Flexible printed circuits

• US 5,437,916 A
• Filed: 07/08/1994
• Issued: 08/01/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Laird Technologies Incorporated (DuPont de Nemours, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Monsanto Company (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Morgan, Albert W., Brozek, James P., O'Connor, Michael T. Jr., Capistran, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, CATHY FONG FONG
• Application Number:
  US08/272,895
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 428/209, 428/901
• US Class Current: 428/209
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1612 through irradiation means
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1641 Organic substrates, e.g. resin, plastic
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1879 Use of metal, e.g. activation, sensitisation with noble metals
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1882 Use of organic or inorganic compounds other than metals, e.g. activation, sensitisation with polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/2033 Heat
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/204 Radiation, e.g. UV, laser
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/405 Formaldehyde
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/185 by making a catalytic pattern by photo-imaging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/901 Printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/913 Material designed to be responsive to temperature, light, moisture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24868 Translucent outer layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31 Surface property or characteristic of web, sheet or block
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31935 Ester, halide or nitrile of addition polymer

Abstract

Flexible printed circuits comprising cobalt circuitry electrolessly deposited on an activated ink coating prepared by heating a wet ink comprising a polymer, e.g. a vinyl polymer such as polyvinyl chloride or polyvinyl alcohol or an unsaturated polymer such as polybutadiene, and a Group 1B or 8 compound, e.g. palladium dichloride, which is adapted to drying at room temperature to a catalytically inert ink. Selective areas of the ink activated by application of heat or light are catalytic to electroless deposition of cobalt.

Claims

1. A patterned, cobalt electrical circuit on a flexible film substrate wherein said cobalt is deposited onto a pattern of printed, activated ink comprising a vinyl polymer or an unsaturated polymer and a palladium compound.

2. A circuit according to claim 1 wherein said ink is formulated to dry at room temperature to a catalytically inert ink that can be catalytically activated by the application of heat.

3. An electrolessly-deposited, cobalt, patterned electrical circuit on a flexible film substrate wherein said cobalt is deposited onto an activated ink prepared by heating a printed wet ink comprising a polymer and a Group 1B or Group 8 compound formulated to dry at room temperature to a catalytically inert ink.

4. A circuit according to claim 3 wherein said polymer is a vinyl polymer and said compound is a palladium compound.

5. A printed circuit according to claim 4 wherein said polymer is polyvinylchloride, polyvinylalcohol or a butadiene polymer and said compound is a palladium compound.