“Silver printed circuits on polyester used in membrane switches cannot handle soldering temperatures, so alternative processes must be used,” said Justin Spitzer, business development manager, Molex Incorporated. “Molex began using anisotropically (Z-axis) conductive adhesives and then developed fully conductive epoxy to accommodate our high-speed SMT lines.”
Manufacturers in many industries – including appliance, medical, industrial, consumer, hand-held devices and automotive – can benefit from this technology. Assemblies may also include the bonding of other electronic components, such as resistors, capacitors, seven-segment LEDs and ICs to the thick film circuits, opening the technology to other applications. Integrated components allow customers more flexibility in their membrane switch and user interfaces and can provide a low-cost, robust alternative to PCBs and other discrete lighting components, such as light pipes.