International Business Machines Corporation

Michael James Cummings

Michael Vito Longo

John Michael Griffin

James Ralph Case

Thomas R Miller

Michael Wozniak

Curtis L Miller

Robert Maynard Japp

Anilkumar Chinuprasad Bhatt

Timothy Leroy Wells

Andrew Michael Seman

Kristen Ann Stauffer

Raymond C Tompkins

Robert J Lerner

Donald E Hanford

A cutting apparatus and method wherein a blade holder includes two blades which are each designed for cutting web material (e.g., dry film photoresist) in a reverse manner prior to application of the material to a substrate (e.g., dielectric-conductor structure) designed for eventual usage as a printed circuit board or as part thereof (e.g., if laminated up with other, similarly formed substrate members).

Method for cutting movable web material

A method of making a circuitized substrate having plated through holes free of filler material is provided. The method includes the steps of providing a dielectric substrate having first and second opposite faces. At least one via hole is formed from one face to the other. A first electrically conductive layer is applied onto the top and bottom faces of the dielectric member and onto the side wall of the via. First layers of photoresist are applied to each layer of conductive material and entering at least partially into the via hole. The first layers of photoresist are selectively exposed and developed to remove all of the photoresist, except that photoresist which is disposed in the via holes. Thereafter, a portion of the faces of the metal coatings on the surfaces of dielectric material and any photoresist remaining in the holes extending above the layers of electrically conductive material are removed to form a planar surface thinner than the thickness of the metal in the through hole. Thereafter, a second layer of photoresist material is applied to both the surfaces of the metal on both faces of the dielectric material and exposed to a desired circuit pattern. Thereafter, the second layers of the photoresist material are developed to reveal the underlying metal which is then etched to form a circuit pattern in the metal layer on both faces. Thereafter, the second layers of the remaining photoresist are stripped and also the photoresist remaining in the hole is stripped, thereby to provide a circuitized substrate with plated through holes having an opening extending from the upper face of the substrate to the lower face of the substrate.

Fine pitch circuitization with unfilled plated through holes

A wiring board for mounting an electrical device, which has an array of connectors thereon arranged in a grid pattern, wherein the connectors have at least two levels of criticality of connection to the substrate. The substrate has a plurality of mounting structure or features arranged in the same grid pattern to connect with the array of connectors on the electrical device. The mounting structures or features are divided into a plurality of at least two groups, with each group corresponding to a level of criticality of the connectors on the device. Each group of mounting structures has a discernible feature differing from each other group, to thereby permit different levels of inspection criteria for each group. The invention also contemplates a method of forming a substrate having the features for connecting the connectors on the device that have different levels of criticality

Structure and method for forming the same of a printed wiring board having built-in inspection aids

A method of making a circuitized substrate which may be utilized as a chip carrier structure. The method involves the steps of providing a dielectric member and routing out a preselected portion of the base member to form an aperture. Metallization of the dielectric member and the walls of the aperture then occurs, followed by circuitization of the surfaces of the dielectric member. Direct metallization of the aperture walls eliminates many manufacturing steps previously required to metallize the aperture walls.

Method of making a circuitized substrate with an aperture

A cutting apparatus wherein a blade holder includes two blades which are each designed for cutting web material (e.g., dry film photoresist) in a reverse manner prior to application of the material to a substrate (e.g., dielectric-conductor structure) designed for eventual usage as a printed circuit board or as part thereof (e.g., if laminated up with other, similarly formed substrate members).

System for making a printed circuit board

A method for reverse cutting with material wherein a blade holder includes two blades which are each designed for cutting web material (e.g., dry film photoresist) in a reverse manner prior to application of the material to a substrate (e.g., dielectric-conductor structure) designed for eventual usage as a printed circuit board or as part thereof (e.g., if laminated up with other, similarly formed substrate members).

Method for making a printed circuit board

A system for wet application of a dry film, such as a photoresist, to a generally planar panel having upper and lower surfaces, such as a printed circuit board, is provided. The apparatus comprises rotatable upper and lower wetting rollers each having an absorbent material such as neoprene on the surface thereof, and a mechanism for holding the upper wetting roller in forcible contact with the lower wetting roller so that rotation of the lower wetting roller is translated into rotation of the upper wetting roller. The lower wetting roller is positioned at least partially within a container providing a supply of wetting agent, such as water, such that the wetting agent is in contact with the absorbent material on the surface of the lower wetting roller. Wetting agent absorbed by the absorbent material on the lower wetting roller is transferred to the absorbent material on the upper wetting roller when the upper and lower wetting rollers are rotated, and wetting agent absorbed by the absorbent material on the upper and lower rollers, respectively, is transferred to the upper and lower surfaces of the panel to wet the surfaces when the panel is drawn through the rollers. A pair of upper and lower film supply rolls are provided for applying layers of film, respectively, on the upper and lower wetted surfaces of the panel, and a pair of upper and lower cure rollers are provided for curing the upper and lower surfaces of the panel having film applied thereon.

System for wet application of a dry film to a panel

A process for laminating discrete sections of a supported photosensitive layer onto a continuing series of sheet substrates. Each substrate is advanced to and through the nip of heated application rolls, and a continuous length of the supported photosensitive layer is also supplied to the nip. When the substrate reaches a first location positioned between the application rolls, all movement ceases except that the rolls move from an inactive disengaged position toward the substrate to an active position to cause pressure contact between the photosensitive layer and the substrate to thereby laminate the photosensitive layer to the substrate. There is a pause for a predetermined period of time with the rolls in the active positions before the substrate is again advanced with the rolls still in the active positions and the photosensitive layer again supplied to the nip. When the substrate reaches a second location, all motion ceases once again and there is another pause for another predetermined period of time with the rolls in the active positions after which the rolls are withdrawn to an inactive position. During the second pause, a successive substrate continues to advance toward the preceding stationary substrate. At appropriate times, the supported photosensitive layer is trimmed from the laminated photosensitive layer. The resulting laminated substrate is provided with well defined edges of the photosensitive layer where it is firmly laminated to the substrate along lines spaced from the leading and trailing edges of the substrate. This desirably results in an unlaminated margin adjacent the leading and trailing edges of the substrate.

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Vestal, NY, United States of America

Michael James Cummings