Component of printed circuit boards

Abstract

A component for use in manufacturing articles, such as printed circuit boards, comprised of a sheet of copper foil having an essentially uncontaminated surface facing an essentially uncontaminated surface of a sheet of metal, the surfaces of the sheets being in unattached contact with each other in an area that defines a substantially uncontaminated central zone, and the metal sheet being comprised of carbon steel having a layer of chromium thereon, wherein the chromium defines the substantially uncontaminated surface of the metal sheet.

Having described the invention, the following is claimed:  
     
         1 . In a component for use in manufacturing articles, such as printed circuit boards, the component comprised of a sheet of copper foil having an essentially uncontaminated surface facing an essentially uncontaminated surface of a sheet of metal, said surfaces of said sheets being in unattached contact with each other in an area that defines a substantially uncontaminated central zone, the improvement comprising: 
 said metal sheet being comprised of carbon steel having a layer of chromium thereon, said chromium defining said substantially uncontaminated surface of said metal sheet.    
     
     
         2 . A component as defined in    claim 1   , wherein said chromium layer has a thickness of about 0.1 gram/m 2  to about 10 grams/m 2 .  
     
     
         3 . A component as defined in    claim 2   , wherein said chromium layer has a thickness of about 2.0 grams/m 2  to about 4 grams/m 2 .  
     
     
         4 . A component as defined in    claim 2   , wherein said chromium is electrolytically deposited on said carbon steel sheet.  
     
     
         5 . A component as defined in    claim 2   , wherein said chromium is vapor deposited on said carbon steel sheet.  
     
     
         6 . A component as defined in    claim 1   , wherein said carbon steel sheet has a thickness of about 0.05 mm to about 2.0 mm.  
     
     
         7 . A component as defined in    claim 2   , wherein said carbon steel sheet has a thickness of about 0.1 mm to about 0.3 mm.  
     
     
         8 . A component as defined in    claim 1   , wherein said copper sheet is attached to said chromium metal layer by an adhesive along edges of said copper sheet and metal layer of said carbon steel sheet.