Abstract:
A method for forming a dielectric structure. A first layer is formed, wherein the first layer includes a first fully cured photoimageable dielectric (PID) material. A sticker lays is nonadhesively formed on the first layer, wherein the sticker layer includes a partially cured PID material. A second layer is nonadhesively formed on the sticker layer, wherein the second layer includes a second fully cured PID material, wherein the sticker layer is nonadhesively sandwiched between the first layer and the second layer such that the sticker layer is in non-adhesive contact with the first layer and in non-adhesive contact with the second layer, and wherein the sticker layer is capable of remaining in non-adhesive contact with the first layer and the second layer until the sticker layer is subsequently subjected to additional curing.

Description:
This application is a divisional of Ser. No. 09/458,291 filed on Dec. 10, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,495,239. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to a dielectric structure, and an associated method of fabrication, wherein two fully cured photoimageable dielectric (PID) layers of the structure are interfaced by a partially cured PID layer. 
     2. Related Art 
     Mechanical or laser drilling of holes in dielectric layers of a multilayer dielectric structure is expensive. Such drilling would potentially be eliminated if the dielectric layers were to include fully cured PID layers having photovias. However, a practical method of adhesively joining a pair of such fully cured PID layers is needed. Note that a PID layer is a layer that comprises PID material. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a method for forming a dielectric structure, comprising the steps of: 
     forming a first layer, wherein the first layer includes a first fully cured photoimageable dielectric (PID) material; 
     nonadhesively forming a sticker layer on the first layer, wherein the sticker layer includes a partially cured PID material; and 
     nonadhesively forming a second layer on the sticker layer, wherein the second layer includes a second fully cured PID material. 
     The present invention provides a method for forming a dielectric structure, comprising the steps of: 
     forming a first layer, wherein the first layer includes a first fully cured photoimageable dielectric (PID) material; 
     nonadhesively forming a sticker layer on the first layer, wherein the sticker layer includes an internal power plane sandwiched between a first sheet of a partially cured PID material and a second sheet of the partially cured PID material; and 
     nonadhesively forming a second layer on the sticker layer, wherein the second layer includes a second fully cured PID material. 
     The present invention provides a dielectric structure, comprising: 
     a first layer having a first fully cured photoimageable dielectric (PID) material; 
     a second layer having a second fully cured PID material; and 
     a sticker layer having a partially cured PID material, wherein the sticker layer is nonadhesively sandwiched between the first layer and the second layer. 
     The present invention has the advantage of replacing laser-drilled or mechanically-drilled vias with photovias, which potentially reduces the costs associated with forming vias in layers of a dielectric structure. 
     The present invention has the advantage of allowing formation of a via with a relatively high aspect ratio (i.e., ratio of via height to via diameter). For example, a sidewall of a typical photovia makes an angle of about 10 degrees with a via axis. In contrast, a sidewall of a typical laser-drilled via makes an angle of about 20 to 30 degrees with the via axis. 
     The present invention has the advantage that a PID layer (i.e., a layer comprising PID material) does not include glass fibers. Conventional, non-PID dielectric layers typically contains glass fibers. A dielectric layer that includes glass fibers is susceptible to having metallic material, such as copper, growing along a glass fiber so as to form a short between two conductors touched by the glass fiber. 
     The present invention has the advantage of being able to utilize continuous rolls of PID material for making partially cured PID layers, which is less expensive than using conventional pre-cut panels of dielectric material. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 depicts a front cross-sectional view of a dielectric structure having a sticker layer of partially cured photoimageable dielectric (PID) material sandwiched between two PID layers with each PID layer including fully cured PID material, in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 depicts the sticker layer of FIG. 1 in isolation. 
     FIG. 3 depicts irradiation of an uncured PID layer to form the sticker layer of FIG. 2, in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 depicts irradiation of a first sheet of uncured PID material for forming a sheet of partially cured PID material, in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 depicts a power plane on the sheet of partially cured PID material formed in accordance with FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 depicts irradiating a second sheet of uncured PID material that has been layered on the power plane of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 depicts irradiating a second sheet of uncured PID material that will be subsequently layered on the power plane of FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 8 depicts irradiating a first sheet of uncured PID material that has been layered on one of the PID layers of fully cured PID material of FIG. 1, in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 9 depicts FIG. 8 after a power plane and a second sheet of uncured PID material have been successively layered on the first sheet of uncured PID material. 
