PHOTODEPOSITION OF FINE LINE COPPER CONDUCTORS FOR HIGH DENSITY MULTILAYER PRINTED WIRING BOARDS

IMPROVEMENTS IN VERY LARGE SCALE INTEGRATED CIRCUITS (VLSIC) AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF VERY HIGH SPEED INTEGRATED CIRCUITS (VHIC) COUPLED WITH THE SHIFT TO DIRECT SURFACE MOUNTING (DSM) OF CERAMIC CHIP CARRIERS ARE PUSHING THE LIMITS OF EXISTING MULTILAYER PRINTED WIRING BOARD (PWB) CONSTRUCTIONS. NEW SUBSTRATE MATERIALS AND METHODS FOR CREATING FINE LINE METAL CONDUCTORS ARE NEEDED. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF CREATING COPPER CONDUCTORS WITH A MAXIMUM WIDTH OF 2 MILS WITH SPACES BETWEEN CONDUCTORS OF NO GREATER THAN 2 MILS WHICH CAN BE APPLIED TO MATERIALS SUITABLE FOR A MULTILAYER CONSTRUCTION AND THE ABILITY TO FUNCTION IN A MILITARY ENVIRONMENT WITHOUT DEGRADATION. IN CONJUNCTION WITH SHIPLEY COMPANY, FMI WILL MEASURE THE MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF THIS NEW PROCESS USING AN EXISTING EPOXY GLASS SUBSTRATE AND FABRICATE A NUMBER OF MULTIPLE LAYER TEST SAMPLES. PROJECTIONS OF EVEN MORE IMPROVED PERFORMANCE WILL BE MADE USING ORDERED POLYMER SUBSTRATE MATERIALS UNDER DEVELOPMENT OF FMI.