Method of making rigid-flexible printed circuit board having a peelable mask

The invention relates to a method of fabricating a flexible-rigid PCB which includes a flexible circuit substrate and a rigid circuit substrate. The flexible circuit substrate defines a rigid region and an exposed region and has a conductive pattern, such as conductive traces, formed on the exposed region. The method includes the steps of providing the flexible circuit substrate; printing a paste containing epoxy-silicone hybrid materials onto the conductive pattern; curing the paste; and building up the rigid circuit substrate on the rigid region of the flexible circuit substrate. Particularly, the paste having a specific composition is subjected to predetermined conditions of temperature and time in order to transform the paste into a peelable mask with heat resistance, chemical resistance and a contact angle greater than 20 degrees.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to techniques of manufacturing a rigid-flexible printed circuit board (rigid-flex PCB), and more particularly to form a reliable peelable mask on a flexible circuit substrate to protect conductive patterns, such as conductive traces, from damage while processing.

2. Related Prior Art

Taiwan utility model Patent No. M259439 discloses a protect layer printed on conductive traces of a (rigid) printed circuit board. The protect layer is made of silicone-based paste, which may be cured under ultra-violet light. The protect layer is elastic with a thickness about 0.1 to 0.2 mm and is bearable under a temperature up to 250□ such that the protect layer may endure through an electroplating process or a reflow process and then be peeled away. However, a rigid-flex PCB is substantially more difficult to manufacture than the rigid one, due to its fragile characteristics. Accordingly, the aforementioned protect layer which is usually subject to severe conditions may not be suitable for use in the rigid-flex PCB.

As disclosed in the background section of U.S. Pat. No. 7,281,328, a conventional process of fabricating a rigid-flex PCB is disclosed, including the step of forming a resist cover on a part of a flexible region of the rigid-flex PCB. The resist cover functions to protect the internal circuit pattern which is to be exposed for use in an external pad or a mounting pad. In the case where the resist cover is formed of peelable ink, the peelable ink may be easily removed by further applying peelable ink on the formed peelable ink to form an ink layer having a predetermined thickness and then removing the ink layer. However, under harsh chemical and physical conditions, residue may remain after removal of the peelable resist cover, contamination may occur, and therefore a defect rate is increased, resulting in drastically decreased reliability.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a method capable of producing an improved rigid-flex PCB using a peelable mask.

The present invention relates to the rigid-flex PCB which mainly includes a flexible circuit substrate and a rigid circuit substrate. The flexible circuit substrate defines a rigid region and an exposed region and has a conductive pattern, such as conductive traces, formed on the exposed region. The method includes the steps of providing the flexible circuit substrate; printing a paste containing epoxy-silicone hybrid materials onto the conductive pattern via a screen printing method under predetermined conditions; curing the paste; and building up the rigid circuit substrate on the rigid region of the flexible circuit substrate. Particularly, the paste having a specific composition is subjected to predetermined conditions of temperature and time in order to transform the paste into a peelable mask with heat resistance, chemical resistance and a contact angle greater than 20 degrees.

The present invention and the advantages thereof will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 to 5illustrate a method of fabricating a rigid-flex PCB according to the present invention, the method including the steps as follows:

As shown inFIG. 1, a flexible circuit substrate1defining a rigid region10and an exposed region20is provided. The flexible circuit substrate1has a conductive pattern201, such as conductive traces, formed on the exposed region20. The flexible circuit substrate1further has a circuit pattern (not shown) formed on the rigid region10to be bonded with a rigid circuit substrate4, which will be described hereinafter.

Referring toFIG. 2, the flexible circuit substrate1is covered with a screen2which defines a pattern hole20corresponding to the conductive pattern201of the flexible circuit substrate1. Then a paste3, such as a peelable ink containing epoxy-silicone hybrid materials is applied onto the screen2.

Next, as shown inFIG. 3, the paste3is transferred into the pattern hole20of the screen2by using a scraper so as to cover the conductive pattern201of the flexible circuit substrate1. After the pattern hole20of the screen2is filled with the paste3, the screen2is then removed.

Thereinafter the paste3which covers the conductive pattern201is cured under predetermined conditions to be transformed into a peelable mask3a, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5.

Finally, the rigid circuit substrate4is bonded onto the rigid region10of the flexible circuit substrate1so that the flexible and rigid circuit substrates1,4are combined together to form a rigid-flex PCB5, as shown inFIG. 5. Note that the rigid circuit substrate4may be single-layered or multiply.

As described above, the screen-printing process is applied to transfer the paste3, later as a peelable mask3b, onto the conductive pattern201. Alternatively, a blank screen printing, a non-screen printing or a steel screen printing may be used.

Further, the aim is to ensure that the each critical process is under proper control, such as the thickness of the screen2, the material ratio of the paste3, speed at which the scraper is operated, pressure applied by the scraper to the screen2, curing temperature and time in order that the peelable mask3amay be formed with a contact angle θ greater than 20 degrees, be easily peeled away by hand and has heat resistance and chemical resistance, whereby the peelable mask3ais able to withstand the extreme operating temperatures and chemical environments while the rigid circuit board4is building up.

Since the peelable mask3acovers the conductive pattern201while the rigid circuit board4is being built up, the conductive pattern201is protected from damage from the chemical or high temperature. When the conductive pattern201is to be used, the peelable mask may be then removed therefrom clearly simply by hand. Further, according to experiment data, when the contact angle θ of the peelable mask3ais smaller than 20 degrees, edges of the peelable mask3abecome thin and easily to be burned while curing. If so, the peelable mask3awould not be easily removed and residue may remain after the removal of the peelable mask3a.

Accordingly, by provision of the peelable mask3a, the conductive pattern201which is formed on the exposed region20of the flexible circuit substrate1is well-protected since the reliable peelable mask3ais formed on the flexible circuit substrate1before the rigid circuit substrate4is built up. Further, the peelable mask3ais made of materials containing epoxy-silicone hybrid resins and is treated under proper control so as to become easily peeled and reliable due to its great heat resistance and chemical resistance.

The foregoing description is for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to limit the scope of the protection accorded this invention. The scope of protection is to be measured by the following claims, which should be interpreted as broadly as the inventive contribution permits.