Academic literature on the topic 'Thick films. Thick-film circuits'

A performance comparison of microstripline circuits using thin and thick film techniques has been studied, in which a Microstrip rejection filter, in the X-band of microwaves, is used as test circuit. A thick film technique is capable of giving good adhesive films with comparable d.c. sheet resistivity, but other parameters such as open area (porosity), particle size, and edge definition are inferior to thin-film microstrip filters. Despite this drawback, the average value of transmission, transmission loss, reflection coefficient, resonant rejection frequency, and quality factor for thick-film filters indicate that screen printed Ag films are intermediate between thin-film1,2,9and etched-thick-film9microstrip filters in performance, making it a feasible method for microstrip circuits.

The transmittance and reflectance of microstriplines of different widths, fabricated by thick film and thin film technology are studied in the X and Ku band (8–18 GHz). The fritless thick film Ag pastes with different binder composition was formulated indigenously and screen-printed the microstriplines on alumina substrate. These microstriplines were compared with the microstriplines made from ESL (USA) pastes and also Cu thin film circuits. The effect of line width, composition and firing temperature on the thick film microstriplines was investigated. The transmittance of all the indigenously prepared Ag thick film paste compared well with microstriplines prepared with ESL pastes. All these thick film pastes gave good transmittance upto 18.0 GHz. The results indicate firing at 700℃ gives best films, and also 18 mil or 20-mil line width is more suitable than conventional 25-mil line width if thick films are used for metallization upto 18.0 GHz.

SiO2 thin films are widely used in micro-electro-mechanical systems, integrated circuits and optical thin film devices. Tremendous efforts have been devoted to studying the preparation technology and optical properties of SiO2 thin films, but little attention has been paid to their mechanical properties. Herein, the surface morphology of the 500-nm-thick, 1000-nm-thick and 2000-nm-thick SiO2 thin films on the Si substrates was observed by atomic force microscopy. The hardnesses of the three SiO2 thin films with different thicknesses were investigated by nanoindentation technique, and the dependence of the hardness of the SiO2 thin film with its thickness was analyzed. The results showed that the average grain size of SiO2 thin film increased with increasing film thickness. For the three SiO2 thin films with different thicknesses, the same relative penetration depth range of ~0.4–0.5 existed, above which the intrinsic hardness without substrate influence can be determined. The average intrinsic hardness of the SiO2 thin film decreased with the increasing film thickness and average grain size, which showed the similar trend with the Hall-Petch type relationship.

Abstract For over 40 years, the substrate of choice for designing and fabricating traditional hybrid circuits has been alumina. It has provided the required mechanical strength, electrical resistivity, and thermal performance needed for proper circuit operation. Over the past several years however, we have experienced a shift in hybrid technology towards electronic devices with highly complex, dense circuit configurations that produce more power and consequently, more heat than previous designs. This requires the use of a substrate with a higher thermal conductivity to properly manage the heat transfer and dissipation in order to maintain optimum performance and functionality of the end device. The thermal properties displayed by aluminum nitride provide design engineers with a reliable alternative to traditional alumina. While creating new and exciting possibilities, the use of aluminum nitride also creates a different set of challenges for thick film suppliers and circuit fabricators. Due to the thermal expansion mismatch, as well as the chemical changes that occur to the substrate which affect adhesion during the firing process, thick film pastes previously suitable for alumina are typically not compatible with aluminum nitride. To overcome this challenge and the performance demands of high power, high reliability circuit applications, a new line of RoHS and REACH compliant thick film pastes has been developed. The following conductors are available: silver, silver/palladium, silver/platinum, copper, and gold. In addition, we have developed two resistor pastes and a compatible overglaze. This paper will discuss the aforementioned thick films and their critical performance properties before and after reliability testing. This includes adhesion for the conductors, resistance and TCR for the resistors.

