A narrow trace width of 0.13mm and a trace spacing of 0.13mm

Molex Korea (CEO Jaehoon Lee) has developed an economical technology capable of printing high-performance silver flexible circuits on polyester substrates with a narrow trace width of 0.13 mm and a trace spacing of 0.13 mm.

This process offers superior cost savings compared to conventional flexible circuits printed with copper on polyamide and PCBs. Molex has also developed a method to overcome the limitations encountered when attaching narrow-pitch IC-based components to PET.

“Designers always face the challenge of fitting smaller components and traces into limited spaces,” explained Dan Dawiedczyk, Marketing Director at Molex. “Polyamides adequately address this space issue but have historically had the disadvantage of being more expensive than PET. By utilizing new silver ink and printing technologies as an alternative to conventional copper circuits, we were able to implement narrow-pitch circuits on PET for various applications.”

Director Dawichek also emphasized that this printing technique is inherently cheaper than copper-based pattern formation and related processes. Furthermore, the production of silver flexible circuits does not require hazardous chemicals or waste disposal facilities.

With this new technology, narrow-pitch (0.50mm) IC-based components can be easily attached to PET through a proprietary mounting process using traditional surface mount equipment. Using this process, it also becomes possible to attach angled LEDs to enhance backlighting within the system for user interface applications.

In the final stage of the assembly process, a UV-cured sealant is used to protect the soldered joints, enabling them to withstand vibration and mechanical shock.