3D Ceramic Circuit Board with Embedded Circuits for Probe Cards
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional circuit boards face issues with thermal expansion, positional precision errors, limited line width, high energy consumption, and the need for frequent redesign due to high-temperature sintering, and are limited to two-dimensional configurations, which are not suitable for high-frequency and high-density applications.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional circuit board with a ceramic substrate and embedded circuits, manufactured using laser patterning and electroplating, allowing for precise control of line width and separation of circuits to prevent cross talk, and a probe card design that prevents collisions during testing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high temperature sintering is performed using silver paste screen printing technology to manufacture metal circuit on ceramic substrate, then metal circuit conductivity is achieved, but positional precision error increases to about 5% to 14% causing offset of upper and lower circuit conduction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical screen printing process with a deposition process that forms metal circuits directly on the ceramic substrate without requiring high-temperature sintering. This substitution eliminates the thermal expansion and paste overflow issues that cause positional precision errors, while still achieving good metal conductivity through the deposited metal layers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter from high-temperature sintering (800-900°C) to low-temperature deposition processes. This parameter change prevents thermal expansion deviations and paste overflow, thereby maintaining positional precision below 50 μm while still forming conductive metal circuits on the ceramic substrate
2Reliability
If silver paste through hole filling process is performed to prevent short circuit, then short circuit prevention is achieved, but hole pitch must be increased reducing internal interconnection density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the silver paste filling process with a deposition process that forms metal circuits and through-holes without paste overflow. This substitution eliminates the need to increase hole pitch for short circuit prevention, thereby maintaining high internal interconnection density while still preventing short circuits through precise metal deposition control
3Quantity of substance
If minimum line width of silver paste screen printing for high temperature thick film is used, then metal film thickness greater than 10 μm is achieved, but line width can only reach more than 50 μm not meeting high-frequency and high-density requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the screen printing process with a deposition process that can form metal circuits with line widths less than 30 μm. This substitution enables precise control of line width while maintaining adequate metal film thickness, meeting the requirements for high-frequency and high-density probe card applications
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the deposition parameters to achieve line widths below 30 μm while maintaining metal film thickness greater than 10 μm. This parameter optimization enables the circuit board to meet high-frequency and high-density requirements that cannot be achieved with conventional screen printing
4Reliability
If high temperature and long time sintering is performed to remove polymers and achieve good metal conductivity, then metal conductivity is improved, but energy consumption increases and metal flatness is affected by paste uniformity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the high-temperature sintering process with a deposition process that forms metal circuits at lower temperatures. This substitution significantly reduces energy consumption while still achieving good metal conductivity through the deposited metal layers, and eliminates the issue of metal flatness being affected by paste uniformity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature and time parameters from high-temperature long-time sintering (800-900°C for more than 1 hour) to low-temperature deposition processes. This parameter change reduces energy consumption while maintaining good metal conductivity through the deposited metal layers
5Ease of manufacture
If screen printing is used to print circuit on plane, then circuit printing is achieved, but circuit board is limited to two-dimensional planar form
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional planar circuit printing to three-dimensional circuit structures through deposition processes. This enables circuits to be formed on multiple surfaces and layers of the ceramic substrate, creating true 3D circuit boards that exceed the capabilities of conventional screen printing
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables high-precision, low-cost manufacturing with reduced cross talk and improved test stability, meeting high-density requirements and energy efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
A laser process is performed to form multiple trenches separated from each other on the ceramic substrate
Implementation Method 2
An electroplating process is performed with the trace metal as an electroplating seed layer to electroplate to form multiple circuits embedded on the first plane, the first side surface, and the second plane
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional circuit board, including a ceramic substrate and multiple circuits, is provided. The ceramic substrate has a first plane, a second plane, a third plane located between the first plane and the second plane, a first side surface connecting the first plane and the second plane, and a second side surface connecting the first plane and the third plane and opposite to the first side surface. A first height of the first side surface is greater than a second height of the second side surface. The circuits are separately embedded on the first plane of the ceramic substrate and extend along the first side surface to be embedded on the second plane.