In this section we discuss three applications of electrically conductive adhesives: die attach adhesives, anisotropically conductive adhesives for liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly, and conductive adhesives for surface-mounted assembly of packaged components on printed wiring boards (PWBs). These applications were selected based on overall
Material |
Resistivity (^ cm) |
Silver |
1.6 x 10~6 |
Copper |
1.7 x 10~6 |
Aluminum |
2.7 x 10~6 |
Pb/Sn solder |
15×10~6 |
Conductive epoxy |
ca. 500 x 10~6 |
Carbon |
3000 x 10~6 |
Antistatic composites |
ca. 104 |
Epoxy resin |
ca. 1015 |
Figure 1 Anisotropically conductive adhesive assembly process: (a) bare substrate; (b) apply anisotropically conductive adhesive; (c) align device, cure under pressure. |
volume usage, importance to the industry, and future technological as well as political impact.
Numerous other types of electrically conductive polymer composites are commercially available but are beyond the scope of this chapter. These materials are used in such applications as conductive inks [1], thermoplastic molded monolithic objects for electrostatic dissipation (ESD) [2] and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding applications [3], and a wide variety of other applications, including heating elements, switches, transducers, and batteries [2]. Similarly, the fabrication of conductive polymer materials via metal vapor deposition or electrodeposition onto polymer surfaces will not be discussed here.