     FIG. 10 depicts a front cross-sectional view of a dielectric structure having a sticker layer sandwiched between two 2S/1P layers with vias, in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 11 depicts FIG. 10 after addition of films of partially cured PID material have been formed on the 2S/1P layers. 
     FIG. 12 depicts FIG. 11 after final cure of the dielectric structure. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 depicts a front cross-sectional view of a dielectric structure  10  having a layer  30  nonadhesively sandwiched between layers  20  and  40 , in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention. The layer  30  includes a partially cured photoimageable dielectric (PID) material, preferably with an internal power plane  31  having a hole  57 , wherein the power plane  31  is sandwiched between a sheet  32  of the partially cured PID material and a sheet  33  of the partially cured PID material, wherein the hole  57  is filled with the partially cured PID material. The layer  20  preferably includes a first fully cured PID material with an internal power plane  21 . The layer  40  preferably includes a second fully cured PID material with an internal power plane  41 . Alternatively, either or both of the layer  20  and  40  may include a filled dielectric material containing a filler such as, inter alia, silica, alumina, dolomite, mica, and talc that is not susceptible to being cured upon subsequent pressurization or exposure to elevated temperature. A power plane is a layer of metal, such as copper, having one or more holes. Each of the preceding power planes  21 ,  31 , and  41  are assumed to be present unless noted otherwise. The layer  30  is called a “sticker layer,” because the layer  30 , after being fully cured in a subsequent processing step, sticks to each of the layers  20  and  40  and therefore serves to join the layers  20  and  40  together. The layer  30  is an example a PID layer; i.e., a layer comprising PID material. Any PID material known to one skilled in the art may be used in the present invention, such as improved photoimageable cationically polymerizable epoxy based coating materials whose compositions are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,026,624 (Day et al., Jun. 25, 1991) and 5,300,402 (Card, Jr. et al., Apr. 5, 1994). 
     PID material, if uncured, flows when subject to pressurization and/or elevated temperature. The propensity of PID material to flow diminishes as it undergoes a curing process. For this invention, a given specimen of PID material may exist in one of the following states of cure: uncured, partially cured, and fully cured. A specimen of PID material is “uncured” if the specimen has experienced no curing or negligible curing. A specimen of PID material is “partially cured” if the specimen has been cured to an extent that it will flow or deform, so as to nonadhesively couple with a contacting dielectric layer when subject to atmospheric pressure at ambient temperature, and adhesively bond with the contacting dielectric layer under subsequent pressurization and/or elevated temperature. A dielectric material that has been partially cured in the preceding manner is known to one skilled in the art as B-staged material, such as a B-staged organic resin. Partially cured PID material may include a filler material, such as silica, alumina, dolomite, mica, and talc, in combination with B-staged material. A specimen of PID material is “fully cured” if the specimen has been cured to such an extent that the PID material will not substantially flow, or substantially deform, if subject to subsequent pressurization and/or elevated temperature. The magnitude of pressurization and/or elevated temperature needed to effectuate adhesive bonding depends on, inter alia, such factors as: the degree of partial curing achieved prior to the pressurization and/or elevated temperature, the particular PID material that has been partially cured, and the roughness of the surface to which the partially cured PID material will be subsequently bonded. The elevated temperature(s) may be achieved in various ways such as with multiple heating cycles. Pressures in a range of about 100 psi to about 700 psi, coupled with elevated temperatures in a range of about 80° C. to about 250° C., are generally effective for full curing the B-staged materials. Pressures in a range of about 300 psi to about 00 psi at an elevated temperatures of about 190° C. for about one hour has been experimentally determined to be effective for B-staged material described in the Card, Jr. et al. patent cited supra. 
     For the present invention, full curing is accomplished by subjecting partially cured PID material to a combination of pressurization and temperature elevation. Also for the present invention, partial curing is accomplished by limited exposure of the PID material to radiation, such as ultraviolet radiation, and may be improved by accompanying and/or following the radiation exposure with heating such as at a temperature in a range of about 100° C. to about 150° C. for a period of time between about 3 minutes and about 15 minutes. With some materials, as are known to those skilled in the art, the partial curing may be accomplished by heating without radiation exposure. Partial curing by exposure of the PID material to radiation requires limitation of the radiative dose FT, where F is the energy flux (in such units as milliwatts/cm 2 ) of the radiation passing through the PID material and T is the total time of exposure to the radiation. If FT is too high, full curing rather than partial curing will occur. The range of FT that distinguishes partial curing from full curing depends on the specific PID material used inasmuch as each different PID material has its own characteristic chemical response to the incident radiation. One skilled in the art may determine practical ranges of FT for effectuating either full curing or partial curing, without undue experimentation, by varying FT through control of F and T for individually cured PID samples, followed by testing to determine whether the cured PID samples undergo liquification and flow upon subsequent pressurization and exposure to elevated temperatures. 
