The presently disclosed embodiment relates to methods for manufacturing coil elements, and particularly relates to a method for manufacturing a coil element using a resin mold that is soluble in organic solvent.
With the recent development of mobile devices such as smartphones and table terminals equipped with multifunctions, there is a growing need for coil components (inductors) that are compact in size and capable of operating with high rated current.
A known method for manufacturing such a coil component is to use a metal mold for transferring. In this method, a metal mold is used, on a surface of which an inverted coil element pattern is engraved, and a coil element is formed in this metal mold by electroplating, followed by releasing of the coil element from this metal mold, which is then transferred to a component substrate.
Another known method that does not use a metal mold is to form a plated resist pattern on a substrate, followed by formation of a coil element pattern by electroplating, from which the plated resist pattern is removed, and the resultant is transferred to a sheet-form magnetic material layer.
Both of these methods have a problem of easy falling or dropping of a conductive pattern during the releasing or the transferring of the coil element because the coil element is formed by transferring.
Meanwhile Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-191408 describes a method of using a resin mold instead of a metal mold. In this method, a coil element formed in this resin mold is not transferred, but is directly used.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-332147 describes the manufacturing of a coil conductor by forming a coil conductor made up of a conductive main section and a conductive cap section embedded in a photosensitive insulating resin section on a metal substrate, followed by releasing of this metal board.
Since both of the methods for manufacturing a coil component described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-191408 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-332147 as stated above do not release or transfer a coil element pattern, they do not cause the problem of falling or dropping of a conductive pattern.
The method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-191408, however, has the problem that a single coil component is thick because a resin mold is directly used after the formation of a coil component, and especially when a laminated coil component is to be manufactured, the volume of the component will be large.
The method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-332147 also has the same problem that a single coil component is thick because a conductive main section embedded in a photosensitive insulating resin section is formed at an inner layer part of an insulating resin section.
In order to solve these problems, the presently disclosed embodiment aims to provide a method for manufacturing a coil element, capable of manufacturing a coil element using a resin mold and without performing releasing and transferring, and capable of thinning the coil element.
The aforementioned object can be achieved by the following presently disclosed embodiment.
The first aspect of the presently disclosed embodiment relates to a method for manufacturing a coil element using a resin mold that is soluble in organic solvent, and the method includes: preparing a resin mold, on a surface of which an inverted coil element pattern is engraved; forming a metal seed film on the surface of the resin mold; removing the metal seed film in an area where the inverted coil element pattern is not formed; forming a center conductive film so as to fill an area where the inverted coil element pattern is engraved by first electroplating while using the metal seed film as a base; and dissolving the resin mold to take out the center conductive film.
The second aspect of the presently disclosed embodiment relates to a method for manufacturing a coil element using a resin mold that is soluble in organic solvent, and the method includes: preparing a resin mold, on a surface of which an inverted coil element pattern is engraved; forming a metal seed film on the surface of the resin mold; forming an insulating film in an area where the inverted coil element pattern is not formed; forming a center conductive film that remains in the insulating film so as to fill an area where the inverted coil element pattern is engraved by first electroplating while using the metal seed film as a base; removing the insulating film; dissolving the resin mold to take out the center conductive film and the metal seed film; and removing the metal seed film.
The third aspect of the presently disclosed embodiment relates to a method for manufacturing a coil element using a resin mold that is soluble in organic solvent, and the method includes: preparing a resin mold on a metal substrate, the resin mold having an inverted coil element pattern engraved therein so that the inverted coil element pattern has a bottom face that does not reach the metal substrate; etching so that the bottom face of the inverted coil element pattern reaches the metal substrate so as to remove resin below the bottom face; forming a center conductive film that remains in the resin mold so as to fill an area where the inverted coil element pattern is engraved by first electroplating while using the metal substrate as a base; dissolving the resin mold; and releasing the center conductive film from the metal substrate for taking out.
The fourth aspect of the presently disclosed embodiment relates to a method for manufacturing a coil element using a resin mold that is soluble in organic solvent, and the method includes: preparing a second mold by placing a first mold on a metal substrate, the first mold having an inverted coil element pattern engraved therein so as to come into intimate contact with the metal substrate; pouring resin in the second mold to fill the first mold with the resin, followed by curing of the resin; removing the first mold so as to manufacture a resin mold, in which an inverted coil element pattern is formed; forming a center conductive film so as to fill an area where the inverted coil element pattern is engraved by first electroplating while using the metal substrate as a base; dissolving the resin mold; and releasing the center conductive film from the metal substrate for taking out.
