PhotoStencil and Specialized Products Division

No one else in North American can deliver this specialized technology!

Only US domestic provider of the most complex paste, flux, epoxy and special materials printing solutions

Why us?

Foremost authority in electroform stencil technology for laser-cut & nickel-based stencils
Ability to output high-tech products down to micron wafer level units of measure.
Vast array or highly-specialized solutions, techniques and materials

Our Customers?

Full spectrum of customers ranging from those needing prototypes to long-term, high-volume partners
Wide range of industries including some of the world’s largest semiconductor, defense, automotive, medical device, and electronics contract manufacturers

Reliability & timing?

We have the most accomplished R&D team, the most advanced facilities, and the most experienced CAD, Engineering and Production teams for precision & reliability
Delivery times typically range from one to seven days depending upon the complexity of the job and the volumes required

Core advantages?

No waiting for lengthly delivery times or expensive hold ups from overseas providers
Locally convenient teams for fast, personable, reliable support
We’re solid. PhotoStencil is a division of StenTech, the largest multi-national SMT printing solutions company worldwide

It is our Mission to provide our customers with unparalleled customer service and technical expertise, great value, exceptional quality and on-point delivery.

Expansive solutions, local knowledge.

Photo Stencil’s new factory in Colorado is equipped with a full engineering staff, R&D labs, clean rooms, proprietary new plating lines, and precision fabrication equipment, Advanced Nano coating, LED direct imaging (LDI) and AOI inspection.

We offer an extensive catalog of stencils tailored to meet diverse industry needs, ensuring optimal performance for highly specialized applications. While we dominate the market with our innovative products, we face competition from other overseas stencil manufacturers striving to match our expertise and craftsmanship. These competitors fall short due to long turnaround times, shipping delays and lack of local knowledge. At Photostencil, we take pride in producing high-quality stencils that drive excellence in manufacturing processes.

Applications Engineering, R&D Team

Photo Stencil’s Applications Engineering Team includes some of the world’s foremost experts on stencil printing. Whatever your printing challenges; poor paste release, tiny aperture requirements down to micron wafer leves, printing for next-generation components, etc., members of our team are here to help you solve them. We consider ourselves to be an extension of your R&D team.

Photo Stencil’s diverse product technologies require that our inspection teams have the knowledge and expertise to verify that your products are of the highest level of quality and functionality.

We invite you to visit our facility, meet our team and inspect our operations.

Ready to get started?

Step Stencils

Photo Stencil’s step stencils offer significant flexibility in achieving the proper solder paste height and solder paste volume for the overall paste printing process. Photo Stencil is pioneer in the field of Step Stencil technology with all processes contained in house for the most comprehensive service available in the industry. Available in all stencil technologies; Electroformed, Laser Cut and Chemical Milled.

A single stencil with varied thicknesses to print through.

• Thin area for small devices
• Thick area for large devices and
• Providing relief for raised areas on board

Applications:

1. Print for miniature components like 0201 metric and on large pads simultaneously using single stencil.
2. Relief-Step Board Side provides – Barcode Relief: –
• When the bar code is too close to PCB pads it can cause a gap between the stencil apertures and the pads.

Advantages:

• Available as ‘step up’ and ‘step down’ squeegee side, ‘step up’ PCB side or on both sides.
• Ideal for providing bar code relief and thus maintaining the maximum gasket.
• Matched Slit squeegee blades allow for flexure over the raised pocket areas.
• Multi-thickness steps available.
Match with Photo Stencils range of E-Blade™ squeegees for maximum life and performance.

Wafer Ball Drop Stencils

This is the second stencil from the set of Flux and ball-drop process used in wafer bumping. Flux is printed on to wafer pads using 1st stencil followed by using a wafer ball drop stencil to drop solder balls directly onto the connection pads of a wafer. Since flux is printed onto the wafer pads before the ball is dropped, it has optional relief or standoffs placed on contact side.

Stand off on wafer Ball drop stencil can be obtained by:

1. Laminating a mask (photoresist)on the wafer side of the stencil to keep the stencil from contacting the flux.
2. E-form Nickel rib layer is grown on wafer side

Applications:

• Ball drop stencils are used for different wafer sizes, sphere size and pad pitch.
• Easy to use, regular solder paste printer can be used for manual ball drop.
• Ball drop process is also preferred when the wafer pad is larger or pitch is tighter to use paste printing application.

