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Boards
- do it yourself
A low cost, simple and portable bonding fixture allows the user to make directly bonded
microwave circuit boards, without bonding film, quickly and in his own lab, thereby
enjoying the electrical, mechanical and thermal stability advantages that direct bonding
provides.
Table 1. Comparison of Thermal Characteristics of Iron and Aluminum for Use in Bonding Fixtures
"r PLATEN
Figure 1. Schematic of hydraulic press setup for bonding at low pressure with expanslon relief
RT/duroid 6010 microwave laminate, the fusion may plate warpage from temperature differences, a heat
be complete, but the boards will be separable by resistant felt between fixture and platens may be used
peeling. With such a substrate, there is less PTFE at to slow heat transfer, allowing more uniform fixture
the surface to fuse to the other surface and a propagat- temperature.
ing fracture from peeling will tend to follow the bond
line even with more time or pressure. Aluminum pressure plates are best for bonding
for a variety of reasons.
Simple, Inexpensive Equipment Is Adequate for
Direct Bonding However, a more effective approach is to replace
For the design of the procedure and apparatus to the steel with much thicker aluminum tooling plates
perform direct bonding it is necessary to consider and to omit the felt thermal barrier. As can be inferred
temperature uniformity, thermal expansion without from Table 1, aluminum provides the following ther-
force build-up, cycle time and, since this may be a mal advantages over iron or steel for fixture plates:
new process for your facility, a simple and low cost 1. Aluminum has four times the thermal conduc-
means to get started. As will be shown, these steps are tivity of steel, insuring more uniform heat transfer.
all practical with a surprisingly elemental setup. 2. Aluminum requires only two thirds as much heat
per unit volume to come to the bonding temperature
Assuring Temperature Un(formity and Heat (although more volume may be required to provide
Transfer the same resistance to deformation under the requisite
Do not use steel pressure plates (as you may have pressing forces)
available) for direct bonding. Rather, use thicker 3. Aluminum has only one fifth the emmissivity,
aluminum plates for direct bonding. resulting in lower losses from the exposed pressure
Commonly, when bonding stripline boards using a plate surfaces, and consequently more economical
bonding film, the bonding fixture is such that the heating requirements.
layers are stacked and aligned with pins before being 4. Aluminum is one third as dense as steel for a
clamped in an electrically heated platen press and run given volume, resulting in more manageable weight.
through a heat-cool cycle. Often, the fixture consists Alternatively, aluminum platens can be three times
of steel platen plates. But steel is a relatively poor thicker for a given weight, an advantage to be dis-
thermal conductor. To minimize uneven heat transfer cussed later.
from spotty contact with the platens and the resultant
'
a spring loaded fixture concept. The first unit with 2.5
x 3.5 inch working surfaces is fully portable and can
demonstrate, on a bench top in one hour, how easily
boards up to 2 x 3 inch size can be direct bonded. BORED FOR
CARTRIDGE HEATER
When dismantled, it fits in a medium suitcase for BORED FOR
traveling and weighs only about 15 pounds. COOLING WATER
The second unit, for 8 x 8 inch boards, is less
portable but useful for a wider range of prototype
sizes. The cost of the materials and components is low Figure 3. End view of spring loaded and heated bond-
enough that additional throughput capacity can be ing fixture showing bored features
obtained by building duplicate fixtures. 2. Two thermal insulating plates 2.5 x 3.5 x 0.25
Here is a list of all the components we used for the inch with 0.26 inch diameter holes to align with the
smaller unit assembled as shown in figures 2 and 3. taped holes in the heated blocks. A suitable material
The eight pieces described in the first four items can is asbestos-free Marinite, niachinable with carbide
be fabricated readily in a machine shop. The only tools. One source is Amatherm, Inc., 13037 Unit C,
machined surface requiring a flat ground finish is the Lakeland Road, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670. Heat
transfer can be reduced further by machining a pattern
Height Spring Constant Load range of depressions on one side.
mm inch Ib./mm Ib./in. pounds 3. Two aluminum cooling blocks 3.5 x 3.5 x 0.75
65 2.56 8.7 221 10 to 200 inch. A bored hole between opposite edges is tapped
52 2.05 39.4 1001 200 to 700 at both ends for 1/8 NPT fittings for cooling water
64 2.52 122.0 3099 700 and up flow. Each has a 3 x 3 inch pattern of counterbored
holes for #8 cap screws for attachment to the steel
plate. A 3 x 2 inch pattern of oversize counterbored
working surface on part 1. The other items can be holes from the other side accommodates #8 cap
purchased as stock items. Specific suppliers are indi- screws with compression springs to attach the block
cated for convenience but equivalent components to items 1 and 2 above with freedom to accommodate
from other suppliers can be substituted. thermal expansion differences in both the Z and X,Y
1. Two aluminum blocks 2.5 x 3.5 x 1 inch, each directions.
with two 0.395 - 0.405 inch diameter holes for The purpose of this plate was to remove transferred
cartridge heaters, one 0.140 - 0.145 inch diameter heat through 2 from 1 by means of a small flow of tap
blind hole for a jacketed thermocouple and four blind water so the steel frame plates (4) would not over heat.
tapped holes in a 2 x 3 inch pattern for #8-32 screws We found that 12 x 2.5 x 0.062 inch aluminum fins
for attachment of thermal barrier and cooling block. between 2 and 4 dissipate heat well enough to stay at
The working surface opposite the side with tapped about 100 C.
holes should be ground flat. 4. Three steel frame plates 3.5 x 5.375 x 0.375 inch
all with two 0.39 - 0.40 holes at opposite comers to
Figure 5. Photo of envelope with purge fitting and enclosed boards placed on lower block assembly wlth tie rods