Circuit Board Buried Pattern Etching Without Plating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing circuit boards with buried patterns, such as the modified semi-additive process (MSAP), require multiple plating processes, which are time-consuming and costly, and do not efficiently form microcircuits with small thicknesses.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a first stack of foils where a thinner first foil and a thicker second foil are stacked, with a half-etching process to reduce the thickness of these foils, allowing for the formation of circuit patterns without the need for plating, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the modified semi-additive process (MSAP) is used to form circuit patterns, then circuit boards with buried patterns can be manufactured, but multiple plating processes are required which increases manufacturing time and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the plating process from the circuit board manufacturing flow. Instead of using MSAP which requires multiple plating steps, the invention uses a direct etching process on copper foils to form circuit patterns, thereby removing the time-consuming plating operations while still achieving buried pattern formation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the manufacturing process into distinct etching stages. By dividing the circuit pattern formation into multiple etching steps with different resist patterns, the process achieves complex buried patterns without requiring plating, thus reducing overall manufacturing time while maintaining precision
2Manufacturing precision
If the modified semi-additive process (MSAP) is used to form circuit patterns, then circuit boards with buried patterns can be manufactured, but multiple plating processes are required which increases manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the plating process from the manufacturing sequence and replaces it with direct etching methods. This elimination of expensive plating operations significantly reduces manufacturing cost while maintaining the capability to form precise buried patterns through controlled etching of copper foils
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable photoresist patterns that are applied, used for etching, and then removed. This approach replaces expensive and complex plating processes with simpler, cheaper resist-based etching methods, reducing overall manufacturing cost while achieving the required pattern precision
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods are used to form microcircuits, then circuit patterns can be created, but the circuit board thickness cannot be reduced to small dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of the manufacturing process by using thin copper foils (first foil and second foil with different thicknesses) and controlling etching depths precisely. This allows formation of microcircuits with small circuit board thickness by adjusting foil thickness parameters and etching conditions, achieving both microcircuit precision and reduced overall thickness
4Manufacturing precision
If multiple plating processes are used in MSAP, then buried patterns can be formed, but the manufacturing process becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the plating processes from the manufacturing sequence and replaces them with direct etching operations. This simplification eliminates multiple plating steps, chemical baths, and associated equipment, reducing process complexity while maintaining buried pattern formation capability through controlled etching of layered copper foils
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the pattern formation into sequential etching steps with different resist masks. By dividing the complex buried pattern formation into manageable etching stages, the process becomes simpler and more controllable, avoiding the complexity of multiple plating operations while achieving the same precision
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 method reduces manufacturing time and costs by eliminating the need for plating, while improving yield and mass productivity by enabling the formation of microcircuits with small thicknesses.
Implementation Method 1
forming a first circuit pattern by etching the first foil
Implementation Method 2
reducing the thickness of the second foil and a thickness of the third foil through a half-etching process
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a method of manufacturing a circuit board including: preparing a first stack in which a first foil and a second foil are stacked, wherein a thickness of the second foil is greater than a thickness of the first foil, forming a first circuit pattern by etching the first foil, forming a second stack by arranging an insulating layer covering the first circuit pattern and a third foil attached to the insulating layer, reducing the thickness of the second foil and a thickness of the third foil through a half-etching process, removing the second foil of which the thickness has been reduced, and forming a second circuit pattern by etching the third foil.