Sono-Tek Corporation, the leading developer and manufacturer of ultrasonic coating systems, today announced a new ultrasonic coating system, the FlexiCoat EMI, specifically designed for conformal spraying of EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) shielding material onto semiconductor packages.

FlexiCoat EMI is an automated XYZ coating system specifically engineered and proven to spray copper and silver-filled shielding materials with precise control of coating characteristics and little overspray. Sono-Tek developed a special ultrasonic nozzle configuration for these EMI applications that provides a more targeted spray area that drastically reduces overspray when compared with all other spray types. Sono-Tek’s ultrasonic nozzles are well known for their low/no maintenance, non-clogging, high uniformity, and highly repeatable performance. This new nozzle design is fully integrated into the FlexiCoat EMI system, along with an array of other application-driven features to make the system a full coating solution for EMI shielding coatings. This includes a proprietary ink mixing system to ensure that the ink maintains its stability over time and that is compatible with ink formulations from major ink providers.

The FlexiCoat EMI is an innovative solution to the dispensing of shielding materials for semiconductor packages and a new direction for the market that is in the early stages of transitioning away from sputtering. Ultrasonic coating is a more cost-effective, faster and simpler alternative to expensive sputtering-based coating equipment and conventional techniques, such as shield cans and SMT clips, that are inadequate for newer smaller devices, including some of the small components that go into phones and other mobile devices, that need to be protected against EMI (ElectroMagnetic Interference) by shielding them with a coating of conductive material. This new and growing market focused on EMI shielding protection properties for smaller devices and components is a natural fit for Sono-Tek, whose ultrasonic coating solutions provide a more uniform precision coating suitable for fuel cells, advanced solar cells, medical devices, electronics and semiconductors, and many other high technology surface applications.

“Sono-Tek’s entry into this new semiconductor application was a logical outgrowth of our semiconductor coating expertise in other applications. Our equipment is quickly proving to be an excellent fit for companies looking for an effective, low-cost alternative to sputtering for deposition of new copper and silver-filled epoxy materials on the market. We expect that the market will begin to grow at an increasing rate as the performance and cost benefits of sprayed EMI shielding become better known,” said Bennett Bruntil, Vice President of Sales & Marketing of Sono-Tek.