Ion Milled Substrate Surface for Circuit Trace Adhesion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Printed circuit boards (PCBs) often experience circuit trace peeling or delamination from the substrate, leading to reduced performance or failure.
Innovation Solution
A circuit board substrate is ion milled to increase surface roughness, enhancing adhesion for thin conductive film deposition and preventing peeling or delamination, with the method involving ion milling to remove glass phase particles, leaving mostly alumina particles, and subsequent thin film deposition and photolithography for circuit trace formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If circuit traces are deposited on smooth substrate surfaces using conventional methods, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the circuit traces peel or delaminate from the substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate surface is ion milled before circuit trace deposition to create a roughened surface that enhances adhesion. This preliminary surface preparation ensures that the circuit traces will adhere properly during subsequent manufacturing steps, preventing peeling and delamination issues that would affect reliability.
2Reliability
If ion milling is used to roughen the substrate surface, then adhesion of circuit traces is improved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
Conventional mechanical surface preparation methods (such as abrasion or chemical etching) are replaced with ion milling, which uses directed ion beams to roughen the substrate surface. This substitution provides more precise control over surface morphology and achieves better adhesion properties while maintaining processability.
3Reliability
If the substrate surface is roughened via ion milling, then circuit trace adhesion is enhanced, but manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ion milling process parameters (such as ion energy, flux, and treatment duration) are optimized to achieve the necessary surface roughness for enhanced adhesion in the shortest possible time. By carefully controlling these parameters, the process achieves reliable circuit trace bonding without excessive processing time that would reduce productivity.
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 effectively prevents peeling and delamination of circuit traces, ensuring reliable circuit performance by creating strong bonds between the substrate and conductive films, and allows for complex and precise circuit trace formation.
Implementation Method 1
The substrate includes a surface etched via ion milling over a circuit area such that the surface has an increased roughness
Implementation Method 2
The circuit trace forms portions of an electronic circuit and may be created from a thin conductive film deposited on the surface within the circuit area
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit board comprising a substrate and a circuit trace. The substrate includes a surface etched via ion milling over a circuit area such that the surface has an increased roughness. The circuit trace forms portions of an electronic circuit and may be created from a thin conductive film deposited on the surface within the circuit area. The circuit trace adheres more strongly to the roughened substrate surface, which prevents the circuit trace from peeling or becoming delaminated from the substrate surface.