CoorsTek, Inc., a long-standing authority on technical ceramic substrates for use in electronic applications, today announced the introduction of a new type of ceramic substrate – the UltraFine™ thick-film ceramic substrate.

This new substrate virtually eliminates what is known in the industry as the “orange-peel effect,” small variations on the substrate surface that may inhibit proper bonding between metallization and the ceramic – especially for eutectic-bonded metals. Utilizing the same 96% aluminum oxide found on their standard thick-film substrates, UltraFine substrates will feature identical electrical and mechanical properties.

Developed and manufactured in the company’s Grand Junction facility, UltraFine substrates are offered in three thicknesses – 0.005”, 0.010”, and 0.015” (0.127, 0.25, and 0.38 mm). “Our customers have taken a keen interest in the product – especially where surface conditions are an issue for direct bond copper, copper plating, and fine-line etch and screen-print metallization,” explains Lorrie Van Dyke, a technical representative for CoorsTek. Standard 0.005”, 0.010”, and 0.015” thick-film and MidFilm® substrates will remain part of their ceramic substrates product offering.