Any one of the previous aspects of the presently disclosed embodiment further includes the step of: forming a surface conductive film to cover the center conductive film by second electroplating while using the taken-out center conductive film as a base, thus forming a coil element including the center conductive film and the surface conductive film.
In any one of the first to the third aspects of the presently disclosed embodiment, the resin mold having the inverted coil element pattern engraved in the surface is manufactured by imprinting or hot pressing.
In the first or the second aspects of the presently disclosed embodiment, the resin mold includes thermoplastic resin, and the thermoplastic resin is any one of PMMA, PC and COP.
In the first or the second aspects of the presently disclosed embodiment, the metal seed film includes any one of Cu, Ni, Sn and Al, and the metal seed film is manufactured by any one of vapor deposition, sputtering and a CVD.
In any one of the first to the fourth aspects of the presently disclosed embodiment, the first electroplating is copper plating, and the second electroplating is copper plating.
In the first aspects of the presently disclosed embodiment, the metal seed film is removed in the area where the inverted coil element pattern is not formed by damascene processing or polishing.
In the third aspects of the presently disclosed embodiment, the etching is dry etching, or the etching is wet etching, the resin mold is manufactured in two layers laminated including a first resin on an upper layer side and a second resin on a lower layer side, and the first resin includes PP, and the second resin includes PMMA or PET.
In the third or fourth aspects of the presently disclosed embodiment, the metal substrate includes Ni, SUS or Ni alloy.
In the fourth aspects of the presently disclosed embodiment, the first mold includes Si.
According to the presently disclosed embodiment, a resin mold that is used during the manufacturing of a coil element is removed by dissolving with organic solvent after the formation of the coil element, and so the coil element manufactured can be thin and the coil element can be easily manufactured.
The following describes the presently disclosed embodiment in details, with reference to the attached drawings.
In the presently disclosed embodiment, a coil element is manufactured using a resin mold that is soluble in organic solvent. A coil element formed in this resin mold is removed after the formation when the resin mold is dissolved. Such a resin mold therefore can be called a consumable mold.
Firstly as illustrated in
The inverted coil element pattern 102 is manufactured on the surface of the resin mold 100 by imprinting or hot pressing.
Next, as illustrated in
This metal seed film 104 may be formed by electroless plating of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni) or the like or by vapor deposition, sputtering or a CVD.
Next as illustrated in
This is to prevent electrodeposition during solder plating at a later process in the area where the inverted coil element pattern 102 is not formed.
The removal may be performed by well-known damascene processing or polishing.
Next, as illustrated in
The electrodeposition of copper is performed until the area where the inverted coil element pattern 102 is engraved is totally filled, and its surface agrees with the surface of the resin mold 100 to be flat.
Next, as illustrated in
The thus taken-out coil element 108 can be transferred to a component substrate (not illustrated) for use or a plurality of coil elements can be laminated for use.
When a high-density coil element is manufactured by narrowing the pattern interval of the thus taken-out coil element 108, as illustrated in
The present aspect has a feature in that the metal seed film is not removed during the process, which is then removed after taking out from the resin mold with the center conductive film.
Firstly as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
Then, after removing the insulating film 206 by etching or the like, the resin mold 200 is dissolved with organic solvent similarly to the first aspect of the presently disclosed embodiment, and then as illustrated in
Finally as illustrated in
The metal seed film 204 may be removed by selective wet etching, for example. Note here that since the metal seed film 204 is very thin, it can be removed without selective wet etching so as not to etch the center conductive film 208 substantially.
The present aspect has a feature of not using a metal seed film, and following the formation of a resin mold on a metal substrate, shaping by dry etching.
