Abstract: Disclosed is a method for repairing opens in thin film conductor lines on a substrate, preferably a multi-layered ceramic substrate. An unpatterned repair metal film is placed over a general area of open defects in conductive lines on a substrate. Preferably, this metal is placed over the conductive lines and opens therein by decal transfer. The assembly is then heated to cause diffusion bonding between the repair metal and conductive lines, but not between the repair metal and substrate. After diffusion bonding, the structure has metal bridges formed across any open defects covered by the repair film and also between adjacent conductive lines. The area of repair is then subjected to ultrasonic energy in a liquid ambient for a time at least long enough to remove metal bridges between adjacent conductive lines, but less than that required to remove repair metal bridges over the opens in the conductive lines.

Abstract: A process for forming a top surface metallurgy pattern on a green unsintered ceramic substrate including the steps of forming indented lines on the surface of the substrate, sintering the substrate, depositing a blanket layer over the top surface of the substrate with a thickness less than the depth of the indented lines, applying a masking layer over the metal layer, removing the masking layer over all portions except the indented lines, removing the exposed areas of the metal layer, and removing the remaining portions of the masking layer.

Abstract: A process for forming a pattern of conductive lines on the top of a multi-layer ceramic substrate comprising:providing a green ceramic substrate, embossing a pattern of grooves in the top surface of the green ceramic substrate,sintering the green ceramic substrate to thereby form a multi-layer ceramic substrate anddepositing a conductive material in at least a portion of said embossed pattern of grooves.

Abstract: This invention concerns method and apparatus for making a mask conforming to a cured MLC substrate. The mask when made may be used to add layers of metallization to the cured substrate by conventional photolithographic techniques. The method and apparatus feature use of the cured substrate itself to pattern the mask. Particularly, the substrate is aligned with the unpatterned mask and the image of the substrate transferred to the mask such that once patterned, the mask may subsequently be realigned with the substrate. In preferred form, a system of notches and grooves are used to align the substrate and mask and a lens system used to transfer the substrate image to the mask. The invention also includes method and apparatus for making an improved MLC substrate. The improvement is characterized by the use of photolithographic techniques to add successive layers of metallization to the cured substrate.

Abstract: This invention concerns method and apparatus for making a mask conforming to a cured MLC substrate. The mask when made may be used to add layers of metallization to the cured substrate by conventional photolithographic techniques. The method and apparatus feature use of the cured substrate itself to pattern the mask. Particularly, the substrate is aligned with the unpatterned mask and the image of the substrate transferred to the mask such that once patterned, the mask may subsequently be realigned with the substrate. In preferred form, a system of notches and grooves are used to align the substrate and mask and a lens system used to transfer the substrate image to the mask. The invention also includes method and apparatus for making an improved MLC substrate. The improvement is characterized by the use of photolithographic techniques to add successive layers of metallization to the cured substrate.