Mosaic Solutions AS designs electrical conductive adhesives for specific applications by formulating the matrix and selecting the right conductive filler.
Adhesives have been a part of civilization for a long time, at least since man used mud and clay as binders for making a robust shelter. Today adhesives play a significant role in the fast growing electronic industry. Environmental demands to reduce the use of lead in electrical interconnects, resulted in a technology based on electrical conductive adhesives. Electrical conductive adhesives are often divided into groups based on conductive directions; Isotropic Conductive Adhesives (ICA) normally provide almost equal electrical properties in all directions (x,y,z), that often demand relatively high filler content. ICA is normally utilized as pastes. Bi-directional Conductive Adhesives based on fibrous conductors have are also used, often in the form of film that provides conductivity in two directions (x,z) and is insulating in the other (y). Anisotropic Conductive Adhesives (ACA) provides insulating properties in two directions, and provides conductivity in one desired direction. ACA is today used as both film and paste in the electronic industry.
Epoxy based adhesives are often selected due to the vast selection of combinations availability, and traditionally silver fillers are used for obtaining electrical conductivity in ICA. Silver is advantageous since even its oxide maintain highly conductive. Unfortunately the high cost of silver prevents many applications from using it. Mosaic has developed ICA at a much lower cost where solid silver is replaced with metal coated polymer spheres. We also work with carbon fillers and traditional silvers flakes for certain applications.