Looking Into Space: EIPC Summer Conference, Part 2

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

The final presentation in the first day of the conference came from John Swanson,  director, OEM and business development with MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions in the USA. His topic was the reliability of carbon-based direct metallisation. 

He briefly described the fundamentals of direct metallisation in comparison with electroless copper as a means of making through-holes initially conductive prior to copper electroplating, before reviewing the history of direct metallisation processes since MacDermid’s launch of its Blackhole process in 1984, through several iterations until the introduction of Shadow Plus and Wet Etch technology in 2023 to meet the needs for mSAP, and making graphite-based direct metallisation the optimal choice for any kind of HDI. 

He listed his top five reasons for choosing direct metallisation: proven reliability, green technology, material compatibility, versatility, and simplicity, together with a wide installed base.

On the subject of reliability he considered that, because carbon coating enables electrolytic plating to occur over the non-conductive innerlayer material, once electroplated, through-holes and vias are equivalent or better in functionality and reliability than those formed with electroless copper. He qualified his statement by reference to the results of interconnect stress testing, OM thermal stress testing, via pull testing and hole wall pull away testing. He believed that direct metallisation enabled a simpler microvia structure with fewer copper interfaces and eliminated the risk of nano-voiding associated with electroless copper. 

In summary, direct metallisation delivered reliability and capability in step with advanced PCB designs and demands, compatibility with broad and diverse dielectric materials, process simplicity vs. industry standard electroless copper, and green technology in terms of water, power, waste, and palladium reduction. 

A highlight of the day was the opportunity to take a “voyage” through the universe, past stars and planets at the ESA-ESTEC Space Expo visitor centre. We split into small groups for an extremely informative guided tour and were able to walk freely around the museum, get close to a full-size model of the 1969 Eagle moonlander and even go inside even go inside a replica of the International Space Station.

All spaced out, we travelled by bus to a splendid networking dinner at the rather windswept Beach Restaurant De Zeemeeuw.

Then, back on the bus, we returned to the hotel in Leiden at 10 p.m. Some of us got an early night, some continued networking until the early hours, but we were all ready to go again at 8 a.m., back on the bus to ESA-ESTEC in Noordwijk for the continuation of the conference.

Grateful thanks to Alun Morgan for the superb photographs.

Missed the first part of this series? Off Like a Rocket: A Review of the EIPC Summer Conference, Part 1

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