Patent Grant
12177971
The present disclosure relates to a wiring board.
In the automotive industry, a millimeter wave radar has been rapidly spreading in recent years for purposes such as collision prevention. A transmission line for transmitting high-frequency signals is required to be compact and have low transmission loss. Examples of such a transmission line include strip lines, microstrip lines, and coplanar lines. Among these transmission lines, for example, a microstrip line is composed of a rectangular-shaped patch conductor on one main surface of an insulation layer and a ground (earth) conductor on an opposite main surface. In order to suppress the attenuation of transmission signals due to dielectric loss, such a transmission line requires an insulating layer having a low relative permittivity and a low dielectric dissipation factor. For example, an insulating layer mainly composed of organic resin such as Teflon (registered trademark) can be mentioned (see Patent Documents 1, 2 and 3).
A wiring board of the present disclosure includes an insulating layer which is mainly composed of organic resin and has inorganic particles, a first metal layer which is disposed on a first surface of the insulating layer, and a second metal layer which is disposed on a second surface on an opposite side of the first surface, in which
Organic resin that configures the conventional wiring board described above originally has a low storage modulus. Therefore, depending on the size and placement of the rectangular-shaped patch conductor and the ground (earth) conductor provided on both main surfaces of the insulating layer, the wiring board tends to warp. The present disclosure aims to address this problem and to obtain a wiring board that can reduce warpage.
In the present disclosure, the wiring board A having small warpage can be obtained if the insulating layer 1, the first metal layer 3a, and the second metal layer 3b satisfy the following conditions. In this case, the value of warpage is satisfied immediately after the wiring board A is manufactured as well as after the wiring board A is exposed to the conditions of general reliability tests.
As for the conditions of each member that configures the wiring board A, the insulating layer 1 has a thickness of 75 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, and a storage modulus of 4 GPa or more and 7 GPa or less. The first metal layer 3a has a thickness of 1.5 μm or more and 10 μm or less, and a coverage of 5% or more and 25% or less. Here, the coverage is an area ratio of the first metal layer 3a to the first surface 1a of the insulating layer 1. The second metal layer 3b has a thickness of 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less or 25 μm or more and 100 μm or less, and a coverage of 85% or more. In this case, the coverage is an area ratio of the second metal layer 3b to the second surface 1b of the insulating layer 1.
Furthermore, in the wiring board A, a surface part 1c of the insulating layer 1 on a side where the first metal layer 3a is provided has a higher ratio of organic resin than a surface part 1d of the insulating layer 1 on a side where the second metal layer 3b is provided.
In addition to the conditions of the thickness and the coverage of the first metal layer 3a and the second metal layer 3b which are respectively provided on the first surface 1a and the second surface 1b of the insulating layer 1, when the ratio of organic resin is different on both sides of the insulating layer 1, the warpage of the wiring board A can be reduced by disposing a metal layer having a low coverage on the surface part 1c where the ratio of organic resin is high. As an example of the level of warpage, if the area of a plane of the wiring board A is 50 mm×50 mm, the warpage is 2 mm or less. The warpage of the wiring board A is the average of the maximum values when the warpage is measured by scanning on two intersecting diagonal lines if the wiring board A is rectangular in shape. A three-dimensional laser displacement meter, for example, is used to measure the warpage.
Organic resin as a main component means a state in which a volume ratio of organic resin is the highest in the insulating layer 1. As for inorganic particles, among various inorganic particles, particulate silica is suitable due to its low relative permittivity. In this case, the thermal expansion coefficient of organic resin is preferably higher than the thermal expansion coefficient of inorganic particles. Copper is also suitable as a material for the first metal layer 3a and the second metal layer 3b. Copper is suitable because it has relatively low electrical resistance, and for example, it can be formed by plating films in addition to the method of transferring metal foils, and furthermore, it is inexpensive. The surface parts 1c and 1d of the insulating layer 1 are set to a depth of up to 10 μm from the surface. The ratio of inorganic particles in the surface parts 1c and 1d of the insulating layer 1 is determined by observing a cross-section of the prepared wiring board A using a scanning electron microscope having an analyzer, and from the area ratio of inorganic particles in a unit area region of a cross-sectional photograph taken. The ratio of organic resin is calculated by subtracting the area ratio of inorganic particles from the unit area of the cross-sectional photograph taken.