The thick-film technology is one of the fundamental technologies for the production of circuit carriers for electronic modules. It is mainly used in areas with harsh environmental conditions, such as sensor or automotive applications. Basis of the thick film technology are glass-based pastes, which are screen printed on ceramic substrates and fired in a high temperature process at (500…1000) ° C. Such thick film pastes are commercially available from various suppliers as elements of paste systems, which mainly include compatible isolation, resistance and conductive pastes. There are a number of requirements according the fired thick film characteristics, such as high breakdown voltage of isolation thick films or low noise performances of resistance thick films. However, the most requirements are concentrating on conductor thick films. They should guarantee excellent properties in terms of assembling (soldering, bonding) which are focused in a many publications. Simultaneously, they should also offer very good electrical characteristics that have not been completely investigated until today. At Fraunhofer IKTS different measurement methods are developed and adapted to characterize the electrical performance of thick film structures. Already well known is the short term overload (STOL) measurement of thick film resistances, which determining the maximum power dissipation of the thick film structure. The basic concept of this measurement is adapted on conductive thick film structures like conductive tracks or vias. The investigations show correlations between geometrical thick film properties and the resulting thermal characteristics of the thick film structure. Results can be used to improve screen-printing layouts in terms of cost reduction (paste consumption) and thermal management (track width, via diameter), but can also help to improve paste compositions itself. The paper will give an overview of the used electrical measurement methods and present exemplary results.

Abstract The thick film paste manufacturers are expected to produce conductors which are lead and cadmium free, yet have excellent fired film properties and the same performance and properties as the cadmium and lead containing formulations. The fired film surface of these conductors must be defect free (i.e. imperfections, pills, agglomerates) after multiple firing steps and must perform on dielectric as well as substrates from different suppliers. Typically, the thick film gold conductors are used in high reliability applications such as medical devices, military applications, and high frequency circuits, which require robust performance at high and low temperatures, in chemically aggressive environments, or extremely humid conditions. As circuits decrease in size and become more complex, the thick film gold properties become increasingly critical. The challenge is to develop an alternative gold conductor formulation, which can print and resolve fine features (down to 4 mil lines and spaces) as well as have the ability to be etched for higher density circuit designs (down to 1–2 mil lines and spaces). Gold conductors are typically used in conjunction with other high temperature thick films so good performance after multiple firings was also a targeted requirement. Heraeus has been proactive for the past decade in the development of thick film products that are both RoHS (lead and cadmium free) as well as REACH compliant. This paper discusses the experiments that were performed in order to understand the contribution of gold powder, organic and inorganic system to improve the fired film performance. These formulations were compared against existing gold conductors including the high performance gold conductor options as well as other available standard gold conductor options. Thin wire bonding trials including both gold and aluminum wire are used to compare influences of raw materials which includes high volume wire bonding reliability including failure modes and aged wire bond adhesion at elevated temperature exposures (300°C) for extended periods of time. In order to analyze fired film morphology and link this up to wire bond performance, SEM images of the conductor surface and cross sections were conducted. These studies resulted in a newly developed thick film gold conductor paste for use in a wide variety of applications. We present wire-bonding data with gold and aluminum wire and reliability results on both 96% Al2O3 ceramic substrates as well as on top of standard dielectrics.

Methods of noise coupling in high speed thick film circuits has been investigated. Parasitic coupling parameters have been experimentally determined for a variety of single and multilayer thick film layouts. In addition, the severity of the problem has been studied by measuring coupled noise induced on carefully constructed test cards. Curves are presented as an aid for predicting noise levels as a function of conductor spacing and signal edge speed. The measurements are discussed quantitatively and guidelines for the design of high speed thick film circuits are summarized.

