Direct cold sintering of functional ceramics onto polymer circuit boards: a new low energy manufacturing route in electronics
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Materials Science and Engineering
Abstract
Cold sintering is an emerging technology that permits densification of ceramics, ceramic/polymer and ceramic/metal composites at temperatures as low as 100 degrees C. A transient liquid is added to the ceramic powder which is then pressed and heated. Particle-sliding, dissolution and re-precipitation result in densification and the low temperatures enable co-sintering with polymers, metals and dissimilar ceramics. Metallised-polymer printed circuit boards (e.g. FR4 PCBs) are the basis of modern electronics. The metallisation is partially etched away and the required functional and passive components are soldered into position using 'pick and place' technology. Ceramic components such as varistors, thermistors and patch antennas are manufactured separately at high temperatures (>1100 degrees C) and are assembled on the PCB. Here, we propose a radically different approach in which functional ceramics for the fabrication of components are directly deposited/integrated onto the PCB through a cold sintering process at <150 degrees C, reducing the need for energy intensive manufacturing of separate ceramic components. The overall aim is to develop a disruptive technology that reduces both the cost and energy involved in the fabrication of printed circuits for modern consumer electronics.
Organisations
- University of Sheffield (Lead Research Organisation)
- Lucideon (Collaboration)
- MATERIALS PROCESSING INSTITUTE (Collaboration)
- Morgan Advanced Materials (Collaboration)
- University of Warwick (Collaboration)
- Nestlé (Global) (Collaboration)
- Parallel Wireless UK Ltd (Project Partner)
- Lucideon (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Pennsylvania State University (Project Partner)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Ian Reaney (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Button C
(2024)
Effect of pressure, temperature, and particle size on cold sintered ZnO for transparent thick films on polymer substrates
in Journal of the American Ceramic Society
Fan Y
(2023)
Pb, Bi, and rare earth free X6R barium titanate-sodium niobate ceramics for high voltage capacitor applications
in Applied Physics Letters
Li L
(2023)
Aqueous Cold Sintering of Li-Based Compounds.
in ACS applied materials & interfaces
Zubairi H
(2023)
Comparative study of cold assisted and conventional sintering of (1-2x) K0.5Na0.5NbO3-xBaTiO3-xBiFeO3 multiferroic ceramics
in Materials Science and Engineering: B
| Description | Cold sintering of ZnO based materials onto PCBs and related low temperature substrates Cold assisted sintering of alpha alumina |
| Exploitation Route | We are collaborating with industry to see if they can be commercialised |
| Sectors | Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | We are now working with two companies to see whether the technology can be commercialised |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Impact Types | Societal Economic |
| Description | Cold sintering onto low temperature substrates |
| Organisation | Nestlé (Global) |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Cold sintering onto low temperature substrates |
| Collaborator Contribution | supply of substrates |
| Impact | PhD student October 2023 |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | University of Warwick- Overcoming Adoption Barriers of Next Generation Processing Technologies in Ceramic/Glass Industries |
| Organisation | Lucideon |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The Transforming Foundation Industries Network+ is funding a series of small projects which aim to support research and innovation of benefit to the foundation industries. Dr. Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed is from the University of Warwick. He was awarded £55,823 for the project 'Overcoming Adoption Barriers of Next Generation Processing Technologies in Ceramic/Glass Industries'. My research team is not directly involved in the research, but we facilitated the application |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr. Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed is the Principal Investigator on this small grant. As such, all research outputs, impact, and follow-on activities are attributed to him. The project has support from Morgan Advanced Materials, one of the world's leading ceramics producers, as well as Lucideon Ltd, an SME based in Stoke-on-Trent and the lead of a £18.1m Strength in Places Fund grant for advanced ceramics in the Midlands, and the Materials Processing Institute (MPI), a centre for innovation in Advanced Materials including ceramics and glass. All three industrial partners offer support in planning, carrying out and disseminating the results of our research proposal. In particular, Morgan Advanced Materials commit to assistance with the questionnaire and interview design, to ensure our questions are fit for purpose and provide initial input. The partners also offer opportunities for introduction to industrial partners, support through advice from their industrial perspective, and active participation in our advisory board for the project meetings, and the final workshop. They will also help in the dissemination of the final project output reports and be instrumental in scoping future activities which will stem from this project. Their support is valued in total at £27500.00 and represents a considerable vote of confidence in our proposed methodology and the purpose of our project. |