Advantages:

• Used instead of wafer bumping using paste printing

AMTX™ – Standard Electroformed Stencils

Photo Stencil is the exclusive manufacturer of the patented AMTX electroformed stencil (including all improvements since 1998). Electroforming is a process of producing metal/stencil/parts by depositing atom by atom. Through this process, a highly accurate replica is produced from a mandrel or master surface. Electroforming also stands out in terms of high repeatability and complexity.

The mirror aperture walls provided by growing Nickel, atom by atom, around photo resist pillar in the Electroform Stencil process, release solder paste much easier than the walls of a Laser-cut apertures.

Applications:

Extensively used for SMT, µBGAs, Flip Chip, Wafer Bumping and various R&D stencils.

Advantages:

• Quick turnaround for large aperture count.
• Smooth aperture walls promote excellent paste transfer.
• Lower area ratios of the order of 0.43.
• Improved underscreen cleaning (USC) performance and reduced cleaning frequency.
• Excellent tensile strength and hardness:
• Increases stencil life.

Thickness:

• Available in 75um (3mil) to 250um (10mil) thicknesses with 2.5um (0.1mil) increments.

Hard Nickel NiEX™ Electroformed Stencils

NiEX™ electroformed stencils use the same proprietary process as our market leading AMTX™ stencils. The NiEX™ stencil has a higher Knoop Hardness (HK) than our standard AMTX product for those very thin less than .003 applications such as wafer bumping or flux printing. Available in 1 to 3 mil thicknesses.

Applications:

• Ideal for applications with high density and mixed components.
• NiCut is ideal for fine pitch components including BGAs, QFNs and resistor networks.
• This stencil is surpassed only by our electroformed stencils.

Advantages:

• Highest accuracy
• Quickest turn-around available.
• Uniform stencil thickness independent of stencil density
• Economical high performance stencil.
• Proprietary E-Form process coupled with latest laser technology delivers smooth aperture walls.
• Improved paste transfer..

NiCut™ Stencils

NiCut™ stencils are our standard Electroform (AMTX) Nickel Stencils with Laser Cut Apertures. Beginning life as an electroform stencil, followed by a secondary process utilizing Photo Stencil’s own proprietary technology, which further extends the capabilities. These stencils utilize our electroform blank foil material to obtain the smoothest cut from our fiber optic laser system.

Applications:

Advantages:

3-D Electroform Stencils

Our 3-D Electroform stencils are ideal for printing on substrate surfaces that have protrusions rising above the print surface. An example of this type protrusion might be a flip-chip device already mounted on the PCB prior to solder paste printing. This is a single thickness electroform stencil, with relief areas not to damage the protruded sections on the board or unit.

A single thickness Electroform Stencil is formed with a raised relief pocket positioned over the protrusion. A squeegee blade with a 25micron slit is ideal for allowing the squeegee blade to raise up over the raised pocket but still be able to print in front of and behind the raised pocket. In some cases where there are no apertures in front of or behind the raised area a notched squeegee blade is the ideal solution.

Applications:

Ideal for printing on substrate surfaces that have protrusions or pre-assembled components rising above the print surface.

Advantages:

• Successful solder paste or flux printing
• Simplified process for multi level printing.
• Single stencil requirement – multi function design.
• Higher assembly yields from successful solder paste printing.

Squeegee Blade requirement:

A squeegee blade with a 25micron slit (or appropriate to pocket height) to allow the squeegee blade to raise up over the raised pocket.

Reservoir Stencils

Reservoir Stencils are a special case of single thickness 3D electroform stencil used to print into a recessed pocket of the board. Stencil grown using the electroform process followed by – laser cutting of apertures (optional).

Applications:

• Typically used when depth of cavity is larger than can be accommodated by step stencils.

Advantages:

• To print into cavities for LED assembly.
• Print into open cavities for die assembly in embedded packaging.

Note:

Please contact our expert staff for any questions or aggressive values of cavity depth.

Wafer Bump Stencils

Wafer bumping stencils are electroform stencils used to obtain bumps on wafer pads. The stencil usually has from 25,000 apertures up to 500,000 apertures.

Photo Stencil produces two different sets of stencil to achieve this (a)Paste Print stencils: A print process where solder paste is printed on die pad on the wafer, the wafer is then reflowed, melting the solder paste to form truncated spheres (bumps) on the wafer die

Applications:

Useful for bumping of wafers of various sizes and bump count and bump size (<200um).

Advantages:

Typically used when pitch is at least more than 2 times the bump diameter. (b) Flux print +Ball Drop Stencils: Set of two stencils.

AccuScreen

A high performance metal mask/screen fabricated using an additive process (Ni). Each large area is printed by mesh of apertures to control print volume. Primarily used for printing on flexible electronics, to print varieties of pastes and inks. Various mesh sizes and wire thicknesses are available with the standard sizes. Additional thickness and screen variation are also possible.