This dissertation presents methods for wideband characterization and modeling of magnetic materials and structures over a wide frequency range (dc to a few GHz). A method for modeling the thick film inductor structures at high frequencies is presented in this dissertation. The thick film inductor under test is printed and located in shunt connection at the end of a reference transmission line. Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) technique is used to measure the response waveform from the inductor under test. The response from a short circuit at the location of the inductor is acquired as the reference waveform. The two acquired waveforms are then transformed into the frequency domain using the Fast Fourier Transform algorithm (FFT). The reflection coefficient is then computed as the ratio between the Fourier Transforms of the response and reference waveforms. From the information contained, the complex impedance of the structure under study can be calculated. This information is used for modeling that structure by fitting the data to the network model using the computer network analysis program. Experimental and simulated response waveforms are compared and brought to a close match by changing the model components values. A cavity-like sample holder filled with ferrite material ls proposed in this dissertation to measure the complex permeability of the magnetic material filling this cavity. The cavity walls are deposited on a coaxially shaped sample using thick film techniques. The reflection coefficient from the cavity under study is measured by adapting the cavity to the end of a transmission line. The full field analysis of this proposed configuration is used to determine a relationship between the complex permeability of the ferrite material and the measured reflection coefficient. The method of moments ls used to achieve this task. Computer simulation experiments are performed to test the sensitivity of the technique and to predict the performance over the desired frequency range. Actual experimentation as well as verifications of these measurements are conducted to verify the merit of the proposed technique.
Ph. D.
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Master of Science
Department of Electrical Engineering
William B. Kuhn
Designers of mixed-signal systems must understand coupling mechanisms at the system, PC board, package and integrated circuit levels to control crosstalk, and thereby minimize degradation of system performance. This research examines coupling mechanisms in a RF-targeted high-resistivity partially-depleted Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) IC process and applying similar coupling mitigation strategies from higher levels of design, proposes techniques to reduce coupling between sub-circuits on-chip. A series of test structures was fabricated with the goal of understanding and reducing the electric and magnetic field coupling at frequencies up to C-Band. Electric field coupling through the active-layer and substrate of the SOI wafer is compared for a variety of isolation methods including use of deep-trench surrounds, blocking channel-stopper implant, blocking metal-fill layers and using substrate contact guard-rings. Magnetic coupling is examined for on-chip inductors utilizing counter-winding techniques, using metal shields above noisy circuits, and through the relationship between separation and the coupling coefficient. Finally, coupling between bond pads employing the most effective electric field isolation strategies is examined. Lumped element circuit models are developed to show how different coupling mitigation strategies perform. Major conclusions relative to substrate coupling are 1) substrates with resistivity 1 kΩ·cm or greater act largely as a high-K insulators at sufficiently high frequency, 2) compared to capacitive coupling paths through the substrate, coupling through metal-fill has little effect and 3) the use of substrate contact guard-rings in multi-ground domain designs can result in significant coupling between domains if proper isolation strategies such as the use of deep-trench surrounds are not employed. The electric field coupling, in general, is strongly dependent on the impedance of the active-layer and frequency, with isolation exceeding 80 dB below 100 MHz and relatively high coupling values of 40 dB or more at upper S-band frequencies, depending on the geometries and mitigation strategy used. Magnetic coupling was found to be a strong function of circuit separation and the height of metal shields above the circuits. Finally, bond pads utilizing substrate contact guard-rings resulted in the highest degree of isolation and the lowest pad load capacitance of the methods tested.

The master thesis deals with multilayer structures and thick film technology. The main goal of this work is measure basic electric features of structures realized with thick film technology. The results will make possible more accurate design of these structures.

