CA1234923A - Method for manufacturing multi-layered printed circuit boards and a circuit board produced by same - Google Patents

Method for manufacturing multi-layered printed circuit boards and a circuit board produced by same

Info

Publication number
CA1234923A
CA1234923A CA000516574A CA516574A CA1234923A CA 1234923 A CA1234923 A CA 1234923A CA 000516574 A CA000516574 A CA 000516574A CA 516574 A CA516574 A CA 516574A CA 1234923 A CA1234923 A CA 1234923A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
conductive
layer
circuit board
printed circuit
insulator material
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000516574A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Peter P. Pelligrino
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ecolab Inc
Original Assignee
Ecolab Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from CA000422703A external-priority patent/CA1222574A/en
Application filed by Ecolab Inc filed Critical Ecolab Inc
Priority to CA000516574A priority Critical patent/CA1234923A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1234923A publication Critical patent/CA1234923A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Landscapes

  • Production Of Multi-Layered Print Wiring Board (AREA)

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION

Methods and apparatus for providing fine line, high density multiple layer printed circuit board packages are disclosed. In the method for fabricating multiple layer printed circuit board package, a printed circuit board is formed having a conductive circuit pattern embedded in and integral with an insulator material substrate, such that the surface of the conductive circuit pattern is exposed along one surface of the substrate, and lays flush and coplanar with therewith. At least two of said boards are stacked with a layer of insulator material interposed between each pair of adjacent boards. The entire assembly is heat-pressed together to form a homogenous block of insulator material having conductive circuit patterns embedded and integrally molded therein.

Description

- : f - ~
Z349~3 BACK~ROUNI:) OF TH E~[ NVENT I O~

This invention relates to a method for man~facturing dense, fine line printed circuit boards and multiple layer printed circuit board packages.
There are many methods of manufacturing printed circuit boards used extensively throughout the electronics industry.
The advent of very large scale integrated circuits (nVLSIn) has created an ever increasing demand for higher component density per unit of printed circ~it board area. To meet this growing demand, printe~ circuit boards must be fabricated having extremely narrow conductor line widths and spacings. Because of the limitations inherent in the prior art methods, they cannot successfully meet the industry demands for high yield, multilayer printed circuit boards possessing good dimensional stability and ever-smaller line widths and spacings.
Althoush there are many methods known and used in the fabrication of printed circuit boards, the most widely accepted methods employ an etching techniqueO Typically, these methods include the steps of cladding a base of an electrically insulating material with a conducti~e copper foil, placing a photoresist material in intimate contact therewith, developing the photoresist material to define a conductive circuit pattern thereon, and etching away any exposed foil which is not covered with photoresist to provide a raised conductive circuit pattern.
This prior art method creates several problems since the conductor patterns are not flush with the surface of the circuit board, a conductor line can be easily scratched during handling, 123~923 resulting in an open circuit. Also, the copper conductor may sliver and bridge across adjacent conductors, causing short circuits.
Furthermore, the etchinq step in the prior art me~hod may also create a variety of irregularities and defects in the -printed circuitry. Etching may result in a conductor being over-etched near its base, thereby undercutting the conductor causing a nonuniform, mushroom-shaped cross-section~ Also, photoresist may become trapped beneath the mushroom ledges, preventing foil hidden beneath the trapped photoresist from being etched away.
Over-etching, therefore, makes fine line stability and line width control extremely difficult to achieve as line and spacing widths and tolerances grow smaller. Thus, etching fabrication methods can result in multiple conductor line defects, significantly reducing board yields, with a consequen~ upsurge in rejected printed circuitry which increases final production costs.
Board flatness and dimensional stability are important characteristics for insuring that printed circuitry maintains continuous conductive interconnection with component leads and adjacent boards. However, temperature and pressure fluctuations that occur during lamination cause the board to warp creating considerable stresses to develop in printed circuitry mounted on equipment rails. These stresses cause conductors to break and/or to "swim~ off the substrate fabricated by prior art methods because they have poor ductility and do not lay flush with the circuit board.

"' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '' ~

, .. .

