An overview of today's thick-film technology

How thick-film systems are used in all facets of today's electronic industry, starting with their initial application in the computer and defense industries, is described. As the state of the art grew, composition suppliers broadened their lines, developing new higher performance materials to meet changing and more sophisticated packaging requirements. The present technology offers advantages of simple processing, fast and inexpensive tooling systems, economy, quick tumaround time between need and prototype, using wider tolerance active devices, high reliability, and multilevel circuit capabilities. As a result, virtually all sectors of today's electrical and electronics industries are turning to solid-state systems which utilize thick-film hybrid microcircuitry. Consumer and automotive electronic uses are exhibiting the highest rate of new thick-film circuitry adoption at the present time. Industrial usage for high power, measuring and control systems, is also increasing rapidly, and thick-film hybrid circuits are strong candidates to replace electromechanical switching devices. The use of. hybrid microcircuits is forecasted to double or triple current usage on a worldwide basis by 1975. In the future, thick films are expected to play an ever increasing role in the packaging of semicpnductor devices because of their low production cost and high performance advantages.