Apparatus and method for fabrication of printed circuit boards
US5470644A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 21, 1994 |
| Grant date | Nov 28, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 21, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T428/31703
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A laminated sheet allows circuit boards to be fabricated without any special equipment. The laminated sheet can be printed using an ordinary laser printer on a personal computer. The sheet has a conductive layer, such as copper, attached to a nonconductive flexible substrate, such as Kapton. The outer surface of the copper is coated with an ink which provides a receiving surface for toner when the laminated sheet is fed through a printer. The other side of the flexible substrate is attached to a removable layer of paper which provides support for the laminated sheet during the printing process. The paper is removed after printing and the adhesive which held the paper is used to attach the flexible substrate to a rigid substrate. Alcohol is used to remove the ink and expose the copper for etching. The alcohol does not remove the toner which acts as a mask during the etching process. The toner is removed after board fabrication. An alignment procedure allows circuit land patterns to be placed on both sides of a circuit board.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.