GNOME ACA

Important results from the project

The overbearing aim was to produce metal-free electrically conductive adhesives for mounting and contacting radiation sensors. Metals commonly used in conductor tracks, solder and adhesives, such as copper, gold and tin, induce secondary radiation that interferes with the measurement. A specific objective was to coat polymer particles with the graphene. A method for creating a graphene coating on polymer particles has been developed. The particles are electrically conductive and can be blended into an adhesive composition to create anisotropically conducting adhesives

Expected long term effects

Electrically conductive particles in the form of graphene coated polymer particles have been developed. These can be mixed into adhesive binder systems to provide electrically conductive adhesives. This result may enable mounting of radiation sensors with flip-chip technology with a metal-free anisotropic conductive adhesive. This can in turn have the effect that circuit boards with a high number of sensors can be manufactured by methods that are scalable and economically realistic.

Approach and implementation

First, particles were coated by agitating plastic particles with solid graphene in the dry state. This process resulted in incomplete coating of the polymer particles. An alternative method carried out in the liquid phase was then tested. The method of coating particles in the liquid phase produced graphene coated particles. The graphene coated particles were characterized by SEM. Adhesives containing graphene coated particles were examined with respect to surface conductivity and conductivity in the z-direction.