~23~923 Quality and stability of multiple layer circuit board packages is also limited by prior art fabrication methods. To make such packages, lamination bonding layers of insulation must be sandwiched between circuit board layers to fill voids between the raised conductor lines and the circuit board substrate.
Pilling the voids requires high pressures during the lamination process which can destructively distort the conductor lines.
Also, even very high pressures cannot insure that the laminate will fill all of the voids. Ultimately, many voids may remain within the finished multilayered package which become a depository of impurities. Such impurities can cause electrical -~horts. Further, the lamination bonding layers and bbard substrates may be of different material composition since they are often supplied by different manufacturers, may be made of different resins, or come from different manufacturing runs.
Consequently, the finished multilayer package is not homogeneous.
~ack of homogeneity makes it difficult to set proper drill speeds, and drill angles in the fabrication of holes through the multilayers. In some cases the drill speed will be too fast to cut through the copper causing it to tear, but will be the proper speed to cut through the insulation. Thus, some of the layers will have tears, and others will be smooth and some will be extremely uneven, contributing to degraded board quality while increasing unit cost.
Achieving high density in printed circuitry also requires that a uniform, continuous conductive coating be placed on small diameter holes that are drilled through multilayer packages for component leads and interconnects. One technique widely known in - . - . . , ~ . .

t 1 Z 3L~9 2 ~

the art for making hole walls conductive is electroless plating, whereby an electroless metal deposit, ~sually of copper, is uniformily coated on the dielectric board substrate. This technique has the disadvantage of depositing a coating that has poor adhesion qualities so that additional steps to insure adequate adhesion are required. Another technique is the application of a thin electroless coating to the hole wall, then eletroplating to further build up the conductive surface.
Conventional electroplating techniques, however, cannot access holes having small diameters and large depths demanded by fine line, high density printed circuitry. Therefore the prior art teaches coating very small diameter holes, such as .0115 or less to~ally by electroless processing which takes a substantial amount of processing time - 24 hours or more.

t .. ...

~Z3~9;~3 SUMhlARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a method of manufacturing fine line, high density printed circuit boards and printed circuit board packages and the circuit boards and packages formed according to the method. A flash layer of conductive material, preferably copper, is electrodeposited onto a rigid metal or metallized substrate that has a low coefficient of thermal expansion. A thickness of photosensitive resist is deposited onto the first layer by silkscreening or other methods known in the art. A mask is placed over the resist to define a conductive circuit pattern on the surface of the-resist. The mask is exposed to light, and the resist is developed. Channels having straight and para~lel walls of resist will be formed defining the conductive circuit pattern duplicating the photo-mask thereby exposing the flash layer.
~ second layer of conductive material is bailt up on the physically exposed portions of the flash layer of conductive material within the channels, forming a raised conducti~e circuit pattern having a thickness not exceeding the depth of the channels. The remaining photosensitive resist is then removed from the flash layer.
The flash layer and the second layer defining a raised conductive circuit pattern are completely covered with a uniform layer of insulator laminate material. Pressure is applied to fully embed the raised conductors in the insular material, such that the flash layer of conductive material remains in intimate and ContinuouS contact with the insulator ma~erial.

l:: s~

~;~3~923 The flash layer, integrated with the raised conductive circuit pattern and the insulator material, is separated from the rigid substrate. The flash conductive layer is then etched away, so that the conductive circuit pattern embedded in the insulator material i~ exposed as laying flush and coplanar with the su~face of the insulator material.
Printed circuit boards may be formed having embedded conductors exposed on a single side. However, a double sided board may be fabricated if desired, by heat presseing two such printed circuit boards together, ~ack to back or by embedding the conductors on both sides of a single board.
The completed circuit boards are stacked with a layer of insulator laminate bonding material interposed between each printed circuit board layer. The multiple layers of printed circuitry and interposed insulator material are heat-pressed together to form a homogeneous package of insulator material with conductive circuit patterns embedded therein.
To prepare the boards for components and interconnects, holes are drilled through the homogeneous package. The holes are coated with a thin layer of conductive material, preferably copper, using an electroless coating method so as to provide a conductive substrate for electrodepositing additional conduotive material thereon. Using a high impingement speed electrodepositing apparatus, a continuous and uniform thickness of conductive material is plated onto the walls of the holes.
A primary object of this invention is to provide a method for manufacturing fine line, high density printed circuitry whereby the conductive circui~ pattern lays flush and aligned with its insulati~e substrate.

