Schmoll: Decades of Technology Evolution
It’s Only Common Sense: The Danger of Overthinking
Punching Out: Fewer Than 150 PCB Shops Remain in North America
Electroninks' MOD and iSAP Game Changers
March 25, 2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Electroninks, a prominent player in particle-free conductive inks, recently announced an exciting new range of metal-complex inks for ultra high density interconnect (UHDI) technology. At the SMTA UHDI Symposium in January, Mike Vinson, COO of Electroninks, gave a presentation on this line of MOD inks, which are versatile and suitable for a range of applications that require ultra-dense, miniaturized, and high-frequency technology. Mike says his technology is a game changer and will revolutionize UHDI circuit fabrication.
Marcy LaRont: Mike, would you give me a summary of your presentation at the SMTA UHDI symposium?
Mike Vinson: UHDI technology is crucial for developing smaller, more powerful electronic devices. However, its widespread adoption faces several challenges. Our line of products has been developed to address some of these key challenges. Our metal-complex inks simplify manufacturing while improving performance and reliability. We absolutely believe that these materials are poised to redefine how UHDI circuits are fabricated.
LaRont: Please explain what MOD stands for, how it works, and why this is a superior process.
Vinson: MOD is an acronym for metal-organic decomposition. MOD ink is particle-free, unlike the more standard nano-particle-based inks. Being particle-free gets you away from agglomeration, thus ensuring more uniform conductivity. From a processing standpoint, it is versatile for fabricators because multiple deposition methods can be used with it, including inkjet, screen printing, and spray coating. It has a very high peel strength and performs exceptionally well in extreme conditions and environments, and the process itself eliminates a lot of liquid waste. We call it eco-friendly manufacturing.
LaRont: Tell me about your proprietary iSAP process, another part of Electronink’s additive manufacturing solution.
Vinson: This ink-based semi-additive process (iSAP) is an innovative alternative to conventional subtractive etching and electroless plating. The main benefit of this process to fabricators is that, by leveraging MOD inks as a seed layer, iSAP offers a lower overall cost to manufacture. It eliminates process steps, while also significantly reducing waste and power usage compared to traditional etching. It also allows the fabricator to achieve those very fine lines and features required with UHDI, and improves signal integrity and RF performance in high frequency circuits. We believe that iSAP is a true game changer in the landscape of building UHDI circuits.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the March 2025 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
03/07/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007It’s been a busy week. My must-reads include articles and news items on global trends and challenges, groundbreaking technology, the hunt for the elusive young PCB designers, and some personnel changes. We also have a great column on the value of following up and keeping promises. We’re all guilty of “dropping the ball” from time to time, aren’t we?
Are Domestic Assemblers Ready for the Next Level of Electronics Miniaturization?
02/19/2025 | Chrys Shea, SHEA Engineering ServicesUHDI technology is more than another evolutionary level of miniaturization. It’s a fundamental change in how we create circuit boards, on a scale potentially as impactful as the transition from through-hole to surface mount was 40 years ago.
UHDI Fundamentals: UHDI Bleeding-edge Entertainment Applications, Part 2
02/06/2025 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsUltra high density interconnect (UHDI) technology is revolutionizing bleeding-edge entertainment applications by enabling compact, high-performance devices that push the boundaries of immersion, interactivity, and realism. Part 2 focuses on how UHDI is advancing the entertainment industry, particularly gaming.
Happy’s Tech Talk #37: New Ultra HDI Materials
02/03/2025 | Happy Holden -- Column: Happy’s Tech TalkSome new materials have been introduced in the past year for ultra high density interconnect (UHDI), a convenient title for developing high density technologies. They have received labels like semiconductor-like PCBs (SLPs), redistribution layers (RDL), flip-chip ball grid array (FCBGA), and interposers. The early 2000s saw the creation of these organic substrates for flip-chip IC packaging. The initial construction was composed of a BT core with build-up layers of the Ajinomoto Build-up Film (ABF)
SMTA UHDI Symposium 2025, Part 2: State of the Art
01/29/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007A group of about 50 attended the second annual SMTA Ultra High Density Interconnect Symposium on Jan. 23, 2025. After a morning of technical presentations on challenges and solutions regarding UHDI technology, we gathered for a delicious Mexican buffet lunch and some networking before reconvening for an afternoon of more technical topics.