New application method for package level EMI shield coating

Package-level EMI (electromagnetic interference) shielding is increasingly important as highly sensitive components become more tightly packed in circuit assemblies. The use of sputtering and plating to apply a thin, conductive metal layer, less than 10μm, to individual packages has proven to be effective in providing EMI shielding, albeit at a substantial process cost. New “sprayable” coatings have been developed that provide effective EMI shielding performance when applied in an ultra-thin layer. T-CAT (ultra-Thin Coating Application Technology), a novel application method has been developed to apply these new coatings in a uniform, ultra-thin layer on individual packages while reducing the process cost by up to 60%. [1]