| Impact | Disciplines involved in the project: Sustainable Systems Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Sustainable Supply Chain, Quantitative Social Science The ceramic and glass sectors are energy and carbon intensive and constitute a core part of the UK's supply chain for numerous important markets, putting in substantial strives to reduce CO2 emissions and improve resource efficiency. Next generation processing technologies (NGPTs), being new technologies that provide high energy efficiency and process intensification supported by transformative digital technologies, are touted as key decarbonisation enablers in both sectors, but there are adoption barriers to overcome. Through a critical literature review and thematic analysis of interviews and workshop data, sixteen (16) barriers were identified, broadly grouped into economic, organisational, external & regulatory, and operational & technological barriers. Interpretive structural modelling was adopted to deepen the understanding of the contextual interactions and interdependencies between the sixteen barriers, for targeted intervention options prioritisation, from the perspective of glass and ceramics stakeholders. Workforce availability and skills gap, high initial costs, prioritisation of short-term goals, operational complexity, lack of regulatory support and complexity of existing regulations, amongst other barriers were established to be dominant in the interplay between NGPTs adoption and net-zero transitioning. Integrated strategies, which tackles multiple barriers simultaneously revolve around a balanced approach, combining technological innovation with organisational change management, robust economic planning, and effective policy interventions. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | University of Warwick- Overcoming Adoption Barriers of Next Generation Processing Technologies in Ceramic/Glass Industries |
| Organisation | Materials Processing Institute |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The Transforming Foundation Industries Network+ is funding a series of small projects which aim to support research and innovation of benefit to the foundation industries. Dr. Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed is from the University of Warwick. He was awarded £55,823 for the project 'Overcoming Adoption Barriers of Next Generation Processing Technologies in Ceramic/Glass Industries'. My research team is not directly involved in the research, but we facilitated the application |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr. Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed is the Principal Investigator on this small grant. As such, all research outputs, impact, and follow-on activities are attributed to him. The project has support from Morgan Advanced Materials, one of the world's leading ceramics producers, as well as Lucideon Ltd, an SME based in Stoke-on-Trent and the lead of a £18.1m Strength in Places Fund grant for advanced ceramics in the Midlands, and the Materials Processing Institute (MPI), a centre for innovation in Advanced Materials including ceramics and glass. All three industrial partners offer support in planning, carrying out and disseminating the results of our research proposal. In particular, Morgan Advanced Materials commit to assistance with the questionnaire and interview design, to ensure our questions are fit for purpose and provide initial input. The partners also offer opportunities for introduction to industrial partners, support through advice from their industrial perspective, and active participation in our advisory board for the project meetings, and the final workshop. They will also help in the dissemination of the final project output reports and be instrumental in scoping future activities which will stem from this project. Their support is valued in total at £27500.00 and represents a considerable vote of confidence in our proposed methodology and the purpose of our project. |
| Impact | Disciplines involved in the project: Sustainable Systems Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Sustainable Supply Chain, Quantitative Social Science The ceramic and glass sectors are energy and carbon intensive and constitute a core part of the UK's supply chain for numerous important markets, putting in substantial strives to reduce CO2 emissions and improve resource efficiency. Next generation processing technologies (NGPTs), being new technologies that provide high energy efficiency and process intensification supported by transformative digital technologies, are touted as key decarbonisation enablers in both sectors, but there are adoption barriers to overcome. Through a critical literature review and thematic analysis of interviews and workshop data, sixteen (16) barriers were identified, broadly grouped into economic, organisational, external & regulatory, and operational & technological barriers. Interpretive structural modelling was adopted to deepen the understanding of the contextual interactions and interdependencies between the sixteen barriers, for targeted intervention options prioritisation, from the perspective of glass and ceramics stakeholders. Workforce availability and skills gap, high initial costs, prioritisation of short-term goals, operational complexity, lack of regulatory support and complexity of existing regulations, amongst other barriers were established to be dominant in the interplay between NGPTs adoption and net-zero transitioning. Integrated strategies, which tackles multiple barriers simultaneously revolve around a balanced approach, combining technological innovation with organisational change management, robust economic planning, and effective policy interventions. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | University of Warwick- Overcoming Adoption Barriers of Next Generation Processing Technologies in Ceramic/Glass Industries |