     An important characteristic of PID material is that PID material, if not exposed to a radiation that it is sensitive to such as ultraviolet radiation, may be chemically developed away by any method known to one of ordinary skill in the art. The specific method and the chemicals that may be used for developing away the PID material, including wet chemicals and dry chemicals, depends on the chemical composition of the PID material. In contrast, radiation exposure of PID material causes chemical cross-linking reactions in the PID material, which renders the PID material resistant to being chemically washed away by a developer solution. Thus, photovias may be formed in a layer of PID material by, inter alia, photolithographic masking schemes that prevent the radiation from reaching those volumes of the layer in which photovias are to be formed, but which allow radiation to interact with the other volumetric portions of the layer which may be subsequently exposed to the developer solution. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates the layer  30  of FIG. 1 in isolation from the layers  20  and  40 . FIG. 3 illustrates a first embodiment of the present invention in which the layer  30  of FIG. 2 is formed in isolation from the layers  20  and  40  of FIG.  1 . In FIG. 3, a sheet  38  of uncured PID material includes the power plane  31  (see FIG. 2) sandwiched between a sheet  34  of the uncured PID material and a sheet  35  of the uncured PID material. If the power plane  31  were absent, the sheet  35  would be positioned directly on the sheet  34 . The radiation source  50  directs radiation  52 , such as ultraviolet radiation, through the sheet  34  at an intensity and for a duration that causes the sheet  34  to become partially cured. Similarly, the radiation source  60  directs radiation  52 , such as ultraviolet radiation, through the sheet  35  at an intensity and for a duration that causes the sheet  35  to become partially cured. The power plane  31  is opaque to the radiation  52  and thus prevents the radiation  52  from interacting with portions of the sheet  35 . Similarly, power plane  31  is opaque to the radiation  62  and thus prevents the radiation  62  from interacting with portions of the sheet  34 . Note that a region  82  encompasses a thickness t 1  of the sheet  38  such that the region  82  includes the hole  57  within the power plane  31 . Thus, the region  82  of uncured PID material is potentially accessible to both the radiation  52  and the radiation  62 . To ensure that the region  82  receives a dose of radiation that partially, and not fully, cures the region  82 , the surface  83  and/or the surface  84  of the sheet  38  may be masked such that: only the radiation  52  passes through the region  82 , only the radiation  62  passes through the region  82 , or the intensity of the radiation  52  and the radiation  62  are adjusted to cause the PID material in the region  82  to be partially cured. In that manner, the PID material throughout the sheet  38  becomes partially cured. The radiation  52  and the radiation  62  may be directed to the sheet  38  either concurrently or during non-overlapping time periods. As a result of the preceding process, the sheet  38  of uncured PID material of FIG. 3 is transformed into the layer  30  of partially cured PID material shown in FIG.  2 . If the power plane  31  is absent, the radiation  52  alone, the radiation  62  alone, or radiation  52  and the radiation  62  in combination may be used to form the layer  30  of partially cured PID material. 
     FIGS. 4-7 illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention such that the layer  30  of FIG. 2 is formed in isolation. FIG. 4 depicts a sheet  36  of uncured PID material and a radiation source  54 . The radiation source  54  directs radiation  55 , such as ultraviolet radiation, through the sheet  36  at an intensity and for a duration that causes the sheet  36  to become partially cured. As a result, the sheet  36  is radiatively transformed into the sheet  32  (see FIG. 2) of partially cured PID material. Note that a mask  102  covers a portion of a surface  87  of the sheet  36 , which prevents a portion of the sheet  36  from being penetrated by the radiation  55  as will be discussed infra in conjunction with FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the sheet  32  of partially cured PID material, formed as described infra in the discussion of FIG. 4; after the power plane  31  has been formed on the sheet  32  and before the sheet  33  (see FIG. 2) of partially cured PID material has been formed on the power plane  31 . 