La tecnologia thick film pot definir-se com el procés on es du a terme la creació de dipòsits de circuits impresos en un substrat de ceràmica rígida mitjançant la tècnica de la serigrafia. Les pastes que s’utilitzen per aquest propòsit es formulen amb l’addició de vidres i diferents òxids que promouen l’adhesió dels dipòsits generats al substrat a temperatures entre 600 i 950ºC. Per altra banda, la tecnologia ceràmica multicapa, permet una disposició densa de circuits impresos incorporant components interns en un únic dispositiu amb estructura multicapa monolítica. Els substrats ceràmics pels sistemes multicapa presenten una baixa constant dielèctrica similar als substrats tradicionals emprats en la tecnologia thick film i les pastes per dur a terme les metal•litzacions s’ha de dissenyar per tal de co-sinteritzar amb el substrat ceràmic. La primera mostra d’aquesta tecnologia la trobem en els sistemes HTCC (High Temperature Co-fired Ceramics) que es basen tradicionalment en l’ús de materials basats en alúmina. L’elevada temperatura de cocció que requereixen aquests substrats (aprox. 1600ºC) limita el nombre de materials conductors amb els quals poden co-sinteritzar. Aquests conductors solen ser tals com el W, Mo, Mn i Pt. L’evolució d’aquesta tecnologia la trobem en l’ús de compostos vitro ceràmics que cristal•litzen i reaccionen total o parcialment amb diferents òxids addicionats a la mescla de vidres. L’ús de vidres de baix punt de fusió que envolten els additius ceràmics és una altra aproximació a aquesta evolució de la tecnologia. Es tracta del que s’ha anomenat LTCC (Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics) i que permet unes temperatures de sinterització per sota dels 950ºC fent viable l’ús de materials d’elevada conductivitat (Ag, Au, Cu...) que co-sinteritzen amb el substrat. Tant la tecnologia thick film com la tecnologia ceràmica multicapa són el nexe que uneix tots els estudis que s’han realitzat en aquest treball. Els camps sobre els quals ha girat l’aplicació d’aquesta tecnologia són per una banda, els sensors d’oxigen dels gasos d’escapament del vehicle (exhaust gas oxygen sensors), concretament els basats en un òxid semiconductor, el diòxid de titani, per ser usat com a sonda lambda i per altra banda, els sensors ceràmics capacitius i la viabilitat de fabricar-los amb materials LTCC. La primera part del treball és una introducció a les tecnologies emprades, les característiques de les quals en ajudaran a entendre certs detalls en l’evolució d’aquest estudi que es relacionen íntimament amb el tipus de tecnologia utilitzada. Pel que fa el sensor lambda basat en diòxid de titani, la primera part de l’estudi ha consistit en la preparació d’un material catalític amb una elevada àrea superficial dispersat en el suport porós de TiO2. El procediment ha consistit en realitzar mètodes d’impregnació i l’objectiu ha estat establir els principals paràmetres que afecten al procés d’addició del catalític i determinar la mínima quantitat de material necessària per tal d’obtenir un dispositiu sensor basat en Pt-TiO2 adequat per ser usat com sensor lambda. En aquesta primera part, el dipòsit del material sensor es realitzà amb tècniques thick film sobre un substrat d’alúmina HTCC ja sinteritzat. El següent pas pel que fa el sensor de TiO2 va ser l’estudi de la millora en el seu procés de fabricació centrant els esforços en aconseguir una millor adhesió entre el material sensor i el substrat d’alúmina. L’objectiu fou eliminar el major nombre de processos thick film després del sinteritzat del substrat (post-firing) amb diferents propostes per dipositar el material sensor sobre la ceràmica en verd i co-sinteritzar els dos elements. Els treballs van consistir en el disseny de pastes adequades per poder dipositar el material sensor, l’estudi del paper dels compostos de titanat d’alumini que es formen a la temperatura de sinterització de l’alúmina, la caracterització funcional dels dispositius proposats i finalment, com aquests mètodes proposats afecten a l’addició del material catalític. Els resultats obtinguts han permès establir una quantitat de platí del 1.8% en pes, respecte la quantitat de TiO2 en el dispositiu. Amb mètodes d’impregnació s’ha obtingut una pols de partida amb la qual s’ha preparat una pasta que aplicada amb tècniques thick film ha permès la obtenció de dispositius aptes per treballar com a sensor lambda. En quant a la co-sinterització del material sensor els millors resultats s’han obtingut controlant el grau de formació de titanat d’alumini i controlant la seva estabilitat tèrmica amb l’ús de l’MgO com additiu en la formulació de la pasta del material sensor. La porositat del material sensor juga un paper crucial en aquest mètode degut al fet que l’addició del material catalític s’ha dut a terme mitjançant processos post-firing per tal d’evitar les elevades temperatures de sinteritzat. Pel que fa els sensors de pressió ceràmics capacitius, el treball es focalitzà en l’estudi de la viabilitat dels materials LTCC per tal de fabricar aquest tipus de dispositius. Es van dur a terme comparacions entre les característiques funcionals de dispositius fabricats en tecnologia thick film sobre alúmina i dispositius amb membranes flectores de diferents materials LTCC i es caracteritzà la seva sensibilitat així com la seva estabilitat en la resposta. Finalment es proposà un dispositiu miniaturitzat plenament integrat en tecnologia LTCC en el qual es caracteritzà la seva resposta. Els resultats obtinguts avalen la possibilitat d’utilitzar els materials LTCC per fabricar sensors de pressió ceràmics capacitius. S’han establert els criteris de planitud i distància entre elèctrodes en funció de la mida de l’elèctrode de mesura del dispositiu. La caracterització funcional ha mostrat la dependència del disseny amb el tipus de fluid de pressió, la sensibilitat requerida i el rang de pressió de treball. La capacitat paràsita generada per la interacció entre el fluid incident i el dispositiu i les condicions de segellat són els aspectes principals que afecten a l’estabilitat de la resposta.
