Why choose Thick Film Technology?

A thick film hybrid is an alternative to a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), it is generally smaller, more secure and more robust than a PCB. A hybrid can work under water, buried in sand and in extreme heat, in most cases a PCB can’t.

Advantages of Thick Film Hybrids over PCB’s

• Higher precision on resistors. Resistors on PCB’s are mounted whereas on thick film hybrids they are printed, fired and trimmed to any value, therefore they can be more precise and can be smaller size.
  
• Highly accurate active circuit calibration after assembly can be performed to achieve precise performance.
• Higher reliability due to fewer solder interconnections and a higher metal interconnection reliability than solder joints.
• Wider operating temperature range. This is due to the ceramic having an excellent thermal rating and heat dissipation capability.
• Smaller size, exceptionally compact (approximately half the size of the most complex PCB), hybrids are an efficient way of packaging. Hybrids have a higher packing density. The printing of resistors and capacitors enables the thick film hybrid to be smaller in size than the PCB. Resistors can be printed under other mounted components.
  
• Fully encapsulated for protection from the environment. Hence tolerant to moisture, vibration, corrosion and heat build up.
• More secure against reverse engineering. This is due to the difficulty of identifying all components in the hybrid on the ceramic and due to the encapsulation. Click here to find out more about circuit security on stainless steel.
  
• Since a hybrid is a component it can be burnt in, heat soaked or otherwise qualified to a higher reliability level.
• Circuits are fully tested. Testing of the circuits is throughout the entire assembly process whereas PCB’s are tested at the completion of assembly.
• A modular technology for complex systems which gives benefits of reliability and maintainability.
• PCB’s require mounting in a box. Thick film hybrid modular components can be encapsulated in an epoxy block which forms the box. This can be a major cost saving.

Click here to download the Overview of the Characteristics of Thick Film Hybrid Technologies and PCB's