STENCIL WITH PATTERN AND METHOD FOR FORMING PATTERN ON WORKPIECE
A stencil with pattern includes a porous material and a masking pattern layer disposed on the porous material. The masking pattern layer includes a patterned mask area covering a portion of the porous material. When electroplating or etching is performed, the stencil with pattern is laminated with a workpiece so that the patterned mask area covers a portion of a working surface of the workpiece, and is placed into an electroplating tank or etch tank. The portion of the working surface not covered by the patterned mask area undergoes electroplating or etching reaction, resulting in electroplated or etched pattern on the workpiece. There may also be a screen structure interposed between the porous material and the masking pattern layer. The method of forming a pattern on a workpiece using the stencil with pattern has advantages of simplified process, significant time-to-product reduction, and product yield enhancement.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stencil for electroplating and etching, and a method for forming an electroplated or etched pattern, and more particularly to a stencil with pattern and a method for forming a pattern on a workpiece using the stencil with pattern.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electroplating and etching have various applications, such as finishing, forming etched pattern finish, manufacturing nameplates, manufacturing IC leadframes and circuits in circuit boards and so on. Currently, the electroplating and etching processes used by various industries are similar.
Regardless for the aforementioned electroplating or etching process, the process mainly undergoes printing or coating of the photosensitive material, exposure, developing, followed by electroplating or etching, and then stripping to clean the plating-resistant or etching-resistant photosensitive material. For these processes, each time a desired pattern or circuit has to be created, the pattern for stopping electroplating or etching to work thereon, though the same for each time, has to be formed by repeating coating of the photosensitive material, exposure, developing and stripping, etc, which are high temperature, high humidity, strong acid, strong base processes that are highly complex and involve massive consumption of water, electricity and various chemicals, and are therefore more harmful to the environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a stencil with pattern and a method for forming a pattern on a workpiece using the stencil with pattern. Advantages of the present invention may include simplification of a manufacturing process, significant reduction of time-to-production, product yield enhancement, cost reduction, saving of water, electricity and chemicals, and dramatic decrease in environmental impacts.
According to an embodiment, a stencil with pattern includes a screen structure including at least a layer of reticular structure and a frame structure disposed on a periphery of the reticular structure, the reticular structure including a first surface and an opposite second surface; a masking pattern layer connected to the first surface of the reticular structure, the masking pattern layer including a patterned mask area covering a portion of the reticular structure; and a porous material disposed on the second surface of the reticular structure, the porous material having pores allowing a reaction liquid to flow therethrough and to the area not covered by the patterned mask area.
According to another embodiment, a stencil with pattern includes a porous material having pores allowing a reaction liquid to flow therethrough; and a masking pattern layer connected to one side of the porous material and extending to the porous material, the masking pattern layer including a patterned mask area covering a portion of the porous material.
According to still another embodiment, a method for forming a pattern on a workpiece including providing a workpiece having a working surface; providing a stencil with pattern, the stencil with pattern including a porous material and a masking pattern layer disposed on the porous material, the masking pattern layer including a patterned mask area; disposing the stencil with pattern on the workpiece such that the patterned mask area covers a portion of the working surface; placing the workpiece and the stencil with pattern into a reaction tank, whereby a reaction liquid flows through the porous material and by the portion of the working surface not covered to the patterned mask area to undergo a chemical reaction; and removing the stencil with pattern.
The objective, technologies, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein certain embodiments of the present invention are set forth by way of illustration and examples.
When applying the stencil with pattern 20 to an electroplating process or etching process, the stencil with pattern 20 is laminated to an about to be patterned workpiece (not illustrated) so that the patterned mask area 241 masks a portion of the workpiece. The workpiece along with the stencil with pattern 20 are placed in an electroplating tank or etch tank. The patterned non-mask area 242 of the reticular structure 221, not covered by the patterned mask area 241, allows the electroplating or etch liquid to pass through to undergo electroplating or etching reaction with the working surface exposed from the patterned mask area 241, whereby electroplated pattern or etched pattern is formed on the workpiece. The porous material 26 and the material of the masking pattern layer 24 may be selected such that they are resistant to electroplating liquid or etch liquid.
Continuing the above description, when chemical operations like electroplating or etching is conducted, the frame structure 22 provides a tension to the reticular structure 221 keeping the reticular structure 221 and the masking pattern layer 24 bound thereto even and precise in dimension, and preventing folding or shifting from happening during the operation. Furthermore, during the operation, the porous material 26 on the second surface 224 of the reticular structure 221 applies a pressure to the reticular structure 221, so that the reticular structure 221 pushes the masking pattern layer 24 to bind tightly with the workpiece, whereby particular areas on the workpiece are protected by covering, and electroplating or etching of a pattern or circuit may then be performed. The porous material 26 may be configured to be loosely or tightly bound with the reticular structure 26.
When applying the stencil with pattern 20 illustrated in
Continuing the above description, when the surface topography of the workpiece is not uniform, the surface of the porous material 26 and the masking pattern layer 24 thereon may form a 3-dimensional structure with varying height matching with the surface topography of the workpiece, whereby the patterned mask area 241 of the masking pattern layer 24 is tightly bound to the surface of the workpiece when the stencil with pattern 20 is laminated with the workpiece.
