SUNRAY SCIENTIFIC INC. — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: 27e

Description

It is necessary to create physical and electrical bonds between opposite points on parallel circuit faces. Currently, circuits are connected with small bumps of solder using heat and pressure. Bump-soldering is unsuitable for newer circuitry which has smaller features and cannot endure such heat and pressure. A method is needed to create high-density interconnections between circuits at resolutions less than 50 microns using a curing method that does not entail heat or pressure. SunRay Scientific’s ZTACH™ is an anisotropic conductive adhesive that, in a magnetic field, self-assembles to form conductive columns. The column diameters are much smaller than 50 microns. ZTACH™ is cured without pressure using low heat or ultraviolet light to create a matrix of columns within the cured epoxy. SunRay has partnered with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford and Rochester Institute of Technology. The team will fabricate wafers with features below 50 microns, interconnecting the wafers with a range of ZTACH™ formulations. The resulting microcircuit structures will be subjected to electrical conductivity, radiation hardness, and accelerated temperature/humidity environmental testing. Phase III benefits of a commercial product include environmentally-friendly manufacturing, smaller/cheaper/faster electronic devices, new classes of miniaturized products, healthcare innovations, lighter aeronautics and space equipment, and employment opportunities for new technology and research fields.