Electroformed conductor patterns in electronics manufacturing

Purpose – The aim of this study was to test and survey a circuitry transfer technique where conductor patterns are electroformed on carrier substrates and thereafter the electroformed patterns are transferred from carrier substrates to their final devices. Design/methodology/approach – An electrically conductive pattern is built up by an electrodepositing metal or metal alloy on a carrier substrate, called a mandrel, using a resist image to define the outlines of the pattern. Thereafter, the electroformed structures are bonded on plastic substrates, for instance, by hot pressing or by embedding into a resin. In our experiments, the imaging of stainless steel carriers was done by the photolithographic process and the electroformed copper patterns were transferred by hot pressing onto thermoplastic substrates. Findings – The literature review revealed that the transfer of electroformed conductor patterns to plastic parts is not a very commonly used technology, although it could provide possibilities for eve...