Size Effects of Au/Ni-Coated Polymer Particles on the Electrical Performance of Anisotropic Conductive Adhesive Films under Flexible Mechanical Conditions.

In soft electronics, anisotropic conductive adhesive films (ACFs) are the trending interconnecting approach due to their substantial softness and superior bondability to flexible substrates. However, low bonding pressure (≤1 MPa) and fine-pitch interconnections of ACFs become challenging while being extended in advanced device developments such as wafer-level packaging and three-dimensional multi-layer integrated circuit board assembly. To overcome these difficulties, we studied two types of ACFs with distinct conductive filler sizes (ACF-1: ~20 µm and ACF-2: ~5 µm). We demonstrated a low-pressure thermo-compression bonding technique and investigated the size effect of conductive particles on ACF's mechanical properties in a customized testing device, which consists of flexible printing circuits and Flex on Flex assemblies. A consistency of low interconnection resistance (<1 Ω) after mechanical stress (cycling bending test up to 600 cycles) verifies the assembly's outstanding electrical reliability and mechanical stability and thus validates the great effectiveness of the ACF bonding technique. Additionally, in numerical studies using the finite element method, we developed a generic model to disclose the size effect of Au/Ni-coated polymer fillers in ACF on device reliability under mechanical stress. For the first time, we confirmed that ACFs with smaller filler particles are more prone to coating fracture, leading to deteriorated electrical interconnections, and are more likely to peel off from substrate electrode pads resulting in electrical faults. This study provides guides for ACF design and manufacturing and would facilitate the advancement of soft wearable electronic devices.

Synthesis of Cobalt Particles and Investigation of Their Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Characteristics.

As the integration technology for integrated circuit (IC) packaging continues to advance, the issue of electromagnetic interference in IC packaging becomes increasingly prominent. Magnetic materials, acknowledged for their superior electromagnetic absorption capabilities, play a pivotal role in mitigating electromagnetic interference problems. In this study, we employed a liquid-phase reduction method. We prepared three types of cobalt (Co) particles with distinct morphologies. Through variations in the synthesis process conditions, we were able to control the aspect ratio of protrusions on the surface of the Co particles. It was found that the sword-like Co particles exhibit superior electromagnetic wave absorption capabilities, showing a reflection loss value of up to -50.96 dB. Notably, when the coating thickness is only 1.6 mm, the effective absorption bandwidth is extended up to 7.6 GHz. The spatially expansive sword-like Co particles, with their unique structure featuring dipole polarization and interfacial polarization, demonstrated enhanced dielectric and magnetic loss capabilities, concurrently showcasing superior impedance-matching performance.

A New Low-Temperature Solder Assembly Technique to Replace Eutectic Sn-Bi Solder Assembly.

We successfully achieved low-temperature assembly by reflowing the 13.5Sn-37.5Bi-45In-4Pb quaternary eutectic solder paste and the SAC 305 solder ball together at 140 °C for 5 min. The wetting angle of the mixed solder joint is 17.55°. The overall atomic percent of Pb in the mixed solder joint is less than 1%, which can be further reduced or eliminated. Moreover, after aging at 80 °C for 25 days, we observed no obvious decrease in shear strength of the fully mixed solder joint, which is the most advantage of this assembly technique over Sn58Bi solder assembly. The Bi phase segregation at the interface is slowed down compared with Sn-Bi solder joint. This low-temperature assembly is promising to be applied in advanced packaging technology to replace the eutectic Sn-Bi solder.

Vertically porous nickel thin film supported Mn3O4 for enhanced energy storage performance.

Three-dimensionally porous metal materials are often used as the current collectors and support for the active materials of supercapacitors. However, the applications of vertically porous metal materials in supercapacitors are rarely reported, and the effect of vertically porous metal materials on the energy storage performance of supported metal oxides is not explored. To this end, the Mn3O4-vertically porous nickel (VPN) electrodes are fabricated via a template-free method. The Mn3O4-VPN electrode shows much higher volumetric specific capacitances than that of flat nickel film supported Mn3O4 with the same loading under the same measurement conditions. The volumetric specific capacitance of the vertically porous nickel supported Mn3O4 electrode can reach 533Fcm(-3) at the scan rate of 2mVs(-1). The fabricated flexible all-solid microsupercapacitor based on the interdigital Mn3O4-VPN electrode has a volumetric specific capacitance of 110Fcm(-3) at the current density of 20µAcm(-2). The capacitance retention rate of this microsupercapacitor reaches 95% after 5000 cycles under the current density of 20µAcm(-2). The vertical pores in the nickel electrode not only fit the micro/nanofabrication process of the Mn3O4-VPN electrode, but also play an important role in enhancing the capacitive performances of supported Mn3O4 particles.

Synergistic strengthening effect of nanocrystalline copper reinforced with carbon nanotubes.

In this study, a novel multi-walled carbon nanotubes reinforced nanocrystalline copper matrix composite with super high strength and moderate plasticity was synthesized. We successfully overcome the agglomeration problem of the carbon nanotubes and the grain growth problem of the nanocrystalline copper matrix by combined use of the electroless deposition and spark plasma sintering methods. The yield strength of the composite reach up to 692 MPa, which is increased by 2 and 5 times comparing with those of the nanocrystalline and coarse copper, respectively. Simultaneously, the plasticity of the composite was also significantly increased in contrast with that of the nanocrystalline copper. The increase of the density of the carbon nanotubes after coating, the isolation effect caused by the copper coating, and the improvement of the compatibility between the reinforcements and matrix as well as the effective control of the grain growth of the copper matrix all contribute to improving the mechanical properties of the composite. In addition, a new strengthening mechanism, i.e., the series-connection effect of the nanocrystalline copper grains introduced by carbon nanotubes, is proposed to further explain the mechanical behavior of the nanocomposite.