Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1464867
84 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2022 process steps for ASEP manufacturing. A list of the process steps is as follows: a. Stamp metal carrier b. Insert mold plastic substrate c. Lasers modify the surface d. Inkjet print nanoparticle conductors e. Sinter to make the traces conductive f. Electroplate with Cu and additional metals g. Inkjet print solder mask h. Dispense or screen solder paste i. Pick and place components and reflow j. Singulate k. Place into final assembly housing e novel ASEP is small enough to offer the modularity that EVs will need to function effectively. e example illustrated in Figure 2 has both a microprocessor and network, along with high-voltage and high-power devices needed to control the new EV motors. High current and high voltage, accompanied by the heat generated by the power devices, are becoming a significant challenge in the automotive, commercial vehicle, and indus- trial equipment industries. e ASEP mod- ule is 58% smaller and 22% lighter with 25% improvement in current capacity at 110°C than a printed circuit board. Typically, power control electronics have been made with "thick copper" PCBs, where copper traces are between 75 and 200 microns thick. Even with these copper thicknesses, they have not been very efficient in conducting high current as well as high voltages while managing the heat when compared to thicker stamped Cu alloys which may be up to several millimeters thick. Figure 2: Four steps of ASEP manufacturing: a) metal stamping; b) overmolding with LCP; c) laser marking the surface; d) inkjet printing of nanoparticle metal and solder paste.