Carving Out Circuits That Click Into Place
December 29, 2017 | KAUSTEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
A strategy for assembly of electronic systems—especially the flexible structures needed for high-performance devices of the future—uses integrated circuits as Lego-like building blocks. “This plug-and-play approach is absolutely disruptive,” says PhD candidate Sohail Shaikh from KAUST: this unique method of assembly creates completely new options for manufacturing processes of these systems.
Existing technologies for building electronic devices, such as computers, smartphones and robots, rely on complex automated manufacturing processes. These involve high-precision equipment to align and package thousands of components that range from a few millimeters upward in size. Once aligned, these components are connected to printed circuit boards using numerous tiny pins.
These manufacturing processes work well for today’s electronic components and supports, which are rigid and hard. However, they do not suit the emerging electronic systems—increasingly multifunctional, high-performance devices that demand greater miniaturization in addition to better accuracy and precision. In particular, bonding and alignment are exceptionally difficult to achieve for flexible integrated circuits and soft substrates needed for devices that are wearable and implantable.
To tackle this problem, Muhammad Hussain and his team from KAUST developed a modular approach in which building blocks presenting complementary geometries produce electronic systems via lock-and-key-type assembly to eliminate any steps that require bonding or soldering. They carved various shapes displaying different sizes, heights and angles out of the back of fragile, ultra-thin flexible silicon integrated circuits to form so-called male modules. Next, they etched grooves, corresponding to inverse replicas of these shapes, into the flexible substrate to generate hosts for the male modules.
“This approach makes the entire assembly simple, easy and highly reliable for conventional and fully flexible electronic systems,” says Shaikh.
The researchers converted commercially available integrated circuits into unique geometrical shapes that differ according to their function, allowing these modules to be physically singled out by touch or with the naked eye. They showed that a person wearing a blindfold could manually assemble these modules into an electronic system, demonstrating the yield and accuracy of their strategy.
This feature could provide for job opportunities for the visually impaired in the semiconductor manufacturing and electronics assembly industries, notes Hussain. “Differentiating objects by touch is a unique ability implemented by the visually impaired in their daily life,” he says.
Hussain’s team is currently investigating the self-assembly of modular components into electronic systems. “Guiding the modules to their binding sites using fluidic agitation or surface tension may eliminate the need for manual handling, which would increase the throughput,” he adds.
Suggested Items
Elevating PCB Design Engineering With IPC Programs
04/24/2024 | Cory Blaylock, IPCIn a monumental stride for the electronics manufacturing industry, IPC has successfully championed the recognition of the PCB Design Engineer as an official occupation by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This pivotal achievement not only underscores the critical role of PCB design engineers within the technology landscape, but also marks the beginning of a transformative journey toward nurturing a robust, skilled workforce ready to propel our industry into the future.
Fujitsu, METRON Collaborate to Drive ESG Success
04/24/2024 | JCN NewswireFujitsu Limited and METRON SAS, a French cleantech company specializing in energy management solutions for industrial decarbonization, today announced a strategic initiative to contribute to the realization of carbon neutrality in the manufacturing industry.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Final Finishes and IC Substrate Manufacturing
04/24/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOEditor Marcy LaRont and Richard DePoto, Uyemura's Business Development Manager, engage in a comprehensive discussion about the positive aspects of the show, the benefits of RAIG in final finishes, and the hurdles faced when upgrading your surface finish. Also discussed are the role of Uyemura's MEC pretreatment agents in IC substrate manufacturing and the importance of collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Women MAKE Awards Recognizes GlobalFoundries’ Jennifer Robbins and Katelyn Harrison for Manufacturing Excellence
04/24/2024 | GlobalFoundriesThe Manufacturing Institute (MI)—the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers—honored two outstanding women from GlobalFoundries (GF) at their annual Women MAKE Awards. Jennifer (Jenny) Robbins, Senior Director, Central Facilities, was recognized as a 2024 Women MAKE Awards Honoree, while Katelyn Harrison, Senior Integration Engineer, was honored as an Emerging Leader.
GlobalFoundries Commits to Achieving Net Zero Emissions and Carbon-Neutral Power by 2050
04/23/2024 | GlobalFoundriesGlobalFoundries (GF) is furthering its commitment to sustainable operations and fighting climate change with the announcement of two new long-term goals to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 100% carbon-neutral power by 2050.