Abstract The present invention relates to an electrically conductive adhesive for making electrical and mechanical connections comprising a polymer component and an electrically conductive component. According to the invention the adhesive is characterised in that the polymer component (220) is formed from a material having a thermal expansion coefficient along a selected axis in the range from about 5 to 10 parts per million per degree centigrade, the electrically conductive component comprises particles of an electrically conductive material capable of being sintered at a temperature within a predetermined range, the particles being loaded within the polymer component material in the range from about 15 to 20 percent conductive material by weight based on the total weight of the polymer component material and the conductive material, and the polymer component material having a glass transition temperature lying within the sintering temperature range of the particles of electrically conductive material. When the adhesive material is heated to the sintering range of the particles of electrically conducting material and is compressed along the selected axis, the particles of electrically conductive material fuse together to form continuous electrically conducting paths (240) extending parallel to axis. The invention also relates to a method of making an electrical and mechanical connection between two surfaces comprising utilising an adhesive as defined above.
An electrically conductive adhesive for making electrical and mechanical connections comprising a polymer component and an electrically conductive component, characterised in that said component (220) is formed from a material having a thermal expansion coefficient along a selected axis in the range from about 5 to 10 parts per million per degree centigrade, said electrically conductive component comprises particles of an electrically conductive material capable of being sintered at a temperature within a predetermined range, said particles being loaded within said polymer component material in the range from about 15 to 20 percent conductive material by weight based on the total weight of said polymer component material and said conductive material, and said polymer component material having a glass transition temperature lying within the sintering temperature range of said particles of electrically conductive material, whereby when said adhesive material is heated to the sintering range of said particles of electrically conducting material and is compressed along said selected axis, said particles of electrically conductive material fuse together to form continuous electrically conducting paths (240) extending parallel to said axis.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
18 words
An adhesive as claimed in Claim 1 characterised in that said glass transition temperature is above about 150°C.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
An adhesive as claimed in Claim 1 characterised in that said glass transition temperature is between about 150°C and about 300°C.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
An adhesive as claimed in Claim 1 characterised in that said sintering temperature range is between about 100°C and about 250°C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
An adhesive as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterised in that said polymer component material is a thermoplastic polymer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
An adhesive as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterised in that said conductive material is a tin-gold alloy, having a ratio of tin to gold of 10 to 1.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
An adhesive as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterised in that said polymer component material is a thermoplastic dianhydride, an oxydianaline and a hexafluorodianhydride.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
65 words
A method of making an electrical and mechanical connection between two (200, 210) surfaces comprising coating at least one of said surfaces with an adhesive as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, positioning said two surfaces in contact and applying pressure to force them together, and heating said adhesive to a temperature in the sintering range of the particles of electrically conducting material.
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