What is Parylene Used for? Is it Right for My Project?

For decades, Parylene coatings, including Parylene C, Parylene F (VT-4), and Parylene N, have been trusted to enhance the reliability and performance of printed circuit boards and electronic components within critical industries and applications. Parylene films boast superiority in barrier properties and uniform coverage with a capacity to perform at comparably minimal coating thicknesses compared to conventional conformal coatings (liquid coatings).

Polymerized and deposited onto components at around room temperature by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, Parylene coatings are free of defects and pinholes, high purity, and ideal for applications where reliability and performance are priorities.

What is Parylene Coating Used for? Useful Parylene Properties

Parylene is widely used due to various beneficial properties, including exceptional resistance to moisture, chemicals, and corrosion. Parylene is biocompatible, has beneficial optical properties, and offers additional value with impressive dielectric strength. Maintaining performance through high-temperature cycles and good thermal performance are also valuable attributes.

To see the specific properties of Parylene, you can view and download the HZO Parylene datasheet below. HZO Guardian Plus™ is the Parylene C offering, and HZO Guardian Zero™ is the Parylene N coating solution suitable for halogen-free applications.

Download HZO’s Parylene datasheet

Common Parylene Applications

Parylene is used in a wide range of industries, including:

● Medical devices – As an FDA-approved material, Parylene has long been trusted with mission-critical medical applications, such as implanted devices. However, more medical wearable manufacturers are implementing Parylene to yield high reliability for devices such as hearing aids, CGMs, and trackers.
● Industrial – Parylene’s properties make it an ideal method for protecting applications in harsh industrial environments. Parylene can be used to enhance the reliability of HVAC and oil and gas sensors, smart meters, and more.
● Consumer Electronics – Parylene has become more widely used in consumer electronics products such as hearables, wearables, and smart home devices.
● Automotive – Pinhole-free Parylene coatings enhance the reliability of automotive components, including EV batteries, ECUs, and ADAS components.

Bottom Line – Is Parylene Right for My Application?

Should you use Parylene for your next project? It is first necessary to ask yourself how much reliability and performance matter to answer this question.

When product designers have to be sure their electronics will work when needed, Parylene is worth considering. Additionally, Parylene coatings may be your best bet when reliability and lightweight protection are mandated. Some markets, such as aerospace and automotive that must minimize weight in every instance to support fuel efficiencies may benefit from ultra-thin Parylene coating.

Some products do not require such strong barrier properties and corrosion resistance. It’s not necessary to ruggedize all devices. Doing so for products intended to be disposable would raise costs for the manufacturer and the consumer, delay the release of new products, and wouldn’t serve a purpose. The added cost of enhancing the reliability of disposable electronics that rarely contact harsh environments wouldn’t be cost or time-effective.

So, while it is not always necessary or even advisable to attain critical levels of reliable protection – when it is, Parylene coatings are the best defense.

Watch the webinar about Parylene’s proven corrosion resistance.

Parylene Services with HZO

HZO is a Parylene service provider focusing on driving down costs associated with Parylene coating and increasing coating efficiency. While Parylene was once associated with only mission-critical applications such as military or aerospace, we have democratized the Parylene process for our customers of all industries. Our custom-built Parylene coating equipment reduces time to market and improves throughput and turnaround time so that virtually any industry can benefit from superior protection.

We also have industry-leading Parylene masking automation and expertise with Parylene removal. 

Contact us if you are considering Parylene for your project and want partners with industry knowledge and domain expertise.