Microwave Journal
www.microwavejournal.com/articles/17295-ltcc-materials-system-from-ferro-electronic-materials-helps-reduce-power-use

LTCC materials system from Ferro Electronic Materials helps reduce power use

April 3, 2012

Ferro Electronic Materials expands its low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) portfolio, which includes industry-leading A6M and A6S,with a new line of cost-effective matched materials that offers better performance over a greater range of frequenciesand easier manufacturability than market alternatives. The company will introduce its new L8LTCC product line in booth 9-212 at SMT Hybrid Packaging 2012, to be held May 8-10 in Nuremberg, Germany.

L8 Materials System

Ferro’s new L8 LTCC system has superior dielectric properties that provide significantly lower loss than competitive,price-sensitive LTCC products. L8 performs well at up to 40 GHz and its reduced loss enables manufacturers to design and build more energy-efficient parts that consume less power. The L8 system is suitable for cost-sensitive low- to mid-frequency telecommunications, automotive, and medical modules, components and sensors as well as higher frequency aerospace, satellite and other high reliability applications. The lead-free glass-ceramic formulation also provides very high strength and may be used in wire-bond, solderable, brazable,and plateable applications. The L8 system is RoHS compliant.

Ferro supplies L8 ceramic tape with a full complement of matched metallization pastes that include silver, gold, plateable silver, and mixed-metal formulations. Gold and nickel may be electrolessly plated onto silver surfaces to improve performance in harsh environments and for easier wire-bonding. L8 pastes haveexcellent printability and the material set has a broad processing window with multiple co-firing options with either belt or box furnaces.

“L8 offers mid-frequency capabilities far beyond other cost-sensitive LTCC products,” said Ed Stadnicar, Jr.,business manager, electronic packaging materials for Ferro Electronic Materials. “Its performance in the 30 to 40 GHz range enables high-performance applications such as aerospace and biomedical devices to lower overall manufacturing costs and to use silver or plateable gold instead of all-gold metallizations.”