Etch resist using printer technology

• US 6,921,550 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: DeHaven, Maxwell S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yan, Ren
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANS, ANDREA HENCE
• Application Number:
  US10/716,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20040099167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 616 Days
• Field of Search: 427/96, 427/98, 427/282, 216/13, 216/41, 101/170, 101/483, 101/163
• US Class Current: 427/96.1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0537 Transfer of pre-fabricated insulating pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/073 Displacement plating, substitution plating or immersion plating, e.g. for finish plating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0786 Using an aqueous solution, e.g. for cleaning or during drilling of holes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0079 characterised by the method of application or removal of the mask H05K3/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/062 consisting of metals or alloys or metallic inorganic compounds H05K3/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/108 by semi-additive methods; masks therefor characterised by metallic etch mask H05K3/062; electroplating methods or apparatus H05K3/241

Abstract

The present invention provides a printer and an inexpensive method for producing a printed circuit board using a printer configured to facilitate printing at least directly on a copper-clad substrate. The method includes the steps of feeding a copper-clad substrate into the printer, printing an inverse circuit image on the copper-clad substrate, allowing the inverse circuit image to dry, metalizing the copper-clad substrate to adhere a resist mask to exposed, uninked copper to form a metalized circuit image, and etching the copper-clad substrate that has been metalized to remove copper that forms the inverse circuit image.

Claims

1. A printer configured to print at least directly on a copper-clad substrate to facilitate inexpensively producing a printed circuit board, comprising:

an adjustable feeding mechanism for feeding at least a copper-clad substrate into the printer;

a printing mechanism, proximate to the adjustable feeding mechanism; and

a computing device associated with the printer which stores a library of inverse circuit images; and

one or more of the inverse circuit images are printed by the printing mechanism on the copper-clad substrate,

wherein the inverse circuit image is allowed to dry, the copper-clad substrate is immersed in a tinning solution to adhere a resist mask to an exposed, uninked copper to form a tinned circuit image, and the copper-clad substrate is etched to remove copper that forms the inverse circuit image.

2. The printer of claim 1 wherein the printer utilizes water-insoluble ink.

3. The printer of claim 1 wherein the printer utilizes India ink.

4. The printer of claim 1 wherein the adjustable feeding mechanism includes at least two settings;

a first setting to feed paper through a printing process and a second setting to accommodate a copper-clad substrate having a predetermined size.

5. The printer of claim 4 wherein the at least two settings include a plurality of settings to accommodate a plurality of sizes of copper-clad substrates.

6. A printer configured to print at least directly on a copper-clad substrate to facilitate inexpensively producing a printed circuit board, comprising:

a flat-input feeder for feeding at least a copper-clad substrate into the printer;

a printing mechanism, proximate to the flat-input feeder; and

a computing device associated with the printer which stores a library of inverse circuit images; and

one or more of the inverse circuit images are printed by the printing mechanism on the copper-clad substrate that is fed into the printer; and

wherein the inverse circuit image is allowed to dry, the copper-clad substrate is metalized to adhere a resist mask to an exposed, uninked copper to form a metalized circuit image, and the copper-clad substrate that has been metalized is etched to remove copper that forms the inverse circuit image.

7. The printer of claim 6 wherein the printer utilizes water-insoluble ink.

8. The printer of claim 6 wherein the printer utilizes India ink.

9. The printer of claim 6 wherein the flat-input feeder is adjustable to include at least two settings:

a first setting to feed paper through a printing process and a second setting to accommodate a copper-clad substrate having a predetermined size.

10. The printer of claim 9 wherein the at least two settings include a plurality of settings that accommodate a plurality of sizes of copper-clad substrates.

11. The printer of claim 6 wherein the exposed, uninked copper is metalized to adhere a resist mark using at least one of:

manganese, chromium, aluminum, iron, cobalt, nickel, tin, zinc, cadmium, palladium, and lead.

12. The printer of claim 6 wherein the exposed, uninked copper is metalized to adhere a resist mask using an alloy of at least one of:

manganese, chromium, aluminum, iron, cobalt, tin, zinc, nickel, cadmium, palladium, and lead.

13. The printer of claim 6 wherein the exposed, uninked copper is metalized to adhere a resist mask using at least one of:

soldering, electro-plating and electroless plating.