Recent Trends in Electronics Packaging and Assembly Technologies Research: Using new technologies and materials to improve consumer health and device reliability

With an annual compound growth rate of over 15%, the global consumer electronics market remains one of the world’s fastest growing manufacturing sectors, and is projected to reach US$ 3 trillion in revenues by 2020. The trend towards ever increasing miniaturisation and the capacity to shrink electronic devices while multiplying their capabilities has profoundly changed both technology and society – for example high performance computing systems, mobile phones and visualisation equipment. This lecture will present the recent trends in the research into electronics packaging and assembly technologies that is driving this miniaturisation and will use case studies drawn from the research by the Microjoining Laboratory at the University of Seoul in using new technologies and materials to improve consumer health and safety. As electronics become even more ubiquitous, we are forever surrounded by electronic products at home, at work, at leisure and in virtually all activities and services. Examples of consumer electronic products include smartphones, personal computers, smart TVs, tablets, camcorders, cameras, game consoles, set-top boxes, DVRs and printers. The focus of the research at the Microjoining Laboratory at the University of Seoul is on developing technological solutions to the challenges associated with both the miniaturization of electronic products and the improvement of their performance. We are working in partnership with major multinational corporations on the development of new technologies and materials both to make electronics products smaller in size, faster in speed, lower in power consumption, cost competitive, but also to make them safer and more reliable.

Two case studies will be used to demonstrate the utility and wide applicability of the research by the Microjoining Lab. (i). One of the reliability challenges has been that associated with radioactive alpha radiation from solder materials (joints and interconnection materials), which can generate soft errors and the consequent malfunctioning of electronic devices (often resulting in the freezing of cellphones and PCs), and in controllers and safety critical electronic devices can lead to stoppages and fatal accidents. A major R&D work by the Microjoining Lab has led to the development of low alpha solders, and a worldwide Patent. This patented solder technology has been transferred to industry and is presently being used in cellphones and computer microprocessor systems worldwide. (ii). With the rapid growth of wireless telecommunication, RF (Radio Frequency) devices are now being widely deployed in many consumer electronics products, and another major health and safety challenge is that of Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) from these RF electronics used in consumer electronic products such as automotive electronics, PCs, smart TVs, smartphones and wearable electronics. The growing concern and debate on the links between EMI from these RF electronics and serious health threats such as cancer, leukaemia has been the main driver for the R&D effort on minimizing EMI and/or shielding consumers from EMI. The Microjoining Lab at the University of Seoul has carried out some fundamental research focussed on the use of EMI shielding sheet metal, housing case and innovative pastes to provide solutions to this EMI problem. Our technology which utilises a very thin EMI shielding layer of 2 µm thickness for masking users from most of the EMI exposure will be adopted widely by industry.