-~Z~9;23 It is a further object of this invention to prov de a method for manufacturing fine line, high density printed circuitry whereby the conductor lines have improved ductility characteristics.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method for manufacturing fine line~ high density printed circuitry that has improved dimensional stability.
It is a further object of this invention ~o provide a method for manufacturing fine line, high density printed circuitry whereby the conductive circults have a uniform width along its cross-section.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method for manufacturing fine line, high density multiple layer printè
circuit board packages of uniform insulator material which have flat, stable, warp-free, and void-free characteristics~
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a method for fabricating fine line, high density printed clrcuit board packages having small diameter through-holes of uniform and continuous conductive wall thickness.
Other objects of the invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following description together with the accompanying drawing in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.

123~923 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE l?RAW~N~s Pigure 1 is a ~ide view of a substrate wi~h a flash layer deposited thereon.
Figure 2 is a side view of the substrate in Figure 1, having a layer of photoresist deposited thereon.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the assembly in Pigure 2 with a photomask aligned thereon~
Figure 4 is a perspective view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3 illustrating rectangular channels defining a conductive circuit pattern developed in the photoresist layer after the photomask is remov~d.
Figure 5 is a side view of raised conductor lines deposited within the photoresist channels onto the flash layer taken along l~e 4-4 of Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a perspective view of the raised conductive circuit pattern of Figure S after the remaining photoresist is removed.
Figure 7 is a view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing a insulator laminate layer covering the raised conductive circuit pattern and flash layer of Figure 6. --Figure 8 is a view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing the assembly of Figure 7 removed from the rigid substrate.
Figure 9 is a top plan view of the printed circuit board assembly of Figure 8 with the flash layer etched away thereby exposing the conductive circuit pattern embedded in and aligned flush with the insulator laminate.

~LZ3~23 Figure 10 is a cross-section of the printed circuit board assembly taken along lines 9-9 of Figure 9.
Figure 11 is a side view of a printed circuit board assembly with registration holes drilled therethrough.
: Figure 12 i5 a perspective cross-sectional view illustrating multiple printed circuit boards and insulator laminate layers interposed therebetween stacked upon a conventional press.
Figure 13 is a perspective view illustrating a homogenous i multi-layer printed circuit board package of the present invention.
Figure 14 is a partial perspective view illustrating electrodeposited and electroless plating layers built up on a interconnect or lead hole o the present invention.

