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The Future of Fast, Flexible Data Transmission
By Markus Pichler, BEng, Regional Sales Manager, Yamaichi Electronics C
onventional flexible flat cables, flexible printed circuits or micro-coaxial cables cannot cope with the demands of
increasing data transmission. However, Yamaichi’s Y-FLEX technology offers an approach that unites the advantages of the classic methods but better meets the require- ments of technically demanding products. The Y-FLEX cable is a special high-
speed FPC which is designed for high data transmission rates. It has a liquid crystal polymer base material, contacting various layers with silver bumps and a special, com- pletely reproducible production process.
Making Connections The manufacturing process is critical for
the high reliability and the remarkable data transmission characteristics of the Y-FLEX. First, the silver paste is applied in the form of a pyramid-like cone (silver bump) to a cop- per foil. Then a film made of the LCP insula- tion material and another copper layer are laminated under vacuum and heat. Use of a specific silver bump height and defined lami- nation conditions result in optimal contact- ing and the required mechanical strength of the various copper layers. Then, the Y-FLEX is prepared for preci-
sion etching through the application and development of a photoresist coating and then etched. The extremely precise removal of the unneeded copper allows for maximum
Y-FLEX high-speed flexible cable.
accuracy and freedom of design of the con- ductive traces. Cleaning and application of a protective layer give the Y-FLEX stability and insulating protection.
Flexible Solutions FFCs are the most widely used type of
flex cable, beating out Y-FLEX, micro-coax and FPC. FFCs will continue to be used in many applications in the future for good rea- son, particularly when relatively long cables or lower signal transmission rates are required. With FFCs the trace widths and spaces
can be designed with a certain amount of variability to yield higher data rates. However, the associated manufacturing costs are high. Much higher data transfer rates can be achieved with Y-FLEX technology due to its greater design flexibility. In standard FPCs, the electrical connec-
tion between the individual copper layers is established with through-hole plating. Because the silver bumps only penetrate
the insulation material between the copper layers, and not the copper layers themselves, a more homogeneous structure can be achieved than with THT, and no additional surface treatment or material fillers in the drill holes are required. The standard Y-FLEX is made up of two
layers. However, the technology permits many more copper layers. The biggest difference between this and FPCs lies in the insulation material. Compared with the standard polyimides used in conventional FPCs, the LCP insula- Continued on page 62
October, 2021
See at productronica, A4.240
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