science

Molded interconnect device

Molded interconnect device is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Molded interconnect device rather than just read about it. In short: A molded interconnect device (MID) is an injection-molded thermoplastic part with integrated electronic circuit traces. The use of high temperature thermoplastics and their structured metallization opens a new dimension of circuit carrier design to the electronics industry.

Key takeaways

Molded interconnect device belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Molded interconnect device to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Molded interconnect device from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A molded interconnect device (MID) is an injection-molded thermoplastic part with integrated electronic circuit traces. The use of high temperature thermoplastics and their structured metallization opens a new dimension of circuit carrier design to the electronics industry. This technology combines plastic substrate/housing with circuitry into a single part by selective metallization.

Applications Key markets for the MID technology are consumer electronic, telecommunication, automotive and medical. A very common application for MIDs are integrated antennas in cellphones and other mobile devices including laptops and netbooks.

Manufacturing methods Molded interconnect devices are typically manufactured in these technologies:

Laser Direct Structuring (LDS) The LDS process uses a thermoplastic material, doped with a (non-conductive) metallic inorganic compound activated by means of laser. The basic component is single-component injection molded, with practically no restrictions in terms of 3D design freedom. A laser then writes the course of the later circuit trace on the plastic. Where the laser beam hits the plastic the metal additive forms a micro-rough track. The metal particles of this track form the nuclei for the subsequent metallization. In an electroless copper bath, the conductor path layers arise precisely on these tracks. Successively layers of copper, nickel and gold finish can be raised in this way. The LDS process is characterized by:

single-component injection molding a wide range of materials is available full three-dimensionality in a sphere flexibility: for a changed routing of traces, only new control data have to be transmitted to the laser unit. Thus different functional components can be produced from one basic unit precision: finest conductor pathes with a width of < 80 µm are possible prototyping: available LDS-coating of any part enables test specimen Laser Direct Structuring was invented at Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe, University of Applied Sciences in Lemgo, Germany, from 1997 until 2001. LDS technology was developed in a research cooperation with the former LPKF Limited, patented by the inventors and first exclusively licensed to LPKF. In 2002 the patents concerning LDS technology were transferred to LPKF Laser & Electronics AG. The major drawbacks of LDS are the need for the expensive metallic inorganic compound for the entire mold, the necessity for a chemical plating process, a very rough surface of the plated layer making connectors difficult to achieve. The created circuitry usually is limited to only one layer of wiring without crosses.

Printed Electronics Selective metallization can be achieved by printing of conductive traces (Printed Electronics) onto the surface of the thermoplastic part. Aerosol jet, inkjet, or screen printing may be used, whereas aerosol jet printing delivers the most reliable results on an arbitrary shaped mold. The main advantages to PE include:

any polymer can be used for injection molding no metallic inorganic compound is necessary, which reduces cost large variety of conductive coating materials including silver, copper, gold, platinum, graphite, and conductive polymers thickness can be tightly controlled direct deposition without plating possible more complex circuitry possible as isolation layers, dielectrics, and other materials can be deposited in multiple layers higher line precision of down to 10 µm higher surface smoothness Currently, printed electronics is still a research and development area but an increasing number of companies start production of smart phone antennas and substitute LDS on other injection-molded parts. The major drawback is a low level of standardization because of the versatility of the technique.

Two-shot molding Two-shot molding is an injection molding process using two different resins and only one of the two resins is platable. Typically the platable substrate is ABS and the non-platable substrate is polycarbonate. In a two shot component, these are then submitted to an electroless plating process where the butadiene is used to chemically roughen the surface and allow adhesion of a copper primary layer. The plating chemistry can be controlled to prevent the roughening of the polycarbonate portions of the component. While not commonly found outside of cellphone antenna production, this technology is public and widely available.

References

External links LPKFUSA.com/MID Further information about the LDS process WO1999005895A1 Basic LDS Patent I 1997 WO2003005784A2 Basic LDS Patent II 2001

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Molded interconnect device

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Molded interconnect device claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Molded interconnect device before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Molded interconnect device ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Molded interconnect device

In research: Molded interconnect device appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Molded interconnect device in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Molded interconnect device is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Electrical signal connectors, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Molded interconnect device outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Molded interconnect device in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Molded interconnect device means in your own words.
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Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Molded interconnect device in simple terms?

Why does Molded interconnect device matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Molded interconnect device?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Molded interconnect device.