Technical Articles From ICL-IP

New Phosphorus-based Curing Agents for PWB

Aug 08, 2018 | A. Piotrowski, M. Zhang, S. Levchik - ICL-IP, Y. Zilberman, Eran Gluz - IMI

As a result of the continuous industrial trend towards high density packaging there is a growing demand for highly thermally-stable laminate materials. Although the epoxy resin defines the thermal stability, often the flame retardant used becomes the limiting factor in achieving a higher stability. Recognizing this industrial need, the company has developed a new flame-retardant curing agent, Material A. This is a phosphorus-based polymer which cures epoxy via a very specific mechanism. Common Novolac epoxy resins cured with Material A and a phenol-formaldehyde resin show a Tg >180 °C and Td >400 °C. In addition to a high thermal stability, Material A also shows a dielectric loss factor lower than commercial phosphorus-based flame retardants....