Method of manufacturing a printed circuit board

Abstract

Printed circuit boards have circuit layers with one or more copper filled through-holes and methods of manufacturing the same. An aspect of an embodiment of the present invention enhances thermal characteristics of filled through-holes of printed circuit boards to provide extra reliability to the printed circuit boards. In one embodiment, a printed circuit broad has a plurality of through-holes to connect copper patterns on different layers of the printed circuits broad. Here, at least one of the through-holes is copper plated closed at both ends with at least 70% volume of the through-hole plated with copper to, e.g., enhance thermal characteristics of the through-hole, thereby providing extra reliability to the printed circuit board. In one embodiment, the printed circuit board includes a surface conductor (or cap) that is directly plated over the copper filled barrel plated through-hole.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A printed circuit board comprising:
 a plurality of circuit layers, each of the plurality of circuit layers having a copper pattern;   at least one copper filled through-hole adapted to connect the copper patterns on different layers of the plurality of circuit layers,   wherein the at least one copper filled though-hole is electrolytic copper plated closed at both ends of the at least one copper filled though-hole.   
     
     
         10 . The printed circuit board of  claim 9 , further comprising a conductive cap adapted to cover the at least one copper filled through-hole. 
     
     
         11 . The printed circuit board of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one copper filled through-hole is a mechanical drilled through-hole. 
     
     
         12 . The printed circuit board of  claim 9 , further comprising a conductive cap copper plated directly over the at least one copper filled through-hole. 
     
     
         13 . The printed circuit board of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one copper filled through-hole comprises at least 70% by volume of copper. 
     
     
         14 . The printed circuit board of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one copper filled through-hole comprises a plurality of through-holes electrolytic copper plated closed at both ends with at least 70% volume of the through-holes plated with copper. 
     
     
         15 . The printed circuit board of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one copper filled through-hole comprises a plurality of through-holes, and wherein each of the plurality of through-holes is electrolytic copper plated closed at both ends with at least 70% volume of the corresponding through-hole plated with copper. 
     
     
         16 . The printed circuit board of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one copper filled through-hole is a barrel plated through-hole. 
     
     
         17 . The printed circuit board of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one copper filled through-hole comprises enough electrolytic plated copper to plate close both ends of the at least one copper filled though-hole. 
     
     
         18 . The printed circuit board of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one copper filled through-hole enhances a thermal characteristic of the printed circuit board. 
     
     
         19 . The printed circuit board of  claim 9 , wherein the printed circuit board is a sub-component printed circuit board or an entire component printed circuit board. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled)