Patent ID: 6276355
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: B28D,H05K

Abstract:
A method for slitting a thin, flexible electronic device having a plurality of electrically conductive layers and at least one insulative separator layer without forming a short circuit between any two of the electrically conductive layers, the method comprising the steps of:positioning the device on a support means for rigidly supporting the electronic device;providing a slitting wheel having at least one annular contact surface comprising abrasive particles;rotating the slitting wheel in a predetermined direction to move the at least one contact surface at a predetermined velocity;first contacting a top layer of the device with an initial contact surface of the slitting wheel to grind through the top layer, the initial contact surface having a contact width to form a slit having substantially the contact width in the top layer, wherein contact forces between the first contact surface and the top layer are substantially parallel to an axis in the top layer;sequentially grinding, with the initial contact surface, through each layer, including a bottom layer, of the device below the top layer of the device forming slits having substantially the contact width of the initial contact surface; andsecond contacting and grinding the top layer and, sequentially, a predetermined number of the layers of the device below the top layer, with at least one additional contact surface of the slitting wheel, the at least one additional contact surface having a contact width larger than the contact width of the initial contact surface, whereby progressively more material is removed from upper layers than from lower layers of the device;wherein the sequentially grinding step and the second contacting step are performed at least partially contemporaneously.