METHOD OF JOINING ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL COMPONENTS USING LAMINATED MODULAR PREFORMS

A method of applying a sinterable film to a substrate during a surface mount technology (SMT) process comprises: providing a substrate; providing a preform comprising a support film, the support film having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the support film being laminated with a sinterable film of metal particles (e.g., Ag, Ag alloy, Au, Au alloy, Cu, Cu alloy, Rd, Rd alloy, Ni, Ni alloy, Al, Al alloy, Ag-coated Cu, Cu-coated Ag) on the first surface but not on the second surface; providing a pick-and-place machine comprising a placement head; picking up the preform via the second surface using the placement head of the pick-and-place machine; placing the preform in contact with the substrate using the pick-and-place machine, wherein the contact is via the sinterable film; attaching the sinterable film to the substrate; and separating the support film from the sinterable film. The placement head may comprise a vacuum nozzle, wherein picking up the preform via the support film comprises applying a vacuum to the second surface using the vacuum nozzle. Separating the support film from the sinterable film may be carried out by moving the placement head of the pick-and-place machine away from the support film while maintaining the vacuum. The support film may be discarded from the pick-and-place machine by removing the vacuum. The support film may be used to manufacture a further preform. The preform may be placed in contact with a cavity or recess of the substrate. The preform may be picked up, using the placement head of the pick-and- place machine, from a holding carrier, preferably a holding carrier in the form of a waffle pack, a carrier tape or a spooled tape-and- reel station. The support film may comprise polymer or ta polymeric support film. The substrate may be selected from a Direct Bonded Copper (DBC) substrate, an Active Metal Brazed (AMB) substrate, a semiconductor surface in the form of a gate pad, a source pad, a drain pad, a collector pad, a silicon wafer substrate, a heat spreader, a metallic connector and a piezoelectric substrate. The preform may be in the shape of a square, a rectangle, a circle, and any polygonal shape that conforms to the general dimensions of the substrate. The metal particles have a longest dimension of from 1 to 1000 nm, preferably from 2 to 500 nm, more preferably from 5 to 100 nm, even more preferably from 10 to 60 nm. The metal particles may be capped with a capping agent, preferably