Method for making carrier tape

Claim 1

A method of making a carrier tape which has a middle part, opposite outer parts, a succession of finger lead clusters which are equally spaced apart a predetermined distance (pitch) along its middle part and a succession of aligned pairs of sprocket holes which are equally spaced apart said predetermined distance (pitch) along its respective outer parts, said method including the steps of (a) providing a metallic foil tape having a photoresist material on one side thereof, (b) providing a photomask which consists of a base element which includes an elongated section that is divided into an elongated middle portion and opposite elongated outer portions, said base element having a single finger lead pattern and a single pair of aligned sprocket hole patterns extending therethrough, said single finger lead pattern being located in said elongated middle portion of said elongated section and the sprocket hole patterns of said single pair of aligned sprocket hole patterns being respectively located in said opposite elongated outer portions of said elongated section, said single pair of aligned sprocket hole patterns being displaced along said elongated section from said single finger lead pattern a certain distance equal to one pitch or multiples thereof, said single finger lead pattern having no sprocket hole patterns located laterally outwardly thereof and said single pair of sprocket hole patterns having no finger lead pattern located laterally inwardly thereof, and (c) exposing sequential sections of said photoresist material along the length of said metallic foil tape to radiation passing through said photomask, such that said metallic foil tape is provided with a succession of finger lead clusters formed in the middle part thereof which are separated by a distance equal to one pitch, each finger lead cluster having a pair of aligned sprocket holes located laterally thereof along the length of said metallic foil tape except for the number of finger lead clusters at the lead end of said metallic foil tape equal to the number of pitches the single pair of aligned sprocket hole patterns are spaced from the single lead patterns on said photomask.

Claim 2

A method of making a carrier tape which has a middle part, opposite outer parts, a succession of finger lead clusters which are equally spaced apart a predetermined distance (pitch) along its middle part and a succession of aligned pairs of sprocket holes which are equally spaced apart said predetermined distance (pitch) along its respective outer parts, said method including the steps of (a) providing a metallic foil tape having a photoresist material on one side thereof, (b) providing a photomask which consists of a base element which includes an elongated section that is divided into an elongated middle portion and opposite elongated outer portions, said base element having a single finger lead pattern and a single pair of aligned sprocket hole patterns extending therethrough, said single finger lead pattern being located in said elongated middle portion of said elongated section and the sprocket hole patterns of said single pair of aligned sprocket hole patterns being respectively located in said opposite elongated outer portions of said elongated section, said single pair of aligned sprocket hole patterns being displaced along said elongated section from said single finger lead pattern a certain distance equal to one pitch or multiples thereof, said single finger lead pattern having no sprocket hole patterns located laterally outwardly thereof and said single pair of sprocket hole patterns having no finger lead pattern located laterally inwardly thereof, and (c) exposing sequential sections of said photoresist material along the length of said metallic foil tape to radiation passing through said photomask, such that said metallic foil tape is provided with a succession of finger lead clusters formed in the middle part thereof which are separated by a distance equal to one pitch, each finger lead cluster having a pair of aligned sprocket holes located laterally thereof along the length of said metallic foil tape except for the number of finger lead clusters at the lead end of said metallic foil tape equal to the number of pitches the single pair of aligned sprocket hole patterns are spaced from the single lead patterns on said photomask.

Claim 3

A method of making a carrier tape which has a middle part, opposite outer parts, a succession of finger lead clusters which are equally spaced apart a predetermined distance (pitch) along its middle part and a succession of aligned pairs of sprocket holes which are equally spaced apart said predetermined distance (pitch) along its respective outer parts, said method including the steps of (a) providing a metallic foil tape having a photoresist material on one side thereof, (b) providing a photomask which consists of a base element which includes an elongated section that is divided into an elongated middle portion and opposite elongated outer portions, said base element having a plurality of aligned sprocket hole patterns and figure lead patterns extending therethrough, said finger lead patterns being located in said elongated middle portion of said elongated section and spaced apart a certain distance equal to one pitch or multiples thereof and the sprocket hole patterns of said pairs of aligned sprocket hole patterns being respectively located in said opposite elongated outer portions of said elongated section and outwardly thereof the finger lead patterns and said pairs of aligned sprocket hole patterns being spaced apart said certain distance, the finger lead pattern at one end of said elongated section having no pair of sprocket hole patterns located laterally outwardly thereof and the pair of sprocket hole patterns at the opposite end of said elongated section having no finger lead pattern located laterally inwardly thereof, and (c) exposing sequential sections of said photoresist material along the length of said metallic foil tape to radiation passing through said photomask such that said metallic foil tape is provided with a succession of finger lead clusters formed in the middle part thereof which are separated by a distance equal to one pitch, each finger lead cluster having a pair of aligned sprocket holes located laterally thereof along the length of said metallic foil tape except for the first finger lead cluster at the lead end of said metallic foil tape.

Claim 4

A method of making a carrier tape which has a middle part, opposite outer parts, a succession of finger lead clusters which are equally spaced apart a predetermined distance (pitch) along its middle part and a succession of aligned pairs of sprocket holes which are equally spaced apart said predetermined distance (pitch) along its respective outer parts, said method including the steps of (a) providing a metallic foil tape having a photoresist material on one side thereof, (b) providing a photomask which consists of a base element which includes an elongated section that is divided into an elongated middle portion and opposite elongated outer portions, said base element having a plurality of aligned sprocket hole patterns and figure lead patterns extending therethrough, said finger lead patterns being located in said elongated middle portion of said elongated section and spaced apart a certain distance equal to one pitch or multiples thereof and the sprocket hole patterns of said pairs of aligned sprocket hole patterns being respectively located in said opposite elongated outer portions of said elongated section and outwardly thereof the finger lead patterns and said pairs of aligned sprocket hole patterns being spaced apart said certain distance, the finger lead pattern at one end of said elongated section having no pair of sprocket hole patterns located laterally outwardly thereof and the pair of sprocket hole patterns at the opposite end of said elongated section having no finger lead pattern located laterally inwardly thereof, and (c) exposing sequential sections of said photoresist material along the length of said metallic foil tape to radiation passing through said photomask such that said metallic foil tape is provided with a succession of finger lead clusters formed in the middle part thereof which are separated by a distance equal to one pitch, each finger lead cluster having a pair of aligned sprocket holes located laterally thereof along the length of said metallic foil tape except for the first finger lead cluster at the lead end of said metallic foil tape.