Circuit board and method for its production

• US 7,595,452 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, Sefar AG
• Original Assignee: Sefar AG
• Inventors: Maurer, Christoph, Kirstein, Tunde, Locher, Ivo
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard; Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Semenenko; Yuriy
• Application Number:
  US11/432,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20060254811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• Field of Search: 174/254, 174/250, 174/256, 174/260, 361/760
• US Class Current: 174/250
• 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 1/038 Textiles used as reinforcing materials for organic insulating substrates H05K1/0366
• 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 2201/0281 Conductive fibers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/029 Woven fibrous reinforcement or textile textile substrates H05K1/038

Abstract

The invention relates to a circuit board and a method for its production. The highly flexible circuit board includes electrically non-conductive threads and electrically conductive threads. These threads form a fabric with a regular mesh structure. In the latter at least electrically conductive threads are used as warp threads and weft threads.

Claims

1. A highly flexible circuit board, in which electrically non-conductive threads and electrically conductive threads sheathed with an electrically insulating material are woven to a fabric, wherein:

at least the electrically conductive threads are arranged as warp threads and weft threads and form a regular mesh structure in the entire fabric with an equal spacing between the electrically conductive threads; and

every electrically non-conductive thread has a higher tensile strength than any of the electrically conductive threads.

2. The circuit board according to claim 1,

wherein the electrically non-conductive threads and the electrically conductive threads have a diameter ranging between 0.5 μ

m and 500 μ

m.

3. The circuit board according to claim 1,

wherein the fabric has a mesh width from 1 μ

m to 1 mm and the fabric has a thickness from 1 μ

m to 1 mm.

4. The circuit board according to claim 1,

wherein the electrically conductive threads have a core.

5. The circuit board according to claim 4,

wherein the core is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of copper, brass, aluminium and polypyrrole.

6. The circuit board according to claim 4,

wherein the core of the electrically conductive threads is coated with a material comprising at least one of silver and gold.

7. The circuit board according to claim 1,

wherein the electrically insulating material that sheaths the electrically conductive threads comprises a plastic.

8. The circuit board according to claim 7,

wherein the plastic is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, polyurethane, polyester or polyamide.

9. The circuit board according to claim 1,

wherein the fabric includes at least one of monofilament threads and multifilament threads.

10. The circuit board according to claim 1,

wherein the mesh structure formed by the electrically conductive threads has the same spacing both in the weft thread and in the warp thread direction and the spacing ranges between 5 μ

m and 4 mm.

11. The circuit board according to claim 1,

wherein the fabric includes more electrically non-conductive threads than electrically conductive threads.

12. The circuit board according to claim 1,

wherein at least one adapter element is applied to the circuit board in electrically conductive contact with at least one of the electrically conductive threads and at least one component is mounted on the adapter element.

13. A textile comprising at least two layers,

wherein at least one layer comprises a fabric woven from electrically non-conductive threads and electrically conductive threads sheathed with an electrically insulating material, and wherein:

at least the electrically conductive threads are arranged as warp threads and weft threads and form a regular mesh structure in the entire fabric with an equal spacing between the electrically conductive threads; and

every electrically non-conductive thread has a higher tensile strength than any of the electrically conductive threads.

14. The textile according to claim 13,

wherein at least one layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a film, fabric and felt.

15. A method for producing a highly flexible circuit board,

comprising:

weaving electrically non-conductive threads and electrically conductive threads that are sheathed with an electrically insulating material to a fabric, and wherein the weaving further comprises; and

arranging at least the electrically conductive threads as warp threads and weft threads to form a regular mesh structure in the entire fabric with an equal spacing between the electrically conductive threads;

wherein every electrically non-conductive thread has a higher tensile strength than any of the electrically conductive threads.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

forming a desired line structure by connecting and/or disconnecting particular electrically conductive threads.