You are here

INNOVATIONS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF DIRECT-WRITE CIRCUIT BOARD FABRICATION

Award Information
Agency: National Science Foundation
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 21726
Amount: $49,327.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1993
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
Box 222
Lincoln Center, MA 01773
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Joseph Masters
 (617) 259-0536
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

INNOVATIONS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF A VERY WIDELY USED ELECTRONIC COMPONENT, THE CIRCUIT BOARD, ARE BEING CONSIDERED. FAST PHOTOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS WHICH WOULD PROMOTE THE USE OF COMPUTER-CONTROLLED DIRECT WRITE LASER TECHNIQUES ARE BEING INTRODUCED. CONVENTIONAL FABRICATION INVOLVES CONTACT PRINTING OF A MASK PATTERN ONTO THE CIRCUIT BOARD PHOTORESIST. THE PROCESS OFFERS MASS PRODUCTION, HIGH THROUGHPUT BUT SIGNIFICANT LIMITATION SIN FELXIBILITY; ESPECIALLY FOR SMALL BATCH OR PROTOTYPE RUNS. HOWEVER, UTILIZATION OF MASK-FREE DIRECT-WRITING ON PHOTORESIST REMAINS HELD BACK BECAUSE HIGH THROUGHPUT SEPCIFICATIONS OVERBURDEN EXISTING DIRECT-WRITE SYSTEMS. RESEARCHERS ARE DEVELOPING TWO INNOVATIONS FOR INCREASING DIRECT-WRITE THROUGHPUT BY EFFECTIVELY INCREASING BOTH PHOTORESIST SPEED AND SPECTRAL RANGE, THUS UTILIZING LASERS IN THE 500-700 NM RANGE, HERETOFORE NOT CONSIDERED AS DIRECT-WRITE EXPOSURE SOURCES. A TWO-LAYER RESIST CONCEPT COMPRISING A SILVER PHOTOGRAPHIC COATING OVER A PHOTOPOLYMER SUBLAYER IS BEING EXPLOITED. A FAST, SILVER-BASED PHOTOSENSITIVE CIRCUIT BOARD LAMINATE THAT PROCESSES TO A CONDUCTING WIRING BOARD PATTERN, AVOIDING THE PHOTORESIST STEP IS EMPLOYED.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

US Flag An Official Website of the United States Government