REINFORCEMENT

QUARTZ FIBER REINFORCED POLYMIDE LAMINATES USED FOR HIGH DENSITY, HIGH PERFORMANCE PWB APPLICATIONS SUFFER FROM THE POOR MACHINABILITY OF THE QUARTZ FIBER. DURING QUARTZ/POLYMIDE PWB MANUFACTURE THOUSANDS OF HOLES MAY BE DRILLED. IF EXPENSIVE CARBIDE TOOLING IS REPLACED EVERY TEN "HITS", AS IS TYPICAL WITH QUARTZ REINFORCED PWBS, SIGNIFICANT COSTS ARE INVOLVED. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS EFFORT IS TO ESTABLISH THE FEASIBILITY OF PRODUCING VYCOR FILAMENT POSSESSING ELECTRICAL AND CTE PROPERTIES VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE WHICH MAKE PURE QUARTZ SO ATTRACTIVE WHILE ADDING THE FEATURE OF INCREASED MACHINABILITY. THIS EFFORT WILL ESTABLISH FEASIBILITY OF DRAWING VYCOR MATERIAL INTO FINE FILAMENTS SUCH AS THOSE CURRENTLY USED FOR PWB MANUFACTURE; A FORM IN WHICH VYCOR IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. THIS FIBER WILL THEN BE WOVEN INTO CLOTH AND FABRICATED INTO LAMINATES. KEY PROPERTIES (CTE, DIELECTRIC CONSTANT, AND MACHINABILITY) WILL BE COMPARED WITH THOSE OF PURE QUARTZ REINFORCED LAMINATES.