Method for manufacturing multi-layer printed circuit boards

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein fabricating each printed circuit board layer comprises the steps of: (a) forming a uniform, thin first layer of conductive material on a polished, rigid substrate, wherein there is a low contact pressure between the first layer and the substrate; (b) depositing a thickness of photosensitive resist onto said first layer of conductive material; (c) masking said photosensitive resist with a photomask to define a conductive circuit pattern on the surface of said photosensitive resist; (d) exposing said masked photosensitive resist to light; (e) dissolving those portions of the resist corresponding to the conductive circuit pattern, thereby forming three-dimensional cavities in the resist and exposing said first layer of conductive material according to said circuit pattern; (f) forming a second layer of conductive material upon the exposed portions of said first layer of conductive material to form a raised conductive circuit pattern conforming to the three-dimensional definition of the photosensitive resist image; (g) removing previously undissolved photosensitive resist from said first layer of conductive material; (h) treating at least the three-dimensional top and sidewall surface portions of said raised conductive circuit pattern so as to provide a chemical conversion coating on said surface portions, thereby enhancing the adhesion properties of said surface portions to laminate insulator materials; (i) embedding said raised conductive circuit pattern on said first conductive layer within a uniform thickness of laminate insulator material, whereby the laminate material strongly adheres to said raised conductive circuit pattern across the entire three-dimensional said surface portions thereof; (j) separating the first conductive layer with said attached laminate and said embedded conductive layer from the rigid substrate; (k) etching away said first conductive layer from said insulator material, whereby the conductive circuit pattern embedded in the laminate insulator material is exposed and lays flush and coplanar with the surface of said insulator material.

Claim 4

The method to claim 2, wherein the step of forming a first layer of conductive material on a rigid substrate comprises the steps of electrodepositing a thin coating of conductive metal onto a rigid substrate having a metalized surface and a low coefficient of thermal expansion.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of forming a second layer of conductive material comprises the step of electrodepositing said material to a thickness of up to 15 mils.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 2, wherein: a rapid impingement speed electroplating apparatus is used to electrodeposit said second layer.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 2, wherein: the embedding step comprises laminating said insulator material over said first and second conductive layers, and applying continuous uniform pressure and heat, thereby embedding said second conductive layer into said insulator material.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 1, wherein: the circuit boards and the interposed layers of insulator material are bonded together by applying continuous uniform pressure and heat to form a unitary homogeneous package of insulator material with said conductive circuit patterns embedded therein.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of: (a) forming holes through the package; (b) coating the walls of said holes with a thin layer of conductive material; and (c) forming a continuous conductive surface along the walls of said coated holes.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of: (a) drilling holes for circuit component electrical leads and board interconnects through said stack of printed circuit board layers and interposed layers of insulator material; (b) using an electroless coating method for providing a thin conductive substrate layer on the walls of said holes for electrodepositing conductive material thereupon; and (c) electrodepositing conductive material on said conductive substrate layer to form a continuous conductive surface along the walls of the coated holes.

Claim 11

The method according to claim 8, further comprising the additional step executed immediately prior to coating said holes of cleaning said holes.

Claim 12

The method according to claim 2, wherein said first layer of conductive material is electrodeposited on said substrate using a rapid impingement speed electroplating apparatus.