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Completed Circuits, Cover Layer and Rework on Flex

Laser Cutting of Flex Circuits

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1. Technological Requirements

Josh Brown Market Development

Representative

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Questions 1. Technological Requirements

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Topics

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Systems

Other Capabilities Cover Layer Rigid-Flex Decap Skiving & SMT Etching

Depaneling Accuracy Materials Speeds

Laser Processing Overview

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Laser

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355 nm

± 4 µm X/Y, Repetition Accuracy

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Depaneling Flex Boards

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Materials

Flex Materials • Polyimide – Kapton & Akaflex • PET • Pyralux (Teflon/Polyimide combo)

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Other Materials • FR4 and epoxy laminates • Rogers • Ceramics • PTFE • Aluminum, Copper

Etching • Copper, brass, aluminum

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Overview Sales Arguments, Advantages

Stress Accuracy & Precision Yield Speed Versatility

Hand Cut

Routing

Die Cut

UV Laser

CO2 Laser

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What is you primary depaneling concern?

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1. Technological Requirements Mechanical Stress

Mechanical depaneling methods

• Die punching, routing and hand cutting

• Introduce mechanical stress

• Stress can cause

• burring and deformation

Laser Cutting

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Thermal Stress Pulsed CO2 UV (3x Nd:YAG)

•Passes: 4

• Effective cutting speed: 860 mm/s

• Cut width: 120 μm

•Passes: 1

• Effective cutting speed: 95 mm/s

• Cut width: 30 μm

CO2 vs UV - Cutting of Polyimide (Kapton®) 125 micron

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1. Technological Requirements

Accuracy & Precision

Method Cut Widths

Hand Cut Not good!

Routing 1 mm

Die Cut 1 mm

Dicing Saw 0.5 mm

UV 25 μm

CO2 120 μm

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1. Technological Requirements

Finer Features

5.5 cm

1 mm

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Arbitrary Shapes

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Fiducial Recognition Camera

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Yield (Mounting Density)

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• Tool width + allotted zone for

stress = cut width

Smaller Cut Width:

• More boards per panel

• Components closer together

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1. Technological Requirements

Cutting Speed

5.5 cm

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0

50

100

150

200

250

300

0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200

Pote

ntia

l Cut

Spe

ed (m

m/s

ec)

Polyimide Thickness ( µm)

Polyimide Cutting Speeds

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Rigid-Flex Cutting

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1. Technological Requirements

Versatility: Design Freedom

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Application: Drilling of FPC Multilayer

Polyimide-multilayer (350 micron thick, Cu + PI + adhesive)

• 50 micron -> 85 holes / sec

• 75 micron -> 50 holes / sec

• 100 micron -> 40 holes / sec

Benefits of Laser Drilling

• No delamination

• High positional accuracy

• Ideal drilling geometry

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Trends

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Board Trends

• Smaller/miniaturization

• Higher component densities

• Arbitrary cut contours

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Other Capabilities

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Other Capabilities Other Capabilities

Cover Layer Rigid-Flex Decap

Skiving & SMT Etching

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Cover Layer Cutting

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Application: Cover Layer Cutting

• Cover layer: 12 µm PI, 15 µm Adhesive

• Total length of cutting contour: 9760 mm (384``)

• Layout size: 246 mm x 236 mm

• Total count of pads: 646

• Time : 29,7 s/sheet

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Skiving

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67 μm

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Application: Opening of Solder Resist and Cover Foil

150 µm 75 µm

100 µm 200 µm

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Application: Flying Leads

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1. Technological Requirements

Skiving & Depaneling, Single Step

Rigid

Flex Connector

Methods

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Rigid-Flex Decap

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Laser Decap Mechanical Decap

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Laser Etching

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• Successful structuring on polyimide

• Previously only possible on rigid substrates

• New development, but an important step in the evolution of laser processing of flex circuits

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Equipment and Tooling Costs

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Equipment Cost Tooling Cost

Hand Cut

Routing

Die Cut

UV Laser

CO2 Laser

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1. Technological Requirements

Tooling Costs

Tool Tool Cost Lead Time

Hand Cut Scissors/ Pizza Cutter + Days

Routing Bits - Days/weeks

Die Cut Custom Die - Weeks

UV n/a + n/a

CO2 n/a + n/a

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What is your annual production level?

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System in Action

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MicroLine Family

ML 6120 P ML 6120 S

ML 1120 S ML 1120 P

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Automation Options

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Service Work

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• Routing

• Skiving

• Drilling

• Depaneling

www.a-laser.com

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Q&A

For more information after the presentation, please contact: Mirela Orlowski – Sales Engineer (503) 454-4249 ǀ morlowski@lpkfusa.com

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MicroLine 6000P Features

Material handling • Vacuum table • Constant vacuum during complete process • Different underlayer material (e.g. sinter, honeycomb) • Areas to fix stopper and pins • Loading / unloading speed 1m / sec