Array of conductive pathways

• US 5,529,829 A
• Filed: 02/23/1995
• Issued: 06/25/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: Koskenmaki, David C., Calhoun, Clyde D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edwards, N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAM, CATHY FONG FONG
• Application Number:
  US08/393,339
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 428/167, 428/209, 428/336, 428/615, 225/2, 156/47, 156/229, 174/117 F, 427/123, 427/286, 427/404
• US Class Current: 428/167
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/22 the conductive material comprising metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0283 Stretchable printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09045 Locally raised area or protrusion of insulating substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09236 Parallel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0271 Mechanical force other than pressure, e.g. shearing or pulling
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0014 Shaping of the substrate, e.g. by moulding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/04 the conductive material being removed mechanically, e.g. by punching
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/10 in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1064 Partial cutting [e.g., grooving or incising]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1077 Applying plural cut laminae to single face of additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1082 Partial cutting bonded sandwich [e.g., grooving or incising]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/12 With preliminary weakening
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4979 Breaking through weakened portion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12493 Composite; i.e., plural, adjacent, spatially distinct metal components [e.g., layers, joint, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2457 Parallel ribs and/or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/265 1 mil or less

Abstract

The present invention provides metal/polymer composites including a plastic substrate having longitudinally extending conductive members, adapted to make bonded electrical connections to an array of closely spaced conductive terminal pads. In general terms, the metal/polymer composites include a thin, flexible sheet-like plastic substrate having a plurality of longitudinally extending, regularly spaced, metal pathways or members on one major surface thereof.

Claims

1. A stretched metal/polymer composite comprising a plastic substrate having a plurality of longitudinally extending conductive members provided thereon, said conductive members comprising a rigid polymeric core having a metal coating thereon.

2. The stretched metal/polymer composite of claim 1 wherein said plastic substrate has a thickness of about 0.05-2 mm.

3. The stretched metal/polymer composite of claim 1 wherein the thickness of said plastic substrate and the thickness of said rigid polymer core have a thickness ratio of about 1:

1-100;

1.

4. The stretched metal/polymer composite of claim 1 wherein said rigid polymer core has a cross section of an isosceles triangle.

5. The stretched metal/polymer composite of clam 2 wherein said conductive members are provided in a density of greater than 20 members/cm.

6. A metal/polymer composite comprising a plastic substrate, a metal layer and a polymeric ridge region lying thereunder, said metal/polymer composite further comprising a plurality of connective polymeric groove regions, wherein the thickness of a cross section of said ridge regions is greater than the thickness of a cross section of said groove regions.

7. A metal/polymer composite of claim 6 wherein the ratio of the thickness of said plastic substrate at said ridge regions to the thickness of said plastic substrate at said groove regions is about 1.2:

1-10;

1.

8. A metal/polymer composite of claim 6 wherein said metal layer has a thickness of about 0.05-5 μ

m.