     FIG. 6 illustrates a sheet  39  of PID material that includes the power plane  31  on the sheet  32  of partially cured PID material of FIG. 5, and a sheet  37  of uncured PID material on the power plane  31 . If the power plane  31  were absent, the sheet  37  would be positioned directly on the sheet  32 . FIG. 6 also illustrates a radiation source  64  that directs radiation  65 , such as ultraviolet radiation, through the sheet  37  at an intensity and for a duration that causes the sheet  37  to become partially cured. As a result, the sheet  37  is radiatively transformed into the sheet  33  (see FIG. 2) of partially cured PID material. The power plane  31  is opaque to the radiation  65  and thus prevents the radiation  65  from interacting with portions of the sheet  32 . Note that a region  86  encompasses a thickness t 2  of the sheet  39  such that the region  86  includes the hole  57  within the power plane  31 . Thus, a portion of the sheet  32  of partially cured PID material that is within the region  86  is potentially accessible to the radiation  65 . To ensure that all of the region  86  receives a dose of radiation that partially, and not fully, cures the region  86 , the surface  87  of the sheet  36  of FIG. 4 may have a mask  102  that prevents the radiation  55  from penetrating a portion of the sheet  36  that corresponds to the region  86  in FIG.  6 . As a result, the region  86  of FIG. 6 is partially cured by the radiation  65 . Accordingly, the PID material throughout the sheet  39  of FIG. 6 becomes partially cured. Thus, the sheet  39  of FIG. 6, which contains both uncured and partially cured PID material prior to receiving the radiation  65 , is transformed by the radiation  65  into the layer  30  of partially cured PID material shown in FIG.  2 . 
     A variation of the process of FIG. 6 is that the sheet  37  may be irradiated in isolation prior to being formed on the power plane  31 . This variation is illustrated in FIG. 7 in which a radiation source  66  directs radiation  67 , such as ultraviolet radiation, through the sheet  37  in isolation at an intensity and for a duration that causes the sheet  37  to become partially cured. As a result, the sheet  37  is radiatively transformed into the sheet  33  (see FIG. 2) of partially cured PID material. The sheet  33  thus formed in isolation from the power plane  31  of FIG. 5 or  6  is then layered on the power plane  31  of FIG. 5 to form the layer  30  of partially cured PID material shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 8 illustrates irradiating a sheet  94  of uncured PID material that has been formed on the layer  20  of fully cured PID material of FIG. 1, in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention. The sheet  94  may be formed on the fully cured PID layer  20  by any method known to one of ordinary skill in the art such as by, inter alia, first running the sheet  94  through a hot lamination roll at a low temperature (e.g., at about 80° C.), or by using a vacuum lamination process. In FIG. 8, a radiation source  70  directs radiation  72 , such as ultraviolet radiation, through the sheet  94  at an intensity and for a duration that causes the sheet  94  to become partially cured. As a result, the sheet  94  is radiatively transformed into the layer  32  of partially cured PID material of FIG.  1 . Note that a mask  104  covers a portion of a surface  89  of the sheet  94 , which prevents a portion of the sheet  94  from being penetrated by the radiation  72  as will be discussed infra in conjunction with FIG.  9 . As an alternative to radiative curing, the sheet  94  may comprise non-photosensitive material and may be partially cured by application of heat. 
     Next, FIG. 9 illustrates FIG. 8 after formation of the power plane  31  on the layer  32  that had been formed in accordance with FIG. 8, and formation of a sheet  95  of uncured PID material on the power plane  31 . Thus, FIG. 9 includes a sheet  99  on the fully cured PID layer  20 , wherein the sheet  99  comprises the layer  32  of partially cured PID material, the power plane  31  on the layer  32 , and the sheet  95  of uncured PID material on the power plane  31 . If the power plane  31  were absent, the sheet  95  would be positioned directly on the layer  32 . A radiation source  74  directs radiation  75 , such as ultraviolet radiation, through the sheet  95  at an intensity and for a duration that causes the sheet  95  to become partially cured. As a result, the sheet  95  is radiatively transformed into the layer  33  of partially cured PID material of FIG.  1 . The power plane  31  is opaque to the radiation  75  and thus prevents the radiation  75  from interacting with portions of the layer  32 . Note that a region  88  encompasses a thickness t 3  of the sheet  99  such that the region  88  includes the hole  57  within-the power plane  31 . Thus, a portion of the sheet  32  of partially cured PID material that is within the region  88  is potentially accessible to the radiation  75 . To ensure that all of the region  88  receives a dose of radiation that partially, and not fully, cures the region  88 , the surface  89  of the sheet  94  of FIG. 8 may have the mask  104  that prevents the radiation  72  from penetrating a portion of the sheet  94  that corresponds to the region  88  in FIG.  9 . In that manner, the PID material throughout the region  88  of FIG. 9 becomes partially cured by the radiation  75 . As a result of the preceding process, the sheet  99  of FIG. 9, which contains both uncured and partially cured PID material prior to being irradiated with the radiation  75 , is transformed into the layer  30  of partially cured PID material shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 10 illustrates a front cross-sectional view of a dielectric structure  110 , comprising a sticker layer  120  nonadhesively sandwiched between a 2S/1P layer  200  and a 2S/1P layer  300 , in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention. The sticker layer  120  includes a partially cured PID material  125  and an internal power plane  130 . A 2S/1P layer generally comprises a dielectric layer with an internal power plane, a signal layer on a bounding surface of the dielectric layer, and another signal layer on another bounding surface of the dielectric layer. A signal plane is a layer of conductive circuit lines. 
