Manufacture and method for obtaining accurately dimensioned features from a metal-containing web processed with a continuous etch process

Abstract

Corruption of features formed by etching a metal-containing web in a continuous etch process is reduced by distorting the original design or designs of the features to compensate for localized areas subject to excessive etching during the continuous etch process. In the case of a planar speaker diaphragm, for example, the width of the portions of the trace that are in a cross-machine direction is increased to compensate for the higher etching rate caused by the motion through the etch bath. While this causes the modified trace design to appear to be distorted relative to the original trace design, the etched trace resulting from the modified trace design has improved uniformity and greater fidelity to the original trace design than if the original trace design had been used in the continuous etch process.

1 . A method of preparing a modified trace design having at least one trace for use in effecting selective demetallization of a metal-containing web in a continuous etch process, the method comprising: 
 conceiving an original trace design;    envisioning placement of the original trace design on the web, wherein at least some segments of the original trace design are transverse to a direction of elongation of the web; and    widening at least some of the segments of the original trace design that are transverse to a direction of elongation of the web to obtain the modified trace design.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the transverse segments of the modified trace design are linear sections oriented latitudinally relative to the direction of elongation of the web, the latitudinally oriented segments of the modified trace design having respective lengths commensurate with corresponding portions of the original trace design, and respective widths wider than corresponding portions of the original trace design.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein at least some segments of the modified trace design are linear sections oriented longitudinally relative to the direction of elongation of the web, the longitudinally oriented segments of the modified trace design having respective lengths and widths commensurate with corresponding segments of the original trace design.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the transverse portions of the modified trace are arc sections having respective arc lengths commensurate with corresponding portions of the original trace design, and respective widths wider than corresponding portions of the original trace design.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein at least some segments of the modified trace design are linear sections oriented longitudinally relative to the direction of elongation of the web, the longitudinally oriented segments of the modified trace design having respective lengths and widths commensurate with corresponding segments of the original trace design.  
     
     
         6 . A method of preparing a practical feature design for use in effecting selective demetallization of a metal-containing web in a continuous etch process, the method comprising: 
 conceiving an ideal feature design;    envisioning placement of the ideal feature design on the web, wherein at least some portions of the ideal feature design are transverse to a direction of elongation of the web; and    widening at least some of the portions of the ideal feature design that are transverse to a direction of elongation of the web to obtain the practical feature design.