Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) Connectors

Mating with Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) connectors is an increasingly popular termination for flexible printed circuits.

Use of a ZIF connector eliminates the need for a mating connector. The flex end “mates” into the connector, usually located on a rigid board.

Several issues should be addressed with a ZIF termination:

1. With a ZIF connector, registration between the cutline of the circuit and the center of the conductors must be closely controlled. All Flex has developed a robust manufacturing process for optimum control of this feature. The process capability profile can be viewed in the attached pdf file. Click here for ZIF Graph
2. Material thickness in ZIF mating areas is critical. .012” is common. This can easily be accomplished by the addition of a polyimide stiffener in the mating area.
3. When adding a polyimide stiffener, coverlay and stiffener points should overlap a minimum of .030” (.76mm) to avoid stress points.

Recommended Suppliers:

• Hirose – http://www.hirose.com
• AMP – http://www.amp.com
• Molex – http://www.molex.com