Kapton is a brand of polyimide film used generically, especially as amber adhesive tape that withstands soldering temperatures without melting. On the bench it masks connectors and neighbouring parts during hot-air rework, holds bodge wires down and insulates exposed copper, and in fabrication it protects gold fingers during later processing. Polyimide film is also the base of flexible circuits, so the word turns up in flex and rigid-flex work too.
Kapton over the connector before you hit the QFN with hot air, that plastic housing won't take the heat.
Also heard as
- polyimide tape
- kapton tape
- amber tape
Related terms
Hot air
Hot-air rework station, or the technique of reflowing parts with a focused stream of heated air.
Rigid-flex
Board that combines rigid sections and flexible polyimide circuits in one laminated assembly.
Rework
Removing and replacing parts or fixing joints on an assembled board to correct defects or make changes.