Nickel structures and methods for manufacturing the same by removal of an underlying material

• US 7,755,260 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Center Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Cheung, Patrick C. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson; Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSENAU, DEREK JOHN
• Application Number:
  US12/045,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20090226665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 310/348, 310/365, 310/366, 439/9, 439/775, 439/799, 439/816, 439/834, 439/840, 439/862
• US Class Current: 310/348
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0338 Layered conductor, e.g. layered metal substrate, layered finish layer, layered thin film adhesion layer etched tri-metal structure H05K2201/0361
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0397 Tab forming integral conductive tabs H05K3/4092
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10083 Electromechanical or electro-acoustic component, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1184 Underetching, e.g. etching of substrate under conductors or etching of conductor under dielectrics; Means for allowing or controlling underetching
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/062 consisting of metals or alloys or metallic inorganic compounds H05K3/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/326 the printed circuit having integral resilient or deformable parts, e.g. tabs or parts of flexible circuits H05K3/365 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4092 Integral conductive tabs, i.e. conductive parts partly detached from the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24331 including nonapertured component

Abstract

A printed circuit board includes a multiple-layer electrical circuit board and a nickel arm, wherein the nickel arm has an unconnected end located opposite to the connected end of the nickel arm, wherein the nickel arm has a front side and a backside located opposite to the front side of the nickel arm, wherein the backside of the nickel arm is located adjacent to the multiple layer electrical circuit board. A dimple is formed at the unconnected end of the nickel arm and on the front side of the nickel arm. An air gap is formed between the backside of the arm and the multiple layer electrical circuit board, wherein the air gap permits the arm to flex within the air gap. A lead zirconium titanate element is laminated to the printed circuit board, wherein the dimple on the front side of the arm contacts a surface of the lead zirconium titanate element, wherein a restoring spring force of the nickel arm maintains electrical contactivity between the dimple and the lead zirconium titanate element.

Claims

1. A structure comprising:

a multiple-layer electrical circuit board having an arm, wherein the arm has a connected end connected to the multiple-layer electrical circuit board and an unconnected end located opposite to the connected end of the arm, wherein the arm has a front side and a backside located opposite to the front side of the arm, wherein the backside of the arm is located adjacent to the multiple layer electrical circuit board,

a dimple formed on the unconnected end on a front side of the arm,

an air gap formed between the backside of the arm and the multiple-layer electrical circuit board, permitting the arm to flex into a space of the air gap, wherein the air gap is a completely empty space extending from the backside of the unconnected end of the arm to the multiple-layer electrical circuit board, and the air gap measured from the backside of the arm to the multiple-layer electrical circuit board is about 15 microns to about 45 microns, and

an adhesive film laminated to the printed circuit board, wherein the adhesive film is translucent and includes openings to permit the arm to pass therethrough.

2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the arm has a thickness from about 6 microns to about 25 microns.

3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the dimple has a thickness of about 30 microns to about 70 microns.

4. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the arm is nickel.

13. The structure according to claim 3, wherein the arm is nickel.

5. A structure comprising:

a printed circuit board including

a multiple-layer electrical circuit board having an arm, wherein the arm has a connected end connected to the multiple-layer electrical circuit board and an unconnected end located opposite to the connected end of the arm, wherein the arm has a front side and a backside located opposite to the front side of the arm, wherein the backside of the arm is located adjacent to the multiple layer electrical circuit board,

a dimple formed on the unconnected end on a front side of the arm,

an air gap formed between the backside of the arm and the multiple-layer electrical circuit board, permitting the arm to flex into a space of the air gap, wherein the air gap is a completely empty space extending from the backside of the unconnected end of the arm to the multiple-layer electrical circuit board; and

a lead zirconium titanate element laminated to the printed circuit board, wherein the dimple contacts the lead zirconium titanate element and wherein the arm is flexed into the air gap toward the multiple-layer electrical circuit board, wherein a restoring spring force of about 1 gram force to about 2 gram force is exerted by the flexed arm to maintain electrical contactivity between the dimple and the lead zirconium titanate element.

6. The structure according to claim 5, further comprising:

contact material applied at a contact point between the dimple of the arm and the lead zirconium titanate element.

7. The structure according to claim 6, wherein the contact material is a metal epoxy or a layer of metal solder.

8. The structure according to claim 7, wherein the metal epoxy is silver epoxy or the layer of metal solder is made of silver, tin, lead or combinations thereof and has a thickness of about 5 microns.

9. The structure according to claim 5, further comprising:

an adhesive film laminated to the printed circuit board or the lead zirconium titanate element, wherein the adhesive film is translucent.

10. The structure according to claim 5, wherein the arm has a thickness from about 6 microns to about 25 microns.

11. The structure according to claim 5, wherein the dimple has a thickness of about 30 microns to about 70 microns.

12. The structure according to claim 5, wherein the air gap measured from the backside of the arm to the multiple-layer electrical circuit board is about 15 microns to about 45 microns.