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February, 2019 Protecting Liquid-Sensitive Devices By Edward Hughes, CEO, Aculon, Inc. S


martphones continue to dominate the con- sumer electronics market, spurred by the unprecedented expansion of the global middle


class. Over the next four years, cumulative ship- ments are projected to surpass 6.4 billion units, representing $1.5 trillion. Also, wearable electronics are rapidly being


adopted by consumers, as well as connected devices that make up the Internet of Things (IoT). These include sensors, connected home devices, workplace monitors, and smart city and transportation technology.


Liquid Contact The Achilles heel for all of these products


is liquid. Liquid damage is the second-largest cause of damaged smartphones. Research firm IDC estimates that nearly 900,000 smart- phones are damaged by liquids every day, with a financial impact estimated in excess of $96.7 billion per year. Zion Market Research has released a report


illustrating OEMs’ growing interest in liquid pro- tection. This is driven by the need for differentia- tion, the increasing pressure from carriers to


The pressure to increase customer satisfaction and brand loyalty is com- pelling manufacturers to provide solutions that prevent electronics


from being damaged when in contact with liquids.


reduce costs and the prospect that other brands will offer liquid protection in the future. The pres- sure to increase customer satisfaction and brand loyalty is compelling manufacturers to provide


Device manufacturers are under pressure to add water resistance to electronic devices.


The delicate nature of electronics is challeng-


ing manufacturers to find reliable, economical and high-performance materials that minimize or mit- igate the damage that can compromise the safety and operation of devices. Water-resistant products have typically fall-


en into two distinct categories: conformal solution- based coatings and vacuum deposited coatings. Both surface treatment options protect circuitry from contamination and exposure to humid envi- ronments, yet neither method is capable of mass producing IPX7-protected devices, which requires full water immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 3.3 ft (1m). Until recently, thick encapsulating coatings


or enclosure gasketing have been used. Gaskets are very difficult to incorporate into devices with complex shapes and take up a lot of space.


solutions that prevent electronics from being dam- aged when in contact with liquids. Using the fundamentals of molecular self-


assembly, Aculon®, Inc., has developed and tested its NanoProof® series, a line of waterproofing prod- ucts for electronics that protect circuit boards from accidental water immersion and total submersion.


Encapsulation eliminates the possibility of rework- ing a board, which creates massive yield losses during manufacturing. Due to these issues, manufacturers turned to


conformal coatings, a class of surface treatments that have been used to protect circuitry from for- eign contaminants, such as dust and flux residues. Unfortunately, these coatings are not designed to protect devices from direct contact with liq- uid. That level of board protection requires multiple coats — up to 10 or more successive applications of conformal coating — a process not feasible for high-volume manufacturing. Further complicating the process was the


introduction of flex connections and press-fit connectors, as well as the use of sensitive devices, such as microphones, which made masking of these small electronics very time- consuming and costly for traditional conformal coating applications.


Technical Solution A “no-mask” category of surface treatment


emerged as a result of some recent discoveries made in research and development in the chem- istry of conformal coatings. These surface treat- ments are capable of forming a “true” conformal coating that maintains consistent thicknesses across complex parts. This provides much greater water resistance when compared with traditional conformal coatings. While previous chemistries required masking


of connector hubs so other parts could be electrical- ly connected after coating, these new surface treat- ments are applied directly onto connectors, pre- venting these points from becoming the point of failure upon water immersion. These new hydrophobic coatings are economical and can be


Continued on page 68


See at IPC APEX, Booth 3233


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