PCB back drill detection method and PCB plating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9258885-B2
Application number	US-201214123082-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2012
Priority date	Nov 3, 2011
Publication date	Feb 9, 2016
Grant date	Feb 9, 2016

Abstract

A method for detecting back-drilled holes in a PCB and a PCB panel are provided. The method comprises: forming, on a metal layer of a first inner layer of a multi-layer PCB, metal rings according to positions of the back-drilled holes during a process of forming the PCB, wherein each of the formed metal rings has an outer diameter greater than an aperture of each of the back-drilled holes; forming, at positions corresponding to the positions of the back-drilled holes, metal holes extending through an outer layer of the PCB and the formed metal rings; forming two first detection holes electrically connected with the formed metal rings; forming the back-drilling holes on the PCB, which extend through and expand the metal holes; and detecting an electrical conduction between the two first detection holes so as to determine whether a position offset exists between the back-drilled holes and the metal holes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for detecting a back-drilled hole in a PCB, comprising:
forming, on a metal layer of a first inner layer of a multi-layer PCB, a metal ring according to a position of a back-drilled hole to be formed during a process of forming the PCB, wherein the formed metal ring has an outer diameter greater than an aperture of the back-drilled hole to be formed;
forming, at position corresponding to the position of the back-drilled hole to be formed, a metal hole extending through an outer layer of the PCB and the formed metal ring;
forming two first detection holes electrically connected with the formed metal ring;
forming the back-drilling hole on the PCB, which extends into and expand the metal hole; and
detecting an electrical conduction between the two first detection holes so as to determine whether a position offset exists between the back-drilled hole and the metal hole.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
forming, on a metal layer of a third inner layer, second bonding pads during the process of forming the multi-layer PCB, wherein the third inner layer is inside of the first inner layer in a direction of back-drilling, and each of the formed second bonding pads has a diameter between apertures of the metal hole and the back-drilled hole;
forming two third detection holes electrically connected with the second bonding pads;
after forming the back-drilled holes, if said two third detection holes are detected to be electrically conductive, it will be determined that depths of the back-drilled holes meet requirements; otherwise, it will be determined that the depths of the back-drilled do not meet requirements.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
forming, on a metal layer on a second inner layer between the first inner layer and the third inner layer, a first bonding pad having a diameter between apertures of the metal hole and the back-drilled hole during the process of forming the multi-layer PCB, wherein position of the formed first bonding pad corresponds to that of the metal hole;
forming two second detection holes electrically connected with the first bonding pad;
after forming the back-drilled hole, if the electrical break between the two second detection holes is detected, it will be determined the depth of the back-drilled hole extends beyond the second inner layer; otherwise it will be determined the depth of the back-drilled hole does not extend beyond the second inner layer.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein,
a plurality of metal rings electrically connected with each other are formed,
the number and positions of the metal rings formed on the first inner layer are corresponding to those of the metal hole, respectively,
the metal rings are connected in series, and
the first and last of the metal rings are electrically connected with one of the first detection holes, respectively.

5. A PCB panel having a back-drilled hole, comprising:
an outer layer and a first inner layer;
at least one metal hole, at least one metal ring, and two first detection holes, wherein
the metal hole extends through the outer layer and the first inner layer of the PCB panel;
the back-drilled hole is generated by expanding the metal hole and extends into the outer layer and the first inner layer;
the metal ring is arranged on the first inner layer, and has a position corresponding to that of the back-drilled hole and has an outer diameter greater than the aperture of the back-drilled hole; and
the first detection holes are arranged to detect alignments between the back-drilled hole and the metal hole, and electrically connected with the metal ring, and
wherein the alignments between the back-drilled hole and the metal hole meet requirements if the two first detection holes are electrically conductive.

6. The PCB panel as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the first detection holes are disposed on the outer layer of the PCB panel.

7. The PCB panel as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the difference between an outer diameter of the metal ring and a radius of the back-drilled hole is not greater than 6 mil, and the metal ring has a width not greater than 3 mil.

8. The PCB panel as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising:
a third inner layer, a second bonding pad attached to a metal layer on the third inner layer, and
two third detection holes,
wherein,
the third inner layer is disposed on an inside of the first inner layer in the direction of back-drilling;
the second bonding pad has a position corresponding to that of the back-drilled hole, and a diameter between apertures of the metal hole and the back-drilled hole;
the metal hole extends through the third inner layer; and
the third detection holes are arranged to detect a depth of each back-drilled hole, and electrically connected with the second bonding pad, wherein the depth of the back-drilled hole meets requirements if the two third detection holes are electrically conductive.

9. The PCB panel as claimed in claim 5 , wherein there are a plurality of metal rings electrically connected with each other, and there are provided a plurality of metal holes,
the number and positions of the metal rings formed on the first inner layer are corresponding to those of the metal holes,
the metal rings are electrically connected in series, and
the first and last of the metal holes are electrically connected with the two first detection holes, respectively.

10. The PCB panel as claimed claim 8 , wherein
a difference between a radius of the second bonding pad and a radius of the metal hole is not greater than 4 mil; and
a difference between a radius of the second bonding pad and a radius of the metal hole is not greater than 4 mil.

11. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein,
a plurality of metal rings electrically connected with each other are formed,
the number and positions of the metal rings formed on the first inner layer are corresponding to those of the metal hole, respectively,
the metal rings are connected in series, and
the first and last of the metal rings are electrically connected with one of the first detection holes, respectively.

12. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein,
a plurality of metal rings electrically connected with each other are formed,
the number and positions of the metal rings formed on the first inner layer are corresponding to those of the metal hole, respectively,
the metal rings are connected in series, and
the first and last of the metal rings are electrically connected with one of the first detection holes, respectively.

Assignees

• Univ Peking Founder Group Co
• Zhuhai Founder Tech Hi Density Electronic Co Ltd

Inventors

• Huang Shiqing
• Li Jinhong
• Chen Xianren

Classifications

• H05K1/0237 Primary

  High frequency adaptations (H05K1/0216 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K2203/0242

  Cutting around hole, e.g. for disconnecting land or Plated Through-Hole [PTH] or for partly removing a PTH · CPC title

• G01R31/2805

  Bare printed circuit boards · CPC title

• Y10T29/49155

  Manufacturing circuit on or in base · CPC title

• H05K2201/09781

  Dummy conductors, i.e. not used for normal transport of current; Dummy electrodes of components · CPC title