Inductor Plating Residue Trimming and Bath Cleaning Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the manufacturing of compact inductors for mobile devices, the adherence of plating residues between coil patterns can cause short failures due to their difficulty in removal and the challenge of balancing inductor quality and manufacturing cost through conventional plating bath cleaning schedules.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the detection and removal of plating residues using a trimming apparatus and control apparatus to determine the frequency of plating bath cleaning based on the number of residue removals, ensuring effective residue elimination and maintaining a balance between inductor quality and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If plating is performed to grow the conductive pattern, then the current capacity of the coil is increased, but plating residues adhere to the coil pattern causing short failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing trimming processing before final inspection to remove plating residues. The system proactively removes residues based on predetermined criteria (when residue amount exceeds threshold) rather than waiting for defects to manifest, preventing short failures before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by measuring the amount of plating residues adhering to the coil pattern and using this information to control the trimming processing. The system continuously monitors residue levels and adjusts trimming operations accordingly, creating a closed-loop control system that maintains quality while optimizing resource usage.
2Reliability
If trimming processing is performed to remove plating residues, then short failures are prevented, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by establishing a threshold value for plating residue amount that triggers trimming processing. Instead of uniformly trimming all products, the system changes the processing parameter (trimming application) based on the measured residue amount, performing trimming only when necessary (when residue exceeds threshold). This selective approach maintains quality while reducing unnecessary manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by using the measurement information of plating residues to automatically control whether trimming processing is performed. The system serves itself by making decisions based on its own measurements, eliminating the need for external judgment or manual inspection to determine when trimming is necessary.
3Manufacturing precision
If plating bath is cleaned frequently, then plating quality is maintained, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by measuring plating residue amounts and using this information to determine when plating bath cleaning is necessary. The system monitors residue accumulation in real-time and triggers cleaning operations only when predetermined conditions are met, rather than following a fixed schedule. This maintains plating quality while minimizing interruptions to productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the plating bath cleaning schedule flexible and adaptive rather than fixed. The cleaning frequency dynamically adjusts based on actual plating conditions and residue accumulation rates, allowing the system to optimize between quality maintenance and productivity preservation according to real-time conditions.
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 effectively suppresses short failures in inductors by ensuring timely cleaning of the plating bath, maintaining high inductor quality while controlling manufacturing costs.
Implementation Method 1
growing the conductive pattern by plating
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing an inductor, includes: forming a coil pattern on a substrate by forming a conductive pattern on the substrate then growing the conductive pattern by plating; removing, if a plating residue is adhering to the coil pattern, the plating residue from the coil pattern; and outputting a cleaning request alarm that requests a plating bath to be cleaned if a number of times the plating residue has been removed or an amount of plating residue that has been removed exceeds a first threshold.