What Is Conductive Tape?
Conductive tape — also called EMI shielding tape, shielding tape or EMI tape — combines a conductive fabric or film substrate with a conductive adhesive. Inside electronic devices it plays two roles at once: shielding EMI noise and forming grounding paths. Unlike metal plates or cover shields it is thin and flexible, so a shielding countermeasure can be applied to narrow, complex geometries simply by attaching it.
But "conductive tape" covers materials with very different characters depending on substrate and structure. Here is how Solueta's three mass-produced types compare.
The Three Types at a Glance
| Conductive Fabric Tape | Conductive Black Tape | Conductive Cushion Tape | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | Conductive fabric + conductive adhesive (single/double-sided) | Conductive fabric with a black coating layer | Elastic foam wrapped with conductive fabric |
| Characteristics | Ultra-thin builds suited to slim designs | Blocks fabric pinholes for opacity, prevents light leakage, low curl for easy handling | Elastic recovery absorbs thickness-direction movement |
| Main uses | Gap/step compensation, FPCB fixing, grounding | Display module shielding, SUS cover reinforcement, color matching with black housings | Gap shielding between mechanical parts, ESD protection, connector step compensation |
| Representative products | SSC30D, SDC80H | 55WD(B) | SNF-015FH |
Choosing by Situation
1) You need a thin grounding path → Fabric Tape
The most basic use case: shielding noise leaking from circuits and wiring, or compensating a step while securing ground. In slim devices thickness is design margin, so an ultra-thin single-sided tape is advantageous. Conductive fabric is naturally breathable, which makes single-sided tapes hard to build because the conductive adhesive flows through — solving this is the core technology behind Solueta's ultra-thin single-sided tape.
2) You also need opacity, light-leakage blocking or touch stability → Black Tape
Around display modules, EMI shielding goes hand in hand with light-leakage prevention and color uniformity with surrounding black housings. The black coating blocks the fabric's pinholes for stronger opacity and also stabilizes touch performance degraded by IC noise. It is widely used as reinforcement on top of a SUS cover shield when the cover alone cannot contain the noise.
3) You need to fill a gap while shielding → Cushion Tape
Gaps between metal parts are pathways for both noise leakage and electrostatic discharge (ESD). Elastic foam fills the gap while electrically bridging it, solving EMI and ESD at once; it also suits connector areas where steps cause detachment issues. Solueta's conductive cushion tape was designated a World-Class Product of Korea by the Ministry of Knowledge Economy in 2012.
How to Read the Datasheet
| Item | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Thickness (mm) | Total thickness — determines design space and step-compensation capacity. Always check the tolerance (±) as well. |
| Adhesion (gf/25mm) | Bond strength. Look at the tested result as well as the spec figure — a healthy margin between the two matters. |
| Surface Resistance (Ω/sq) | Lower is better for shielding and grounding; the required level varies by application. |
| Volume Resistance (Ω/in²) | Conductivity through the tape's thickness (top to bottom) — especially important for grounding applications. |
The same item can yield different numbers under different standards (KS T 1028, MIL-DTL-83528C, etc.). When comparing datasheets, make sure the figures were measured under the same standard.
FAQ
- When do I use single-sided vs. double-sided tape?
- Use single-sided when one face is bonded and the exposed face makes contact grounding; use double-sided when joining two parts while creating an electrical path between them. For fixing an FPCB while grounding it, a double-sided type such as SDC80H is appropriate.
- Are small samples or custom sizes available?
- Yes — our roll-type production line supports die-cut supply in customer-specified widths and shapes. Send us the application drawing or required specs and we will propose the right product and converting method.
Not sure which conductive tape fits your application?
Share your requirements and we will propose the optimal product with samples.
