One of the things we insist on at TFE is representing the best principals with the vert best products. This is why we are so pleased that we represent Electra, one of the industry’s cutting-edge companies when it comes to polymer coatings and application equipment.
Solder mask is a vital technology for the manufacture of virtually all of today’s printed circuits, from simple one and two-sided PCBs to high end and high-density multilayer circuits. Solder mask was originally invented as a way to limit the use of solder and prevent shorting between exposed traces during wave soldering. However, over the years it has graduated to becoming a key technology, enabling the manufacture of high performance and highly reliable surface mounted component assemblies.
Screen printing technology was the method originally used to apply solder mask and it is still in use today for many low-end products, but it cannot easily meet the demands of more dense surface mount circuits. To overcome many of screen printings limitations, liquid photoimagable solder masks were developed, and they improved the resolution of solder masks, but they also added process steps. Today the challenges of more demanding HDI circuits with very fine pitch surface mount components have caused increasing numbers of PCB manufacturers to consider and seek out alternative methods and ink jet printing of solder mask is rapidly becoming a method of first choice because of its versatility as a means of directly applying the solder mask pattern to the printed circuit using a simple "print and cure" process. There are a number of suppliers of ink jet printers, but it is the properties of the solder mask ink that is most important to both the manufacturer and the end user.
To meet the requirements of both the manufacturer and the customer Electra Corporation has developed Electrajet ® EMJ110 inkjet solder mask. The product has been formulated to meet or exceed all of the benchmark requirements sought by today’s technically savvy manufacturers and product developers. For example, EMJ110 has demonstrated its resistance to creep which has proved problematic when solder mask is applied by inkjet, while its optimized flow characteristics allow for exceptional track coverage and board cosmetics. EMJ110 inkjet solder mask is UL 94 V-0 rated and exceeds important industry requirements for insulation resistance while providing necessary dielectric strength with good dielectric constant which is of increasing importance as operating frequencies continue to rise. Again, from the PCB manufacturers perspective EMJ110 provides the chemical resistance need to resist damage from ENIG and Immersion Tin processes and is fully compatible with lead-free, high temperature processes.
If you are in the market for an inkjet compatible and highly capable solder mask, Electrajet EMH110 should be at the top of your evaluation list.
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About Electra ED
Since 1984 Electra has been a leader in the development of advanced specialty polymer products for use in the global printed circuit board (PCB) and related Electronics manufacturing industries.
Today we provide major PCB and Wafer Level Packaging manufacturers worldwide with polymer resist products and our capabilities in conductive ink technology increasingly reach into the Printed Electronics sector.
Using our extensive laboratories and a flexible range of partnership/development models, Electra provides off-the-shelf products, bespoke materials, and contract R&D services to a wide range of industry sectors and world-class OEMs.
Forerunners in the development of a number of processes now widely established throughout the industry. Electra’s philosophy is to work closely with customers and equipment manufacturers to tailor products that have optimum performance with existing and emerging technologies.
Electra provides world class, regional service to customers and OEMs in over 40 countries through a global network of distributors who provide warehousing and technical support from local sales offices. This is backed up by our own technical specialists who have many years’ experience of PCB and Wafer Level processes.