     The 2S/1P layer  200  includes a first fully cured PID material  210 , a power plane  220 , and photovias  260 ,  270 ,  275 , and  280 . A signal plane  240  is on a first surface  242  of the 2S/1P layer  200  and a signal plane  250  is on a second surface  215  of the 2S/1P layer  200 . The photovias  260 ,  270 ,  275 , and  280  may be formed in the PID material of the 2S/1P layer  200  by methods described infra. The photovias  260 ,  270 ,  275 , and  280  may each be plated with conductive material, such as a conductive plating  262  that plates the via  260 . The photovias  260  and  270  each pass though a total thickness of the 2S/1P layer  200  and, if plated with conductive material, may electrically couple the signal plane  240  to the signal plane  250 . If plated with conductive material, the photovia  280  may electrically couple the signal plane  240  to the power plane  220 . If plated with conductive material, the photovia  275  may electrically couple the signal plane  250  to the power plane  220 . As an alternative to the first fully cured PID material  210 , the 2S/1P layer  200  may include a filled dielectric material containing a filler such as, inter alia, silica, alumina, dolomite, mica, and talc that is not susceptible to being cured upon subsequent pressurization or exposure to elevated temperature. 
     The 2S/1P layer  300  includes a second fully cured PID material  310 , a power plane  320 , and photovias  360 ,  370 , and  380 . A signal plane  340  is on a first surface  342  of the 2S/1P layer  300  and a signal plane  350  is on a second surface  315  of the 2S/1P layer  300 . The photovias  360 ,  370 , and  380  may be formed in the PID material of the 2S/1P layer  300  by methods described infra. The photovias  360 ,  370 , and  380  may each be plated or filled with conductive material, such as a conductive plating  362  that plates the via  360 . The photovias  360  and  370  each pass though a total thickness of the 2S/1P layer  300  and, if plated with conductive material, may electrically couple the signal plane  340  to the signal plane  350 . If plated with conductive material, the photovia  380  may electrically couple the signal plane  350  to the power plane  320 . As an alternative to the second fully cured PID material  310 , the 2S/1P layer  300  may include a filled dielectric material containing a filler such as, inter alia, silica, alumina, dolomite, mica, and talc that is not susceptible to being cured upon subsequent pressurization or exposure to elevated temperature. 
     The dielectric structure  110  of FIG. 10 is analogous to the dielectric structure  10  of FIG. 1, wherein the sticker layer  120  of FIG. 10 is analogous to the sticker layer  30  of FIG. 1 with both having partially cured PID material, wherein the 2S/1P layer  200  of FIG. 10 is analogous to the layer  40  of FIG. 1 with both having fully cured PID material, and wherein the 2S/1P layer  300  of FIG. 10 is analogous to the layer  20  of FIG. 1 with both having fully cured PID material. Thus, the dielectric structure  110  of FIG. 10 may be formed by any of the methods discussed infra in conjunction with FIGS. 1-9. Note that the dielectric structure  110  of FIG. 10 shows structure not depicted for the dielectric structure  10  of FIG. 1, namely the aforementioned signal planes and vias of FIG.  10 . 
     FIG. 11 illustrates FIG. 10 after a film  400  of partially cured PID material  410  has been nonadhesively formed on the 2S/1P layer  200  and after a film  500  of partially cured PID material  510  has been nonadhesively formed on the 2S/1P layer  300 . The dielectric structure  110  in FIG. 11 comprises a nonadhesively layered stack sequentially comprising the film  500 , the 2S/1P layer  300 , the sticker layer  120 , the 2S/1P layer  200 , and the film  400 . 
