What Are Typical Electronics Applications for Epoxy Film Adhesives?

Epoxy film adhesives are specialized adhesive products offering key advantages for certain types of bonding applications. In the electronics industry, they play a vital role in the manufacture of both consumer-grade and scientific-grade tools and parts. Everything from cell phones to highly sensitive lab equipment can be made better with epoxy film adhesives.

Critical to Modern Electronics

It is worth noting that epoxy film adhesives are critical to modern electronics due to two things: component size and sensitivity. Where size is concerned, electronic components can be extremely small, making them difficult to utilize with other types of adhesives. In terms of sensitivity, some components are extremely sensitive to the point of not performing well when coupled with traditional adhesives.

Here are some of the more common applications for epoxy film adhesives in the electronics field:

• Heat Sinks – An epoxy film adhesive is ideal for bonding heat sinks to electronic components. Even as a heat sink dissipates heat effectively, the adhesive is not impacted by the high temperatures.
• Surface-Mount Devices – Epoxy film adhesives are often utilized to bond surface-mount devices to circuit boards prior to soldering. The adhesive keeps the parts in place while they are permanently affixed.
• Substrates – Substrate attachment with minimal squeeze-out is yet another common application for epoxy film adhesives. Manufacturers get uniform bond lines every time.
• Structural Bonding – When strong structural bonds are required in electronic assemblies, epoxy film adhesives are an excellent choice.
• EMI/RFI Shielding – Some applications require adhesives that also provide electromagnetic and radiofrequency interference shielding. Epoxy film adhesive can be formulated to that effect.
• Encapsulation – Epoxy film adhesives are often called on to encapsulate electrical components and delicate parts requiring temperature cycling protection.

Epoxy film adhesives are even used to seal lids on electronic packages and enclosures. They are easy to use, reliable, and cost effective. Knowing what we know about them, we aren’t surprised that the electronics industry relies on them as much as they do.

Key Characteristics That Make Them Attractive

Manufacturing materials are chosen based on their properties and characteristics. Epoxy film adhesives are no exception. They offer some key characteristics that seem tailor-made for electronics. Here are just a few of them:

• Uniformity – Unlike other types of adhesives, epoxy film adhesives offer uniform bond line thickness. This translates into a more consistent adhesive layer thickness across the entire bonded surface.
• Electrical Properties – The adhesives can be formulated to be either electrically insulative or conductive. Regardless of the need, an epoxy-based adhesive doesn’t have to get in the way of a component’s electrical needs.
• Thermal Conduction – Epoxy formulations can be designed to help conduct heat away from sensitive components.
• Stress Absorption – Epoxy film adhesives can be designed with flexibility in mind. This allows them to absorb vibration and other mechanical stresses in electronic assemblies.

Perhaps the most compelling characteristic of all is precision application. Unlike fluid and semi-fluid adhesives, epoxy film adhesives can be cut to precise shapes before application. This makes them ideal for complex electronic components that could be nearly impossible to build with other types of adhesives.

You have probably figured out by now that Axiom Materials fully supports the use of epoxy film adhesives in electronics. We have seen what they can do. We have seen what they bring to the table.

Epoxy film adhesives may not be right for every application. But for the applications for which they prove appropriate, they are actually quite hard to beat. Contact us to learn more about our epoxy film adhesive products and how they might be used in your electronics applications.