Limitations to indium tin oxide (ITO), including integration issues and material costs, are driving research into carbon nanotube networks. Carbon nanotubes are mechanically flexible, can be deposited on lightweight plastics, and may carry more conductivity than ITO. Transparent and conductive nanotube networks pilot carbon research in the electronics field. Resulting products may include nanotube thin-film transistors, and carbon nanomaterials to replace metal interconnects and silicon transistors.
(July 5, 2006) CONCORD, CA and TORONTO, ON — March Plasma Systems and Microbonds Inc. announced a co-development project to align the technology roadmaps of Microbonds’ insulated wire-bonding technology with March Plasma’s line of automated and batch-plasma-treatment systems. The technology enables bonding wires connecting the die and substrate to touch without causing an electrical short — facilitating the adoption of fine-diameter bonding wire, longer wires, area-array bonding, higher-density stacked die, multi-tier and other 3-D packages, as well as new designs. The technology applies a nanoscale coating to bare bonding wires then re-spools them, creating insulation without extensive changes to interconnect parameters.