Since the end of October 2010, Heraeus and Kerafol Keramische Folien GmbH have been working together in the production and sales of Low Temperature Cofired Ceramics (LTCC) glass-ceramic tapes. Up to this point, the two companies had enjoyed a co-operation in the area of developing new LTCC tapes. However, actually now selling the LTCC tapes via Kerafoli will obviously create a far closer customer proximity and guarantee a direct link between the tape producer and the tape processor.
Both partners profit equally from the collaboration. Kerafol is able to introduce application users to its special expertise in the production of ceramic tapes and corresponding market proximity. In turn, Heraeus can demonstrate its competence in glass-ceramic development as well as the results of almost 25 years of experience in the processing of LTCC tapes using their own metallic pastes for multilayer circuitry. Through the sales co-operation between Heraeus and Kerafol the users of the LTCC tapes will gain in improvements by being able to adapt and optimize the properties of the tapes to suit their own production facilities.
Through state-of-the-art manufacturing plants Kerafol is in a position to produce LTCC green sheets with a fabrication width of up to 1 meter in a clean room environment by the roll. It can be supplied in any number of desired widths and thicknesses, or is also available as a single sheet for use in automatic processing.
Franz Koppe, Graduate Engineer and Managing Director of Kerafol – Keramische Folien GmbH states: “The good results shown by the LTCC tapes developed in collaboration with Heraeus and the innovative strength of Kerafol now make it possible to realize customized solutions at production level. This is something that our customers have always wanted, and we have achieved it”.
Dr. Ralf Droste, Executive Vice President W. C. Heraeus GmbH and Head of the Thick Film Materials Division (TFD) notes: “A quick reaction to customer requirements is bottom line and vital to our support to customers in realizing progressive concepts for electronic circuits. The longstanding good and trusting collaboration with Kerafol was the prerequisite for transferring the sales of LTCC tapes to Kerafol in order to be able to react with professional aplomb to the requirements of the market. To round it all off, Heraeus will continue to provide corresponding paste systems on the market”.
Background: LTCC Technology
The electronics of today place the highest demands on both assembly and packaging technologies, such as environmental temperatures, mechanical strain (vibration), dampness, miniaturization, reliability and long levity. LTCC is one of the few technologies that can meet up to this challenge.
LTCC glass-ceramic tapes can be used to create multilayer circuits by means of screen printing, and with the tapes the finest of structures in ceramic circuits with extreme packaging density can be produced. The application of fineline pastes for LTCC circuits thus allows for ever smaller and more complex circuits which can be built into existing housings. Often, however, an adjustment to the LTCC tapes is necessary to make them compatible with the specific application called for by the customer.
About Kerafol
Kerafol – Keramische Folien GmbH has been developing and producing ceramic tapes made in a special manufacturing process for the past 25 years for use in a manifold of applications. Ceramic tapes are needed in a great variety of application areas, such as for example, microelectronics, Thermal Management, filtration, sensors, as porcelain foils and in SOFC fuel cells. In the field of SOFC fuel cells Kerafol has been working with scandium doped fuel cells since the very start of their development in the nineties.
Contact
Kerafol Keramische Folien GmbH
Isabell Koppe
Managing Director
92676 Eschenbach
T: +49 (9645) 88 300
F: +49 (9645) 88 390
isabell-koppe@kerafol.com
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