AT&S World

The enormous simplification of processes
means that 2.5D technology offers the prospect
of cost-effective, flexible and high-value solutions
in the widest possible range of applications.
The jurors of the Fast Forward Award were
also impressed, which is why this technology
was nominated as one of the top three best new
technologies in Styria.
Thermal management research project
In high-performance electronics, there is an
increasing need for printed circuit boards to
discharge the thermal energy they generate.
High-output assemblies give off heat, considerably
increasing both their own performance and
service life, and that of other components. Printed
circuit boards need to be able to discharge
100 watts and more of thermal output.
One application for a thermal management solution
lays in mother boards for LED systems.
AT&S is working with leading LED companies to
find completely new solutions for lighting systems.
The aim is to achieve a higher luminous
efficiency with appropriate cooling through the
substrate, which should lead to energy conservation
throughout the system.
Inkjet printing research project – development of
water-saving manufacturing concepts
Unlike the standard screen printing currently
in use in the high-tech segment, this process
is extremely flexible and can be simply and efficiently
adapted for smaller batch sizes with
different designs. With this technology it is also
relatively simple to affix additional functional
layers. In an initial implementation of these results
we are industrialising a new structuring
technique (etch resist printing) in our plant in
Klagenfurt.
ECP ® technology
Embedded Component Packaging technology is
used to integrate active and passive electronic components
(such as resistors, capacitors and chips) on
the inside of printed circuit boards. This combines
two steps in the existing value chain – production
and population of the printed circuit board. This
not only reduces costs, but also has the advantages
of saving space on the surface of the circuit board
and enormously increasing reliability as a result of
the direct embedding.
During the past financial year the first end product
using this technology was brought to market. The
module was produced in cooperation with a large
US chip manufacturer: thanks to the new technology,
the overall size was significantly reduced and
the reliability improved.
Photovoltaics
In the Photovoltaics project, the aim is to exploit
synergies in the processes used in the production
of printed circuit boards and photovoltaic panels to
create a novel technology product. In our cooperation
with the solar cell manufacturer Solland Solar
we are focusing on the development and production
of more energy-efficient, back-contacted photovoltaic
panels. AT&S’s part in this is the engineering of
the interconnection solutions and the development
and manufacture of the back-contact foil. The goal
is to reduce the cost of modules by industrialising
an innovative technology while simultaneously increasing
the modules’ efficiency.
Patent strategy
AT&S’s increased focus on research and development
has also led to extended legal safeguards for
its core technologies. In the past financial year
13 new patent applications were filed, so that AT&S
now has 66 patents and patents applied for. This
continuing growth in the patent portfolio contributes
to the Group’s reputation as a technologically
advanced supplier of printed circuit boards and
means that investment costs can be spread and recovered
over a longer period.
New patents applied for
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13 13
2008/09 2009/10 2010/11
Leading Edge Research and Development
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12
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Mastering complex
challenges with a
highly developed
network of expertise
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