Feb 3 2011
The High Density Packaging User Group International, Inc. (HDP User Group), a global non-profit cooperative research and development organization for the Electronics Manufacturing industries, announces the start of a new project group focusing on printed electronics.
At this time the project is in the idea stage and open to all member and non-member companies interested in the focus area.
Printed electronics is a rapidly emerging technology within the electronics industry which is set to complement and in some areas compete with established printed wiring board (PWB) technology. Whereas PWBs are typically produced using subtractive techniques (i.e. a full surface of copper is imaged and the unwanted copper etched away) printed electronics take root from the traditional paper printing industry and use conductive inks that are applied using conventional printing industry processes. The inks are not only used to provide conductivity between components, but development of specialised inks has allowed passive devices including thin film transistors and resistors to also be printed. The technology lends itself to flexible substrate (paper, plastic, metal foils) applications and its potential for very low cost production has realised significant potential in the areas of labelling and packaging. While still in its infancy the technology is set to experience exceptional growth over the next few years with industry predictions that it will have a global market in the tens of billions within the next few years.
"Printed Electronics represents the next big step in electronics manufacturing. The potential for low cost high volume manufacturing cannot be ignored. HDP User Group International is pleased to be working in this area," stated Marshall Andrews, Executive Director of the HDP User Group.
The aim of this HDP User Group project is to identify and/or develop a comprehensive assembly solution for IC to printed electronic substrate that meets the requirements for commercial success. The study will focus on the attachment process itself including materials and processes as well as any post assembly processing such as adhesive curing and device encapsulation. In addition, specifying back end IC fabrication processes for optimum compatibility with the assembly process will be considered. HDP welcomes the input from any organization interested in the printed electronics.
"This project represents a unique opportunity to bring together experts from all areas of the electronics materials and manufacturing markets to focus on an area that could transform the deployment of printed electronics. HDP User Group provides a proven environment where interested parties can collaborate to develop optimum solutions that fulfil the specific challenges of this technology," states Brian Smith, the Printed Electronics Project Director at HDP User Group.
Source: http://www.hdpug.org/