Overview
IEC 62899-402-1:2017 - Printed electronics - Part 402-1: Printability - Measurement of qualities - Pattern width - defines how to measure the two-dimensional widths of printed patterns used in printed electronics. The standard specifies required measurement concepts, terminology (stroke width, pattern width, pattern center line, inner/outer edge lines), environmental conditioning, imaging requirements and the mathematical treatment of width as a function f(y) along the pattern length. Three‑dimensional effects (thickness) are excluded and addressed by separate thickness measurement methods.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and definitions: Precise definitions of pattern width, stroke width, mean/min/max widths, inner/outer pattern width and ROI (region of interest).
- Atmospheric conditions: Standard atmosphere for evaluation and conditioning conforms to ISO 291 (example: (23 ± 2) °C and (50 ± 10)% RH; tighter class‑1 conditions for substrate+printed patterns where specified).
- Imaging and instruments: Measurements are performed using an optical imaging system that produces image files containing pixel‑size metadata. The instrument’s repeatability and accuracy should be better than 10% of the width tolerance. Report instrument type, resolution and ROI.
- Edge detection & data model: Use image processing software to detect the two edges bounding the pattern, draw inner and outer edge lines, and compute the position difference f(y) perpendicular to the pattern length. This yields a width profile f(y) used for all derived metrics.
- Derived metrics: Calculate mean pattern width, minimum and maximum width, inner/outer pattern widths, standard deviation (variation), peak‑to‑peak to mean and variation-to-mean ratios.
- Reporting requirements: Reports must include measurement ID, date, operator, lot/sample position, instrument specs (type, resolution, ROI), atmospheric conditions and the numerical width metrics.
Applications and who uses it
IEC 62899-402-1 is intended for:
- Manufacturers of printed electronics (inkjet, gravure, flexography) producing conductive traces, interconnects, antennas (RFID), sensors and flexible displays.
- Process and quality engineers for printability control, process optimization and yield improvement.
- Metrology labs and R&D teams validating printing processes and materials.
- Designers and reliability engineers assessing how width variability may affect electrical performance.
Practical benefits include standardized, repeatable measurement of line width for process control, specification of tolerance conformance, and objective data for reliability and performance modeling.
Related standards
- IEC 62899 series (other parts covering thickness, materials and related measurement methods)
- ISO 291 (standard atmospheres for conditioning and testing)
Open preview (PDF)Printed electronics - Part 402-1: Printability - Measurement of qualities - Pattern width
