PCB Manufacturing Innovation with OmegaPly and TCR Materials incorporating Embedded Passives Technology
In the realm of printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication, a material named OhmegaPly is making waves. This conductive polymer thick film material, known primarily for its role in forming resistive elements directly on PCBs, has been a game-changer in the industry.
OhmegaPly is a polymer composite with conductive particles, which makes it a versatile resistive material. Its properties include good adhesion to common PCB substrates like FR-4, thermal stability suitable for standard PCB operating temperatures, and flexibility to conform to various PCB shapes and patterns.
One of the key advantages of OhmegaPly is its ability to integrate resistors directly onto the PCB, eliminating the need for discrete resistor components and reducing component count. This integration leads to space and cost savings, as it reduces board size and assembly complexity.
The resistive properties of OhmegaPly can be adjusted during processing, providing better control over circuit parameters. This precision allows for the creation of resistors with stable resistivity that can be finely tuned depending on the application needs.
Moreover, the polymer thick film approach provides robust performance over time and under various environmental stresses, ensuring reliability in demanding applications.
OhmegaPly is not only beneficial for its resistive control and integration capabilities but also for its space savings and reliable performance. These properties make it ideal for applications where compact, high-precision resistor elements are needed within the PCB fabrication.
TCR® foil, another integrated thin-film resistor foil, is available in three different resistivity alloys: aluminum silicon, chromium silicon monoxide, and nickel chromium. Like OhmegaPly, TCR offers advantages such as best PCB real estate utilization, lead-free, easily recyclable, and withstands multiple heat excursions.
The fabrication process of both OhmegaPly and TCR involves several stages, including the application of photoresist, printing and developing a composite image, etching unwanted copper and resistive material, stripping the remaining photoresist, and laminating the material to a dielectric material.
In summary, OhmegaPly and TCR materials are preferred in critical military/aerospace applications and are used in a variety of applications, including interposer boards, avionics, BGA packages, HDI PCBs, telecom switching cards, buried resistor applications, flex boards, and more.
For quick turnaround times in custom circuit board fabrication, Sierra Circuits is a reliable choice. The PCB fabrication process, whether for OhmegaPly or TCR, follows a similar procedure, with the PCB layout stage involving various steps such as setting up the design tool, creating the board outline, importing the netlist, placing components, routing, and generating production documentation.
As technology continues to evolve, modifications to OhmegaPly and TCR materials are in progress to cater to different requirements. These materials will continue to play a key role in a variety of applications, including space exploration, telecommunication, cellular, medical, and industrial electronics.
The PCB Material Design Guide, with its comprehensive coverage of basic properties of dielectric materials, signal loss in PCB substrates, copper foil selection, and key considerations for choosing PCB materials, serves as a valuable resource for those navigating the world of PCB fabrication.
The material selector in the realm of PCB fabrication might consider OhmegaPly, a polymer thick film material, due to its versatility and robust performance, including its ability to integrate resistors directly onto the PCB and its precision in adjusting resistive properties. Furthermore, the technology employed in OhmegaPly's fabrication process, such as the subsequent etching and lamination stages, contributes to its reliability in demanding applications, making it ideal for space exploration, telecommunication, and other electronics.