| Organisation | Morgan Advanced Materials |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | The Transforming Foundation Industries Network+ is funding a series of small projects which aim to support research and innovation of benefit to the foundation industries. Dr. Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed is from the University of Warwick. He was awarded £55,823 for the project 'Overcoming Adoption Barriers of Next Generation Processing Technologies in Ceramic/Glass Industries'. My research team is not directly involved in the research, but we facilitated the application |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr. Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed is the Principal Investigator on this small grant. As such, all research outputs, impact, and follow-on activities are attributed to him. The project has support from Morgan Advanced Materials, one of the world's leading ceramics producers, as well as Lucideon Ltd, an SME based in Stoke-on-Trent and the lead of a £18.1m Strength in Places Fund grant for advanced ceramics in the Midlands, and the Materials Processing Institute (MPI), a centre for innovation in Advanced Materials including ceramics and glass. All three industrial partners offer support in planning, carrying out and disseminating the results of our research proposal. In particular, Morgan Advanced Materials commit to assistance with the questionnaire and interview design, to ensure our questions are fit for purpose and provide initial input. The partners also offer opportunities for introduction to industrial partners, support through advice from their industrial perspective, and active participation in our advisory board for the project meetings, and the final workshop. They will also help in the dissemination of the final project output reports and be instrumental in scoping future activities which will stem from this project. Their support is valued in total at £27500.00 and represents a considerable vote of confidence in our proposed methodology and the purpose of our project. |
| Impact | Disciplines involved in the project: Sustainable Systems Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Sustainable Supply Chain, Quantitative Social Science The ceramic and glass sectors are energy and carbon intensive and constitute a core part of the UK's supply chain for numerous important markets, putting in substantial strives to reduce CO2 emissions and improve resource efficiency. Next generation processing technologies (NGPTs), being new technologies that provide high energy efficiency and process intensification supported by transformative digital technologies, are touted as key decarbonisation enablers in both sectors, but there are adoption barriers to overcome. Through a critical literature review and thematic analysis of interviews and workshop data, sixteen (16) barriers were identified, broadly grouped into economic, organisational, external & regulatory, and operational & technological barriers. Interpretive structural modelling was adopted to deepen the understanding of the contextual interactions and interdependencies between the sixteen barriers, for targeted intervention options prioritisation, from the perspective of glass and ceramics stakeholders. Workforce availability and skills gap, high initial costs, prioritisation of short-term goals, operational complexity, lack of regulatory support and complexity of existing regulations, amongst other barriers were established to be dominant in the interplay between NGPTs adoption and net-zero transitioning. Integrated strategies, which tackles multiple barriers simultaneously revolve around a balanced approach, combining technological innovation with organisational change management, robust economic planning, and effective policy interventions. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | University of Warwick- Overcoming Adoption Barriers of Next Generation Processing Technologies in Ceramic/Glass Industries |
| Organisation | University of Warwick |
| Department | Warwick Manufacturing Group |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The Transforming Foundation Industries Network+ is funding a series of small projects which aim to support research and innovation of benefit to the foundation industries. Dr. Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed is from the University of Warwick. He was awarded £55,823 for the project 'Overcoming Adoption Barriers of Next Generation Processing Technologies in Ceramic/Glass Industries'. My research team is not directly involved in the research, but we facilitated the application |
| Collaborator Contribution | Dr. Taofeeq Ibn-Mohammed is the Principal Investigator on this small grant. As such, all research outputs, impact, and follow-on activities are attributed to him. The project has support from Morgan Advanced Materials, one of the world's leading ceramics producers, as well as Lucideon Ltd, an SME based in Stoke-on-Trent and the lead of a £18.1m Strength in Places Fund grant for advanced ceramics in the Midlands, and the Materials Processing Institute (MPI), a centre for innovation in Advanced Materials including ceramics and glass. All three industrial partners offer support in planning, carrying out and disseminating the results of our research proposal. In particular, Morgan Advanced Materials commit to assistance with the questionnaire and interview design, to ensure our questions are fit for purpose and provide initial input. The partners also offer opportunities for introduction to industrial partners, support through advice from their industrial perspective, and active participation in our advisory board for the project meetings, and the final workshop. They will also help in the dissemination of the final project output reports and be instrumental in scoping future activities which will stem from this project. Their support is valued in total at £27500.00 and represents a considerable vote of confidence in our proposed methodology and the purpose of our project. |
