US5262718A — Anisotropically electrically conductive article

Claim 1

Independent Claim 109 words

A uniaxially electrically conductive article comprising porous electrically insulating sheet material of 8 to 800 micrometers thickness, at least a selected portion of which has at least 25 substantially straight-through non-interconnected pores of 1 to 200 micrometers diameter, formed by ultraviolet laser ablation, per square millimeter of its surface, at least a significant proportion of which pores individually contain a tubular formation of metal which provides an electrically conductive path between, and projects beyond at least one of, the main surface of the sheet material, the metal being substantially only within the pores and each such conductive path being electrically separate from substantially all the other such conductive paths.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 109 words

A uniaxially electrically conductive article comprising porous electrically insulating sheet material of 8 to 800 micrometers thickness, at least a selected portion of which has at least 25 substantially straight-through non-interconnected pores of 1 to 200 micrometers diameter, formed by ultraviolet laser ablation, per square millimeter of its surface, at least a significant proportion of which pores individually contain a tubular formation of metal which provides an electrically conductive path between, and projects beyond at least one of, the main surface of the sheet material, the metal being substantially only within the pores and each such conductive path being electrically separate from substantially all the other such conductive paths.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 23 words

An article according to claim 1, wherein the tubular formations of metal project beyond both of the main surfaces of the sheet material.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 25 words

An article according to claim 1, wherein the sheet material has 50 to 1000 pores per square millimeter in the selected portion of its surface.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 36 words

An article according to claim 1, wherein electrically insulating material has been removed from one or both main surfaces of the sheet material to expose portions of the tubular formations of metal originally within the pores.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 30 words

An article according to claim 1, wherein the electrically insulating sheet material includes a closed cell porous structure in addition to the said pores containing the tubular formations of metal.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 70 words

An article according to claim 1, in which the metal in at least some of the said pores is provided in two portions, a first portion being provided in contact with the interior pore surface, and a second portion being provided on at least one of the end faces of the first portion, at least the second portion projecting beyond at least one of the surfaces of the sheet material.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 20 words

An article according to claim 1, which the tubular formations of metal are provided in their respective pores by plating.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 65 words

An electrical device which comprises: (a) two electrically interconnected components, each having at least one connection site through which it is connected to the other component; and (b) an article according to claim 1, which is positioned so that each of the connection sites on the respective components is in contact with respective opposite ends of at least one of the tubular formations of metal.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 30 words

An electrical device according to claim 8, in which each of the connections sites is in contact with respective opposite ends of a plurality of the tubular formations of metal.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 19 words

An article according to claim 1, in which the pores have a diameter of from 5 to 200 micrometers.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 118 words

A method of making a uniaxially electrically conductive article, comprising: (a) applying a metal substantially only to the interior surface of pores formed by ultraviolet laser ablation in a selected portion of an electrically insulating sheet material of 8 to 800 micrometers thickness, the said portion having at least 25 substantially non-interconnected pores having a mean diameter of 1 to 200 micrometers per square millimeter of its surface such that the metal in each pore provides a separate electrically conductive path between the main surfaces of the sheet material; and (b) removing insulating material from at least one surface region of the sheet material so as to expose portions of the metal that were previously within the pores.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 118 words

A method of making a uniaxially electrically conductive article, comprising: (a) applying a metal substantially only to the interior surface of pores formed by ultraviolet laser ablation in a selected portion of an electrically insulating sheet material of 8 to 800 micrometers thickness, the said portion having at least 25 substantially non-interconnected pores having a mean diameter of 1 to 200 micrometers per square millimeter of its surface such that the metal in each pore provides a separate electrically conductive path between the main surfaces of the sheet material; and (b) removing insulating material from at least one surface region of the sheet material so as to expose portions of the metal that were previously within the pores.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 23 words

A method according to claim 11, which includes the step of forming the pores in the sheet material by the said laser ablation.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 19 words

A method according to claim 11, in which the pores have a diameter of from 5 to 200 micrometers.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 108 words

