International Business Machines Corporation

Michael J Canestaro

Donald G McBride

Edmond Otto Fey

William J Summa

Ronald J Moore

Warren A Alpaugh

Louis J Konrad, Iii

Anilkumar Chinuprasad Bhatt

Donald P Seraphim

John A Welsh

Ronald A Kaschak

James Steven Kamperman

Jeffrey D Jones

Theron L Ellis

Robert Jeffrey Day

Steven L Bard

Jack M McCreary

Gerald A Bendz

Edward Jay Frankoski

John E Larrabee

Michael S Horan

John R Chapura

John R Kjelgaard, Jr

A method of treating a substrate including providing a fluid treatment apparatus including a first sheet of material having a plurality of spaced apart drive rod receiving passages extending therethrough and through an upper surface thereof. An inside surface of each drive rod passage provides a bearing surface for a drive rod. At least one fluid passage is provided between the drive rod passages. A drive rod is inserted into each drive rod passage. The drive rods at least partially extend above the upper surface of the first sheet. A second sheet of material has a plurality of spaced apart drive rod receiving passages extending therethrough and through a lower surface thereof. An inside surface of each drive rod passage provides a bearing surface for a drive rod. At least one fluid passage is provided between the drive rod passages. A drive rod is inserted into each drive rod passage. The drive rods at least partially extend below the upper surface of the second sheet. The second sheet is arranged over the first sheet, such that the drive rods of the first and second sheets face each other. A drive mechanism rotates a plurality of the drive rods. A fluid supply apparatus supplies fluid to the fluid injector passages. The apparatus also includes a fluid source. A substrate to be treated is caused to pass between the upper and lower substrate transportation and fluid heads. A fluid is caused to flow through the fluid injector passages to treat the substrate.

Precision fluid head transport

A fluid treatment apparatus, including a lower substrate transportation and fluid head including a plurality of lower drive rod members provided in a plurality of spaced apart lower drive rod member receiving passages. The lower drive rod members at least partially extend through an upper surface of the lower substrate transportation and fluid head. A plurality of fluid injector passages and fluid drain passages are provided between the lower drive rod members. An upper substrate transportation and fluid head is provided including a plurality of upper drive rod members provided in a plurality of spaced apart drive upper rod member receiving passages. The upper drive rod members at least partially extending through a lower surface of the upper substrate transportation and fluid head. A plurality of fluid injector passages and fluid drain passages are provided between the upper drive rod members. A fluid supply apparatus supplies fluid to the fluid injector passages. A fluid source supplies fluid to the fluid treatment apparatus.

A method of forming a fluid treatment apparatus including providing a first and second sheets each having upper, lower, and side surfaces. A plurality of drive rod passages is formed through the first sheet between the side surfaces and through the upper surface. An inside surface of each drive rod passage is continuous with the upper surface and provides a bearing surface for a drive rod. At least one fluid injection passage and at least one fluid drain passage are formed through the first sheet between the upper and lower surfaces between the drive rod passages. A drive rod is inserted into each drive rod passage. The drive rods are rotatably supported by the bearing surfaces and extend above the upper surface. A plurality of drive rod passages is formed through the second sheet between the side surfaces and through the lower surface. An inside surface of each drive rod passage is continuous with the lower surface of the second sheet and provides a bearing surface for a drive rod. At least one fluid injection passage and at least one fluid drain passage are formed through the second sheet between the upper and lower surfaces between the drive rod passages. A drive rod is inserted in each drive rod passage. The drive rods are rotatably supported by the bearing surfaces and extend below the lower surface. The second sheet is arranged over the first sheet, such that the drive rods of the first and second sheets face each other.

A device for applying fluid to a substrate which includes a head member having first and second opposed portions adapted for being fixedly positioned relative to each other. The device is particularly suited for treating a substrate as the substrate moves between the first and second portions. Each portion may in turn include a first channel located at a predetermined distance from the substrate for having a first fluid impinge on the substrate at a first velocity. Additionally, each portion may include a weir adjacent the first channel for having fluid pass thereover at an accelerated rate and thus at a greater velocity than the first fluid, this weir being located at a lesser distance than the first channel. Fluid inlet means is coupled to the respective portions to provide the fluid thereto at desired velocities. Significantly, a fluid blocking means (e.g., an elongated bar) is also included as part of the structure for maintaining the fluids at pre-established levels.

