Dan’s Biz Bookshelf: ‘The Next RenAIssance: AI and the Expansion of Human Potential’
The Chemical Connection: When the Industry Moves Faster Than the Standards
Driving Innovation: Selecting the Right Laser Source
Elephantech Unveils HDI Microvia Formation Process Using Copper Nanoparticle Ink
December 29, 2025 | ElephantechEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Japanese deep-tech Elephantech announced successful development of an innovative process to form High-Density Interconnect (HDI) microvia leveraging the company’s copper nanoparticle ink, named “Cu Nano Direct Plating.”
Blind via formed using Elephantech’s copper nanoparticle ink (MSAP)
As AI servers and other advanced electronic systems evolve rapidly, demand for high-speed, high-density circuit boards is intensifying. However, the formation of blind via holes (BVH), which connect layers of the board, has become a major bottleneck. It is reported that 40% of HDI board defects are attributed to microvia cracks or plating voids [1], making improvement to via-formation process an urgent priority.
Conventional BVH formation via electroless copper plating presents several shortcomings:
- Plating defect risk: hydrogen gas generated as a byproduct during the reaction is difficult to evacuate from small-diameter vias, increasing the risk of voids
- Cost and resource risk: the process requires use of palladium, a precious metal, leading to cost volatility and supply chain risk
- Quality issues: in SAP processes, the required palladium removal step and its high possibility of leaving palladium residue compromise quality
- Environmental impact: the use of carcinogens such as formaldehyde, plus consumption of large volume of water carry a heavy sustainability burden
Graphite-based direct plating technology has also been commercialized as a palladium-free and outgas-free alternative. However, it still faces challenges such as high electrical resistance, as the seed layer is not composed of a copper layer.
In order to address these challenges, Elephantech has developed a novel direct plating process using its proprietary advanced copper nanoparticle ink.
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
Driving Innovation: Selecting the Right Laser Source
04/28/2026 | Simon Khesin -- Column: Driving InnovationWhen I first joined Schmoll Maschinen, I brought experience from almost every PCB process, except for laser. As I immersed myself in laser processing, I realized why it can seem so daunting to a newcomer. The complexity arises from three intersecting factors: A vast variety of laser sources: CO2, UV-nano, green-pico, UV-pico, IR-pico, and others; a diverse range of applications: Drilling, cutting, ablation, and more; and an extensive list of materials: These have vastly different absorption rates. Choosing the right machine or laser source is rarely trivial. Even for experienced engineers, answering "Which source is best?" requires examining the business's specific goals.
Institute of Circuit Technology Spring Seminar 2026: A Bright Future in Europe
04/23/2026 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007Through the leafy lanes and spring flowers of Warwickshire and back to Meridan, the traditional centre of England, and now officially part of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the county of the West Midlands, I attended the Annual General Meeting and Spring Seminar of the Institute of Circuit Technology (ICT) on April 14. Out of the AGM came notable changes in leadership at the top of the Institute: the retirement of Mat Beadel as chair and Emma Hudson as technical director. Effective May 1, Steve Driver is the new chair, and Alun Morgan is the new technical director.
ACCM Unveils Negative and Near-zero CTE Materials for Large-Format AI Chips
04/21/2026 | Advanced Chip and Circuit MaterialsAdvanced Chip and Circuit Materials, Inc. (ACCM) has launched two new materials: Celeritas HM50, with a negative coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of -8 ppm/°C to offset the positive CTE and expansion of copper with temperature on circuit boards, and Celeritas HM001, with near-zero CTE and the low-loss performance needed for high-speed signal layers to 224 Gb/s and faster in artificial intelligence (AI) circuits.
Fresh PCB Concepts: Designing PCBs for Harsh Environments—Reliability Is Engineered Upstream
04/23/2026 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsWhen engineers hear the phrase “harsh environment,” they usually think of the extreme temperature swings, vibration and shock, pressure changes, or radiation in aerospace. However, aerospace is not the only harsh environment where electronic assemblies must survive. Automotive power electronics, downhole oil and gas tools, marine controls, rail systems, defense platforms, and industrial automation equipment all expose PCBs to environments that are equally unforgiving. The stress mechanisms may differ, but the physics does not.
Advanced Packaging for AI: Reliability Starts at the Cu/Cu/Cu Microvia Junction
04/20/2026 | Kuldip Johal, MKS' AtotechThe rapid growth of AI computing, from training clusters to inference at scale, is reshaping demand across the entire electronics supply chain. Advances in technology requirements, such as higher bandwidth, lower latency, and greater compute density, are driving the development of advanced packaging technologies and transforming the PCB industry across design, manufacturing, testing, and even architecture.