Polyimide Supported Bridges and Solder Dams

Polyimide supported Bridges (Poly Bridges) provide a dramatically improved alternative to traditional wire bonding or standard air bridges. Because bridge heights, lengths, and overall placement are very consistent and durable, optimum performance can be easily repeated which can minimize or eliminate test and tune time.

Poly Bridges offer increased assurance over ordinary Air Bridges or bond wires because the bridge is kept at a consistent height by the polyimide, 3–4 microns, and prevents the bridge from collapsing, causing an unwanted electrical short.

Because the parts will be delivered to you with this type of consistent interconnect solutions already on the circuit, assembly time can be also minimized or eliminated.

Poly Bridges can also dramatically improve assembly yields by eliminating the shorts caused by traditional bond wire methods on very small interdigital structures, such as Lange couplers.

ATP can add these types of interconnect solutions to your existing designs. Our team of CAD professionals are ready and willing to add these to your original designs.

Please download document #50031 Polyimide Bridge Design Rules in PDF format (requires Adobe Reader).

Polyimide Solder Dams

Polyimide can also be used as a braze stop or solder dam. This polyimide is photo-definable and is non-conductive.

Metal Solder Dams

Oxidizing metals can also be used as solder dams. The more common metals used for this purpose are Tan, TiW, and Ni. The metal solder dam structures are photo-defined. These metals can either be placed on the Au conductor or windows can be opened in the conductor structure to expose these underlying layers.

Polyimide Properties

Polyimide Solder Dams