Method for producing a flexible circuit configuration

Abstract

A method is specified for the production of a flexible circuit configuration, which allows the manufacturing of such flexible circuits on a carrier film cost-effectively and with high precision. For this purpose, the carrier film is fastened at the beginning of the method on a rigid frame, which encloses an inner area, and spans the inner area using an inner surface. After finishing of a layer structure and optionally additional method steps, structures for flexible circuit configurations which are created over the inner surface may be cut out easily by cutting the flexible circuit configurations out of the inner surface as a cutout. Through the fastening of the carrier film on the frame, it is ensured during the various method steps of the production of the flexible circuit configuration that the carrier film, which is flexible per se, always forms a level foundation for the various method measures, in particular the photolithographic structuring of layers of a layer structure.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This patent application claims priority of the German patent application No. DE 102010016781.9, filed on 4 May 2010. The entire content of this priority defining application is incorporated herein by explicit reference for any purpose.[0002]There are two related co-pending US applications which are filed on the same day as the present application. The first entitled METHOD FOR PRODUCING A FLEXIBLE CIRCUIT CONFIGURATION, FLEXIBLE CIRCUIT CONFIGURATION, AND ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT CONFIGURATION HAVING SUCH A FLEXIBLE CIRCUIT CONFIGURATION claims the priority of the German patent application No. DE 102010016780.0, filed on 4 May 2010. The second entitled METHOD FOR PRODUCING A FLEXIBLE CIRCUIT CONFIGURATION claims the priority of the German patent application No. DE 102010016779.7, filed on 4 May 2010.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0003]The invention relates to a method for producing a flexible circuit configuration and a manufacturing module of such a m...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]After the deposition of the layer structure for the flexible circuit configuration on the carrier film, carrier film and layer structure form a flexible solid composite. The thickness of the carrier film is advantageously greater than the thickness of the layer structure. The composite of carrier film and layer structure can be subjected to further method steps, while the carrier film remains fastened unchanged on the frame. Such further method steps may be, for example, creating contact surfaces, applying solder bumps, equipping with discrete components, etc. A high precision of the orientation of the carrier film having the layer structure can advantageously be reliably ensured in a simple manner not only during the structuring of one or more layers of the layer structure but rather also during the mentioned further method steps by the dimensional stability of the rigid frame. In particular also the inner surface of the film, which is not directly connected to the frame itself, is held in a uniform position with respect to the frame by the fastening of the film on the rigid frame, so that both different masks for the structuring of different layers may be oriented precisely relative to previously created structured layers and also solder bumps or discrete components may be applied precisely in position with respect to previously produced structures. Positioning references for reproducible precise orientation can advantageously be provided for this purpose on the rigid frame and / or on the edge surface of the carrier film.

[0012]The rigid frame allows the simple handling of the flexible circuit configuration during multiple successive manufacturing steps, a manufacturing module which can be handled uniformly, and which contains the frame and the film fastened thereon having the layer structure, also being transportable between various manufacturing devices or manufacturing stations. Multiple flexible circuit configurations, which may also differ per se, may advantageously be processed over all processing steps.

[0013]After completion of all manufacturing steps which are to be performed with the carrier film fastened on the frame, the flexible circuit configuration can be cut out from the inner surface over the inner area as a partial surface, which can be performed in a particularly simple manner and without danger to the flexible circuit configuration due to the free spanning, e.g., by stamping or cutting, the latter also using a laser beam.

[0014]Advantageously, a rigid inner part can be laid in the inner area of the frame for individual manufacturing steps of the production method, which forms a mechanical support for the carrier film without being connected to the carrier film. On the one hand, this can thus prevent the carrier film from sagging down in the inner area under its intrinsic weight and mask structures from being imaged fuzzily on the layer to be structured during photolithographic structuring. On the other hand, the film having the layer structure can reliably support the lower side of the film in particular during manufacturing steps in which pressure forces are exerted on the side of the layer structure facing away from the carrier film and / or the frame. The inner part is preferably produced jointly with the frame from a flat plate, in that, for example, by laser beam cutting, an inner contour of the frame is created around an inner area and the cutout surface thus arising is used as the inner part. Frame and inner part advantageously then have equal thicknesses perpendicular to the plate surface from the beginning. Frame and inner part advantageously comprise the same material, preferably a stainless steel which is insensitive to solvents and temperatures of the various manufacturing steps.

Problems solved by technology

The rigid substrate advantageously allows the handling of the circuit configuration during the production process, however, the separation from the substrate can result in damage of the finished flexible circuit configuration because of sensitivity of the layer structure to various typical detachment methods.

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