Firstly as illustrated in
Next as illustrated in
Next, etching is performed until the bottom face 304a of the inverted coil element pattern 304 reaches the metal substrate 300 so as to remove resin below the bottom face 304a. At this time, dry etching such as RIE may be performed so that the inverted coil element pattern 304 has a side face 304b that is substantially perpendicular to the metal substrate 300 as illustrated in
Next as illustrated in
Then, similarly to the first and second aspects of the presently disclosed embodiment, the resin mold 302 is dissolved with organic solvent, resulting in that the center conductive film 306 is placed on the metal substrate 300 as illustrated in
Finally as illustrated in
Firstly as illustrated in
The resin 401 at the upper layer is made of PP, and the resin 402 at the lower layer is made of PMMA or PET.
In the case of the present aspect, a double-sided tape with adhesive bond applied to the upper and lower faces is used as the resin 402 at the lower layer.
Next as illustrated in
Next, etching is performed until the bottom face 404a of the inverted coil element pattern 404 reaches the metal substrate 400 so as to remove resin below the bottom face 404a. At this time, wet etching may be performed so that the resin 402 is etched at a side wall 402a as well, and so the resulting shape is such that the resin 401 overhangs the resin 402 like an eave as illustrated in
This is because unlike dry etching, wet etching is isotropic etching. As a result, the side face 404b of the inverted coil element pattern 404 has a shape slightly curved and expanded at a part in contact with the metal substrate 400.
Next as illustrated in
Then, similarly to the first through third aspects of the presently disclosed embodiment, the resin mold 401, 402 is dissolved with organic solvent, resulting in that the center conductive film 406 is placed on the metal substrate 400 as illustrated in
Finally as illustrated in
The present aspect has a feature of using a method called resin-pouring (casting) dissolution without using a metal seed film, and when forming a resin mold on a metal substrate, placing a mold with a coil element pattern engraved therein on a metal substrate to come into intimate contact therewith, pouring resin into this mold (casting) and curing, followed by removal of this mold to form a resin mold.
Firstly as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
When the first mold 502 is removed, and the member 504 also is removed, then the resin mold 506 is manufactured, on which the inverted coil element pattern 502b is formed as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Then, similarly to the first through fourth aspects of the presently disclosed embodiment, the resin mold 506 is dissolved with organic solvent, resulting in that the center conductive film 508 is placed on the metal substrate 500 as illustrated in
Next as illustrated in
When a high-density coil element is manufactured, as illustrated in
In the above description, one coil element is manufactured considering one resin mold. When a coil element assembly having a plurality of coil elements is collectively manufactured, a resin mold substrate including a plurality of resin molds, each of which has an inverted coil element pattern engraved therein, may be used for manufacturing in a similar manner.
Next, the following describes a method for manufacturing a coil component using the thus manufactured coil element assembly. As described later, a coil component is manufactured by laminating a plurality of coil element assemblies.
Then in order to connect coil elements at the respective layers for bonding, a bonding film has to be formed beforehand around the coil elements.
As illustrated in
In the example of
In the manufacturing of a coil element as stated above, they are described so that the center conductive layers making up the coil elements have a uniform height (H). Actually, however, as illustrated in
When such a coil pattern different in height (H) is manufactured in the same layer, the depth of an engraved pattern formed in the resin mold may be made deeper at the connecting part, for which special copper plating solution for field via may be used, so as to perform charge plating selectively at a deeper part, or perform copper plating using a mask twice.
In this way, a coil is formed by connecting the coil elements at the respective layers, then as illustrated in
Next, as illustrated in
Finally as illustrated in
100 resin mold
102 inverted coil element pattern
104 metal seed film
106 center conductive film
108 coil element
110 surface conductive film
200 resin mold
202 inverted coil element pattern
204 metal seed film
206 insulating film
208 center conductive film
300 metal substrate
302 resin that is soluble in organic solvent
304 inverted coil element pattern
306 center conductive film
400 metal substrate
401 resin at upper layer
402 resin at lower layer
404 inverted coil element pattern
406 center conductive film
500 metal substrate
502 Si mold (first mold)
502
a coil element pattern
502
b inverted coil element pattern
504 member
506 resin that is soluble in organic solvent
508 center conductive film
510 surface conductive film
This application is the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/JP2012/006959 having International filing date 30 Oct. 2012, which designated the United States of America, and which International Application was published under PCT Article 21 (s) as WO Publication 2014/068612 A1 the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2012/006959 | 10/30/2012 | WO | 00 |