New Flexible Circuit Materials Offer Lower Outgassing Levels

Three new flexible circuit materials have been developed-- primarily for the hard disk drive (HDD) industry-- that are said to offer significantly lower levels of outgassing. The R/flex Crystal flame-retardant laminates are wire bondable and easy to process. They were developed for use with automated optical inspection equipment.
Said to offer substantial cost savings over cover-films, the R/flex 8080 LP liquid photo-imageable cover-coat materials can be used in the manufacture of fine-line circuits that are robust, creasible and resistant to chemicals. They are designed to support the high-density cables required by emerging memory storage and computer products. The R/flex 1000 laminates, the third line of flexible circuit material being introduced, are wire bondable and can withstand millions of flexes without failure.