Copper wire and process for making copper wire

• US 6,123,788 A
• Filed: 05/24/1996
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Electrocopper Products Limited
• Original Assignee: Electrocopper Products Limited
• Inventors: Schneider, Bernd, Fedor, Robert J., Enos, Susan S., Bohmler, Ulrike, Apperson, R. Duane, Wiechmann, Rudolf, Wright, Roger N., Young, Sharon K., Clouser, Sidney J., Kohut, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ip, Sikyin
• Application Number:
  US08/647,707
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 148/684, 148/432, 205/50, 205/76, 205/77
• US Class Current: 148/684
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/04 Wires; Strips; Foils
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/10 Electroplating with more than one layer of the same or of different metals for bearings C25D7/10
• 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 2201/0355 Metal foils
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0307 Providing micro- or nanometer scale roughness on a metal surface, e.g. by plating of nodules or dendrites
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0723 Electroplating, e.g. finish plating
• 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

Abstract

This invention relates to copper wire having a substantially uniform unoriented grain structure that is essentially columnar grain free. This invention also relates to a process for making copper wire comprising: cutting copper foil to form at least one strand of copper wire, said copper foil being an annealable electrodeposited copper foil having a substantially uniform unoriented grain structure that is essentially columnar grain free, said foil being characterized by a fatigue ductility of at least about 25% after being annealed at 177° C. for 15 minutes; and shaping said strand of wire to provide said strand with desired cross-sectional shape and size. This invention also relates to a process for making copper wire comprising: flowing an aqueous electrolyte solution between an anode and a cathode and applying an effective amount of voltage across the anode and the cathode to deposit copper foil on the cathode, said electrolyte solution being characterized by a chloride ion concentration of up to about 5 ppm and an organic additive concentration of up to about 0.2 ppm; cutting said foil to form at least one strand of wire; and shaping said strand of wire to provide said strand with desired cross-sectional shape and size.

Claims

1. A process for making copper wire comprising:

(A) cutting copper foil to form at least one strand of copper wire, said copper foil being an annealable electrodeposited copper foil having a thickness of about 10 to about 250 microns and a substantially uniform unoriented grain structure that is essentially columnar grain free, said foil being characterized by having the property of a fatigue ductility of at least about 25% when it is annealed at 177°

C. for 15 minutes; and

(B) shaping said strand of wire to provide said strand with desired cross-sectional shape and size.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said foil is annealed, said foil being characterized by a fatigue ductility of at least about 65%.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said foil has an ultimate tensile strength at 23°

C. in the range of about 60,000 to about 95,000 psi.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said foil has an elongation at 23°

C. in the range of about 8% to about 18%.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said foil has an ultimate tensile at 180°

C. in the range of about 22,000 to about 32,000 psi.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said foil has an elongation at 180°

C. in the range of about 23% to about 37%.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein said foil has an ultimate tensile strength at 23°

C. in the range of about 42,000 to about 70,000 psi after being annealed at 177°

C. for 15 minutes.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein said foil has an elongation at 23°

C. in the range of about 15% to about 31% after being annealed at 177°

C. for 15 minutes.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein said foil has an ultimate tensile strength at 180°

C. in the range of about 22,000 to about 32,000 psi after being annealed at 177°

C. for 15 minutes.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein said foil has an elongation at 180°

C. in the range of about 24% to about 38% after being annealed at 177°

C. for 15 minutes.

11. The process of claim 2 wherein said foil has an ultimate tensile strength at 23°

C. in the range of about 36,000 to about 48,000 psi.

12. The process of claim 2 wherein said foil has an elongation at 23°

C. in the range of about 23% to about 36%.

13. The process of claim 2 wherein said foil has an ultimate tensile strength at 180°

C. in the range of about 22,000 to about 32,000 psi.

14. The process of claim 2 wherein said foil has an elongation at 180°

C. in the range of about 25% to about 40%.

15. The process of claim 1 wherein the average grain size for said foil is up to about 3 microns.

16. The process of claim 1 wherein the average grain size for said foil after being annealed at 177°

C. for 15 minutes is up to about 5 microns.

17. The process of claim 2 wherein the average grain size for said foil is up to about 8 microns.

18. The process of claim 1 wherein said wire has a round cross-sectional shape.

19. The process of claim 1 wherein said wire has a square or rectangular cross-sectional shape.

20. The process of claim 1 wherein said wire has a cross-sectional shape in the form of a cross, star, semi-circle, polygon, race track, oval, flat or ribbed-flat.

21. The process of claim 1 wherein said wire has a cross-sectional shape in a form substantially as illustrated in any one of FIGS. 3-20.