In the present invention, the stencil with pattern 20 may adopt the two-layer design or the three-layer design according to the precision required by the dimension of the pattern on the workpiece. For products that can tolerate less precise pattern, the two-layer design may be used; for products that require more precise pattern, the three-layer design may be used. Whether using the two-layer or three-layer design, the stencil with pattern 20 can be re-used for manufacturing of workpieces intended to have the same patterns, and only lamination of the stencil with pattern 20 and the workpiece is required to prepare for electroplating or etching, thereby fixing the disadvantage of requiring repeating procedures involving high temperature, high humidity, strong acid, strong base such as coating of photosensitive material, exposure, developing and stripping in order to form the pattern for each workpiece. Compared to the traditional process, the present invention saves a lot of processing procedures, greatly reduces the time required for manufacturing, raises the product yield, and cuts the need for water, electricity and chemicals, and is therefore of great help to cost lowering and environmental protection. In addition, when accommodating continuous production needs for roll material, the stencil with pattern may also be formed into a cylindrical shape, and a product with high pattern precision may be manufactured by controlling the dimension of the masking pattern layer along tangents of the cylinder.
In an embodiment, the aforementioned reaction tank is an electroplating tank, the reaction liquid is an electroplating liquid and the chemical reaction involves forming an electroplated pattern on the portion of the working surface not covered by the patterned mask area. In another embodiment, the reaction tank is a chemical etch tank or an electrolytic etch tank, and the chemical reaction involves forming an etched pattern on the portion of the working surface not covered by the patterned mask area. Alternatively, the aforementioned lamination of the stencil with pattern and the workpiece may be performed in the electroplating tank or etch tank.
In order to facilitate understanding of the objectives, characteristics and advantages of the present invention, sectional diagrams below schematically illustrating 5 ways to apply the method for forming a pattern on a workpiece of the present invention.
Next, as illustrated in
In the foregoing embodiments, only single-side processing has been illustrated as example. If double-side processing is desired, then two sets of stencil with pattern may be produced so as to cover both sides with the required stencils with pattern, which are then placed into an electroplating tank or etch tank for further processing.
The method for forming a pattern on a workpiece may replace the complex processes such as repetitively coating photosensitive material, exposure, developing, drying and stripping that involve high temperature, high humidity, strong acid and strong base treatments in the traditional process. In such way, a great deal of manufacturing procedures may be eliminated for a product in mass production, thereby significantly reducing the time-to-production, enhancing the product yield, and saving water, electricity and chemicals, which cuts down the cost and dramatically reduces environmental harms.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, a specific example thereof has been shown in the drawings and is herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the particular form disclosed, but to the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. A stencil with pattern comprising:
- a screen structure comprising at least a layer of reticular structure and a frame structure disposed on a periphery of the reticular structure, the reticular structure comprising a first surface and an opposite second surface;
- a masking pattern layer connected to the first surface of the reticular structure, the masking pattern layer comprising a patterned mask area covering a portion of the reticular structure; and
- a porous material disposed on the second surface of the reticular structure, the porous material having pores allowing a reaction liquid to flow therethrough and to the area not covered by the patterned mask area.
2. The stencil with pattern according to claim 1, wherein the masking pattern layer is connected to the first surface and extends to the second surface of the reticular structure.
3. The stencil with pattern according to claim 1, wherein the frame structure provides a tension to the reticular structure so as to keep the masking pattern layer even.
4. The stencil with pattern according to claim 1, wherein the reaction liquid is an electroplating liquid or an etching liquid.
5. The stencil with pattern according to claim 4, wherein the masking pattern layer comprises plating-resistant or etch-resistant material.
6. The stencil with pattern according to claim 1, wherein the patterned mask area is formed by utilizing a machining, laser processing or chemical processing technique.
7. A stencil with pattern comprising:
- a porous material having pores allowing a reaction liquid to flow therethrough; and
- a masking pattern layer connected to one side of the porous material and extending to the porous material, the masking pattern layer comprising a patterned mask area covering a portion of the porous material.
8. The stencil with pattern according to claim 7, wherein the reaction liquid is an electroplating liquid or an etching liquid.
9. The stencil with pattern according to claim 8, wherein the masking pattern layer comprises plating-resistant or etch-resistant material.
10. The stencil with pattern according to claim 7, wherein the patterned mask area is formed by utilizing a machining, laser processing or chemical processing technique.
11. A method for forming a pattern on a workpiece comprising:
- providing a workpiece having a working surface;
- providing a stencil with pattern, the stencil with pattern comprising a porous material and a masking pattern layer disposed on the porous material, the masking pattern layer comprising a patterned mask area;
- disposing the stencil with pattern on the workpiece such that the patterned mask area covers a portion of the working surface;
- placing the workpiece and the stencil with pattern into a reaction tank, whereby a reaction liquid flows through the porous material and to the portion of the working surface not covered by the patterned mask area to undergo a chemical reaction; and
- removing the stencil with pattern.
12. The method for forming a pattern on a workpiece according to claim 11, wherein the reaction tank is an electroplating tank, the reaction liquid is an electroplating liquid, and the chemical reaction involves forming an electroplated pattern on the portion of the workpiece not covered by the patterned mask area.
13. The method for forming a pattern on a workpiece according to claim 11, wherein the reaction tank is an etch tank, the reaction liquid is an etch liquid, and the chemical reaction involves creating an etched pattern on the portion of the working surface not covered by the patterned mask area.
14. The method for forming a pattern on a workpiece according to claim 11, wherein the stencil with pattern further comprising a screen structure disposed between the porous material and the masking pattern layer.
15. The method for forming a pattern on a workpiece according to claim 14, wherein the screen structure comprises at least a reticular structure and a frame structure disposed on a periphery of the reticular structure, the reticular structure is bound with the masking pattern layer, and the frame structure provides a tension to the reticular structure so as to keep the masking pattern layer even.
16. The method for forming a pattern on a workpiece according to claim 11, wherein the masking pattern layer comprises plating-resistant or etch-resistant material.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 25, 2011
Publication Date: Jul 26, 2012
Inventor: Hung-Ming LIN (Yonghe City)
Application Number: 13/072,225
International Classification: C25D 5/02 (20060101); C23F 1/00 (20060101); C25D 17/00 (20060101); C23F 1/08 (20060101);