r ' , DETAIL~D ~SCRIPTION OF ~HE I~yENTIO~

Referring first to Figure 1, a substrate 10 is comprised of a material such as stainless steel having a metallized surface for receiving a flash layer of electrodeposited material. In the preferred ~x~iment the ~strate is of a rigid metal or a metallized plate.
However, many other rigid material compositions having suitable characteristics may be used, such as a metallized glass material for example metallized Pyrex, having a very low coefficient of thermal expansion. The substrate must a low coefficierlt of thermal expansion to insure that when a conductor is placed thereon, it will not shift or float from its design posit.ons due to the thermal expansion of the substrate caused during a subsequent pressing step.
A flash of electrically conducting material 12, preferably copper, is electroplated onto the substrate 10. The copper flash 12 serves as a base layer upon which further electroplating of conductor lines may be applied. It also serves as a releasing material for separating the printed circuitry from the stainless steel substrate 10 after formation of the printed circuit board is complete, as will be described in detail hereinbelow.
The flash layer is as thin as can be since heat transfer characteristics of a very thin layer tend to rapid heat dissipation during heating, causing improved conductor line stability. Consequently, a flash layer of only .0001~ to .0002"
is deposited onto the substrate in the preferred embodiment.
Furthermore a very thin layer is less wasteful of copper. The thin electroplated coating is achieved by utilizing an ~Z34923 electroplating apparatus commonly known as a high impingement speed plating apparatus, such as is taught in United S~ates Patent Number 4,174,261 known as RISP, available from Economics Laboratory, Inc., Osborn Building, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55102.
Alternatively, any conventional electroplating apparatus may be used for applying the copper flash to the substrate. Hcwever, known oonventi~ electroplating apparatus generally cannot plate the extremely thin coating contemplated in the present invention without causing pinholes and other imperfections, and therefore is not preferred.
A low contact pressure is desired at the interface between the flash layer and thc substrate to facilitate separating the flash layer from the substrate. Low contact pressure ~ay be accomplished by using dissimilar materials for the flash and for the substrate, such as, but not limited to, using a copper flash ;
with a stainless steel substrate as in the preferred embodiment.
Alternatively, materials having similar surfaces may be used if either material is coated with an impurity for reducing adhesion at their interface.
In the preferred method of the invention, the printed circuitry may be fabricated on one side of the stainless steel substrate, but for multilayer applications may be fabricated on both sides of the substrate. This facilitates maximum production output, and allows optimal utilization of electroplating and other apparatus used in the method.
Referring generally to Figures 2 through 5, a layer of photosensitive resist material 14, such as Dryfilm, manufactured by Dupont, is applied to the copper flash surface 12 of the substrate 10 using techniques well known in the art. The photoresist will be either positive, such that it dissolves when exposed to light, or negative, i.e., it will not dissolve when exposed to light. A photomask 16 defining a conductive c rcuit pattern 18, is placed on top of the photoresist layer 14, by-techniques widely known in the art. The photomask 16 is aligned and brought into continuous contact with the surface of the photoresist 14 to insure a high resolution of the conductive circuit pattern on the surface of the photoresist 14. The photomask masks the surface of the photoresist such that when it is exposed to light only the areas n whlch the conductors are to be defined are left exposed.
After the photomask 16 is exposed to light, it is removed, and the photoresist 14 is developed using a commercially available developer such as Resist Stripper manufactured by Dupont. As a result, cavities 20, are formed in the areas where the photoresist 14 dissolved exposing the copper flash 12 previously covered by said photoresist 14 in the defined conductive circuit pattern 18.
The walls of cavities 20 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the substrate 10, amounting to essentially rectangular channels running throughout the remaining undissolved photoresist 14 according to the original conductive circuit pattern lB defined by the photomask 16.
The entire assembly is placed in a high impingement speed plating apparatus which in the preferred method is the RISP
app~ratus manufactured by Economics Laboratory, Inc., St. Paul, Minnesota. A conductive material 26, such as copper, is electrodeposited onto the exposed copper flash 12 at the bottom of the rectangular channels 20, rather than utilizing the ~L23~ 3 subtractive etchin~ method as tau~ht in the prior art. The electrodeposited material 26 is accumulated within the channels to a desired thickness of about 1.2 to about 15 mils (1.2 mils thickness of copper per sq. ft. to 15 mil thickness of copper per sq. ft.), the thickness being selected to prevent mushrooming of the electrodeposited material as happened in the prior art. At no time, however, should the thickness exceed the depth of the channels. The additive electroplatin~ step produces conductor lines 26 having straight and perpendicular side walls of uniform cross-sectional width, facilitating fine line resolution, and making it possible to easily control line widths and densities of extremely narrow dimension. The use of the RISP apparatus enables the cond~ctor lines to be plated with speed and uniformity that is considerably better than can be achieved with conventional electroplating techniques. Additionally, rapid impingement speed electroplating produces a very ductile conductor which is critical in preventing defects and failures in very narrow cross-sectioned conductor lines.
Referring generally to Figures 5 through 8, the photoresist layer 14 is chemically stripped away from the copper flash surface 12 exposing the raised electroplated conductive circuit lines 26 arranged in pattern 18. A layer of insulating material 32, such as epoxy coated fiberglass, is laminated to the copper flash layer 12 completely covering the copper flash 12 and the raised conductive circuit pattern 18. Thermosetting insulator materials such as epoxy coated fiberglass are utilized because of their low cost ~Z3~923 and good temperature cha~acterlstics. If epoxy coated fiberglass is not used, alternative materials, such as polypropylene, phenolics, or Teflon material manufactured by Dupont may be used.
The insulating layer 32 is laminated over the conductive circuit pattern 18 and the copper flash layer 12 by the application of heat and pressure as required for laminate material chosen, accomplished with a rigid pattern laminating press such as manufactured by Pasadena Hydraulic of El Monte, ~alifornia. When epoxy coated fiberglass is used this lamination step can be performed at a pressure of approximately 50-250 pounds per square inch depending on the weave of the glass fabric. (Thicker glass requires more pressure to set the epoxy into the weave) and at a temperature of approximately 425 degrees Fahrenheit. The insulating material 32 will thereby flow and completely fill all the voids between the raised conductor lines 26 and will also achieve a strong bond with the conductors. The insulator material 32 should be of uniform thickness so that the conductor lines 26 of the circuit pattern 18 will be completely covered by the insulator material.
The insulator material 32, in which the conductive circuit pattern 18 is molded and embedded and which is bonded to the copper flash layer 12, is manually separated from the surface of the substrate 10. The copper flash layer 12 is then removed from the insulator material 32 using conventional etching techniques or a rapid impingment speed etching apparatus, thereby exposing the conductors 26 of the circuit pattern 18 embedded in the insulator material. Figures 9 and 10 show the resulting printed circuit bord generally referred to at 36. As illustrated in Figure 10, the conductors 26 of circuit :~23~23 pattern 1~ lays flush and coplanar with the surface 3~ of the insulator material 32, having no abutting edges or protruding surfaces. Thus, the conductive circuit pattern is totally restricted and cannot move. This contrasts with the floating or or shifting tendencies that commonly plague printed circuitry which have been fabricated using prior art methods, having the conductive circuit patterns raised above an insulator material base. The embedded conductQr configuration that results from the present inventive method provides a durable and highly stable assembly, enabling large continuous sheets of printed circuitry to be manufactured at extremely close tolerances.
The oxide created on the copper conductors does not bond well to the insulation material. Therefore, the whole board 36 of the conductive circuit pattern 18 is immersed in a chemical bath, such as commercially available under the trademark Macublack from McDermott of Wate{bury, Connecticut. The chemical coating improves the adhesion qualities of the laminate, further insuring that, if the board is stacked, the copper surface of one board will adhere to the the laminate surface of an adjacent board.
This is particularly important for boards with surfaces exposing mostly copper and thus very little laminate, such as in ground and power boards.
At this stage of the invented p{ocess, a single layer 36 printed circuitry is complete. Having thus manufactured printed cirCuitry with the desired conductor patterns, multiple layer printed circuit packages may be fabricated. A layer of insulator material 44 is sandwiched ~etween each layer of printed circuitry 36. This insulator material 44 is of the same composition as that used in the laminate structure of the printed circuitry.

