DYCONEX brand page

Dyconex AG decides to update all wet chemical equipment to the latest leading-edge technology.

• The new “vacuum”-etching process provides unprecedentedly fine subtractive structures, pushing the lines/spaces down to 15 µm with conventional subtractive technology.
• The new equipment also provides a capacity increase of almost double.

Introduction of Hot-E-Test (full electrical test at elevated temperature) to further boost the reliability of our substrates for implantable applications:

• Patented heating frame to heat substrates above 110°C to identify via-related issues on substrates.
• No test coupons – Hot-E-Test performed on usable substrates.
• Standard E-Test and Hot-E-Test can be performed in parallel, providing top reliablity at lower costs.

• Thorough and readily reproducible testing of PCBs is the goal of the automated final inspection newly introduced by Dyconex. 
• Automated final inspection is ideal for high production volumes, complex and highly repetitive PCB structures and products with the highest reliability requirements, such as life-supporting medical technology.
• Thanks to the semi-transparent materials that Dyconex uses, automated inspection provides also an image of a PCB’s inner layers. 

Dyconex decides to enter into additive and biocompatible interconnect manufacturing by purchasing leading-edge sputter equipment:

• The leading-edge sputtering equipment is to maintain Dyconex’s place on the technological leader board in advanced printed circuits. 
• The machine enables the coating of a wide range of thin-film materials  which can be structured by the usual lift-off and etching techniques. 

• Dyconex awarded EN 9100:2009 aviation and aerospace certification and is added to the OASIS (Online Aerospace Supplier Information System) database.
• With ISO 9001 (1993) and ISO 13485 certification (2012), Dyconex has an extensive QMS guaranteeing superb product reliability and 100% traceability. EN 9100 confirms that Dyconex meets the demanding requirements of the aviation and aerospace industry.

• Increases productivity in production through the targeted use of robot handling systems for loading and unloading laser machines.
• Three specialized robots relieve laser machine operators of repetitive tasks.
• The handling systems enable continuous production by operating both during shift hours and overnight without personnel present.

• The AGV system’s primary task is to transport materials between departments.
• The AGV system enables completely autonomous transport from shelf to shelf. Adapted to Dyconex’s requirements and navigate by themselves, the robots are aided by a laser scanner. They react to changes in the working environment, avoiding people and obstacles on their own. 

Dyconex AG makes a major investment in the MXY2 drilling and routing machine from Schmoll Maschinen GmbH. The machine offers:

• Smaller structures and compliance with specific requirements for even higher accuracy.
• Contact depth drilling and optical registration for highly precise machining results 
• An included CCD camera allows corrections such as offset, rotation, shrinking, and stretching.

• Further expanding its Reliability Center of Competence and the corresponding IST testing, Dyconex AG puts its fourth IST (interconnect stress test) testing machine into service.
• Dyconex develops extensive and systematic methodologies that make it possible to gather solid evidence about product reliability, using this benefit for critical applications in Medtech or aerospace & aviation.

• Dyconex AG opens new reliability testing lab to serve as a Center of Competence. 
• The lab has stations for electrical fault location, thermography and multiple IST (interconnect stress test) units, bending testers , and a scanning electron microscope and optical microscopes for analysis. 
• For critical applications, e.g. medical implants, the lab develops models that enable precise conclusions about product reliability using accelerated test procedures. 

• The Multibond is applied to high-reliability multilayer PCBs to improve the bonding between the single layers of a board. The underlying principle is a micro-roughening process in combination with an organic copper conversion coating for PCB inner layers. 
• The new treatment leads to an improved adhesion between them an the prepregs, thus enhances the peel strenghts of the whole circuit board.

• The Gemstone generation provides small and reliable vias at an unprecedent speed.
• The UV laser is equipped with a very specific galvano-optical laser beam adjustment to significantly increase speed.

• The Orbotech ParagonTM-9800 Laser Direct Imaging (LDI) system is a step in converting all exposure jobs to direct imaging. It results in a faster and easier process flow. The system guarantees high throughput for LDI optimized solder masks and other solder mask materials. 
• For high-reliability applications such as medtech implants, full traceability is guaranteed with serial number and date stamps and 1D or 2D barcodes for recording process parameters.

• Dyconex awarded ISO 13485:2003 certification, a complement to the ISO 9001 QMS the company has had for many years, proof that Dyconex supplies high-quality and reliability components to the medical market.
• Certification requires evidence of the ability to consistently fulfill customer and regulatory requirements.

• Dyconex invests in CO2/UV combi laser to increase throughput for HDI PCBs and improve blind via quality in rigid glass fiber materials.
• This boosts productivity in blind via formation for rigid substrates, which is faster compared to UV laser drilling. 
• Quality improvements due to the selective ablation rates of the two laser systems. 

