EPPIC Science and Technology Group (STG)
TWI (EPPIC
Faraday Coordination)
TWI is a world wide recognised centre for materials, joining and
assembly technology. It has been based at Cambridge for over 55
years and supports in excess of 3500 member companies from 60 countries.
430 staff are employed in its research laboratories to supply industry
with technical and support services. Services range from product
design assistance through development of materials and processes
to the assessment of manufacturing systems, production line troubleshooting
and staff training.
TWI has been actively involved in electronic packaging for over
40 years. Work has covered all aspects of chip attachment, interconnection,
encapsulation, hermetic sealing and substrate/board assembly at
its bases in Cambridge and Middlesbrough. Optoelectronics packaging
has been a significant activity at TWI for approximately 20 years
with specific achievements in laser ferrule welding, low shrinkage
adhesive technology, fibre alignment and stability.
TWI has a very wide knowledge and skill base covering all industry
sectors which is applied to the interconnection and packaging of
components/products in the following fields:
- Electronic packaging
- Optoelectronics/telecommunications
- Sensors
- Medical components
- Harsh environment packaging
- Microjoing and assembly
- Soldering including Pb-free
- Micromachining and surfacing
- Environmental support
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Details of the above areas, together with knowledge summaries,
best practice guides and process video clips can be seen on the
TWI
web site.
For more information contact David Pedder (david.pedder@twi.co.uk)
 ITRI has a background in tin research and technology transfer. The company
is the premier source of tin related information being at the cutting
edge of research and development into tin-based technologies. The
widespread application of lead-free solders and conductive coatings
in the electronics industry is a major focus of ITRIs activities.
Soldertec, which is managed by the Materials Technology Division of
ITRI Ltd is recognised worldwide for support of solder using electronic
industries, particularly during transition to lead-free processes.
ITRI will support the technology transfer and training activities,
particularly related to Pb-free technology and environmental issues.
More information
The Cambridge Centre for Micromechanics linked with other Cambridge
University Departments, will provide expertise and services into
the Faraday Partnership. The Centre combines mechanics, materials
and design, with particular interests in understanding size effects
relating to miniaturisation, modelling of degradation mechanisms,
materials and process selection and manufacture of MEMS.
Cambridge University will contribute to the research programmes
and input best practice in technology exploitation as learnt from
MIT and other programmes.
More information
The University of Durham's Centre for Electronic Systems (CES)
has particular expertise in signal processing with electronics and
photonic systems and transducers, testing and reliability of electronic
devices and systems, materials properties over wide temperature
ranges, mechanical package design and harsh environment test programmes,
and electromagnetic compatibility and European compliance of ICT
devices and systems.
ReCET - The Regional Centre for Electronics Technologies
www.recet.co.uk aims to assist
and support the growth of the electronics sector within the North
East of England, and assist the Region's companies to become world
class suppliers in a global marketplace.
Staffed by a team of electronic engineering and business development
professionals, ReCET works alongside world leading academics
at Durham University. ReCET is ideally placed to provide
expertise in a wide range of technologies in electronic systems,
components and related technologies to give a significant competitive
advantage to your company.
ReCET works alongside other regional agencies including
Knowledge House and Business Link to provide a 'one-stop-shop' for
all your technology and business development needs.
Heriot-Watt University activities within the EPPIC Partnership will
be carried out in three departments:
- Mechanical and Chemical Engineering (specialises in the simulation
and modelling of device packaging, reliability and lifetime analysis.
The department also has facilities and expertise suited to analysis
and testing of solder materials.).
- Physics (expertise in laser processing of electronics components
and substrates with particular emphasis on drilling, scribing
and related processing of circuit board substrates. In photonics
packaging, the department is active in new waveguide materials,
optical interconnect technologies), and Computing and Electrical
Engineering (application of micro-engineered manufacturing processes
and advanced analytical techniques to packaging and interconnection
tasks).
- Heriot-Watt will contribute to the research, training and technology
transfer activities with particular emphasis on photonics.
Sheffield University Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering has
interests in high temperature electronics and opto-electronics based
on GaN. Current projects are developing Schottky diodes, HFETs, MSM
photodetectors (both with and without resonant cavities) and LEDs.
It is aimed to develop techniques to integrate these electronic and
opto-electronic devices within a single package to produce complete
systems working at elevated temperatures.
More information
The Department of Materials at the University of Leeds has been
one of the UK's leading centres for research into electronic ceramics
since the early 1980's, with major strengths in piezoelectric ceramics
and ferroelectric thin-films. Recently the research portfolio been
broadened to address issues of device fabrication and the integration
of active materials into multifunctional, interconnection environments
such as low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC).
The School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the University
of Greenwich contributes its skills in computational modelling which
enable virtual prototyping, virtual qualification, and reliability
predictions. The research section of the School comprises of over
30 academic and 60 research staff with access to a large resource
of high performance computing facilities which provide the ability
to run simulations on a wide range of modelling tools which includes
PHYSICA, FLOTHERM, ANSYS, FEMLAB, VISUAL-DOC, and many others.
Current research projects include:
- Computational Fluid Dynamics for Thermal Management
- Reliability Predictions using 'Physics-of-Failure'
- Lead-free soldering
- Conductive Adhesives both Isotropic and Anisotropic
- Fine pitch flip-chip assembly
- Packaging of MEMS devices
- Packaging of VCSELs on Optoelectronic Circuit Boards
As well as its core research and consultancy activities the group
at Greenwich also run short courses on virtual prototyping technologies
from its MSc programme.
More information
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