Metal Covered Polyimide Composite, Process for Producing the Composite, and Apparatus for Producing the Composite

Abstract

Provided is a metal covered polyimide composite comprising a tie-coat layer and a metal seed layer formed on a surface of a polyimide film by electroless plating or a drying method, and a copper layer or a copper alloy layer formed thereon by electroplating, wherein the copper plated layer or copper alloy plated layer includes three layers to one layer of the copper layer or copper alloy layer. The provided metal covered polyimide composite can effectively prevent peeling in a non-adhesive flexible laminate (especially a two-layer flexible laminate), particularly can effectively inhibit peeling from the interface of a copper layer and tin plating. Additionally provided are a method of producing the composite and an apparatus for producing the composite.

1 . A metal covered polyimide composite obtained by feeding a polyimide film comprising a tie-coat layer and a metal seed layer formed on a surface of a polyimide film by electroless plating or a drying method around a plating drum, and a copper layer or a copper alloy layer formed on the metal seed layer by electroplating, wherein the copper plated layer or copper alloy plated layer includes three layers to two layers of the copper layer or copper alloy layer. 
     
     
         2 . The metal covered polyimide composite according to  claim 1 , wherein the tie-coat layer is one type among nickel, chromium, cobalt, nickel alloy, chromium alloy, and cobalt alloy, and the metal seed layer is copper or copper alloy. 
     
     
         3 . A method of producing a metal covered polyimide composite, wherein after forming a tie-coat layer and a metal seed layer on a surface of a polyimide film by electroless plating or a drying method, and further feeding the polyimide film around a plating drum, three layers to two layers of an electroplated layer of copper or copper alloy are additionally formed on the metal seed layer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of producing a metal covered polyimide composite according to  claim 3 , wherein after forming a tie-coat layer and a metal seed layer on a surface of a polyimide film by electroless plating or a drying method, an electroplated layer of copper or copper alloy is formed by dividing an electroplating zone into two to four zones when feeding the polyimide film with the tie-coat layer and metal seed layer formed thereon around a plating drum and performing electroplating thereto. 
     
     
         5 . A method of producing an electronic circuit board, wherein after forming a copper circuit or copper alloy circuit by way of etching using the metal covered polyimide composite according to  claim 1 , tin plating to the copper circuit or copper alloy circuit is performed. 
     
     
         6 . The method of producing a metal covered polyimide composite according to  claim 5 , wherein the electroplating is performed in one or two baths. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus for producing a metal covered polyimide composite comprising an electroplating bath, a plating drum in that a part thereof is dipped in the electroplating bath, a unit for feeding a polyimide film to be plated in that a tie-coat layer and a metal seed layer are formed on its surface by electroless plating or a drying method around the plating drum, and a unit for supplying current to the plated surface of the polyimide film with the tie-coat layer and metal seed layer formed thereon, wherein one or more anodes are set to face the drum, and the plating zone is divided into two to four zones. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus for producing a metal covered polyimide composite according to  claim 7 , wherein two electroplating baths are used, and the plating zone is divided into two to four zones. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus for producing a metal covered polyimide composite according to  claim 7 , wherein a single electroplating bath is used, and the plating zone is divided into two zones. 
     
     
         10 . A method of producing a metal covered polyimide composite according to  claim 4 , wherein the electroplating is performed in one or two baths. 
     
     
         11 . A method of producing a metal covered polyimide composite according to  claim 3 , wherein the electroplating is performed in one or two baths.