Adhesive bonding in microelectronics and photonics

The use of adhesive bonding in joining of materials with different characteristics is of major importance in a variety of microelectronic and photonic applications. The curing of such adhesives is also of great consequence, with the use of optical radiation for adhesive curing becoming the method of choice in various applications, especially bonding of components in microelectronics and fiber-optic assembly. This article reviews recent advances in the development of adhesives, their applications, and their curing methods using optical radiation; it also includes a brief overview of the adhesion mechanisms. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.