EMI Shielding

By Divya Balakrishnan Roll no:12 3rd Semester Materials Science

Introduction
The electronic market of India is one of the fastest growing markets in the world. The consumer electronics section market is one of the largest segments in the electronics industry. Which include personal computers, telephones, audio equipment, televisions, calculators and playback and recording of video media such as DVD or camcorders. It has become increasingly complex in terms of functionality and the integration of electronics. The continued growth in the electronics industry has increased demand for effective EMI shielding solutions from systems designers.

EMI: Source and effects

Undesirable disturbance that effects an electric circuit. Disruption of operation of an electronic device when it is in the vicinity of an electromagnetic field. Induced intentionally for radio jamming in warfare Source Natural Source like sun Electric circuit Effects Can range from minor nuisance to catastrophic consequences. Interrupts and degrades the effective performance of the circuit. Affects the reception of radio in urban areas. Affects cell phone and television reception.

EMI:Effects
Effects ..examples
When someone is watching a television program for entertainment, and interference ("snow") appears momentarily on the screen due to the operation of an electrical appliance , such as a hair dryer or electric shaver. Disturbances in the radio reception in urban areas and in cell phone reception.

A serious consequence could result should an interfering signal disturb the normal operation of medical electronic equipment being used to monitor the condition of a patient under intensive care in a hospital.

EMI:category
Category
Narrowband Broadband Narrowband arises from intentional transmissions : o Radio and TV stations o Cell phones Broadband interference usually comes from incidental radio frequency emitters : o Electric power transmission lines, o Electric motors Anywhere electrical power is being turned off and on rapidly is a potential source.

EM Field
Current passing between two parallel plates AC voltage supply Current flows from top plate to bottom plate Creates and electromagnetic field Lines of flux in the centre of the plate are straight At edges they bow out and lines of flux repel each other forcing the bowing The field that bows out represents a radiated EM field The electric "E" field is tangent to the lines of force The magnetic "H" field is a field perpendicular to the lines of force

Shielding Principles
The purpose of electromagnetic shields is to reduce EMI between sources and susceptible equipment. Explanation 1
EMI fields induce currents in the shields, and the fields set up by those currents oppose the EMI fields, so that the net fields on the 'shielded' side are reduced.

Explanation 2
Shields reduce EMI fields by a combination of reflection and absorption. When an electromagnetic wave impinges on a shield some of its energy is reflected at the first surface of the shield, some is absorbed by the shield, and some is transmitted through the shield.

Shielding of EM fields
When we place a shielding barrier in the path of the EM wave the force of the wave causes current to flow in the barrier The excess electrons in the bottom plate create a force on the electrons in the barrier This force causes the electrons to flow away from the point of contact. In a similar manner, the lack of electrons on the upper plate will create an excess of electrons on the barrier at the upper point of contact This current flow in the barrier is called the "surface current density Which is approximately equal to the H field incident on the barrier when the direction of the wave is perpendicular to the barrier

Shielding Material Options

The EMI shielding materials have different groups as follows Gaskets Metal Gaskets Fingerstock Mesh D connector Molded and Extruded Elastomers Foam-Based Gaskets Mixed Media Gaskets Conductive Plastics Adhesives, Inks and Coatings Conductive Windows

Gaskets: What Gaskets do

When two relatively rigid surfaces are brought into firm contact, slight surface irregularities prevent them from being together completely at all points. The gaps may be minute, but they provide leakage paths for gas or liquid under pressure, and for EMI energy, even when very high closure force is applied. When a gasket of resilient material is installed between the surfaces, and closure pressure is applied, the gasket conforms itself to all the irregularities in both surfaces, thus sealing it completely against penetration by pneumatic or hydraulic pressure. In the same way, if the resilient gasket incorporates metal distributed around or through its volume in mesh or particle form, the joint can be sealed against penetration by electromagnetic energy, thereby restoring the conductivity and shielding integrity of the enclosure.

Gaskets
Come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials. plenty of gasket choices available Shielding performance of a gasket can be affected by
compression set, corrosion, and environmental forces Price-performance decisions must also be weighed.

Gaskets are among the most useful tools available, and is used as a shield as follows
To reduce interference at the source. To isolate the offending circuits by shielding. To increase the immunity of susceptible circuits

Metal Gaskets
Metal Gaskets
All-metal EMI gaskets have been in existence the longest. Relevant in rack mounted equipment where individual circuits may need to be periodically removed and replaced.

Fingerstock:
Also called springfingers Made of either beryllium-copper or stainless steel Beryllium copper (BeCu) fingerstock gaskets : Has high levels of EMI shielding effectiveness Supplied in either standard or custom lengths strips are available in a wide variety of cross-sections. factors such as the dimension and number of slots in fingerstock and surface contact area in an assembly can affect the final shielding performance

Metal Gaskets
Fingerstock:
Application Due to their outstanding material and electrical characteristics, beryllium copper finger of different shapes and dimension are used in the following:

Broadcasting, telecommunications industrial control, measuring and instrumentation, aerospace technology and data processing.

