Thicker depositions need to be achieved, but good results were obtained in regards to the adhesion of the thermoplastic to the wafer. Another application is the development of a preform that can be used for end-terminated capacitors. The preform is formed by screen printing onto a release sheet and fusing. The initial results show this is a viable approach. This process also has the potential to be a lead-free replacement for solder in certain applications.
Additional work is required before manufacturing use.
The distinguishing characteristics of thermoplastic adhesives have been compared to those of thermoset adhesives. The use of thermoplastic adhesives in a production environment has been demonstrated, including equipment design required for a production-worthy process. Thermoplastic adhesives can be applied using the same techniques used by thermosets, including dispense, screen printing and preforms. The low stress of thermoplastics makes them an excellent choice for stress-sensitive dice. Ease of rework makes them suitable for MCM applications.