Polymer Layer Comprising Silicone and at Least One Metal Trace and a Process of Manufacturing the Same

• US 20080085376A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cortigent Incorporated, Doheny Eye Institute
• Original Assignee: Doheny Eye Institute
• Inventors: Greenberg, Robert, Talbot, Neil, Laude, Lucien
• Granted Patent: US 8,603,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/554
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1608 from pretreatment step, i.e. selective pre-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1612 through irradiation means
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1653 Two or more layers with at least one layer obtained by electroless plating and one layer obtained by electroplating
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1692 Heat-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/204 Radiation, e.g. UV, laser
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0289 having a matrix lay-out, i.e. having selectively interconnectable sets of X-conductors and Y-conductors in different planes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/032 consisting of one material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0373 containing additives, e.g. fillers H05K1/036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0393 Flexible materials H05K1/038 takes precedence; specific organic compositions are classified in H05K1/0313 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0162 Silicon containing polymer, e.g. silicone
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0209 Inorganic, non-metallic particles
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/016 Temporary inorganic, non-metallic carrier, e.g. for processing or transferring
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1105 Heating or thermal processing not related to soldering, firing, curing or laminating, e.g. for shaping the substrate or during finish plating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0035 of blind holes, i.e. having a metal layer at the bottom
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/007 Manufacture or processing of a substrate for a printed circuit board supported by a temporary or sacrificial carrier H05K1/187, H05K3/20 and H05K3/4682 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/107 by filling grooves in the support with conductive material H05K3/045, H05K3/101, H05K3/1258 and H05K3/465 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/185 by making a catalytic pattern by photo-imaging
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/28 Applying non-metallic protective coatings H05K3/0091 takes precedence; methods for intermediate insulating layers for build-up multilayer circuits H05K3/4673
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4661 Adding a circuit layer by direct wet plating, e.g. electroless plating; insulating materials adapted therefor other insulating materials H05K3/387
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4682 Manufacture of core-less build-up multilayer circuits on a temporary carrier or on a metal foil

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for embedding at least one layer of at least one metal trace in a silicone containing polymer, comprising: a) applying a non adhering on a substrate; b) applying a polymer layer on the non adhering agent; c) irradiation at least one surface area of said polymer with a light beam emitted by an excimer laser; d) immersing said irradiated polymer in at least one autocatalytic bath containing metal ions of at least one metal and metallizing the polymer; e) thermally treating said metallized polymer; f) applying a polymer layer on said thermally treated metallized polymer; and g) thermally treating said metallized polymer.

Claims

1. A process for embedding at least one layer of at least one metal trace in a silicone containing polymer, comprising:

a) applying a non adhering on a substrate;

b) applying a polymer layer on the non adhering agent;

c) irradiation at least one surface area of said polymer with a pulsed UV light beam emitted by a laser;

d) immersing said irradiated polymer in at least one autocatalytic bath containing metal ions of at least one metal and metallizing the polymer;

e) thermally treating said metallized polymer;

f) applying a polymer layer on said thermally treated metallized polymer; and

g) thermally treating said metallized polymer.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pulsed UV laser emits said light beam at a wavelength between 170 nm and 350 nm.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light beam emitted by an excimer laser is homogenized by passing said light beam through a homogenizing optical system which is able to homogenize the intensity of said light beam.

4. The process as claimed in claim 3, wherein said homogenized light beam passes through at least one of a square, rectangular and circular planar mask, said planar mask being disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said light beam and said planar mask being interposed between said excimer laser and said polymer piece.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising repeating said immersing of said metallized polymer piece in an autocatalytic bath containing different metal ions, and wherein two or more metal films containing different metal atoms are separately deposited onto one or more surface areas of said polymer piece, and said two or more metal films at least partially overlap on said surface areas.

6. The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein said irradiated pieces carried by said moving carrier are thereafter driven to said autocatalytic bath and said irradiated pieces are immersed by said moving carder into said autocatalytic bath.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said thermal processing is performed by a microwave oven, and the thickness of said metal film on said surface area of said polymer pieces after laser irradiation and immersion into said autocatalytic bath and thermally processing in said microwave oven, is determined by the energy density of said excimer laser light beam on said irradiated surface area and by the duration of immersion into said autocatalytic bath.

8. The process as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of immersing said metallized polymer piece into a second autocatalytic bath containing another metal ions, for forming a metallized polymer piece which is metallized with two overlapping and different metal films.

9. The process for embedding at least two layer of at least one metal trace in a silicone containing polymer of claim 1, further comprising:

h) irradiation at least one surface area of said metallized polymer with a light beam emitted by an excimer laser;

i) immersing said irradiated polymer in at least one autocatalytic bath containing metal ions of at least one metal and metallizing the polymer;

j) thermally treating said metallized polymer;

k) applying a polymer layer on said thermally treated metallized polymer; and

l) thermally treating said metallized polymer.

10. The process as claimed in claim 2, wherein said pulsed UV light beam is emitted by an excimer laser or by a pulsed quadrupled YAG laser.