50 µm designs with LDI technology

With the introduction of LDI technology, ANDUS starts using 2mil technology

Fine conductors, ultra-fine conductors, micro-conductors, … these and similar terms describe more or less spectacular copper structures on PCBs. Significantly more objective statements are provided by concrete details on the layout made in micrometers or milli-inches.

Structures of 6 or 5 mil (150 µm or 125 µm) are common today in conventional SMD electronics, whereas 4 and 3 mil (100 µm and 75 µm) are only needed for high I/O counts of fine pitch components.

Introducing a new LDI process (Laser Direct Imaging), ANDUS started using the 2 mil technology in June 2008 and is thus now able to offer conductors with a width as small as 50 µm.

 LDI Lasertechnik

The LDI device replaces the UV film exposure used so far by a modulated, fine laser beam scanning the entire PCB, a device unique in Germany. This state-of-the-art technology is so sophisticated that exposure of one production panel takes only a few seconds. Thus, processing is considerably faster than with the conventional technology.

Above all, 50 µm designs are needed where µBGAs or CSPs (Chip Scale Packages) have to be fanned out. A CSP with an 0.4 mm pitch and two rows of 0.25 mm pads can only be completely laid out if structures are as fine as these.

Sensor electronics also benefit from the new structures. For 2 mil conductors, e.g., the winding count of inductors is doubled compared to former 4 mil designs. For other applications, the 50 µm substrate provides a link between semi-conductor structures and conventional PCBs. Both COB bonding and FlipChip technology are used.

It will be exciting to see which other innovative ideas ANDUS will develop and implement based on the new possibilities offered by LDI.