Electronic Circuits - Yenra

New silicone gel for automotive electronics market helps manufacturers save costs as they adopt advanced, hybrid circuit designs

Electronic Circuits

A new thixotropic dielectric silicone gel protects sensitive electronic devices used in the automotive market. Applications of the new gel in power electronic devices include forming high-density, multi-layer interconnects capable of withstanding high temperatures and high rates of acceleration.

The new material from Dow Corning is designed to meet the needs of the growing number of automotive electronics manufacturers who are adopting hybrid circuit designs that must be sealed and protected from harsh, under-the-hood conditions. The gel's hybrid LTCC (Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramic) based technology offers two key advantages: enabling circuit modules to be made smaller and lighter as well as allowing multiple layers of circuitry to be stacked upon each other, thereby achieving higher densities than traditional PC board modules.

Significant cost savings are presented by EG-3000's ability to fully encapsulate individual components without having to cover the entire electronics module housing. By using this gel, electronics manufacturers can reduce their material consumption by 30-40 percent per module, compared to other non-thixotropic dielectric gels on the market today.

"Hybrid circuits are smaller and offer higher performance than conventional circuit technology, allowing manufacturers to pack more electronic components into today's automotive designs," said Tom Cook of Dow Corning. "What our customers need now are material and manufacturing innovations that will help drive down the cost of this new technology. This is exactly why we developed EG-3000."

EG-3000 also offers the physical and electrical stability required to withstand harsh engine compartment conditions, such as vibrations and temperature extremes.

Taken together, these properties make EG-3000 well suited for coating, encapsulating and potting automotive electronic components, such as hybrid circuit devices with very fine wire bonds. The low-volatility material is compatible with automated dispensing equipment. Beyond the automotive electronics market, the new gel is expected to also have applications in wireless communications, telecommunications, defense/aerospace electronics, medical devices, computers, and consumer audio/video.

EG-3000 is the latest material to emerge from Dow Corning's industry-leading line of silicone gels. The company has been developing dielectric silicone gels for more than 50 years. Silicones provide long-term, reliable protection of sensitive circuits and components, functioning as dielectric insulators, barriers against environmental contaminants and as stress-relievers and shock- and vibration-absorbers. The company's portfolio of silicone gels spans more than 20 different types of materials, from standard and low-temperature offerings to toughened gels and specialty products.

Dow Corning provides innovative technology for all segments of the electronics industry.