Examples
Complex flex circuit allows advances in sensor development
Customer: European Developer of Sensor Technology
Challenge: Produce a flexible circuit that allows vias to be drilled through the top and bottom trace layers with an accuracy of plus or minus 3 microns across the part.
Solution: Extremely tight laser drilling registration of vias and fine line patterning
Benefits: MicroConnex' capabilities enabled the customer to complete their design and prototype of an advanced sensor application. Prior to MicroConnex' success, six (6) flex circuit manufactures failed trying to produced the part.
Unique flexible circuit design used to make a High-current transformer solves design challenge
Customer: Military and Defense Contractor
Challenge: Use flexible circuit technology to build a planar transformer comprised of primary and secondary windings, with very high current carrying capability.
Solution: Design and build a circuit with 50 micron line and space, and with 27 micron thick traces. Solve persistent problems associated with design requirements:
- Very thick copper traces on the surface of thin polymers Thick bonding layers are required to conform to the traces and also provide insulation between layers
- High layer count - ultimately 54 layers
- PTH problems resulting from thick dielectric and thick conductor layers requires unusual solutions
Benefits: MicroConnex was able to overcome all of the problems caused by the combination of design parameters.
Elegant flexible circuit enables biometric interface
Customer: University of Washington
Challenge: A researcher needed to attach a sensor with an inductor coil to a mouse's eyeball. Solder terminations at the sensor had proven to be very difficult.
Solution: The MicroConnex design replaced the hand wound coil with a flexible circuit which included an integral lead. This allowed solder terminations to be made at a safe distance away from the eye.
Benefits: The MicroConnex sensor included an inductor that was smaller and lighter than the wire-based device which allowed more windings to be put into the small space. Using MicroConnex' unique laser direct-write capabilities, this project was completed in a very short amount of time, allowing the customer to pursure additional research funding.
Design, qualification and test of 3-layer flexible circuit.
Customer: U.S. Designer of Handheld Electronics
Challenge: Design, qualify and test a multi-layer flex circuit as a shielded 50 ohm transmission line that can withstand a large number of flex cycles.
Solution: Evaluate and re-design (if necessary) seven different flex circuits and develop a unique test device to qualify each component.
Benefits: MicroConnex' capabilities enabled the customer to introduce a new consumer electronics product.