Metal Gaskets
Mesh: most often made from tin-plated, copper-clad steel , beryllium-copper (Be/Cu) or specialty steel. Highly resilient EMI gasket, capable of being compressed over 70% with remarkable recovery. Offers a shielding effectiveness similar to that of a conductive elastomer. Economical but has limited profiles available

Application
Especially suited for applications in die cast commercial electronic housings, such as Cable TV device boxes, which require high levels of shielding at low cost.

Moulded Elastomers
Silicone elastomers filled with electrically conductive particles such as carbon, nickel, nickel-plated graphite, silver-plated aluminum, silver-plated copper, silver-plated nickel, silverplated glass, or pure silver, are used. These materials lead to the even dispersion of the conductive filler within the elastomer. The elastomeric binder and the dispersed conductive filler can be manufactured into almost any shape using molding, extrusion or die-cutting processes Silicone is usually used due to its ability to compress at low closure forces and its excellent compression set performance across a wide temperature range.

Can be supplied in a wide range of solid and hollow cross-section configurations.

Moulded Elastomers
Application
Outside enclosures such as cellular base stations or pole mounted transceivers that require environmental sealing . Conductive elastomers are the best method for providing shielding and weather protection.

Foam based Gaskets

Gaskets consists of a conductive nickel-plated nylon material wrapped around and bonded to a soft urethane foam core. These materials have been developed to provide economical shielding in high volume applications. Dont offer the same design flexibility as molded elastomer parts in terms of the shapes that can be achieved, they are available in a significant number of popular profiles. Has lower relative tooling costs and flexibility of design. Good Scratch and Ruffle resistant property. Applications Used in LCD monitors Used in telecommunication devices

Mixed media gaskets

EMI gaskets are available that use a mix of the above forms. These include gaskets utilizing non-conductive foams or elastomers .

Combined with a mesh or metal gasket and are aptly named combo gaskets. They can provide both effective environmental sealing and EMI shielding. Are usually custom made. Other gaskets in this category include silicone sheets with oriented wires and mesh impregnated with neoprene or silicone elastomer. Although these can provide excellent environmental as well as EMI shielding significant pressure must be exerted to achieve this.

Conductive plastics
Injection molded plastics that incorporate EMI shielding provide an elegant, versatile and assembly-friendly solution. Additives that impart such conductivity are metallic powders, carbon black, carbon fibers, mats, and metalized glass fibers and spheres. It is less weight and lower cost. It has stable electrical, mechanical and physical performance.

Application They can be used to provide housings for printed circuit board assemblies, and allow for value-added details such as internal compartments and integrated mechanical fasteners.

Adhesives
Typically used to bond other conductive materials such as EMI vents, windows, mesh gaskets, or for filling cracks and seams. These are either rubber based or acrylic based. Can be applied to plastic surfaces by painting or for higher volumes, by using conventional spraying equipment.
Types of Adhesives Include: Rubber Based Bonds well to most surfaces and Achieves ultimate adhesion quickly Economically priced Poor elevated temperature resistance Fair chemical, U.V., and oxidation resistance Acrylic Based Good temperature and UV resistance Low initial bond strength, but builds over time More expensive then rubber based

Conductive windows
Shielding requirements for display windows can vary from moderate to severe. Stainless steel combines high light transmission with high shielding. Lower mesh counts and thinner wire diameter provides higher light transmittance, while higher mesh counts and thicker wire diameter provides better EMI attenuation. Copper as a conductive wire mesh is softer than stainless steel and is very reflective. Its advantages are high shielding and conductivity, with lower cost.

Contd
Plastic using transparent conductive coated films, such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO) or multilayer conductive coatings, combines high visible light transmission, uniform electrical conductivity and excellent environmental stability.

Application Used for shielded window in LCD display, touch screen etc

Shielding Effectiveness
The relative capability of a shield to screen out undesirable electric and magnetic fields and plane waves. The measurement is the ratio of the signal received without the shield to the signal received inside the shield. Decibels indicate the ratio of power output to power input: db=10.log (P1/P2)

Gasket Type
Conductive fabric Over Foam Conductive Elastomers BeCu Strips

Typical Shielding Effectiveness

80 to 115 dB 40 to 120 dB 75 to 120 dB

Summary
Choosing the right gasket requires knowledge of both electrical and mechanical requirements. Shear forces, environmental effects, compression set, method of application and pricing are just some of the factors influencing choice of gasket Must be both cost-effective as well as compliant with environmental regulations and capable of being safely disposed of or recycled at end of life. Although there is no one gasket that fits all applications, fabric-over-foam gaskets have progressed to a point where they can be considered for applications in internal environments. Concerns over performance in shear, compression set, foam fatigue and abrasion resistance often prompt engineers in the past to choose other materials as the shielding method. The variety of foam based gaskets is wide enough that they can be considered for shielding all manner of electronic enclosures. Fabricoverfoam gaskets using new high performance silicone foam means that fingerstock is no longer the only option when long term gasket performance is a requirement..

References
http://www.spira-emi.com/mainpages/theory_main.htm http://www.chomerics.com/acofab/emi6_en.html http://www.chomerics.com/products/documents/emicat/pg192theory_of_emi.pdf

Thank You