Applications:

• Accuscreens are designed to replace traditional stainless screens for printing thick film inks and other materials
• Accuscreens are printable on uneven surfaces and on flexible surfaces
• Accuscreens are used for controlled printing on large pad areas using a mesh pattern.

Advantages:

• Durable and chemical resistant than traditional screens.
• Perfectly flat squeegee-printing surface compared to the woven wire knuckles for woven screen mesh products.

• Tailor different mesh patterns can be used, as per paste/flux properties. Eg: hexagonal, oval, rectangles, squares, circles
• Mesh shape can be adjusted to material flow properties and viscosity
• Greater print deposit uniformity and higher printing yields
• Less pattern distortion since flat electroformed mesh does not stretch like screen wire mesh
• Longer life, up to 10 times longer than traditional screen
• Aggressive cleaning solvents can be used; there is no emulsion to wash-out

Our award winning coating technology

StenTech's award winning Advanced Nano is an exceptional coating that revolutionizes stencil technology. Unlike traditional stencils, this highly unique coating is applied to the bottom side of the stencil and inside the apertures, leaving the squeegee side uncoated. This advanced coating grants the stencil remarkable anti-adhesion properties, preventing solder flux from sticking to it. Utilizing a specialized 1-2 um hardened nano coating, Stentech's Advanced Nano stencil boasts a permanent hydrophobic layer that repels solder flux.

Consequently, this innovative feature facilitates enhanced paste transfer during printing processes, leading to improved efficiency and precision in electronic manufacturing. Most of all it allows SAME DAY DELIVERY of your stencils.

Here are some nice things that customers have had to say.

“We have been doing business with StenTech for over 3 years and have never had a complaint. StenTech has always provided a quick and prompt on time delivery. The employees are always a pleasure to communicate with and their professionalism and quality-first mentality definitely carry over to their product. StenTech's knowledge of stencil technology and applications have helped us with DOE projects and provided ideas that have improved our processes. Their willingness to work with us and their quality has created a long lasting relationship.”

Billy Klinger

Circuit Technology Inc.

“ A+++ Excellence Service. Best overall service we have had when ordering any of StenTech product line over the past 5 years of dealing with them. Next day delivery on stencils, this is superior against other stencil houses I have ordered from.”

Mark Martin

Assistant Engineering Mananger, BEI Electronics

“I would like to express what a great job StenTech in Austin has done for Silicon Hills Design over last few years. All stencils orders have been on time and some times I can get a stencil the same day. All the guys have performed detailed work and have been able to create paste layers when customers cannot provide them. We also started using StenTech SMT fixtures and we have been pleased with the quality of the work.”

Mark Estorga

Silicon Hills Design, Inc

“StenTech service and customer focus are unparalleled. Very fast turnarounds, even when rushed, and prices that are very competitive. Your ability to solve our cutting plate problems (CNC milling services) was impressive. Thank you for being so courteous even when we are often very demanding ”

R. Doucet

Process Engineer, CAE Inc.

“StenTech has a history of quick turnaround and dependable quality. They have always been helpful with diligent and professional service on special requests such as rush orders, custom stencil framing, reframing, and special designs for glue printing or pin through paste applications. We love doing business with StenTech.”

Christian Morining

M.Sc.A., President, Optimont Inc.

“I'm happy to tell you that your service thus far has been excellent. The quality of your stencils have helped tighten our processes and your turnaround time has kept our customers happy. Overall, the experience has exceeded our expectations. Keep up the good work”

Tom Ferrin

Techfabrik, Inc.

Cutting-Edge PhotoStencil Excellence at StenTech

The foremost authority in electroform stencils.

REQUEST A PERSONALIZED CONSULTATION

REQUEST A PERSONALIZED CONSULTATION

Quick links

No one else in North American can deliver this specialized technology!

Why us?

Our Customers?

Reliability & timing?

Core advantages?

It is our Mission to provide our customers with unparalleled customer service and technical expertise, great value, exceptional quality and on-point delivery.

Expansive solutions, local knowledge.

Applications Engineering, R&D Team

Step Stencils

Wafer Ball Drop Stencils

AMTX™ – Standard Electroformed Stencils

Hard Nickel NiEX™ Electroformed Stencils

NiCut™ Stencils

3-D Electroform Stencils

Reservoir Stencils

Wafer Bump Stencils

AccuScreen

Our award winning coating technology

Here are some nice things that customers have had to say.