~2~j4c~z3 Thus, a multiplicity of printed circuit board layers 36 are stacked atop one another, with interposed layers of insulator material 44 sandwiched therebetween.
Referring generally to Figures 9 through 13, registration holes 38 are drilled through each printed circuit boa!d 36 and insulation la~er 44 that will be included in the multiple layer printed circ~it package. An optically yuided sighting system, such as that made by Sportonics, of Rockford, Illinois sites the target at which the hole should be made and then drills through the targets such that there is one hole per target. The registration holes 38 provide mounting means for stacking the printed circuit boards 36 and insulation layers 44 on mounting posts 46 so that the multiple layers of printed circuitry will align securely between a pair of pressure plates 48~(only one illustrated).
The multiple printed circuit board layers 36, with insulator material 44 sandwiched therebetween, are pressed together between the pair of pressu.e plates 48 in a conventional press at a temperature of 375 to 425 degrees Fahrenheit at a pressure of approximately 250 pounds per square inch to form a multi-layer package 54. However, in the preferred embodiment, when 50 psi is used to press a single layer, the same pressure will be used throughout the process.
Prior art multiple printed circuit packages often have layers that use insulator materials of different composition, or made in different manufacturing runs. Fabricating multiple-layer printed circuit board packages in accordance with the present method, however, enables the sandwiched insulator material layers, as well as the laminate base of the printed circuit board layers, to be composed of the same material. This results in a 16 r ~LZ349Z3 homogeno~s and continuous material structure when the layers are heat-pressed together to fo;m a multilayer printed circ~it board packages 54. Also, since the printed circuit board layers of the present method are flush, having no protrusions or indentations, fabrication of the ~ultilayer package is accomplished without voids or other irregularities occurring in the package structure~
Further, because the surface of the each circuit board layer is flush, lower pressure may be used to form the multilayer package.
The advantage of such low pressure is that warpage or distortion of the package is avoided during the pressing ste~.
In the prior art, in~ernal shifting and floating that - -~results from the use of high pressure during the multilayer package fabrication step places significant limitations on the number of circuit board layers that could comprise a single multilayer package. In the present invention, the combination of developing a homogenous insulator material in the package, along with eliminating voids through the use of flush printed circuitry, substantially increases the number of printed circuit board layers that can be pressed into a single package. The present method has been regularly practiced on a maximum of 22 board layers, and on a maximum of 40 layers on a more li~ited basis. However, the method is not thereby limited, and it is possible that packages with even a greater number of boards may be fabricated using the inventive method.
Referring to Fig. 14, interconnect and component lead holes 58 are then drilled through the multilayer package 44 using conventional drilling means. The holes are generally between .0115 and .093 inches in ~Z3~9Z3 diameter. The holes are then cleaned to removed drill smear using cleaning means well known in the art or by the rapid impingement speed plating apparatus.
As generally illustrated in Figure 14, a .000050 inch thickness of copper 56 is deposited on the hole walls 58 using a conventional electroless plating process. The copper deposit serves as a base for providing sufficient conductivity to carry substantial current for electrolysis. It should be noted that if this copper layer is too thin, it will simply burn away due to the heat generated during electrolysis.
Once again, tne holes are cleaned and rinsed to remGve impurities and surface dirt. A second thickness of oopper 60 is then added electrolytically using the rapid impingement speed plating appa,atus, to build up the desired conductive coating thickness along the walls of the hole 58. It is critical to this s~ep that rapid impingement speed plating be used since conventional electroplating means cannot access the long and narrow diameter holes to provide a good conductive coating. Further, the use of the rapid impingement speed electroplating apparatus provides a CGpper coating having improved ductility characteristics. Thus, thermal or other expansion along the vertical axis of the hole will not cause a break in the conductor ~urface which could interrupting current flow.
The present invention is capable of fabricating line conductor widths and spaces as narrow as 2 mils, package layers ~umbering 40 or more having through holes as small as 5 mils in diameter.

