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TechWaTch
The Diverse New World of Conductive Inks
By Dr. Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, Research Director, IDTechEx T 5G There are several interesting op-
portunities for conductive inks in 5G. The first lies in filter technology. Cur- rent filter technologies must stretch to meet requirements in sub-GHz 5G and fall short for mmWave 5G. A range of candidates are
emerging, such as microstrips on PCBs or ceramic, as well as multilay- er LTCC filters. The latter offers rea- sonable
filter properties for
mmWave, while maintaining a small footprint. This is vital for mmWave applications, where large, closely spaced antenna lattices are used to
he conductive ink business is wonderfully diverse, which has allowed the industry to rejuve-
nate itself time after time to remain relevant through generations of product lifecycles. However, this di- versity presents a market segmenta- tion, evaluation and prioritization challenge for many companies, both small and large, around the world.
increase gain and beam form. Multi- layer LTCC seems to be a potential frontrunner if tight tolerances can be achieved in high-volume production. Another important opportunity
lies in highly thermally conductive die attach pastes, such as metal sin- ter and highly loaded epoxies. RF GaN power amplifiers are likely to rise as current LDMOS technology will struggle at the required frequen- cies, even at sub-GHz 5G. This trend will likely continue
until antenna arrays are large enough to allow silicon-based technologies in. GaN is often attached using gold- based solder, but sinter die attach or metal-filled epoxies can achieve excel- lent results at a lower cost. There are further opportunities.
In particular, minimizing transmis- sion loss at high frequencies calls for both low-loss materials and the mini- mization of distances. More functions are likely to be integrated within a package. This will boost the need for conformal EMI shielding and in-pack-
age compartmentalization. Spray- and inkjet-based approaches are emerging to unseat sputtering.
Automotive The automotive sector has
emerged as an important target mar- ket for conductive ink suppliers. The traditional applications include printed defrosters, especially on rear windows. This has been a mature and notable business. A key trend is to implement transparent and effi- cient large-area heating to eliminate the visible defroster lines. Printed metal mesh is an excel-
lent candidate and is already ad- vancing through the qualification process. Transparent heating can have other applications as well, espe- cially in defrosting of perception sen- sors used in autonomous driving, in- cluding cameras and lidar. Seat heaters are also a notable
market with ample upside growth opportunities. Printed heating can further expand within the interior of vehicles. Printed occupancy seat sen- sors and other printed sensors are al- ready an opportunity with strong po- tential upsides.
Quality Solutions for Complex EMI/RFI and EMC Filter Requirements
Electric Vehicles and Power Electronics
The emergence of electric vehi-
cles in an opportunity for growth. Printers are developing large-area battery pack heaters to help regulate battery temperatures. Metal sinter- ing die attach pastes have already been commercialized in EV power electronics. This trend will continue rapid-
ly, as higher power densities, partly boosted by the growing transition to wideband semiconductors, push the operating temperatures beyond the capabilities of many solders. The competition here is intense,
and many metal sintering materials suppliers are innovating to offer drop-in form factors, lower sintering time, pressureless sintering, and
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higher thermal conductivity. Another avenue is in-mold elec-
tronics (IME), which is being used to develop both interior and exterior parts. Low-temperature cofired ce- ramics (LTCC) has long been a com- monplace board technology, especial- ly for the ECU, gear control, ABS controller, steer-by-wire, and others. Last but not least, there may be niche opportunities in electrochromic glass, and even in battery shielding.
Packaging and Conformal Metallization
Conformal EMI shielding is a
trend that is set to accelerate in the coming years, causing a shift from low-cost, but bulky, lid-based board- level shielding to thin conformal package-level shielding. Many components today in mo-
bile phones already employ this tech- nology. The most common elements are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other RF frontend modules. Conformal coating on NAND memories is rarer but in- creasing. Instead of sputtering, multiple
ink-based alternatives are now emerging. Spraying is one option. Here, the process does not require vacuum. The ink composition and particle morphology do matter. The thicknesses here are 3 to 6 µm and good side and top thickness uniformi- ty are obtained. The inkjet-based approach is
novel. It uses particle-free inks acti- vated by light exposure. Suppliers are suggesting that they can achieve sufficient shielding at just 1 to 2 µm thickness with UHP reaching 12k on 0.02 in.2 (10 mm2) packages. In both approaches, CapEx is low, making the technology accessible to all man- ners of OSATs and lower-value ICs and applications.
Photovoltaics Photovoltaics
remain the
largest market for firing-type pastes. However, this is not an easy space for paste or powder suppliers. Price pressures are immense and perform- ance advantages temporary and short-lived. Non-silicon-wafer PV technolo-
gy is now confined to very small nich- es in the market. These, nonetheless, represent important sales opportuni- ties, especially in forming the elec- trodes. This extends mainly to thin and highly conductive lines, which cure at low temperatures. Such re- quirements match well with what
nanoparticle inks seek to offer. Contact: IDTechEx, One Boston
Place, Suite 2600, Boston, MA 02108 % 617-577-7890 fax: 617-577-7810 E-mail:
info@idtechex.com Web:
www.idtechex.com r
June, 2020
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