

• Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics Fuel Growth of High-frequency Designs
  Driven into the mainstream by wireless applications, LTCCs extend the benefits of integration, thermal performance, and durability to automotive and other applications.
• Low Loss Tape Materials System for 10 to 40GHz Application
  This paper describes Low Emperature Co-fired Technology (LTCC) and the high frequency and thermal properties of a new low loss material system.
• Photoformed Thick Film Materials and Their Application to Fine Feature Circuitry
  Increased demands for small circuit feature sizes have provided incentives to the development of new photoformable thick film compositions.
• Cost Effective Solutions for High Density Interconnect and RF Modules Using Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic Materials
  The evolutionary progress of Green Tape™ LTCC materials is reviewed in this paper with particular emphasis on new high-density interconnect and portable-wireless applications.
• LTCC Ceramic Components on Printed Wiring Boards - The Issues and Potential Solutions
  The reliable attachement of LTCC components to various types of organic boards through solder balls does in most cases require precautionary solutions of cost effectiveness.

Embedded Passives

• Ceramic Thick-Film Capacitor for Embedded passives in Printed Circuit Boards
  This paper discusses the development of ceramic thick-film capacitors embedded in printed circuit boards.
• New Ceramic Materials for Embedded Passives
  This paper discusses development of ceramic resistors and capacitors to be embedded in printed wiring boards (PWB).
• Effects of the Printed Wiring Board Process on Ceramic Thin-Film Capacitors Integrated into Printed Wiring Boards
  This work investigates effects of some of the PWB chemical processes.

LARES

• LARES: An Artificial Chemical Process Approach for Optimization
  This article introduces a new global optimization procedure called LARES. LARES is based on the concept of an artificial chemical process (ACP), a new paradigm.
• A Generalized Framework for Solving Dynamic Optimization Problems Using the Artificial Chemical Process Paradigm: Applications to Particulate Processes and Discrete Dynamic Systems
  The solution of optimal control problems (OCPs) becomes a challenging task when the analyzed system includes non-convex, nondifferentiable, or equation-free models in the set of constraints.
• Fuzzy Classification with an Artificial Chemical Process
  In this work, a new algorithm to extract a compact set of if/then rules from data for classification problems is presented.

MCM-C

• Through-hole Plugs and Thermal Vias
  The demands of many of the current high density and high frequency applications have designers looking for ways to utilize both sides of substrates.
• A New Polymeric Carbon Undercoat for Improved Leakage Current Performance of Tantalum Capacitors
  In the present study, designed experiments were performed to optimise the composition of a polymer/carbon/resin ink.
• Lower ESR for Tantalum Capacitors through Improved Silver Ink Technology
  As applications make increasing demands on the performance of tantalum capacitors, the striving for everlower ESR continues.

Nano-fibers

• Role of Hydrogen Bonding Interactions in Directing One-Dimensional Thiol-Assisted Growth of Silver-Based Nano-fibers
  We present evidence, based on scanning and transmission electron microscopy measurements, for the formation of nanofibers from silver-thiol materials treated with water.

Packaging and Assembly

• Through-hole Plugs and Thermal Vias
  The demands of many of the current high density and high frequency applications have designers looking for ways to utilize both sides of substrates.
• LTCC Ceramic Components on Printed Wiring Boards - The Issues and Potential Solutions
  The reliable attachement of LTCC components to various types of organic boards through solder balls does in most cases require precautionary solutions of cost effectiveness.
• The Use of Thick Print Copper and Silver Conductors for Power Applications
  The market for efficient power devices in applications such as motor control, DC:DC converters and power modules is continuing to increase.
• High Density Thick Film Substrates for Miniaturized 3D Chip Stacking Packaging Solutions
  This paper describes the advancements made in optimizing the performance of thick printing copper and silver conductors designed for use in power applications and their role in this demanding technology.

Photovoltaics

• Advances in PV Metallization Technology
  Thick film metallizations for solar cells enable low loss current collection and in the case of Al also provide an electric field at the cell’s back surface.

Reliability

• LTCC Ceramic Components on Printed Wiring Boards - The Issues and Potential Solutions
  The reliable attachement of LTCC components to various types of organic boards through solder balls does in most cases require precautionary solutions of cost effectiveness.
• The Use of Thick Print Copper and Silver Conductors for Power Applications
  The market for efficient power devices in applications such as motor control, DC:DC converters and power modules is continuing to increase.
• Silver Migration-Resistant Polymer Thick Film Conductors for Appliance Circuitry
  Newly-developed silver PTF conductors have been tested and found to show drastically reduced migration after testing at 700 hours at 85C/85% R.H. under bias.