NSF Award
9761500
*** 9761500 Capote This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project aims to develop entirely new electrographic toners that, when combined with well-known electrographic printing techniques, can be used to inexpensively and reliably apply metallizations and dielectrics to multichip modules (MCM) with features as small as ten microns or less. There is an unmet need today for a simplified, lower cost faster turnaround method for fabricating high density MCMs substrates. The emergence of commercial compact-information products, such as personal digital assistants, wireless communicators and distributed sensor systems are creating a revolution in the way commercial electronics are packaged. These products share the attributes of being driven by small size, lightweight, high-operating frequencies and low cost. The proposal entails creation of nanophase powders which are sinterable during the electrographig development and fixing cycles by means of novel adhesive fluxes and coatings, When printed, the powders can be sintered together by heating to a modest temperature, forming a continuous metal film without having to overheat the MCM polymeric substrate. There is an unmet need for providing low-cost, fast turnaround high density multichip modules and high density printed circuits to microelectronics manufacturers. Such a new technology could reduce MCM deposition capital equipment entry cost by an order of magnitude while at the same time increasing metallization production throughput by an order of magnitude. ***