In terms of miniaturization, Dyconex implements a via filling process for mechanical and laser-drilled blind vias. This allows for plate blind vias with an excellent via filling ratio and through holes with stacked blind vias, enabling the shortest signal path.

• To respond to increasing demands for finer features and denser designs in multilayer PCBs, Dyconex engineers a state-of-the-art registration workflow. 
• This improves layer to layer alignment and enables higher process robustness and better product quality and reliability.

• Dyconex enhances its laser debris cleaning capabilities with new plasma desmearing equipment. 
• Advancing mechanical drilling, Dyconex implements new, state-of-the art drilling systems capable of producing mechanical holes of 100 µm ⌀ and even 75 µm ⌀ for specialty applications.

• Dyconex becomes a part of the MST Group, comprised of four international technology companies.
• Dyconex AG’s innovations are an asset for MST. Miniaturized electronic modules are set to become important in the fast-growing medical markets.

• Dyconex AG begins investigating molded interconnect device (MID) targeting applications in the medical and defense markets. The stable 3D form complements flexible PCBs for low- to mid-complexity interconnects with high 3D-alignment precision requirements.
• First uses of low-cost injection-molded LCP antenna horn with metallization to replace high-cost traditional metal brass-routed HF components.

• After 1.5 years of development, Dyconex releases new in-house PCB engineering software. The application, "Prisma", defines stack-ups, operation plans, and process parameters of PCBs. It produces quotes and manufacturing documents.
• Prisma is the new iteration of the old engineering software (TEDA).

• LCP-based microwave circuit for  60 - 94 GHz mm-wave scanner.  
• Active low-noise amplifier (LNA) and detector diodes are integrated via laser-ablated cavities into the LCP substrate.
• Low-cost injection-molded LCP antenna horn with metallization to replace high-cost traditional meta-routed HF components.

• A technology is developed based on printed circuit manufacturing technologies, enabling volume production of polymer microfluidic substrates with integrated microelectrodes for a range of biomedical applications.

• To support its fast-growing US customer base even better, Dyconex AG decides to set up a sales and application engineering office in Phoenix AR.
• Providing local application engineering, especially for flex PCBs to help make more customers aware of the flex technology so they can improve PCB reliability and further miniaturize electronic modules.

• As an alternative to in-situ deposited thin film or thick film passive components, DYCONEX developed an integration technology based on embedding discrete ultra flat high precision resistors within flexible multi-layer substrates. 
• The resulting flexible printed circuit boards were evaluated according to basic electrical, mechanical and thermal testing procedures (IPC/JEDEC) and displayed excellent robustness.

• Development of the liquid crystal polymer (LCP) lamination process to manufacture LCP multilayer and microvia boards (2 and 4 layers) for millimeter wave-phased array antennas.
• Growing business in the US market for medical implantable applications, defibrillators, and pacemakers. (Guidant)

• New equipment to increase miniaturization and HDI reliability by plasma/laser via combination.
• New depth routing in flexible multilayers for better bending. Extension of sensor fields applications.

• Company relocation from Seebach to a new production site in Bassersdorf.
• CAPEX of over CHF 10 million for new, cutting-edge equipment.
• All processes for flexible substrate manufacturing (as DYCOstrate®) are optimized using the increased production floor space.
• Significant increase in production capacity and major improvements in process stability, sales growth and personnel expansion.

• Sharp increase in orders from the field of audiology/medical devices with microvia technology. Increased complexity with 2x5-layer DYCOstrate® build-up for military defence applications and satellites. 
• Development of BGA interposer technology (DYCOre®) for complex fanout designs.
• Wraparound microvia build-up for high-end application (flex with metal core, high heat dissipation).

• Transition from conventional, rigid/rigidly flexible circuit board technologies (Denstrate®, Constrate®, Dycoflex®) to DYCOstrate® microvia plasma technology for mass production in the medical field. Plasma etching technology is superior to mechanical drilling in cost, speed, and size.
• Sequential flex build-up is used to increase artwork alignment of neighboring layers to drive miniaturization.

• DYCOstrate® trademark registered in Switzerland. License agreements with HP, IBM, and Würth Electronic for DYCOstrate® via technology.
• Dycostrate substrate combines high density interconnects (HDIs) with thermal and mechanical elements suited to harsh environments.
• A thin, flexible substrate, treated using plasma via technology, is used for the electrical connections. Thermal vias can be added for high thermal conductivity. 
• A rigid core gives mechanical stability and thermal dissipation and can be made from conductive material.

• The printed circuit board (PCB) division of Contraves was born in 1964.
• Foundation as Dyconex of the Contraves PCB division. Dyconex pioneers PCB manufacturing, reaching key technological milestones, beginning with the introduction of high-reliability, rigid-flex multilayer boards (DYCOflex®). 
• Contraves started its PCB activities in 1964. Its PCB division is active in R&D and in defence applications. Plasma etching vias (instead of mechanical drilling) is a cornerstone of Dyconex.