Patterned Metallic Bodies With Temporary Grounded Electroplating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods face challenges in forming metallic bodies on a substrate with high aspect ratios and electrical isolation, particularly when using electroplating, due to the difficulty of providing a common temporary ground, leading to issues like over-deposition and reduced optical transmission.
Innovation Solution
A process involving a conductive layer on the bottom of through openings in a substrate, allowing electroplating to form metallic bodies that are electrically isolated by removing the conductive layer post-deposition, ensuring precise control over trace profile and maintaining high aspect ratios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electroplating is used to form metallic bodies in through openings, then electrical conductance is improved, but controlling deposition uniformity becomes difficult due to lack of common ground
Solution Approach 1:
A conductive layer is introduced as an intermediary element at the bottom of through openings to serve as a common ground for electroplating. This mediator enables uniform electrical potential distribution during metal deposition, ensuring consistent metallic body formation while maintaining electrical conductance. The conductive layer is later removed, having fulfilled its temporary mediating function.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive layer is deposited in advance before the electroplating process to establish the necessary electrical infrastructure. This preliminary action creates the common ground required for controlled metal deposition, allowing subsequent electroplating to proceed with uniformity and precision.
2Reliability
If metallic bodies extend deep into through openings to maintain high aspect ratios, then electrical conductance is improved, but optical transmission is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The metallic bodies are configured with specific local characteristics: they extend vertically to maintain electrical conductance and high aspect ratios, but their lateral dimensions and surface properties are optimized to minimize optical interference. The conductive layer is also positioned locally at the bottom of through openings, providing ground connection only where electrically necessary, thereby preserving optical transmission in other regions.
3Manufacturing precision
If metallic bodies are electrically isolated from one another, then individual trace control is improved, but providing common ground for electroplating becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical isolation of metallic bodies is achieved through segmentation by the substrate structure. Each metallic body forms in a separate through opening, naturally isolated by the surrounding substrate material. The conductive layer at the bottom of each opening provides local ground connection during electroplating, enabling precise control of each isolated trace without requiring interconnections between them.
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
Enables the formation of electrically isolated metallic bodies with controlled profiles, enhancing optical transparency and electrical conductance, suitable for high-frequency applications such as antennas and EMI shields.
Implementation Method 1
A process involving a conductive layer on the bottom of through openings in a substrate, allowing electroplating to form metallic bodies
Data Source
AI summary
A patterned article includes a polymeric layer having opposing first and second major surfaces and defining a plurality of through openings therein. For each through opening in at least a sub-plurality of the through openings, a metallic body is disposed in the through opening. The metallic body has a first outermost surface, an opposite second outermost surface and at least one lateral sidewall extending therebetween. The first outermost surface of the metallic body is substantially flush with the first major surface of the polymeric layer. Each lateral sidewall extends from the first outermost surface of the metallic body toward or to, but not past, the second major surface of the polymeric layer. The metallic body is substantially coextensive with the through opening in at least one cross-section parallel to the polymeric layer. The metallic bodies can be electrically isolated from one another.