Internal Antenna Plating Reliability via Primer Paint and Laser Etching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing internal antennas in wireless communication devices, such as mobile phones, face challenges with unreliable plating adhesion and increased productivity due to the vulnerability of resin materials to external impacts and the inefficiency of current plating processes, leading to defects and performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of primer paint to form a paint layer on a resin molded product, followed by laser etching to separate radiation and antenna contact portions from non-radiation portions, and subsequent electroplating with forced chemical exfoliation of the metal plating layer on non-radiation portions, resulting in improved adhesion and reduced manufacturing time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plating is performed directly on resin material (ABS copolymer, polycarbonate resin, or glass fiber mixtures), then the manufacturing process is simple, but plating adhesion is poor leading to reliability degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by coating the resin molded product with a primer paint layer before performing plating. This primer layer is applied in advance to prepare the resin surface, ensuring that when plating is subsequently performed, the metal plating layer adheres properly to the resin material. This preliminary preparation step resolves the adhesion problem without fundamentally changing the plating process itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The primer paint layer serves as an intermediary between the resin material and the metal plating layer. This intermediate layer mediates the interface between two incompatible materials (resin and metal), enabling proper adhesion. The primer paint chemically or physically bonds to both the resin substrate and the metal plating, creating a reliable three-layer structure that solves the direct adhesion failure between resin and metal.
2Productivity
If plating is performed on the entire resin molded product, then complete coverage is achieved, but excessive working time is required to remove metal plating from non-radiation pattern portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the resin molded product surface into distinct functional regions: radiation pattern portions where plating is desired, antenna contact portions, and non-radiation pattern portions where plating should be removed. By selectively applying or removing plating from specific segments rather than treating the entire surface uniformly, the process achieves complete coverage where needed while minimizing unnecessary plating elsewhere, thus reducing the time required for plating removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by applying different treatments to different regions of the resin molded product. The radiation pattern portions receive full plating treatment for optimal antenna performance, while non-radiation pattern portions have plating removed to reduce weight and improve signal. This localized differentiation ensures that plating is present only where functionally required, eliminating the need to remove excessive plating from entire surfaces.
3Length of moving object
If the case thickness is decreased for miniaturization and convenience, then the device is more portable, but the case becomes vulnerable to external impact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the thickness-strength contradiction by using composite materials for the case structure. The case is constructed from combinations of ABS copolymer, polycarbonate resin, and glass fibers, creating a composite material that provides enhanced strength and impact resistance even at reduced thickness. The glass fiber reinforcement particularly contributes to maintaining structural integrity while keeping the case thin for portability.
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
This approach enhances plating reliability and productivity by ensuring uniform and robust plating, preventing short-circuit phenomena, and reducing manufacturing time, thereby improving the overall quality and cost-effectiveness of internal antennas.
Implementation Method 1
coating a surface of the resin molded product with a primer paint to form a smooth and robust plating on the resin molded product
Implementation Method 2
etching the metal plating layer with a laser beam so that a radiation pattern portion and an antenna contact portion are formed to be electrically separated from a non-radiation pattern portion
Implementation Method 3
forming a metal plating layer on a top surface of the paint layer
Implementation Method 4
forming a primary conductive layer on the radiation pattern portion and the antenna contact portion
Implementation Method 5
forced exfoliating the metal plating layer formed on the nonradiation pattern portion excluding the radiation pattern portion and the antenna contact portion
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3(a)~3(e)
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an internal antenna (intenna) and, in particular, to a method for manufacturing an intenna, which allows a resin molded product to be smoothly and securely plated with a metal by applying a primer paint on the surface of the resin molded product, and thereby improves the reliability of the metal plating formed on the resin molded product.