Provided are methods of forming thermally conductive flexible bonds for use in electronic boards of unmanned spacecraft and other types of aircraft. Also provided are methods of preparing adhesive materials to form these bonds including methods of preparing treated filler particles. In some aspects, an adhesive material includes filler particles having organofunctional groups, such as boron nitride particles treated in silane. These particles may be combined with a urethane modified epoxy to form the adhesive material. The weight ratio of the particles in the adhesive material may be about 40-60%. The adhesive material may be thermally cured using a temperature of less than 110 C. to prevent damage to bonded electronic components. The cured adhesive may have a thermal conductivity of at least about 2 W/m K measured in vacuum and may have a glass transition temperature if less than 40 C.

Provided are methods of forming thermally conductive flexible bonds for use in electronic boards of unmanned spacecraft and other types of aircraft. Also provided are methods of preparing adhesive materials to form these bonds including methods of preparing treated filler particles. In some aspects, an adhesive material includes filler particles having organofunctional groups, such as boron nitride particles treated in silane. These particles may be combined with a urethane modified epoxy to form the adhesive material. The weight ratio of the particles in the adhesive material may be about 40-60%. The adhesive material may be thermally cured using a temperature of less than 110 C. to prevent damage to bonded electronic components. The cured adhesive may have a thermal conductivity of at least about 2 W/m K measured in vacuum and may have a glass transition temperature if less than 40 C.

A method for fabricating a printed circuit board comprising preparing a surface of an organic material substrate then depositing conductive traces and at least one conductive pad on the organic material substrate through an additive deposition process. The conductive traces and pads are then heat-treated to create electrically conductive pathways and at least one heat-treated conductive pad. A dielectric material is then deposited through the additive deposition process over a portion of the heat-treated conductive traces to create a dielectric material containing area and a non-dielectric material containing area. The dielectric material containing area is then heat-treated.

Provided are methods of forming thermally conductive flexible bonds for use in electronic boards of unmanned spacecraft and other types of aircraft. Also provided are methods of preparing adhesive materials to form these bonds including methods of preparing treated filler particles. In some aspects, an adhesive material includes filler particles having organofunctional groups, such as boron nitride particles treated in silane. These particles may be combined with a urethane modified epoxy to form the adhesive material. The weight ratio of the particles in the adhesive material may be about 40-60%. The adhesive material may be thermally cured using a temperature of less than 110 C. to prevent damage to bonded electronic components. The cured adhesive may have a thermal conductivity of at least about 2 W/m K measured in vacuum and may have a glass transition temperature if less than 40 C.

Provided are methods of forming thermally conductive flexible bonds for use in electronic boards of unmanned spacecrafts and other types of aircraft. Also provided are methods of preparing adhesive materials to form these bonds including methods of preparing treated filler particles. In some aspects, an adhesive material includes filler particles having organofunctional groups, such as boron nitride particles treated in silane. These particles may be combined with a urethane modified epoxy to form the adhesive material. The weight ratio of the particles in the adhesive material may be about 40-60%. The adhesive material may be thermally cured using a temperature of less than 110 C. to prevent damage to bonded electronic components. The cured adhesive may have a thermal conductivity of at least about 2 W/m K measured in vacuum and may have a glass transition temperature if less than 40 C.

A conductive polymer thick film composition suitable for lead-free soldering comprising metallic particles and an organic vehicle comprising at least one phenolic resin and a solvent is provided. A method of soldering to the conductive polymer thick film composition of the invention is also provided. An article comprising a substrate and a cured polymer film on a surface of the substrate formed of the conductive polymer thick film composition of the invention is provided.

An implantable medical device may include a plurality of electrical components connected to form operational circuitry, a canister shaped for housing the operational circuitry, and a dampening layer configured to reduce internal motion between the operational circuitry and at least one of a plurality of additional component within the canister, the dampening layer selectively disposed over the operational circuitry but not over the at least one additional component, the dampening layer providing electrical isolation to the operational circuitry, the dampening layer comprising a moldable material in direct contact with an inner surface of the canister. Methods of manufacturing such a medical device are also disclosed.

In some embodiments, the present invention is directed to an actuator which includes at least the following: a pre-stretched electro-active polymer film being pre-stretched in a single or biaxial planar directions; at least one first semi-stiff conductor attached to a first surface of the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film, wherein the first surface is parallel to the single or biaxial planar stretch directions; at least one second semi-stiff conductor attached to a second surface of the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film, wherein the second surface is opposite to the first surface; where the semi-stiff conductors are configured to: fix the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film in a pre-stretched state and allow the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film to expand; a pair of mechanical connectors coupled to each end of an active region of the pre-stretched electro-active polymer film.

An article comprising an electrically-conductive metal-containing pattern is provided by: A-1) providing a pattern of a catalytic ink on a surface of a first substrate; A-2) curing the pattern of the catalytic ink sufficient to form a cured catalytic ink pattern; A-3) electrolessly plating a metal on the cured catalytic ink pattern to form a metallic pattern on the cured catalytic ink pattern; B) applying a first darkening agent directly to a first surface of the metallic pattern to form a first darkened surface; C) transferring the metallic pattern to a second substrate so that the first darkened surface is in direct contact with the surface of the second substrate, leaving an undarkened second surface of the metallic pattern exposed to view; and D) applying a second darkening agent directly to the undarkened second surface of the metallic pattern, to form a second darkened surface of the metallic pattern.

When soldering a package having an electrode on which Ni/Au or AgPd alloy is plated, to a printed circuit board having a Cu electrode or an electrode on which Cu is plated, a solid-phase diffusion layer is formed within a layered solder material for bonding different species of electrodes. The layered solder material is composed of a solder material of SnAgCu series or SnSb series and a solder material of SnAgCuNi series or SnPb series. The electrode on which Ni/Au or AgPd alloy is plated and the Cu electrode or the electrode on which Cu is plated are soldered with the solder material of SnAgCu series or SnSb series being attached to the Cu electrode and the solder material of SnAgCuNi series or SnCu series being attached to the electrode on which Ni/Au or AgPd alloy is plated. This restrains formation of intermetallic compounds and provides high bonding reliability.