The antenna pattern 10 in the wiring board B illustrated in
In the wiring board C, two antenna patterns 10a and 10b out of three antenna patterns 10a, 10b, and 10c are disposed so as to be aligned in the Y direction on the first surface 1a. The other antenna pattern 10c is disposed at a distance in the X direction from the two antenna patterns 10a and 10b. The placement is non-linearly symmetrical in at least one direction when the direction of the plane at the first surface 1a of the insulating layer 1 is the X direction and the Y direction, which are perpendicular to each other.
More details are explained. First, the first surface 1a of the wiring board C has a rectangular shape. A virtual line L is set on the first surface 1a. The virtual line L faces a direction perpendicular to one side of the first surface 1a. The virtual line L is drawn to pass through the center of the first surface 1a. The region on the left side of the wiring board C (the insulating layer 1) is 1A, and the region on the right side is 1B. Two antenna patterns 10a and 10b out of three antenna patterns 10a, 10b, and 10c are disposed in the region 1A on the left side. On the other hand, one antenna pattern 10c is disposed in the region 1B on the right side. The number of antenna patterns 10 differs between the region 1A on the left and the region 1B on the right. The antenna patterns 10a and 10b and the antenna pattern 10c are disposed in a non-linear symmetry with respect to the virtual line L. In other words, the area of the antenna pattern 10 (10a, 10b) or the area ratio of the antenna pattern 10 to the area of the first surface 1a of the insulating layer 1 is different between the region 1A on the left side and the region 1B on the right side of the wiring board C.
The present disclosure can reduce the warpage of the wiring board C even if the antenna pattern 10 is not evenly disposed on the first surface 1c of the wiring board C, as illustrated in
In the wiring boards C and D, if the first surface 1a is a rectangular shape, and a virtual line L is set at a right angle to one side of the first surface 1a and at the center of the first surface 1a, the plurality of antenna patterns 10a, 10b, 10c differ in at least one of number, area, and orientation between the two regions 1A and 1B across the virtual line L.
A wiring conductor E illustrated in
If the linear conductor 13 has a curved shape, the intervals between the patch conductors 13 can be adjusted. This makes it possible to reduce phase shifts of the radio waves radiated respectively from a plurality of patch conductors 13.
If the linear conductor 13 is bent at a right angle like the wiring boards B, C, and D, an electric field tends to radiate into space from a part that is bent at a right angle when supplying the electric field from the power supply part 15 to the patch conductor 13.
On the other hand, if the linear conductor 13 has a curved shape, the electric field can be suppressed from radiating into space. As a result, the radiation characteristics from the antenna pattern 10 can be enhanced.
For the wiring board F illustrated in
In the wiring board E illustrated in
The second metal layer 3b, which forms the ground conductor 17, occupies a large area relative to the second surface 1b of the insulating layer 1. If the second metal layer 3b has a structure that forms a layer, the second metal layer 3b tends to shear and deform at this interface because the bond in the thickness direction is weaker compared to the case where the second metal layer 3b is layered. As a result, the wiring board G exhibits high flexibility. It is also difficult for cracks to occur on the surface of the wiring board F even if the wiring board F is bent.