Method for treating substrates

A fluid treatment apparatus and method for applying first and second fluids (e.g., etchant and water) to an article (e.g., circuit board) passing through the apparatus at a predetermined rate. The first fluid is impinged on a surface of the article and thereafter collected within the apparatus' common housing. The second fluid is impinged onto the surface of the article and collected within the same housing but at a location separate from the collected first fluid so as to at least partially prevent mixing thereof. The preferred means for effecting fluid impingement comprises separate fluid injecters, each including at least two rows of fluid jet injectors therein. The collected fluids are each returned to the respective impingement means. Replenishment of the second fluid is accomplished using a pump which supplies the second fluid, while the apparatus also includes means (e.g., a drain) to effectively remove the second fluid at a rate similar to the supply rate for the second fluid. The first fluid is also maintained at an established level above the article's surface using suitable means (e.g., dual rollers) located relative (e.g., on opposite sides of) the first fluid impingement means. Similar level retention for the second fluid is also possible. Cascading of the collected second fluid is also defined, this occurring within the same housing chamber which serves to collect the first fluid.

Fluid treatment apparatus

Disclosed is a method of drilling, desmearing, and additively circuitizing a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board is drilled under conditions which produce glass and polymer smeared vias and through holes. The particulate debris is removed by vapor blasting the drilled printed circuit board. Next the printed circuit board is soaked in a solvent to swell the drill smear on the circuit interplanes of the printed circuit board. This solvent is then removed by entrainment in a gas, and a stream of an aqueous, acidic, oxidizing solution is passed through the printed circuit board holes to remove swollen smear in the thru holes and produce an etchback of conductors. After a water rinse an aqueous reducing solution is passed through the printed circuit board to reduce and remove aqueous acidic oxidizing solution, e.g., residual aqueous acid oxidizing solution. The printed circuit board is rinsed to remove the aqueous reducing solution. The surface of the printed circuit board is then seeded, the intended circuitization is photolithographically defined on the printed circuit board, and the circuitization, including the surface circuitization and the plated through hole circuitization, is additively plated.

Methyl chloroform-free desmear process in additive circuitization

Fluid treatment device

A flexible electrical connection, and method for making such a connection, for mounting an electronic device, such as a semiconductor chip made primarily of silicon, on an organic substrate, such as a printed circuit board made of a glass material impregnated with epoxy resin, are disclosed. The flexible electrical connection comprises a circuit line attached to the surface of the organic substrate and having a floating terminus in a relatively low adhesive area of the organic substrate where it is desired to mount the electronic device on the organic substrate. The floating terminus includes a stress relief bend, and the flexible electrical connection relieves stresses, such as thermal stresses, which may otherwise damage the physical and/or electrical connection between the electronic device and the floating terminus of the flexible electrical connection when the electronic device is mounted on the surface of the organic substrate.

Flexible electrical connection and method of making same

A method for plating a metal from an electroless plating bath onto a substrate is provided which includes providing a source of an electroless plating bath at a non-plating temperature in a master mixing tank; transferring at least a portion of the plating bath to at least one plating cell, changing the bath temperature to a plating temperature, and contacting the substrate to be plated with the bath at a plating temperature.

Method for plating from an electroless plating bath

A method of decreasing plated metal defects by applying a layer of a noble metal such as palladium, platinum, gold, iridium, rhodium, or mixtures thereof between a photoresist and a metallic surface.

Decreasing plated metal defects

A method for modifying the surface characteristics of copper foil by contacting a surface thereof with an oxidizing composition; and use of the treated copper foil in the preparation of printed circuits.

Treatment of copper and use thereof

A cleaning process for high aspect ratio through holes of multilayer printed circuit boards assures the removal of any loosened fiberous material or epoxy smears in the through holes and also provides an inverted 'T' structure at the innerplanes of the internal conductive circuits within the printed circuit board sandwich. The inverted 'T' structure helps to move the contact point between the plating of the through hole and the internal circuit lines further into the circuit board, thereby eliminating the 'Z' stress at the edge of the innerplane. This process is accomplished by first vapor blasting the through holes, soaking the board in a suitable solvent to loosen any fibers or smears on the circuit innerplanes of the board, removing the excess solvent from the through holes and then feeding a unilateral stream of a cleaning solution through the holes, the cleaning solution operating to remove excess fibers and smears in the through holes and to produce a slight, uniform etchback of the metal innerplanes of the printed circuit boards. Thereafter, the solution may be reduced and any excess cleaning solution is removed.

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Endicott, NY, United States of America

Michael J Canestaro