Heraeus Printed Electronics - System Solution for EMI Shielding in 5G Technology

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is increasingly becoming a problem today – especially for mobile phones. To meet this challenge, Heraeus now offers an EMI full shielding solution consisting of silver ink and an inkjet printer for EMI shielding. This digital printing system is both less expensive and it offers also more shielding performance than all other options available today.

The frequencies of multiple components in 5G applications are so high that they influence and interfere with each other. Classical shielding via metal housings is no longer possible on such a small scale.

Heraeus has therefore developed a full system solution optimized for EMI shielding. This precious metal silver ink complete solution guarantees the clean and proper functioning of high-frequency on-board chips and their ultra-fast data transmission. The system consists of Heraeus special silver ink formula and a manufacturing machine that can apply the shielding coating using an inkjet process followed by various curing steps to make the silver ink conductive.

Heraeus as a full solution provider has the capability to match all process, product and equipment perfectly to each other. In our application center, we test our adaptions directly and optimize all interfaces between the materials in order to achieve a maximum of system performance and reliability.

Save time and money with Heraeus as a qualified partner and accelerate your process.

The fully automated solution from Heraeus offers the optimum solution for a wide range of EMI shielding applications.

Structure of a Heraeus Silver layer printed and cured on a standard epoxy mold compound (taken by Focus Ion Beam Spectroscopy).

Shielding performance of an epoxy molded and silver coated part in dB against a reference part without silver coating.

Three questions to Franz Vollmann

Franz Vollmann - Head of Heraeus Printed Electronics — Franz Vollmann, Head of Heraeus Printed Electronics

Why EMI Shielding?

Electromagnetic interference can disrupt electronic devices, equipment and systems. With the new generation of mobile phones especially for the new 5G technology, EMI shielding becomes more and more important. As frequencies increase, so does interference. Without proper shielding, our brand-new phones wouldn’t work.

In short: our EMI shielding solution is the cost-effective answer for technology that is going faster, higher and further every day.

What are the advantages of Heraeus’ solution?

Heraeus’ solution combines three major components which are key for a successful EMI shielding process. A special silver ink formula, a manufacturing machine using an inkjet process and curing equipment. This is a one-of-a-kind combination making EMI shielding cost-effective and efficient. Also, our inkjet process doesn’t only save material and costs, it also leads to a much better shielding performance.

Given the current market trend of miniaturization as well as increasingly powerful electronics, this is the way to go.

Does that mean traditional shielding methods like metal housing or sputtering might become obsolete?

Yes, absolutely.

Today, metal housing has already become obsolete, since it doesn’t meet the requirements of miniaturization. Electronics gets smaller and smaller – metal housing doesn’t work on such a tiny scale.

As for sputtering: the investment cost for our solution is only a fraction of the price of a sputtering system while providing more than three times the output. That means adding the saved investment, our inkjet process is 15 times better at one million parts per year.

Press and News

Heraeus offers new solutions for improved performance of 5G devices

Hanau, 2019/09/18

5G is currently on everyone's lips. However, many advantages of the new standard can only be exploited with improved devices. Heraeus offers solutions for the top four technical challenges.

Find here the full press release.

New EMI shielding technology boosts performance for 5G mobile standards

Hanau, 2019/07/09

Heraeus now offers a new complete solution consisting of silver ink, inkjet printer and curing equipment for EMI shielding. This system is both less expensive and much more effective than all other options available today.

Find here the full press release.