     FIG. 12 depicts FIG. 11 after a final lamination step that fully cures the partially cured PID materials  125 ,  410 , and  510  of the dielectric structure  110 , wherein the final lamination adhesively couples the aforementioned layers and films of the layered stack of the film  500 , the 2S/1P layer  300 , the sticker layer  120 , the 2S/1P layer  200 , and film  400 . The final lamination is accomplished by pressurization and/or elevated temperature, which causes the adhesive coupling by having the partially cured PID material flowing into crevices of rough surfaces of interfacing layers. The pressurization could be accomplished by any method known to one skilled in the art, such as by compressing the dielectric structure  110  with a lamination press. In FIG. 11, the partially cured PID material  125  of the sticker layer  120 , under pressurization and/or elevated temperature, flows into crevices of rough surfaces in the interfacing 2S/1P layers  200  and  300 . In that manner, the sticker layer  120  provides adhesive interfacial coupling between the 2S/1P layers  200  and  300 . Similarly, the partially cured PID material  410  of the film  400 , under pressurization and/or elevated temperature, flows into crevices of rough surfaces in the interfacing 2S/1P layer  200 . In that manner, the film  400  becomes adhesively bonded to the 2S/1P layer  200 . Likewise, the partially cured PID material  510  of the film  500 , under pressurization and/or elevated temperature, flows into crevices of rough surfaces in the interfacing 2S/1P layer  300 . In that manner, the film  500  becomes adhesively bonded to the 2S/1P layer  300 . The pressurization and/or elevated temperature also fully cures the partially cured PID materials. Thus, the partially cured PID material  125  of FIG. 11 becomes a fully cured PID material  126  as shown in FIG.  12 . Similarly, the partially cured PID material  410  of FIG. 11 becomes a fully cured PID material  411  as shown in FIG.  12 . Likewise, the partially cured PID material  510  of FIG. 11 becomes a fully cured PID material  511  as shown in FIG.  12 . 
     By causing partially cured PID material to flow, the pressurization and/or elevated temperature compels the flowing partially cured PID material to fill the vias of the dielectric structure  110 . The vias  260  and  270  of FIG. 11 are each filled with the partially cured PID material  125  and/or the partially cured PID material  410  to respectively form the filled vias  261  and  271  shown in FIG. 12. A filled via is a via that has been filled (i.e., plugged) with matter and is technically no longer a via. The vias  360  and  370  of FIG. 11 are each filled with the partially cured PID material  125  and/or the partially cured PID material  510  to respectively form the filled vias  361  and  371  shown in FIG.  12 . The via  280  of FIG. 11 is filled with the partially cured PID material  125  to form the filled via  281  shown in FIG.  12 . The via  275  of FIG. 11 is filled with the partially cured PID material  410  to form the filled via  276  as shown in FIG.  12 . The via  380  of FIG. 11 is filled with the partially cured PID material  510  to form the filled via  381  shown in FIG.  12 . The filled vias enhance the structural integrity of the dielectric structure  110  by eliminating internal voids. 
     Following the pressurization and/or elevated temperature in conjunction with FIG. 12, a via  420  may be formed in the film  400 , and a via  520  may be formed in the film  500 . Conductive material may be inserted into the via  420  by forming a conductive plating  421  on a wall  422  of the via  420 . Alternatively, conductive material may be inserted into the via  420  by filling the via  420  with a conductive paste that includes the conductive material. Conductive material may be inserted into the via  520  by forming a conductive plating  521  on a wall  522  of the via  520 . Alternatively, conductive material may be inserted into the via  520  by filling the via  520  with a conductive paste that includes the conductive material. Additionally, the dielectric structure  110  may be circuitized such as by adding a circuit line  430  to an exposed surface  440  of the dielectric structure  110 , or as by adding a circuit line  530  to an exposed surface  540  of the dielectric structure  110 . Further, a plated through hole (PTH), such as the PTH  600 , may be drilled or otherwise formed through the dielectric structure  110  to facilitate electrical coupling among the film  500 , the 2S/1P layer  300 , the sticker layer  120 , the 2S/1P layer  200 , and film  400 . 
     Although FIG. 12 depicts a five-layer structure, the present invention could include any number (N) of layers (e.g., 17 or more layers), such that the N-layered structure minimally includes a sticker layer sandwiched between two fully cured PID layers. Accordingly, the pressurization and/or temperature elevation step, as described infra in conjunction with the five-layer structure of FIG. 12, also could be implemented in conjunction with the three-layer structures of FIG.  1  and FIG. 10 as well with any structure within the present invention that has any number of layers. 
     While preferred and particular embodiments of the present invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, many modifications and changes will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to encompass all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.