UltraSource Introduces New Copper Via Manufacturing Technology

UltraSource Inc. will introduce CopperVia at the International Microwave Symposium/Exhibition on June 19-22, to be held at Palais des congrès de Montréal, Quebec, Canada. CopperVia is a process by which vertical interconnect accesses (also known as vias) are filled with pure copper material to provide low-cost, highly conductive electrical and thermal pathways in ceramic thin film substrates. The technology has been built upon the existing UltraVia process technology. The company claims in its technology data sheet that CopperVia and UltraVia “virtually eliminates” epoxy and solder bleed-through in manufacturing processes.

“CopperVia is being offered to provide engineers additional design flexibilities in meeting all of their requirements while simultaneously lowering the costs of multilayer designs,” said Kevin Callery, director of business development at UltraSource. “The CopperVia enables a lower cost thin film structure than using other precious metals for making a signal or power interconnect between planar layers of high frequency circuits and meets reliability requirements for harsh environment applications such as defense and security systems, fiber optic transceivers, infrared detection, radar, and medical applications.”

CopperVia expands UltraSource’s existing portfolio of design processes for complex and high density planar, 2.5-D, 3-D, and multilayer, thin-film circuitry. Company Chief Technology Officer and CEO Michael Casper says he is investing heavily in technology for thin film microcircuit and passive element structures due to increased demand from customers.

“RF [radio frequency] and microwave hybrid circuits, electronic interposers and interconnects, mandates high levels of electrical and thermal performance on various alumina ceramic based substrates,” he said.

UltraSource is a thin film circuit and interconnect manufacturer based in Hollis, N.H. Markets they focus on include medical imaging, biotechnology and microfluidics.