Method of making printed circuits

Claim 2

IN A METHOD OF MAKING A PRINTED CIRCUIT, INCLUDING THE SUCCESSVE STEPS OF (A) EXPOSING TO ACTINIC LIGHT ACCORDING TO THE PATTERN OF SAID CIRCUIT, PORTIONS OF A PHOTOSENSITIVE FILM DEPOSITED ON A METAL LAYE SUPPORTED BY AN INSULATING BASE, (B) REMOVING THOSE PORTIONS OF SAID FILM FROM SAID META LAYER THAT ARE SEPARABLE THEREFROM SUBSEQUENT TO STEP (A), (C) ETCHING AWAY THOSE PORTIONS OF SAID METAL LAYER THAT ARE EXPOSED AS A RESULT OF STEP (B) AND (D) REMOVING THOSE PORTIONS OF SAID FILM THAT PROTECTED PORTIONS OF SAID METAL LAYER DURING STEP (C) , SAID LAST-NAMED PORTIONS OF SAID METLAL LAYER CONSTITUTING THE CONDUCTORS OF SAID PRINTED CIRCUIT, THE IMPROVEMENT IN STEP (A) COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: A. CAUSING AT LEAST ONE ACTINIC LIGHT SPOT TO IMPINGE ON SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE FILM, B. CAUSING A RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID LIGHT SPOT AND SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE FILM ACCORDING TO A PREDETEMINED PATTERN TO EFFECT A TRACING OF THE DESIRED CIRCUIT CONFIGURATION BY SAID LIGHT SPOT ON SAID PHOTOSENSITIVE FILM, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING SUCCESSVE AND CYCLICALLY REPETITIVE STEPS SUBSEQUENT TO STEP (D) TO PROVIDE A PRINTED CIRCUIT FORMED OF A DESIRED NUMBER OFF INSULATED, SERIALLY CONNECTED CONUCTOR ASSEMBLIES: C. COATING THE TERMINA PORTIONS OF EACH CONDUCTOR WITH A LACQUER, D. COATING THE TOTAL SURFACE OF SAID CONDUCTOR WITH A COHERENT INSULATING LAYER, E. REMOVING THE LACQUER COATING FROM SAID CONDUCTORS TO EXPOSE THE TERMINAL PORTIONS THEREOF, F. COATING SAID EXPOSED TERMINAL PORTIONS AND SAID INSULATING LAYER WITH A METAL LAYER, G. COATING SAID LAST-NAMED METAL LAYER WITH A PHOTOSENSITIVE FILM, H. TRACING A DESIRED CONDUCTOR CONFIGURATION ON SAID LASTNAMED PHOTOSENSITIVE FILM BY MOVING AN IMPINGING ACTINIC LIGHT SPOT ON SAID LAST-NAMED PHOTOSENSITIVE FILM, AND I. ETCHING AWAY THOSE PORTIONS OF THE LAST-NAMED METAL LAYER THAT ARE SUBSEQUENT TO STEP (H) REMOVABLE BY A CORROSIVE AGENT.

Claim 3

An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein step (B) includes the steps of maintaining said light spot stationary and moving said photosensitive film with respect thereto.

Claim 4

An improvement as defined in claim 1, wherein step (B) includes the steps of maintaining said photosensitive film stationary and moving said light spot with respect thereto.

Claim 5

In a method of making a printed circuit, including the successive steps of (a) exposing to actinic light according to the pattern of said circuit, portions of a photosensitive film deposited on a metal layer supported by an insulating base, (b) removing those portions of said film from said metal layer that are separable therefrom subsequent to step (a), (c) etching away those portions of said metal layer that are exposed as a result of step (b) and (d) removing those portions of said film that protected portions of said metal layer during step (c), said last-named portions of said metal layer constituting the conductors of said printed circuit, the improvement in step (a) comprising the steps of: A. positioning an end of at least one optical fiber strand in the vicinity of said photosensitive film; B. causing an actinic light spot to exit from said end of said optical fiber strand and thence impinge on said photosensitive film; and C. causing a relative movement between said end of said optical fiber strand and said photosensitive film according to a predetermined pattern to effect a tracing of the desired circuit configuration by said light spot on said photosensitive film; and further including the following successive and cyclically repetitive steps subsequent to step (d) to provide a printed circuit formed of a desired number of insulated, serially connected conductor assemblies: D. coating the terminal portions of each conductor with a lacquer; E. coating the total surface of said conductors with a coherent insulating layer; F. removing the lacquer coating from said conductors to expose the terminal portions thereof; G. coating said exposed terminal portions and said insulating layer with a metal layer; H. coating said last-named metal layer with a photosensitive film; I. tracing a desired conductor configuration on said last-named photosensitive film by moving at least one impinging actinic light spot on said last-named photosensitive film; and J. etching away those portions of the last-named metal layer that are subsequent to step (I) removable by a corrosive agent.

Claim 6

In a method of making a printed circuit, including the successive steps of (a) exposing to actinic light according to the pattern of said circuit, portions of a photosensitive film deposited on a metal layer supported by an insulating base, (b) removing those portions of said film from said metal layer that are separable therefrom subsequent to step (a), (c) etching away those portions of said metal layer that are exposed as a result of step (b) and (d) removing those portions of said film that protected portions of said metal layer during step (c), said last-named portions of said metal layer constituting the conductors of said printed circuit, the improvement in step (a) comprising the steps of: A. positioning an end of at least one optical fiber strand in the vicinity of said photosensitive film; B. causing an actinic light spot to exit from said end of said optical fiber strand and thence impinge on said photosensitive film; and C. causing a relative movement between said end of said optical fiber strand and said photosensitive film according to a predetermined pattern to effect a tracing of the desired circuit configuration by said light spot on said photosensitive film; and further including the following successive and cyclically repetitive steps subsequent to step (d) to provide a printed circuit formed of a desired number of insulated, serially connected conductor assemblies: D. coating the terminal portions of each conductor with a lacquer; E. coating the total surface of said conductors with a coherent insulating layer; F. removing the lacquer coating from said conductors to expose the terminal portions thereof; G. coating said exposed terminal portions and said insulating layer with a metal layer; H. coating said last-named metal layer with a photosensitive film; I. tracing a desired conductor configuration on said last-named photosensitive film by moving at least one impinging actinic light spot on said last-named photosensitive film; and J. etching away those portions of the last-named metal layer that are subsequent to step (I) removable by a corrosive agent.

Claim 7

An improvement as defined in claim 5, wherein step (C) includes the steps of maintaining said end of said optical fiber strand stationary and moving said photosensitive film with respect thereto.

Claim 8

An improvement as defined in claim 4, wherein step (C) includes the steps of maintaining said photosensitive film stationary and moving said end of said optical fiber strand with respect thereto.

Claim 9

An improvement as defined in claim 4, wherein step (A) includes positioning of respective ends of a plurality of optical fiber strands in the vicinity of said photosensitive film; step (B) includes causing respective aCtinic light spots to exit from said respective ends of said optical fiber strands and thence impinge on said photosensitive film; and step (C) includes causing relative movement between said ends of said optical fiber strands and said photosensitive film according to a predetermined pattern to effect tracing of the desired circuit configuration by said light spots on said photosensitive film.

Claim 10

An improvement as defined in claim 7, wherein step (C) includes the steps of maintaining said ends of said optical fiber strands stationary and moving said photosensitive film with respect thereto.

Claim 11

An improvement as defined in claim 7, wherein step (C) includes the steps of maintaining the photosensitive film stationary and moving said ends of said optical fiber strands with respect thereto.