News / Press Releases
RNT Introduces Patented Joining Technology Overcoming Problems of Thermal Damage
Hunt Valley, MD – September 23, 2003
Improving current methods of soldering in microelectronics, RNT, a provider of high-tech products and solutions for component joining, announces a new technology that enables rapid joining of similar and dissimilar materials without incurring thermal damage – a significant problem today. As a result, use of this technology promises to increase productivity, reduce costs and enable product innovations while overcoming existing technical limitations and promoting the use of lead-free solders.
This technology addresses markets with a critical demand for improved joining methods, including thermally and electrically conductive thermal interface material (TIM) for microelectronics packaging applications such as heat sink mounting and multiple component mounting. Products in the form of a patented multi-layer foil are currently being tested by various partners and potential customers and will be available for sale as early as the first quarter 2004.
“As chips get smaller and more powerful, the need to package and cool these devices becomes more critical but at the same time more difficult,” noted Tim Weihs, Ph.D., RNT president and CEO. “This is a problem for the microelectronics industry, where traditional joining processes will stall the ability to capitalize on increasingly faster chips and hinder the use of lead-free solders – RNT’s new and patented joining process opens the doors for such innovations.”
How RNT’s Technology Works
The basis of RNT’s technology is a multilayer foil placed between the two pieces of material being joined, with a layer of solder on either side. When activated by a small pulse of local energy from electrical, optical or thermal sources, the foil delivers localized heat that bonds the materials in a fraction of a second.
Specifically, the foils are a new class of materials fabricated by sputtering hundreds of nanoscale layers that alternate between elements, such as Aluminum (Al) and Nickel (Ni). Once activated, a propagating chemical reaction enables these metals to mix on an atomic scale and distribute localized heat. The velocities, temperatures and total energies of these chemical reactions can be controlled by varying the foil composition and layer thickness.
This room temperature process, which uses minimal capital equipment, does not require the extreme heat of a torch or furnace demanded by traditional soldering methods. Additionally, product damage and cooling mismatch problems are averted and bonds are stronger. The ability to create electrically and thermally conductive bonds opens the door for improved device performance and awaited product innovations.
While adhesives offer another cost-effective option, their performance does not meet the industry demand for bond strength and longevity. Additionally, they do not provide the highly conductive bonds that lead to the system improvements offered by RNT’s technology.
Benefits: Joining Process
RNT’s technology offers numerous improvements over traditional joining and/or soldering methods including:
- Room temperature joining
- Eliminates the need for extreme heat of furnace or torch
- RNT’s unique process can join components in virtually any environment without flux
- Heating localized to the interface area prevents thermal damage
- Joining in less than one second
- Reduces additional reflow operations in multiple component soldering
- Encourages use of lead-free solder
Benefits: Customers
The final product, bonded using RNT’s joining technology, will have a positive impact on the resulting products and yield positive results for its customers:
- No damage to the components being joined
- Greater reliability due to improved thermal resistance
- Streamlined process increases productivity
- Overcoming technical limitations, product innovation can be fully realized
- Reduced costs
Future Applications
RNT is also testing and developing solutions for other applications and industries such as metal-to-metal and metal-to-ceramic joining for aerospace and defense.
About RNT
RNT has developed methods of soldering microelectronic devices and other components at room temperature without the use of a furnace or a torch. The NanoFoilTM product acts as a local heat source provides exactly the amount of energy needed to melt any solder or braze and join the components without heating the components themselves. This offers manufacturers the ability to decrease costs, increase productivity and enable product innovation, with or without the use of lead-based solders. Current microelectronic applications include replacing current greases, pads, and adhesives with a more conductive solder interface. These solutions also provide advances in microelectronic component mounting and other industries requiring the joining of large and small-scale ceramics and metals, such as defense and aerospace.
RNT Contact:
Caroline Worrall: 410-771-9801
cworrall@RNTfoil.com
Reactive NanoTechnologies, Inc.
- Address
- 111 Lake Front Dr.
- Hunt Valley, MD 21030
- Contact Info
- Phone: 410-771-9801
- Fax: 410-771-0586