The thick film technology can be defined as the process that involves the deposition of metal circuitry on an already fired ceramic substrate using screen-printing technology. Pastes for this purpose are formulated with glass frit and oxides to promote the adhesion to the substrate firing the parts at low temperatures (600-950ºC). By the other hand, the multilayer technology allows a dense circuitry layout incorporating buried components in a single, monolithic, hermetic package. Ceramic substrates for the multilayer systems use low dielectric constant materials similar to traditional ceramic substrates for thick film technology and pastes for metallization that must be designed in order to co-fire with ceramic substrate. First approach of this technology was the high temperature co-fired ceramics (HTCC) traditionally based on alumina material. The relatively high temperature of alumina-based ceramics (approx. 1600ºC) limits the number of conductor materials able to co-fire with ceramic substrate. Such conductor materials are typically based on W, Mo, Mn and Pt. Next approach of this technology, involves the use of glass-ceramic based materials that undergo devitrification to a crystalline phase during firing or containing glass frit with low temperature melting point and different crystalline fillers. Development of Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) allow to decrease the firing temperature down to 950ºC and conductor pastes based on high conductivity materials (Ag, Au, Cu…) can be used to co-fire with these substrates. Thick film and multilayer ceramic technology are both the link of the work carried out. The fields in which both technologies have been deployed are by one side, the heated exhaust gas oxygen sensor (HEGO), specifically semiconductor gas sensor based on TiO2 suitable to use as lambda probe and by the other side, the ceramic capacitive pressure sensors and its availability to be manufactured using LTCC materials. First part of the work is an introduction to the technologies and main features that will help us later to understand details on the work development, that are strongly influenced by the kind of technology we are working with. Regarding lambda sensor based on TiO2, first part of the study have consisted of a process for preparing a catalyst which has a high surface area, finely divided and catalytically active on a porous carrier structure based on titania. Process was based on impregnation methods and the aim of this work was to establish main parameters that affect deposition control and to determine minimum amount of catalyst which is needed in order to get suitable Pt-TiO2 based sensor to be used as lambda probe. In this approach sensor deposit is generated using thick film technologies over an alumina HTCC substrate. Next step regarding titania sensor was to study the improvement of manufacturing process in order to improve the adhesion between sensor material and alumina based substrate. This approach was focused in to avoid thick film post-firing processes proposing and single sensor material deposition in green state and co-firing both substrate and sensor material. The aim of this work was to design sensor pastes in order to get suitable sensor deposit, to study the role of aluminum titanate compounds generated at firing temperatures, to study the functional features of proposed devices and finally how this method affects the catalytic material addition. Results lead us to establish a minimum amount of 1.8wt% of Pt/TiO2-nominally using impregnation methods to obtain impregnated titania powder which can be applied to the substrate using thick film technology (prior paste preparation). Response of the devices is suitable to be used as lambda sensors. The sensor material co-firing approach gave us better results by controlling the amount of aluminum titanate formation and controlling its thermal stability by using MgO as additive in sensor material paste formulation. Porosity of the sensor material plays a key role in this approach due to the fact that catalyst addition must be done in post-firing process in order to avoid high sintering temperatures. Regarding ceramic capacitive pressure sensors, the work was focused in the study of suitability of LTCC as materials for manufacturing such devices. Comparison between functional features of thick film over alumina devices and LTCC membrane devices were carried out and sensibility and response stability was characterized as well. Finally, a miniaturized, fully integrated LTCC device was proposed and the sensor response was characterized. Results showed us the feasibility of LTCC materials to be used in capacitive pressure sensors. Flatness criteria was established regarding measuring electrode size and the functional characterization gave us as result the sensor design dependence on the kind of working fluid, accuracy and pressure range. Parasitic capacitance generated by device interaction with working fluid and sealing conditions was established as main features that can affect the stability in the response.

The aim of this master’s thesis is to investigate the electrical properties of various thick-film resistor pastes in a wider temperature range. The thesis mainly focuses on a change in electrical resistance depending on temperatures, which extend to the cryogenic region. To achieve this, there is an overview of the thick-film technology properties, major technological procedures, principles of resistive pastes conductivity, methods of electrical resistance measuring, possible errors in measurement and methods of their minimization. The content of this work is also familiar with the characteristics of a cryogenic station, on this foundation was proposed the measurement procedure and created thick-film circuits for this station. After measurement in the interval 10 K to 350 K, there are subsequently evaluated the data and explains the principles of the conductivity of used pastes.