Flexible circuit board and production method therefor

• US 5,914,179 A
• Filed: 12/19/1997
• Issued: 06/22/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nippon Mektron Limited (NOK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Mektron Limited (NOK Corporation)
• Inventors: Inaba, Masaichi
• Primary Examiner(s): POWELL, WILLIAM A
• Application Number:
  US08/994,858
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 216/13, 216/14, 216/18, 216/20, 216/51, 427/96, 427/97, 29/852, 428/209, 428/131, 428/137, 428/138, 174/254, 174/259, 174/265, 174/266
• US Class Current: 428/209
• 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 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0347 Overplating, e.g. for reinforcing conductors or bumps; Plating over filled vias reinforcing the conductive pattern H05K3/24
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0367 Metallic bump or raised conductor not used as solder bump solder materials or compositions and methods of application thereof H05K3/3457
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0394 Conductor crossing over a hole in the substrate or a gap between two separate substrate parts
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09481 Via in pad; Pad over filled via if used for surface mounting H05K1/113
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09563 Metal filled via plated through-hole filled with insulating material H05K2201/0959
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0376 Etching temporary metallic carrier substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1572 Processing both sides of a PCB by the same process; Providing a similar arrangement of components on both sides; Making interlayer connections from two sides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/20 by affixing prefabricated conductor pattern H05K1/187, H05K3/046, H05K3/4658, H05K3/4682 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/205 using a pattern electroplated or electroformed on a metallic carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/28 Applying non-metallic protective coatings H05K3/0091 takes precedence; methods for intermediate insulating layers for build-up multilayer circuits H05K3/4673
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4007 Surface contacts, e.g. bumps H05K3/4092 takes precedence; deposition of finish layers on pads H05K3/24; forming solder bumps H05K3/3457
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/423 characterised by electroplating method
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24917 including metal layer

Abstract

A desired circuit wiring pattern is formed by plating a conductive layer having excellent resistance at least to an etching solution on a metal layer which is removed in the post-process by etching. A surface protective layer having a hole for exposing part of the circuit wiring pattern is formed on both sides of the circuit wiring pattern at a predetermined position as an external connection terminal portion. The circuit wiring pattern can be formed in multiple layers by coating the conductive layer with a circuit wiring layer of another conductive material and a bump is formed to fill the hole as required.

Claims

1. A flexible circuit board having a circuit wiring pattern both sides of which are covered by an insulating surface protective layer, wherein the circuit wiring pattern is formed by a conductive material having resistance to an etching solution and has exposed terminal portions for external connection at the positions of holes formed in the surface protective layers.

2. A flexible circuit board according to claim 1 which has bumps one ends of which are electrically connected with the circuit wiring pattern and the other ends of which project outward by filling a conductive material in the exposed terminal portions for external connection.

3. A flexible circuit board having a circuit wiring pattern both sides of which are covered by an insulating surface protective layer, wherein the circuit wiring pattern is constituted by a conductive material having resistance to an etching solution and a circuit wiring layer formed by coating the conductive material with another conductive material and has exposed terminal portions for external connection at the positions of holes formed in the surface protective layers.

4. A flexible circuit board according to claim 3 which has bumps one ends of which are electrically connected with the circuit wiring pattern and the other ends of which project outward by filling a conductive material in the exposed terminal portions for external connection.

5. A flexible circuit board having a two-part circuit wiring pattern both sides of which are covered by an insulating surface protective layer, wherein at least one of the two parts of the circuit wiring pattern is a conductive material having resistance to an etching solution and has exposed terminal portions for external connection where holes are formed in the surface protective layers.

6. A flexible circuit board according to claim 5 which has bumps one ends of which are electrically connected with the circuit wiring pattern and the other ends of which project outward by filling a conductive material in the exposed terminal portions for external connection.

7. A flexible circuit board having a two-part circuit wiring pattern both sides of which are covered by an insulating surface protective layer, wherein one part of the circuit wiring pattern is a conductive material having resistance to an etching solution and the other part of the circuit wiring pattern is a circuit wiring layer formed by coating the conductive material with another conductive material and wherein the circuit wiring pattern has exposed terminal portions for external connection where holes are formed in the surface protective layers.

8. A flexible circuit board according to claim 7 which has bumps one ends of which are electrically connected with the circuit wiring pattern and the other ends of which project outward by filling a conductive material in the exposed terminal portions for external connection.

9. A flexible circuit board comprising:

a circuit wiring pattern formed of a conductive material which cannot be removed by applying an etching solution thereto, the circuit wiring pattern having first and second sides;

a first insulating surface protective layer, the first protective layer being disposed on the first side of the circuit wiring pattern and having at least one hole extending therethrough to thereby expose a terminal portion of the circuit wiring pattern for external connection therewith; and

a second insulating surface protective layer, the second protective layer being disposed on the second side of the circuit wiring pattern and having at least one hole extending therethrough to thereby expose a terminal portion of the circuit wiring pattern for external connection therewith.

10. A flexible circuit board according to claim 9 further comprising bumps with two ends, one end of each of the bumps being electrically connected to the circuit wiring pattern and the other end of each of the bumps projecting outwardly of the flexible circuit board, the bumps comprising a conductive material in the exposed terminal portions for external connection therewith.

11. A flexible circuit board comprising:

a circuit wiring pattern, the circuit wiring pattern including a first conductive material which cannot be removed by applying an etching solution thereto and a circuit wiring layer comprising a plating of a second conductive material;

a first insulating surface protective layer disposed on the first conductive material and having at least one hole extending therethrough to thereby expose a terminal portion of the first conductive material for external connection therewith; and

a second insulating surface protective layer disposed on the circuit wiring layer and having at least one hole extending therethrough to thereby expose a terminal portion of the circuit wiring layer for external connection therewith.

12. A flexible circuit board according to claim 11 further comprising bumps with two ends, one end of each of the bumps being electrically connected with the circuit wiring pattern and the other end of each of the bumps projecting outwardly of the flexible circuit board, the bumps comprising a conductive material in the exposed terminal portions for external connection therewith.