This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will address a current limitation in manufacturing of electronic devices. At the heart of electronic device manufacturing is the production of printed circuit boards (PCBs), which provide the mechanical support and electrical connection for electronic components. Many reliability issues associated with electronic devices result from non-uniformities in the electrodeposited copper on the PCBs. The drive for improved electronic device performance has necessitated shrinking PCB feature dimensions and increasing complexity of features, which has exacerbated this problem. The objective of this project is to develop sophisticated electrolyte flow schemes that will specifically target manufacturing issues associated with shrinking feature sizes and increased PCB complexity. The development and optimization of these sophisticated electrolyte flow schemes will enhance PCB reliability as well as improve manufacturing throughput for next generation electronic devices.
The boarder impact/commercial potential of this project is the production of robust,lower cost electronic devices, which are found in a vast number of end-products,including critical defense, monitoring and safety systems used by the US government and military. The market for electronic devices, estimated to be about a $1.3 trillion dollar industry, is formed by various sectors including computer and office equipment, communication equipment, portable and consumer electronics, medical and automotive electronics. This technology specifically addresses the manufacture of printed circuit boards, a critical component of all electronic devices, which were estimated to be a $53.6 billion market in 2009. A large commercial driver for the ElectroCell technology is the ability to manufacture PCBs at a higher rate, improving throughput and lowering manufacturing costs. This will translate into lower cost electronics for consumers.
