Plasma-printing and galvanic metallization hand in hand—A new technology for the cost-efficient manufacture of flexible printed circuits

A new potentially cost-efficient technology combining patterned atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) treatment, here referred to as «plasma-printing», and galvanic plating for the production of flexible printed circuits (FPC) is presented in this contribution. The technology is being jointly developed by partners from industry and academia, a major aim being the realization of the processes in a reel-to-reel production system. So far, plasma-printing experiments have been carried out using lab-scale batch plants. Using suitable plasma conditions and electroless plating baths, RFID-like tag and interdigital structures with line widths and spaces down to 100 μm could already be produced. Adhesion of copper on DBD treated polyimide foil reached up to about 1 N/mm, as was determined in a peel test similar to that described in the DIN 53494.