Thick Film Processing Facilities
McMahon Bldg., 2nd Floor

A suite of equipment is available for the laboratory-scale preparation of thick-film ceramics. Tape-casting slurries are prepared using a variety of mixers, blenders, and sonicators. Screen-printing pastes are prepared with an Exact three-roll mill. A Thinky blender is the latest acquisition. Manual casters and printers are available for making samples up to 6 inches wide. A full turn-key KEKO MLC line will be available in a class 10,000 clean room by fall 2007. This line is available for internal and external use. Single-sample firing is accomplished in a number of smaller programmable furnaces (some atmosphere controlled). Larger number of samples are fired in a 4" belt kiln. A fast-fire furnace allows control of heating/cooling profile of small specimens at rates of up to 1000 K/min (1600°C, maximum temperature).

If necessary, processing can be accomplished in our second Class 10,000 clean room with a Class 100 Micro environment. This room also houses dip and spin coating equipment as well as a silica tube 1200C furnace in an exhausting hood.

For more information about thick-film research and capabilities, please contact Dr. Walter Schulze.

For student training or equipment maintenance, please contact Fran Williams.