| Impact | Disciplines involved in the project: Sustainable Systems Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, Sustainable Supply Chain, Quantitative Social Science The ceramic and glass sectors are energy and carbon intensive and constitute a core part of the UK's supply chain for numerous important markets, putting in substantial strives to reduce CO2 emissions and improve resource efficiency. Next generation processing technologies (NGPTs), being new technologies that provide high energy efficiency and process intensification supported by transformative digital technologies, are touted as key decarbonisation enablers in both sectors, but there are adoption barriers to overcome. Through a critical literature review and thematic analysis of interviews and workshop data, sixteen (16) barriers were identified, broadly grouped into economic, organisational, external & regulatory, and operational & technological barriers. Interpretive structural modelling was adopted to deepen the understanding of the contextual interactions and interdependencies between the sixteen barriers, for targeted intervention options prioritisation, from the perspective of glass and ceramics stakeholders. Workforce availability and skills gap, high initial costs, prioritisation of short-term goals, operational complexity, lack of regulatory support and complexity of existing regulations, amongst other barriers were established to be dominant in the interplay between NGPTs adoption and net-zero transitioning. Integrated strategies, which tackles multiple barriers simultaneously revolve around a balanced approach, combining technological innovation with organisational change management, robust economic planning, and effective policy interventions. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | 0th International Conference on Materials Science and Smart Materials |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The 10th International Conference on Materials Science and Smart Materials was a remarkable success. From the insightful keynote lectures to the engaging symposia, the event explored cutting-edge topics in sustainable materials and smart solutions for the future. Participants presented research on Materials Characterisation, Manufacturing, materials for energy and more, promising advancements in energy and sustainability. The conference on Materials Science and Smart Materials provided a forum for both researchers and practitioners of around the world to present papers on recent developments in the fields of Materials Characterisation, Design, Development Manufacturing and Application. Research papers by internationally recognised experts and young scientists working in the field of Materials Science and Smart Materials were presented. Special Issues in Elsevier Science Talks, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, and Sustainable & Green Materials await accepted papers. During these days four symposia were held : 1. Sustainable Ceramics towards Net Zero Carbon by 2050, chaired by Prof. Ian M. Reaney (IMR, PI) is a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society and the IOM3, and Dyson Chair in Ceramics at UoS. He is European Site Director for the US National Science Foundation Centre for Dielectrics and Piezoelectrics. 2. Sustainable Recovery For Circular Economy chaired by Lorna Anguilano, a Senior Research Fellow at Brunel University London, co-Director of the Wolfson Centre for sustainable materials and the Quality Manager of the Experimental Techniques Centre. 3. Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Symposium chaired by Prof. Dimitrios Tsiplakides, Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. 4. Water closed loop in industrial processes iWAYS, chaired by Prof. Luca Montorsi |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://hub.uoa.gr/en/10th-international-conference-on-materials-science-and-smart-materials/ |
| Description | 8th International Conference on Material Science & Smart Materials "MSSM 2022" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 11-13 July 2022- TFI Network+ symposium as part of the 8th International Conference on Material Science & Smart Materials "MSSM 2022" organised by Prof Hussam Jouhara. Held in person at Brunel University London |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Conference Presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Present findings on cold sintering to wider community of PGRs and industry |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Keynote lecture for the Portuguese ceramics industry: Towards Net Zero |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 13th April 2022. Keynote lecture at workshop run by Ian Reaney for the Portuguese ceramics industry: Towards Net Zero. I gave a 1h presentation to audience of Portuguese ceramics industry, raising the awareness and dicussing the path to net zero. I answered questions and gave advice on best practice and tried to encourage the establishment of a Network in this area. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | MSSM 2023, Italy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The TFIN+ sponsored a ceramics symposium at the 9th International Conference on Materials Science & Smart Materials, MSSM 2023, Italy. TFIN+ provided 15 tickets for delegates to attend either in person or online, including 12 ECRs. The event featured speakers from industry and academia, speaking on the topic of the sustainable manufacturing of ceramics. The event attracted 50, in person and on-line, including five ceramics companies |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Workshop on Decarbonisation and Energy Efficiency in the ceramics Industry, Aveiro, Portugal |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 17-18th Nov, Workshop on Decarbonisation and Energy Efficiency in the ceramics Industry, Aveiro, Portugal. Workshop was attended by Portuguese Academic and industrialists and concerned the wider issues of resource and energy efficiency in ceramic manufacturing. IMR gave a keynote lecture and was part of the discussion panel |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |