Technology demonstrators

Objective of Nokia’s demonstrator is to enable the evaluation of a specified assembly process and the verification of the flexible circuit (FPC) technology. In order to achieve this objective following items should be incorporated:

• Identify best simulation methodology for FPC and embedded passives and actives
• Embedded passive and active technology and components review (Cost assessment on different technology with FPC0201 and 01005 passives)
• Testing techniques and specification, design, manufacturing, and characterization of fixture for FPWB reliability testing
• Design of test samples for FPC with CSP and embedded passives (daisy-chain and evaluation of different PI and LCP material to define FPC structure)
• Determine preliminary specifications to evaluate the reliability of packages used in FPC
• FPC assembly techniques:
• Percentage of passives, possible to embed in FPC
• Create specification of passive components, feasible to embed in FPC
• FPC assembly process, single and double side, development (handling, SMD assembly on FPC, soldering and rework) concerning assembly and reliability
• Estimate cost reduction in the assembly process using FPC and embedded passives
• Reliability assessment identifying potential failure modes, defects, and yield during assembly
• Test CSP assembly on FPC (assembly and rework)
• Report on FE simulation (board and phone level drop simulation)
• Report on FPC testing, failure mechanism identification
• Create specification for reliability verification of new packages, and FPC technologies
• 3S Application on FPC (SiP: system in package, SoC: system on chip, SoP: system on package)
• Establish a thermal model with FEM for multiple layer FPC reliability studies with lead-free process
• Final demonstrator and technology transfer
• Guidelines to integrate FPC into product architecture

One of the main topics in which Thales Airborne Systems will be involved in the next 5 to 10 years is the development of “low cost” active phased array antennas. If we want to reach affordable costs for commercial applications, new innovative technologies must be developed.

In the commercial field, these antennas can be very useful in commercial avionic applications such as meteorology radar (market in which Thales Airborne Systems wants to enter), in satellite communication (multi-satellite targeting), and in ground transportation.

To be environmentally friendly, these antennas, integrated world-wide on houses, cars, and airplanes, will have to be shaped to the carrier and be low profile.

Because of the production costs, we can imagine that, in a first step, they will be manufactured flat, and then formed to the desired shape.

For this purpose, electronic based on flexible circuits seems to be a very attractive concept. In the next step, dedicated equipment may be developed to directly manufacture with the final shape.