Formation of terminal metallurgy on laminates and boards

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11168400-B2
Application number	US-201816014579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2018
Priority date	Jun 21, 2018
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

At least one plating pen is brought into aligned relationship with at least one hole defined in a board. The pen includes a central retractable protrusion, a first shell surrounding the protrusion and defining a first annular channel therewith, and a second shell surrounding the first shell and defining a second annular channel therewith. The protrusion is lowered to block the hole and plating material is flowed down the first channel to a surface of the board and up into the second channel, to form an initial deposit on the board surface. The protrusion is raised to unblock the hole, and plating material is flowed down the first annular channel to side walls of the hole and up into the second annular channel, to deposit the material on the side walls of the hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
bringing into aligned relationship with at least one hole defined in a board at least one plating pen, said at least one plating pen comprising a central retractable protrusion, a one-piece first shell surrounding said protrusion and defining a first annular channel therewith, and a one-piece second shell surrounding said one-piece first shell and defining a second annular channel therewith;
lowering said retractable protrusion to block said at least one hole;
with said at least one hole blocked, causing plating material to flow down said first annular channel to a surface of said board and up into said second annular channel, to form an initial deposit of said plating material on said surface of said board;
raising said retractable protrusion to unblock said at least one hole; and
with said at least one hole unblocked, causing plating material to flow down said first annular channel to side walls of said at least one hole and up into said second annular channel, to deposit said plating material on said side walls of said at least one hole,
wherein said steps of causing said plating material to flow to form said initial deposit of said plating material on said surface of said board and causing said plating material to flow to deposit said plating material on said side walls of said at least one hole comprise applying a single first electrical potential to said one-piece first shell and applying a single second electrical potential to said one-piece second shell, wherein said first electrical potential and said second electrical potential are such that said one-piece first shell functions as a quasi-reference electrode and said one-piece second shell functions as an anode or as a cathode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of causing said plating material to flow down said first annular channel to said side walls of said at least one hole and up into said second annular channel, to deposit said plating material on said side walls of said board, is carried out for a predetermined limited period of time to deposit only a predetermined limited thickness of said plating material on said side walls of said at least one hole, without completely filling said at least one hole.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein, in said step of bringing said plating pen into aligned relationship with said at least one hole, said plating pen further comprises a third shell surrounding said one-piece second shell and defining a third annular channel therewith, and a porous frit located in said third annular channel, further comprising inhibiting leakage of said plating material with said porous frit by applying vacuum between said porous fit and said third shell.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said steps of bringing, lowering, causing plating material to flow down said first annular channel to a surface of said board and up into said second annular channel, raising, and causing plating material to flow down said first annular channel to side walls of said at least one hole and up into said second annular channel are carried out without the use of bristles.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said steps of causing said plating material to flow to form said initial deposit of said plating material on said surface of said board and causing said plating material to flow to deposit said plating material on said side walls of said at least one hole are carried out without immersing said board in said plating material.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said steps of causing said plating material to flow to form said initial deposit of said plating material on said surface of said board and causing said plating material to flow to deposit said plating material on said side walls of said at least one hole are carried out without applying electric potential to said board.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in said step of bringing into aligned relationship with said at least one hole defined in said board said at least one plating pen, said at least one hole comprises a plurality of holes and said at least one plating pen comprises a plurality of plating pens ganged together.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of causing said plating material to flow down said first annular channel to said side walls of said at least one hole and up into said second annular channel, to deposit said plating material on said side walls of said board, is carried out until said at least one hole is filled with said plating material to form a plug.

9. A method comprising:
bringing into aligned relationship with at least one hole defined in a board at least one plating pen, said at least one plating pen comprising a one-piece first shell defining a first channel therewith, and a one-piece second shell surrounding said one-piece first shell and defining a second channel therewith, said second channel being annular;
inserting said at least one plating pen into said at least one hole;
causing plating material to flow down said first channel into said at least one hole and up into said second, annular, channel, to deposit said plating material into said at least one hole to form a plug therein,
wherein said step of causing said plating material to flow down said first channel into said at least one hole and up into said second, annular, channel comprises applying a single first electrical potential to said one-piece first shell and applying a single second electrical potential to said one-piece second shell, wherein said first electrical potential and said second electrical potential are such that said one-piece first shell functions as a quasi-reference electrode and said one-piece second shell functions as an anode or as a cathode.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein, in said step of bringing said plating pen into aligned relationship with said at least one hole, said plating pen further comprises a third shell surrounding said one-piece second shell and defining a third, annular, channel therewith, and a porous frit located in said third annular channel, further comprising inhibiting leakage of said plating material with said porous frit by applying vacuum between said porous frit and said third shell.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said step of causing said plating material to flow down said first channel into said at least one hole and up into said second, annular, channel is carried out without the use of bristles and without immersing said board in said plating material.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein said step of causing said plating material to flow down said first channel into said at least one hole and up into said second, annular, channel is carried out without applying electric potential between said plating pen and said board.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Arvin Charles L
• Erwin Brian Michael
• Muzzy Chris
• Weiss Thomas

Classifications

• H05K3/187

  means therefor, e.g. baths, apparatus · CPC title

• H05K3/422

  characterised by electroless plating method; pretreatment therefor · CPC title

• C25D5/04 Primary

  Electroplating with moving electrodes · CPC title

• C25D5/12

  at least one layer being of nickel or chromium · CPC title

• C23C18/1605

  by masking · CPC title