Component Carrier Laser Cutting for Smooth Carbon-Free Sidewalls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing component carriers, such as printed circuit boards, often result in structural artifacts at cutting edges due to rough and undefined sidewalls, and are incompatible with high-yield industrial-scale production requirements.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the formation of a stack with electrically conductive and insulating layer structures, cut using a pulsed laser beam with a pulse length below 1 ns or a green laser beam along a closed circumferential trajectory, achieving smooth and artifact-free sidewalls with low carbonization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional laser cutting or mechanical sawing is used to cut component carriers from panels, then manufacturing can be accomplished, but structural artifacts occur at cutting edges with rough and carbonized sidewalls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by using ultrashort laser pulses with duration of 1 ns or less (picosecond or femtosecond range) instead of conventional continuous or long-pulse laser cutting. This fundamental parameter change in pulse duration enables precise material ablation without the thermal diffusion that causes carbonization and rough sidewalls, directly resolving the contradiction between achieving clean cuts and avoiding structural artifacts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic pulsed laser action with very short pulse durations (1 ns or less) delivered in sequences along the cutting trajectory. This periodic action allows the material to be removed in controlled increments with sufficient cooling time between pulses, preventing heat accumulation and carbonization while maintaining cutting efficiency and edge quality
2Productivity
If component carriers are manufactured on panel level with conventional cutting methods, then production can proceed, but mechanical robustness and electrical reliability are compromised under harsh conditions
Solution Approach 1:
By changing the laser pulse duration parameter to ultrashort pulses (1 ns or less), the patent enables panel-level manufacturing to produce component carriers with artifact-free edges. This parameter change maintains high productivity while dramatically improving mechanical robustness and electrical reliability by eliminating structural artifacts that would fail under harsh conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical sawing systems with ultrashort pulse laser cutting systems. This substitution eliminates mechanical contact and associated damage while achieving cleaner cuts with better edge quality, thereby improving both productivity through contactless processing and reliability through artifact-free edges
3Productivity
If conventional laser cutting is used, then cutting can be performed, but rough sidewalls and carbonization occur at the cutting edges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the laser pulse duration parameter to ultrashort pulses (1 ns or less), which fundamentally alters the material interaction mechanism. This enables high-speed cutting through efficient ablation while simultaneously achieving smooth sidewalls without carbonization, resolving the contradiction between cutting speed and edge quality
Solution Approach 2:
The use of periodic ultrashort laser pulses allows for high productivity through rapid pulse sequencing while maintaining precise control over material removal. The short pulse duration combined with high repetition rates enables fast cutting speeds while the brief pulse width prevents heat diffusion that causes carbonization, achieving both speed and smoothness
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 enables precise, high-throughput manufacturing of component carriers with smooth, carbonization-free sidewalls, meeting demanding tolerance specifications and preventing thermal artifacts, thus enhancing the reliability and efficiency of the component carrier production process.
Implementation Method 1
cutting out the component carrier from the stack along a closed circumferential laser cutting trajectory (or path) by a pulsed laser beam having a pulse length of less than 1 ns
Implementation Method 2
cutting out the component carrier from the stack along a closed circumferential laser cutting trajectory (or path) by a green laser beam
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing a component carrier is described. The method includes forming a stack having at least one electrically conductive layer structure and/or at least one electrically insulating layer structure, and cutting out the component carrier from the stack along a closed circumferential laser cutting trajectory by a pulsed laser beam having a pulse length of less than 1 ns.