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48 The PCB Magazine • September 2014 printed on up to four cases simultaneously on a single machine. Machine throughput for a typi- cal size patterns average 30,000–40,000 anten- nas per week. Semiconductor Packaging PE applications for the semiconductor in- dustry can improve product performance and reduce the size of electronic devices. For exam- ple, aerosol jet can print 3D conformal traces to interconnect vertically stacked multi-function chips providing a new manufacturing alter- native to wire bonding or through silicon via (TSV) technology. The 3D printed interconnects conform to the surface of the die stack making them shorter than wire bonds and thereby im- proving performance and reducing power con- sumption (Figure 5). In high-frequency signal processing applications, 3D printed intercon- nects eliminate well known crosstalk issues ex- perienced with wire bonds. In another packaging application, a new conductive epoxy material which, when printed with aerosol jet technology, enables ultrafine pitch die and component attach. Syringe based methods, which are commonly used in produc- tion today, dispense conductive epoxy dots that are ca. 300 microns in diameter, and can require costly manual clean-up. Aerosol Jet is able to print 50-100 micron dots and pads that are clean and volumetrically consistent (Figures 6 and 7). Display and Touch Screens The display industry currently uses aerosol jet for a number of production and repair ap- plications. In one example, Micronics Japan (MJC) developed an enhanced defect repair sys- tem for touch panels, LCD, plasma, and e-Paper figure 6: aerosol Jet printed pads to attach 0603 resistor. figure 7: Conductive epoxy dots from 50–100 micron diameter, and 10–25 micron thickness/height printed with aerosol jet. (scan courtesy of Cyber technologies.) figure 5: printed electronics on stacked die. AEROSOL JET TECHNOLOGy FOR PRODuCTION GRADE/SCALE PRINTED ELECTRONICS continues