~ ~ ,, ., . . , . , . j , . . . .

~2~4923 ~ hile certain embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

.

~. .

Claims (12)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A method for fabricating multiple layer printed circuit board packages, comprising the steps of:
(a) fabricating a plurality of printed circuit board layers, wherein each layer is formed by embedding a conductive circuit pattern in an insulator material base such that the exposed surface of the pattern lays flush and coplanar with the surface of the base, and wherein said conductive circuit patterns are treated with a chemical conversion coating to provide an enhanced bond between said conductive circuit pattern and the insulator material bases in which they are embedded;
(b) stacking a plurality of said circuit board layers on top of each other;
(c) placing a layer of insulator material between each of said stacked printed circuit board layers;
(d) bonding the stack of circuit boards and interposed layers of insulator material together to form a multiple layer printed circuit board package.
2. The method of Claim 1, wherein fabricating each printed circuit board layer comprises the steps of:
(a) forming a uniform, thin first layer of conductive material on a polished, rigid substrate, wherein there is a low contact pressure between the first layer and the substrate;

(b) depositing a thickness of photosensitive resist onto said first layer of conductive material:
(c) masking said photosensitive resist with a photomask to define a conductive circuit pattern on the surface of said photosensitive resist;
(d) exposing said masked photosensitive resist to light;
(e) dissolving those portions of the resist corresponding to the conductive circuit pattern, thereby forming three-dimensional cavities in the resist and exposing said first layer of conductive material according to said circuit pattern;
(f) forming a second layer of conductive material upon the exposed portions of said first layer of conductive material to form a raised conductive circuit pattern conforming to the three-dimensional definition of the photosensitive resist image;
(g) removing previously undissolved photosensitive resist from said first layer of conductive material;
(h) treating at least the three-dimensional top and sidewall surface portions of said raised conductive circuit pattern so as to provide a chemical conversion coating on said surface portions, thereby enhancing the adhesion properties of said surface portions to laminate insulator materials;
(i) embedding said raised conductive circuit pattern on said first conductive layer within a uniform thickness of laminate insulator material, whereby the laminate material strongly adheres to said raised conductive circuit pattern across the entire three-dimensional said surface portions thereof;
(j) separating the first conductive layer with said attached laminate and said embedded conductive layer from the rigid substrate;
(k) etching away said first conductive layer from said insulator material, whereby the conductive circuit pattern embedded in the laminate insulator material is exposed and lays flush and coplanar with the surface of said insulator material.
3. The method to Claim 2, wherein the step of forming a first layer of conductive material on a rigid substrate comprises the steps of electrodepositing a thin coating of conductive metal onto a rigid substrate having a metalized surface and a low coefficient of thermal expansion.
4. The method according to Claim 2, wherein the step of forming a second layer of conductive material comprises the step of electrodepositing said material to a thickness of up to 15 mils.
5. The method according to Claim 2, wherein a rapid impingement speed electroplating apparatus is used to electrodeposit said second layer.
6. The method according to Claim 2, wherein the embedding step comprises laminating said insulator material over said first and second conductive layers, and applying continuous uniform pressure and heat, thereby embedding said second conductive layer into said insulator material.
7. The method according to Claim 1, wherein the circuit boards and the interposed layers of insulator material are bonded together by applying continuous uniform pressure and heat to form a unitary homogeneous package of insulator material with said conductive circuit patterns embedded therein.
8. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
(a) forming holes through the package;
(b) coating the walls of said holes with a thin layer of conductive material; and (c) forming a continuous conductive surface along the walls of said coated holes.
9. The method according to Claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
(a) drilling holes for circuit component electrical leads and board interconnects through said stack of printed circuit board layers and interposed layers of insulator material;
(b) using an electroless coating method for providing a thin conductive substrate layer on the walls of said holes for electrodepositing conductive material thereupon; and (c) electrodepositing conductive material on said conductive substrate layer to form a continuous conductive surface along the walls of the coated holes.
10. The method according to Claim 9, further comprising the additional step executed immediately prior to coating said holes of cleaning said holes.
11. A multiple layer printed circuit board package comprising a plurality of printed circuit board layers, each printed circuit board, comprising a conductive circuit pattern embedded in and integral with an insulator material substrate, wherein the surface of said conductive circuit pattern is exposed along one surface of said substrate, and lays flush and coplanar with said substrate surface, a layer of insulator material interposed between each printed circuit board layer, wherein said insulator material layer being integrally formed and bonded to adjacent surfaces of said printed circuit board layers, whereby said bonded layers form a unitary homogenous structure having a plurality of conductive circuit patterns embedded and integrally formed therein.
12. A multiple layer printed circuit board package according to Claim 11, wherein said insulator material layer and said substrate of said printed circuit boards comprise the same insulator material.
CA000516574A 1982-03-04 1986-08-21 Method for manufacturing multi-layered printed circuit boards and a circuit board produced by same Expired CA1234923A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA000516574A CA1234923A (en) 1982-03-04 1986-08-21 Method for manufacturing multi-layered printed circuit boards and a circuit board produced by same

