Environmental Friendly Metallization Solutions for MLB and HDI Manufacturing
At this year’s productronica, Atotech will once again underline its long-term commitment to sustainability – showcasing environmental friendly solutions for multilayer boards (MLB) and high density interconnect (HDI) development. As global demand for sustainable development surges consistently, manufacturers are actively looking to collaborate with partners who can help them achieve this goal. Over the years, Atotech has built a strong portfolio of plating solutions enabling sustainable PCB manufacturing.
The company is highlighting two of these for MLB and HDI manufacturing at productronica this year: Ecopact CP, a mass production proven conductive polymer based direct metallization process and Printoganth U CF, a new nickel- and cyanide-free electroless copper process.
Ecopact® CP
“Atotech continues to be at the forefront of developing sustainable alternatives for a broad spectrum of solutions. Ecopact CP is one such process. It is not only ecological, but it also enables significant cost savings compared to similar electroless copper processes available on the market today,” states Lars-Eric Pribyl, Global Product Manager of Atotech’s Plating Through Hole (PTH) technology department. Harmful substances such as formaldehyde or cyanide – which form the core components of conventional electroless copper processes – are eliminated from this short, four-step Ecopact CP process. Furthermore, the amount of fresh water and chemistry required in the process is drastically reduced, while measurably lowering the waste water.
Low running costs due to the superfluous palladium activation and significantly reduced investment costs and space requirements of the plating equipment add to the overall merits of the Ecopact CP process. Moreover, the process is highly reliable due to its selective build-up of the conductive polymer layer during the chemical treatment and compatible to a wide range of base materials.
Printoganth® U CF
Printoganth U CF is a horizontal electroless copper process perfectly suited for HDI applications with highest reliability requirements. Lars-Eric Pribyl explains: “Our new Printoganth U CF process is based on extensive mass production experience of HDI boards and developed to meet the stringent environmental requirements of the 21th century.”
Therefore, Printoganth U CF is a low build, tartrate-based electroless copper bath that is free of nickel and cyanide. It is fully compatible to the market-leading Atotech Neoganth Activation series and shows excellent performance in reliability testing applying harsh conditions, especially in thermal cycle tests, interconnect stress tests and solder shock tests. The process successfully qualified during all the internal tests simulating production conditions and is now ready for on-site customer qualification in mass production equipment.
About Atotech
Atotech is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of specialty chemicals and equipment for the printed circuit board, IC-substrate and semiconductor industries, as well as for the decorative and functional surface finishing industries. Atotech has annual sales of USD1.1 billion. The company is fully committed to sustainability – we develop technologies to minimize waste and to reduce environmental impact. Atotech has its headquarters in Berlin, Germany, and employs more than 4,000 people in over 40 countries.