CHEM3 LLC — Department of Commerce SBIR Phase I: 2

Description

There is tremendous potential to manufacture printed electronics in a more sustainable, flexible, faster, and less costly way. Printing electronics results in less contaminated water from copper etching, the ability to change designs immediately on the production line, and less labor. Yet, despite encouraging prior Proof of Concept (POC) work, advances in materials are required for scalable manufacturing of printed multi-layer circuitry. This Phase I project will be used to develop a nanocomposite dielectric with electrical and thermal properties similar to those of FR4 boards currently used in PCB manufacturing. ChemCubed is proposing a solution to incorporate nanoparticles into an inkjet compatible, UV curable, dielectric formulation. Specifically, Carbon-nanotubes and/or Halloysite Nanotube (HNT) will be added within a formulated UV/LED curable matrix to make a functional, inkjet printable, nanocomposite dielectric material. Adding nanotubes to a jettable UV/LED curable dielectric formulation greatly improves the base material’s properties. This material will have the physical strength and thermal-resistant properties required to endure the mechanical stress and temperature fluctuations of commercial-scale manufacturing and will have a solder reflow process for component surface mounting. The new material will meet the needs of, and adhere to the manufacturing standards of the PCB industry. Nanocomposite printable resins will be designed and tested in conjunction with ChemCubed’s newly commercialized silver ink because they need to be compatible with scalable PCB manufacturing. The revolutionary nanocomposite dielectric material will serve as (a) insulating layers between the circuits, (b) masking material for soldering, and (c) support at connection points; thereby allowing it to replace FR4 board two-sided boards, currently not possible commercially.