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US35473682A 1982-03-04 1982-03-04
US354,736 1982-03-04
CA000422703A CA1222574A (en) 1982-03-04 1983-03-02 Method and apparatus for manufacturing multi layer printed circuit boards
CA000516574A CA1234923A (en) 1982-03-04 1986-08-21 Method for manufacturing multi-layered printed circuit boards and a circuit board produced by same

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000422703A Division CA1222574A (en) 1982-03-04 1983-03-02 Method and apparatus for manufacturing multi layer printed circuit boards

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1234923A true CA1234923A (en) 1988-04-05

Family

ID=25669959

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000516574A Expired CA1234923A (en) 1982-03-04 1986-08-21 Method for manufacturing multi-layered printed circuit boards and a circuit board produced by same

Country Status (1)

Country Link
CA (1) CA1234923A (en)

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4606787A (en) Method and apparatus for manufacturing multi layer printed circuit boards
US6684497B2 (en) Manufacturing methods for printed circuit boards
EP0843955B1 (en) Method of forming raised metallic contacts on electrical circuits
US5733466A (en) Electrolytic method of depositing gold connectors on a printed circuit board
US5576052A (en) Method of metallizing high aspect ratio apertures
US4889584A (en) Method of producing conductor circuit boards
CA1222574A (en) Method and apparatus for manufacturing multi layer printed circuit boards
US6426011B1 (en) Method of making a printed circuit board
KR100701353B1 (en) Multi-layer printed circuit board and manufacturing method thereof
JPH0716094B2 (en) Wiring board manufacturing method
EP0996319B1 (en) Composite material used in making printed wiring boards
US4789423A (en) Method for manufacturing multi-layer printed circuit boards
US5504992A (en) Fabrication process of wiring board
KR20010079509A (en) Improved method for forming conductive traces and printed circuits made therby
US4769309A (en) Printed circuit boards and method for manufacturing printed circuit boards
US4912020A (en) Printed circuit boards and method for manufacturing printed circuit boards
JPH04282843A (en) Interconnection device and manufacture thereof
US4678545A (en) Printed circuit board fine line plating
US7080448B2 (en) PCB with inlaid outer-layer circuits and production methods thereof
JPS59228789A (en) Method of forming printed circuit having one conductor layer
CA1234923A (en) Method for manufacturing multi-layered printed circuit boards and a circuit board produced by same
JPS59175796A (en) Method of producing multilayer printed circuit board
EP0426665B1 (en) Method for manufacturing printed circuit boards
US4847446A (en) Printed circuit boards and method for manufacturing printed circuit boards
JP2000049440A (en) Manufacture of printed wiring multilayer board

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
MKEX Expiry