A method of making a uniaxially electrically conductive article, which comprises: (a) providing a sheet of electrically insulating material of 8 to 800 micrometers thickness; (b) forming in at least a portion of the sheet at least about 25 substantially straight-through non-interconnected pores of 1 to 200 micrometers diameter per square millimeter of its surface by ultraviolet laser ablation, the pores extending from one surface to the other surface of the sheet; and (c) applying metal substantially only to at least part of the interior surface of at least some of the pores, the metal in each such pore being electrically separate from that in every other pore.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 108 words

A method of making a uniaxially electrically conductive article, which comprises: (a) providing a sheet of electrically insulating material of 8 to 800 micrometers thickness; (b) forming in at least a portion of the sheet at least about 25 substantially straight-through non-interconnected pores of 1 to 200 micrometers diameter per square millimeter of its surface by ultraviolet laser ablation, the pores extending from one surface to the other surface of the sheet; and (c) applying metal substantially only to at least part of the interior surface of at least some of the pores, the metal in each such pore being electrically separate from that in every other pore.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method according to claim 14, in which the metal is provided on the interior surface of the pores by plating.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 36 words

A method according to claim 14, which includes the step of removing material from at least one surface of the sheet material so as to expose portions of the metal that were previously within the pores.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 36 words

A method according to claim 16, in which the portion of the sheet in which the pores are formed is defined by a screen, which defines a pattern of pores to be formed in the sheet.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method according to claim 14, in which the pores are tapered inwardly from one surface of the sheet towards the other surface of the sheet.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 35 words

A method as claimed in claim 14, which includes the step of removing material from both surfaces of the sheet material so as to expose portions of the metal that were previously within the pores.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method as claimed in claim 14, which includes the step of providing a material within the pores which have a metal layer on their internal surface.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 15 words

A method as claimed in claim 20, in which the said material is a solder.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 29 words

A method as claimed in claim 20, in which the said material is applied to the metal of the layer on the internal surface of the pores by plating.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method as claimed in claim 20, in which the said material substantially fills the pores in which it is provided.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 122 words

A uniaxially electrically conductive article comprising porous electrically insulating sheet material, at least a portion of which has at least 25 substantially straight-through non-interconnected pores per square millimeter of its surface, at least some of the pores containing: (a) a tubular first formation of metal which provides an electrically conductive path between, and projects beyond at least one of, the main surfaces of the sheet material, the metal being substantially only within the pores and, each such conductive path being electrically separate from substantially all the other such conductive paths, and (b) a second portion of a material that is also substantially only within the pores and is in contact with the interior surface of the tube provided by the first portion.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 122 words

A uniaxially electrically conductive article comprising porous electrically insulating sheet material, at least a portion of which has at least 25 substantially straight-through non-interconnected pores per square millimeter of its surface, at least some of the pores containing: (a) a tubular first formation of metal which provides an electrically conductive path between, and projects beyond at least one of, the main surfaces of the sheet material, the metal being substantially only within the pores and, each such conductive path being electrically separate from substantially all the other such conductive paths, and (b) a second portion of a material that is also substantially only within the pores and is in contact with the interior surface of the tube provided by the first portion.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 15 words

An article according to claim 24 wherein the second portion of material is also tubular.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 26 words

An article according to claim 24 wherein the material of the said second portion is different from the electrically conductive material of the said first portion.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 21 words

An article as claimed in claim 24, in which the second material substantially fills the tube provided by the first formation.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 21 words

An article as claimed in claim 24, in which the second material is applied to the tubular first formation by plating.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 26 words

An article as claimed in claim 24, in which each of at least a significant proportion of the pores contains a tubular first formation of metal.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 18 words

An article as claimed in claim 24, in which the pores have been formed by ultraviolet laser ablation.

Claim 35

Dependent Claim 29 words

An article as claimed in claim 24, in which the second material is a metal having a melting point lower than that of the metal of the first formation.

Claim 36

Dependent Claim 15 words

An article as claimed in claim 31, in which the second material is a solder.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1996-11-15	1997-05-17	1997-11-16	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2000-11-15	2001-05-17	2001-11-16	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2004-11-15	2005-05-17	2005-11-16	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Anisotropically electrically conductive article

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