EP 1286789 A4 20040616 - HIGH-SPEED FABRICATION OF HIGHLY UNIFORM ULTRA-SMALL METALLIC MICROSPHERES
Title (en)
HIGH-SPEED FABRICATION OF HIGHLY UNIFORM ULTRA-SMALL METALLIC MICROSPHERES
Title (de)
HOCHGESCHWINDIGKEITSHERSTELLUNG VON HÖCHSTGLEICHMÄSSIGEN ULTRAKLEINEN METALLISCHEN MIKROKUGELN
Title (fr)
FABRICATION A HAUTE VITESSE DE MICROSPHERES METALLIQUES A TRES PETITE ECHELLE
Publication
Application
Priority
- US 0116402 W 20010521
- US 20650800 P 20000522
- US 20650700 P 20000522
- US 27849501 P 20010323
- US 86079801 A 20010518
- US 86080301 A 20010518
Abstract (en)
[origin: WO0191525A2] In a high-speed fabrication process for producing highly uniform ultra-small metallic micro-spheres, a molten metal is passed through a small orifice, producing a stream of molten metal therefrom. A series of molten metal droplets forms from the break up of the capillary stream. Applied harmonic disturbances are used to control and generate satellite and parent droplets. Significantly, the satellite droplets formed are smaller than the orifice, allowing for the production of smaller metal balls and finer pitch conductive traces and ball grid arrays with larger orifices. The satellite droplets are separated from the parent droplets by electrostatic charging and deflection or by aerodynamic or acoustic sorting. In one embodiment, the satellite droplets are cooled before being collected to avoid defects and achieve high uniformity of the resulting metal balls. In another embodiment, the satellite droplets are electrostatically charged on a droplet-by-droplet basis and are then deflected by, e.g., an electric field to predetermined locations on a substrate. The satellite droplets can be placed in individual locations on the substrate (e.g., for forming a ball grid array) or can be overlapped to form conductive traces.
IPC 1-7
IPC 8 full level
B22F 1/00 (2006.01); B22F 1/065 (2022.01); B22F 9/08 (2006.01); H05K 3/34 (2006.01)
CPC (source: EP US)
B22F 1/065 (2022.01 - EP US); B22F 9/08 (2013.01 - EP US); B22F 2009/0836 (2013.01 - EP); B22F 2009/084 (2013.01 - EP); B22F 2998/00 (2013.01 - EP); H05K 3/3457 (2013.01 - EP); H05K 3/3478 (2013.01 - EP)
Citation (search report)
- [X] US 3627862 A 19711214 - WEST DE WITT HENRY, et al
- [A] US 4068241 A 19780110 - YAMADA TAKAHIRO
- See references of WO 0191525A2
Designated contracting state (EPC)
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR
DOCDB simple family (publication)
WO 0191525 A2 20011129; WO 0191525 A3 20020418; EP 1286789 A2 20030305; EP 1286789 A4 20040616
DOCDB simple family (application)
US 0116402 W 20010521; EP 01937626 A 20010521