The wiring board E has a structure in which the third metal layer 21, which plays a role as a conductor part of the through-via 18, does not fill the through-hole 19, but extends from the inner wall 19a of the through-hole 19 onto the respective surfaces of the first metal layer 3a and the second metal layer 3b. In other words, because the third metal layer 21 is a layered structure with the first metal layer 3a or the second metal layer 3b, the bond between the layers is weaker than that of a structure in which the third metal layer 21 and the first metal layer 3a or the second metal layer 3b are integrated. Therefore, the third metal layer 21 also tends to shear and deform respectively at the interface with the first metal layer 3a and the interface with the second metal layer 3b. As a result, even though the wiring board E has the through-via 18, it exhibits high flexibility, and it is difficult for cracks to occur on the surface of the wiring board E when the wiring board E is bent. Although the wiring board E illustrated in
Organic resin included in the insulating layer 1 that configures the wiring boards (A to G) of the disclosure can be applied as suitable if it is an organic material having low relative permittivity and dielectric dissipation factor. In this case, thermosetting organic resin is preferred. As an example of organic resin, one from the group of cyclic olefin copolymer, polyphenylene ether, and polytetrafluoroethylene is preferred.
Inorganic particles may be 5% or more and 50% or less by a volume ratio in the insulating layer 1. Besides this, auxiliaries such as flame retardants and stress relievers may also be included. The ratio of these auxiliaries is preferably 2% or more and 20% or less by volume, respectively, in the insulating layer 1.
The wiring boards A to G can be obtained, for example, through the steps of: preparing a resin composition that becomes the above-mentioned insulating layer 1, forming a semi-cured insulating sheet by forming this resin composition into a sheet shape, attaching metal foils that become the first metal layer and the second metal layer to the surface of this insulating sheet, heating and pressurizing the insulating sheet on which the first metal layer and the second metal layer are formed under predetermined conditions (temperature, pressure, and atmosphere), and etching the metal foils into predetermined patterns. After this, if necessary, through-holes are formed in the wiring boards A to F using a mold or laser processing machine. The third metal layer 21, which becomes the through-via 18 by plating the through hole 19, is also formed.
If the second metal layer 3b is layered, it is preferable to set the plating speed to a faster condition than usual when forming a metal layer on the outermost surface side of the second metal layer 3b. This also applies to the case where the third metal layer 21 is formed in layers on the first metal layer 3a and the second metal layer 3b. In this case, it is needless to say that usual conditions for cleaning, degreasing, reducing or the like are applied to the surface of the metal film to be plated.
First, a sheet-like molded body was prepared. For the sheet-like molded body, cyclic olefin copolymer modified to thermosetting type was used as organic resin. Silica (specific gravity: 2) was used as inorganic particles. “SAYTEX8010 (manufactured by Albemarle Corporation)” (specific gravity: 2.8) was used as flame retardant. Inorganic particles were added at a rate of 20 mass parts per 100 mass parts of organic resin. Flame retardant was added at a rate of 30 mass parts per 100 mass parts of organic resin.
Next, the resulting resin composition was dissolved in xylene to obtain resin varnish. The mass ratio of the resin composition to xylene was 40:60. The resulting resin varnish was then formed into a sheet using a bar coater and dried at 150° C. The drying time was varied from 3 to 60 minutes depending on the thickness of the sheet-like molded body to obtain a sheet-like molded body in a semi-cured state.
Next, a copper clad laminate was obtained by attaching copper foils to both main surfaces of the sheet-like molded body in the semi-cured state and performing pressurizing and heating treatment. The resulting copper clad laminate was then subjected to resist processing and etching to form the antenna pattern. The area of a plane of the wiring board is 50 mm×50 mm. When forming the second metal layer in a two-layer structure, the second metal layer was plated at twice the speed of the plating when preparing a wiring board having a one-layer structure. Plating was carried out at 3 A/dm2 for 50 minutes.
The ratio of organic resin and inorganic particles in the surface part of the insulating layer was determined by observing a cross-section of the prepared wiring board using a scanning electron microscope having an analyzer, and from the area ratio of inorganic particles in the unit area region of the cross-sectional photographs taken. The area where the cross-sectional photographs were taken was 10 μm in depth and 50 μm in width from the surface. For each sample, the cross-sectional photographs of the center part of both main surfaces were taken at one location, respectively.
For the storage modulus, the metal foil was peeled off from the resulting wiring board, the insulating layer was processed to 50 mm (length)×8 mm (width), and the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was performed to obtain a value at room temperature (25° C.)
