3M to expand capabilities in flexible circuit markets

ST. PAUL, USA: 3M announced the launch of its newly formed company 3M AST Ltd, based in Cheonan, Korea, which will provide advanced sputtering and plating services, materials and manufacturing capabilities for flexible circuits for the mobile hand-held, touch-screen panel and display markets.

The formation of 3M AST (Advanced Substrate Technologies) is the result of 3M’s recent acquisition of AP&T Co. Ltd., which builds on an existing strategic relationship between the two companies established in March 2010.

3M AST uses proprietary plating and sputtering techniques for the creation of flexible circuits. This gives customers improved performance of their flexible circuits and materials used in flexible electronics by providing excellent uniformity of the metalized surface and one of the highest adhesiveless bond strengths between the substrate and the deposited metal forming the flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL).

“This new entity expands our offering of flexible circuits and related materials providing new options for customers to achieve finer pitch circuit designs,” said Voyl Divljakovic, vice president and general manager, 3M Electronic Solutions Division. “3M AST’s capabilities combined with our expanding portfolio of high-speed copper interconnect products will help us to better serve our customers in the total interconnect market – by providing a broader offering of cost effective interconnect solutions.”

The 3M Electronic Solutions Division offers innovative solutions to the global electronics market, such as static control products; copper interconnect systems; cables and cable assemblies; carrier and cover tapes; flexible circuits; embedded capacitor materials, and Textool brand test and burn-in sockets. 3M’s flexible circuit options include a global flexible circuit design and manufacturing solutions that help customers in the imaging, medical, mobile and printing industries achieve increased routing density for smaller devices and electronic equipment.