Home > Nanotechnology Columns > HZO > Protective Nanocoatings for Electronics - Think Thin for Superior Protection
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Mallory McGuinness Content Specialist HZO |
Abstract:
Nanocoatings are used for myriad purposes such as augmenting substrates with an aesthetic finish, self-cleaning properties, or anti-static surface modifications, but perhaps the most exciting and important opportunity is the capacity to protect electronics from the harshest operating environments.
November 24th, 2020
Protective Nanocoatings for Electronics - Think Thin for Superior Protection
Although nanocoatings are used for myriad purposes such as augmenting substrates with an aesthetic finish, self-cleaning properties, or anti-static surface modifications, perhaps the most exciting and important opportunity is the capacity to protect electronics from the harshest operating environments.
By 2025, 41.6 billion connected devices will be deployed into myriad environments, fulfilling critical functions. These tasks include safely guiding autonomous vehicles, ensuring medical devices communicate vital biometrics, offering convenience through consumer electronics products, and managing crucial industrial infrastructures. As function and dependency increases, so does the need for more connected electronics. This exponential demand for devices follows the trajectory of Moore's law, as components concurrently shrink in size and grow in functionality.
But with great growth comes growing pains. Electronics must fulfill life-changing functions in virtually every global location, including harsh environments. Exposure to destructive chemicals and contaminants such as humidity, saltwater, corrosive gases, dust, oil, cleaning fluids, and extreme temperature fluctuations are common challenges to electronic reliability. The need for dependable operation in the most unpredictable environments is ubiquitous and pervasive across verticals. No matter the industry, components need protection from severe operating environments.
Traditionally, electronics have been protected with seals and gaskets that aim to keep harmful substances out, but these methods are unreliable. Not only can seals become dislodged in various situations, water, salt, dust particles, and contaminants can make their way in through the seal, becoming trapped and compromising the device.
Conventional conformal coatings such as silicones, epoxies, acrylics, or silicones, are another method of protection. These polymeric films are applied directly to printed circuit board assemblies (PCBA). With protection applied directly to electronic components, traditional conformal coatings circumvent issues with seals. However, they are still may not be a feasible option, adding weight and bulk to a miniaturized space and are applied with obtuse processes that can leave compromising voids.
Protective nanocoatings address these challenges, offering next-generation protection for innovative devices at the thinnest level.
They offer critical benefits such as protection from standing water and saltwater, pollutants, humidity, extreme temperatures, microorganisms, and corrosion. The benefits afforded by nanocoatings are fueling the growth of the global nanocoatings market; expected to reach $13,094 million by 2022 from $3,327 million in 2015 and growing at a CAGR of 21.0% from 2016 to 2022.
Nanocoatings are gaining traction due to their superior ability to safeguard devices from the most demanding electronic threats. With thinness in the nanoscale, bulk and weight are minimized, the fraction of the size of a human hair, making nanocoating protection more suitable for miniaturized devices. The coatings can oftentimes be implemented at a competitive price point, using a variety of materials, and the coatings also deliver enhanced protection capabilities, such as corrosion-resistance, electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. In the next article of this series, these capabilities will be discussed in more detail.
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