Among the evaluation items listed in the table, the antenna pattern illustrated in
The warpage of the wiring board was measured using a 3D laser displacement meter to the copper clad laminate obtained after pressurizing and heating treatment. In this case, the surface of the first metal layer side of the wiring board was measured along two intersecting diagonal lines. The number of samples was five, and the average value was calculated.
For the flexibility of the wiring board, the resulting wiring board was cut to prepare a sample (2 mm×20 mm). Stainless steel (SUS304) rods having diameters of 3 mm, 3.5 mm, 4 mm, and 4.5 mm were prepared, and the resulting samples were placed on each rod and bent 180°. The presence of cracks was checked by visually observing the bent parts. The minimum diameters of the rods where cracks occurred are shown in Tables 1 to 3. It was determined that it had superior flexibility when it was 4 mm or less. In Tables 1 to 3, only the values of the samples for which the flexibility was measured are given.
The antenna characteristics were evaluated by measuring the radiation characteristics and the gain using a network analyzer for the samples shown in Tables 12 to 14. In this case, the value of the sample having the maximum value of gain was normalized to 1 for each antenna pattern having a similar shape, as shown in Tables 12 to 14, respectively. For the samples that evaluated the antenna characteristics shown in Tables 12 to 14, the wiring board, in which the thickness of the insulating layer was 100 μm, the storage modulus was 5 GPa, the coverage of the first metal layer was 17%, the coverage of the second metal layer was 95%, and the thickness was 50 μm, and the first metal layer was formed on the surface of the side with a high ratio of organic resin in the insulating layer, was used. The samples with varying thickness of the first metal layer and number of layers of the second metal layer were used. The warpage of the wiring board was also measured for each sample after the antenna characteristics were measured.
As is clear from the results in Tables 1 to 11, the warpage values of each sample were 2 mm or less for the wiring boards (Sample No. I-53 to I-243, I-306 to I-311 and I-313) in which the first metal layer was placed on the first surface of the insulating layer which was mainly composed of organic resin and included inorganic particles, the second metal layer was placed on the second surface on the opposite side of the first surface, the thickness of the insulating layer was 75 μm or more and 1000 μm or less, the storage modulus was 4 GPa or more and 7 GPa or less, the thickness of the first metal layer was 1.5 μm or more and 10 μm or less, its coverage was 5% or more and 25% or less, the thickness of the second metal layer was 3 μm or more and 10 μm or less or 25 μm or more and 100 μm, its coverage was in the range of 85% or more, and the surface part of the insulating layer on the side where the first metal layer was disposed had a higher ratio of organic resin than the surface part of the insulating layer on the side where the second metal layer was disposed. In addition, the sample in which the second metal layer was formed in a two-layer structure showed higher flexibility than the sample in which the second metal layer was in a one-layer structure if the thickness of the second metal layer was the same.
As is clear from Table 12, in the wiring boards of the antenna patterns illustrated in
The samples illustrated in Table 13 also showed that Sample No. III-2 in which the linear conductor was curved had higher radiation characteristics than Sample No. III-1.
Furthermore, Table 14 showed that in the wiring board where three antenna patterns were provided, the sample (Sample No. IV-2) in which one of the three antenna patterns was asymmetrical by changing its orientation by 90° with respect to the orientation of the linear conductors configuring the other antenna patterns had higher radiation characteristics than the sample (Sample No. IV-1) in which all three antenna patterns faced the same direction.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-207462 | Nov 2018 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2019/041523 | 10/23/2019 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2020/090583 | 5/7/2020 | WO | A |
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| 20130134227 | De Maquille | May 2013 | A1 |
| 20190089044 | Kobuke | Mar 2019 | A1 |
| 20200128667 | Nagasawa | Apr 2020 | A1 |
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| Entry |
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| WO2019116927 Machine Translation via WIPO (Year: 2019). |
| JP2018-195766 Machine Translation via EPO (Year: 2018). |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20210400809 A1 | Dec 2021 | US |
