US5545308A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method of using conductive polymers to manufacture printed circuit boards
Assignee: LYNNTECH Inc
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Filing: 1995-06-19
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Granted: 1996-08-13
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Expires: 2015-06-19
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides electronically conducting polymer films formed from photosensitive formulations of pyrrole and an electron acceptor that have been selectively exposed to UV light, laser light, or electron beams. The formulations may include photoinitiators, flexibilizers, solvents and the like. These solutions can be used in applications including printed circuit boards and through-hole plating and enable direct metallization processes on non-conducting substrates. After forming the conductive polymer patterns, a printed wiring board can be formed by sensitizing the polymer with palladium and electrolytically depositing copper.
Inventors
- 👤 Oliver J. Murphy
- 👤 G. Duncan Hitchens
- 👤 Dalibor Hodko
- 👤 Eric T. Clarke
- 👤 David L. Miller
- 👤 Donald L. Parker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 12:44
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01G; H01G9/00; H01G9/004; H01G9/022; H01G9/025; C; C08; C08G; C08G61/00; C08G61/12; C08G61/122; C08G61/123; C08G61/124; C23; C23C; C23C26/00; C23C28/00; C25; C25D; C25D5/00; C25D5/54; C25D5/56; G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/004; G03F7/027; H01B; H01B1/00; H01B1/06; H01B1/12; H01C; H01C17/00; H01C17/22; H01C17/24; H01C17/242; H01C7/00; H01C7/003; H01C7/005; H05; H05K; H05K1/00; H05K1/16; H05K1/167; H05K3/00; H05K3/10; H05K3/18; H05K3/188; H05K1/162; H05K1/165; H05K2201/00; H05K2201/03; H05K2201/032; H05K2201/0329; H05K2203/00; H05K2203/05; H05K2203/0502; H05K2203/0514; H05K3/105; H05K3/40; H05K3/42; H05K3/423; H05K3/424
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
69 words
A method of forming an electronic circuit on a substrate comprising the steps of: forming a solution comprising a pyrrole monomer and an electron acceptor; applying a film of the solution onto the substrate; photopolymerizing portions of the film to form electronically conducting polypyrrole; washing an unpolymerized portion of the film from the substrate; activating the polypyrrole with aqueous palladium bromide; and electrodepositing a metal onto the activated polypyrrole.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
69 words
A method of forming an electronic circuit on a substrate comprising the steps of: forming a solution comprising a pyrrole monomer and an electron acceptor; applying a film of the solution onto the substrate; photopolymerizing portions of the film to form electronically conducting polypyrrole; washing an unpolymerized portion of the film from the substrate; activating the polypyrrole with aqueous palladium bromide; and electrodepositing a metal onto the activated polypyrrole.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is nonconducting.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the electron acceptor is a silver salt.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the silver salt is selected from the group consisting of AgNO 3 , AgClO 4 and AgNO 2 .
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 3 wherein the silver salt is AgNO 3 .
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the film further comprises a photoinitiator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the film further comprises a comonomer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the comonomer is aniline.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of copper, silver, gold, nickel, and mixtures thereof.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the metal is copper.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
67 words
A method of direct plating through-hole walls in a printed circuit board comprising the steps of: forming a solution comprising a pyrrole monomer and an electron acceptor; applying a film of the solution onto the through-hole walls; photopolymerizing the film to form electronically conducting polypyrrole; washing an unpolymerized mixture off the board; activating the polypyrrole with aqueous palladium bromide; and electrodepositing a metal onto the activated polypyrrole.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
67 words
A method of direct plating through-hole walls in a printed circuit board comprising the steps of: forming a solution comprising a pyrrole monomer and an electron acceptor; applying a film of the solution onto the through-hole walls; photopolymerizing the film to form electronically conducting polypyrrole; washing an unpolymerized mixture off the board; activating the polypyrrole with aqueous palladium bromide; and electrodepositing a metal onto the activated polypyrrole.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the printed circuit board comprises top and bottom surfaces current carrying copper lines on a nonconducting substrate.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 11 wherein the through-hole walls are nonconducting.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
95 words
A direct metallization process for manufacturing a printed circuit board from a substrate having a top surface and through-holes walls therein, comprising the steps of: forming a solution comprising a pyrrole monomer and an electron acceptor; applying a film of the solution onto the top surface and a through-hole wall of the substrate; photopolymerizing portions of the film to form electronically conducting polypyrrole on the surface and the through-hole wall; washing an unpolymerized portion of the film off the substrate; activating the polypyrrole with aqueous palladium bromide; and electrodepositing a metal onto the activated polypyrrole.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
95 words
A direct metallization process for manufacturing a printed circuit board from a substrate having a top surface and through-holes walls therein, comprising the steps of: forming a solution comprising a pyrrole monomer and an electron acceptor; applying a film of the solution onto the top surface and a through-hole wall of the substrate; photopolymerizing portions of the film to form electronically conducting polypyrrole on the surface and the through-hole wall; washing an unpolymerized portion of the film off the substrate; activating the polypyrrole with aqueous palladium bromide; and electrodepositing a metal onto the activated polypyrrole.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the substrate is nonconducting.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 15 wherein the portion of the film that is photopolymerized includes all of the through-holes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the film further comprises a photoinitiator.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the film further comprises a comonomer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of: curing the polypyrrole at a temperature between about 25 and about 100 degrees Celsius for a period of time between about 0.1 and about 3 hours in air.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-08-13 | 2000-02-12 | 2000-08-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-08-13 | 2004-02-12 | 2004-08-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-08-13 | 2008-02-12 | 2008-08-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |