Meiko Electronics Co., Ltd.

Koito Seisakusho Co., Ltd.

Tasuku Touyama

Teruaki Yamamoto

Tatsuo Wada

Keizo Yamashita

Glenn R Schaer

Keisuke Honda

A process for producing a copper-clad laminate, which comprises a step (S2) of forming a copper foil of at least several micrometers on a planar conductive substrate by electrolysis, a step (S3) of roughening the surface of the copper foil, a step (S4) of laminating the copper foil together with the conductive substrate on an insulating substrate and tightly integrating the assembly by applying pressure and heat, and a step (S5) of separating only the conductive substrate. A metal film may exist between the conductive substrate and the copper foil. When the metal film has a thickness of 0.1 to 3 .mu.m, only the conductive substrate is separated with the metal film being firmly adhered to the copper foil surface and, when the metal film has a thickness of 70 to 250 .mu.m, it is separated together with the conductive substrate after the lamination. The copper foil formed by high-speed plating under the conditions of 6 to 12.0 m/sec in solution contact speed and 0.8 to 4.0 A/cm.sup.2 in current density has about the same flexibility as that of rolled and annealed copper. Thus, ultrathin copper-clad laminates with a copper foil of 10 .mu.m or less suited for flexible circuit boards can be produced in a short time using small equipment.

Process for producing a copper-clad laminate

Method of producing conductor circuit boards

Apparatus for the production of metal foil or printed circuit patterns on a continuously advancing strip of electrically conductive material includes a cathode under which the conductive strip is fed in sliding contact therewith. An insoluble anode is disposed under the cathode, with an interelectrode gap between the anode and the cathodic conductive strip traveling under the cathode. Lying next to one end of the anode is a solution inlet block defining a solution inlet from which the electroplating solution containing the metal to be deposited is fed turbulently into the interelectrode gap to cause the electrodeposition of the metal on the downward-facing surface of the conductive strip. A shield block of electrically insulating material is mounted over the solution inlet block for shielding the conductive strip traveling thereover from premature metal deposition due to leaking current and hence for avoiding the development of pinholes in the metal foil or circuit patterns.

Apparatus for electroplating strip material without current leakage

Growing community of inventors

Shimizu, Japan

Tasuku Touyama