Environmental testingTo demonstrate the improved environmental robustness associated with a fabrication process that encapsulates components and eliminates printed circuit boards we are carrying out an ongoing series of environmental testing experiments that will include rapid thermal cycling, and heat and humidity testing.
Thermal cycling Fifty-element daisy chains of 0201 SMT zero-ohm resistors were thermally cycled from -50 deg C to +150 deg C with a complete cycle time of 10 minutes. The 2-sided circuit construction was designed to simultaneously test the ruggedness of the nanosilver conductors, vias, and conductor/component bonds. As should be expected circuit resistance varied over this wide temperature range. Resistance was continuously monitored and found to cycle between 29 and 35 ohms. No change in performance was observed over 500 cycles of operation. |
Strip chart recording of daisy chain resistance during -50C to +150C thermal cycling with a period of 10 minutes.
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