Optimising the Drilling and Etch‐back Parameters in Flexible Multilayer Manufacture

For the drilling of polyimide multilayers with acrylic adhesives, more care must be taken than for epoxy glass material. Due to the different mechanical properties in the multilayer ‘sandwich’ of the polyimide and the acrylic adhesive layers, the drilling parameters require a higher level of control. To avoid defects in the hole, such as nail heading of the polyimide or an uncontrolled ‘rip‐out’ of the acrylic adhesive, the relation between the cutting speed of the drill and the feed needs to be adjusted for each drill diameter. The following guidelines are valid: Wider drill diameters require a lower rotational speed and a lower feed to avoid deformation of the polyimide in the hole. Smaller drill diameters need high rotational speeds and a higher feed to minimise smear. In general, the drilling performance of wider drills is better than that of smaller drills. In all cases, it was impossible to prevent smear of the acrylic adhesive in the multilayer holes. The only reliable method for removing acrylic smear is by plasma etching. The minimum etch‐back required for acrylic adhesive was found to be ≥6 µm, which would be equivalent to an etch‐back of only 2 µm of the polyimide film. To achieve the etch‐back rate, the time in the plasma chamber should be between 20 and 30 minutes at 90–110°C. After the etch‐back, a high pressure water rinse is needed to remove some residues in the hole prior to through‐plating.