IP Library Granted Patent US 8,907,226
Granted Patent B2
US 8,907,226 · App. 12/045,727 · Granted Dec 9, 2014

Conductor for flexible substrate and fabrication method of same, and flexible substrate using same

Inventors: Takayuki Tsuji (Hitachi, JP); Toshiyuki Horikoshi (Hitachi, JP); Masato Ito (Hitachi, JP)
Assignee: Hitachi Metals, Ltd.
H05K3/24H05K2203/0315H05K2201/0769H05K2201/0326H05K1/118
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,907,226
App. No.
12/045,727
Granted
Dec 9, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A conductor for a flexible substrate, used for a flexible flat cable or disposed inside a flexible printed-circuit board, according to the present invention comprises: a base conductor made of Cu or Cu-alloy; a plating film made of Sn or Sn-alloy formed on a surface of the base conductor; and a surface oxide film formed on a surface of the plating film, in which the surface oxide film includes oxide of an element other than Sn or a mixture of Sn oxide and oxide of an element other than Sn.

Claims (44)

1. A conductor for a flexible substrate, used for a flexible flat cable or disposed inside a flexible printed-circuit board, comprising:

a base conductor made of Cu or Cu-alloy;

a plated metal film made of Sn or Sn-alloy formed on a surface of the base conductor; and

a surface oxide film formed directly on a surface of the plated metal film, wherein:

the surface oxide film is made of an oxide comprising a mixture of Sn oxide and an oxide of an element other than Sn; and

a thickness of the surface oxide film is equal to or less than 5 nm.

2. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 1 , wherein:

the element other than Sn has higher oxidative tendency than Sn.

3. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 1 , wherein:

the element other than Sn is at least one kind of element chosen from among Zn, P, Al, and Ti.

4. A flexible substrate, comprising:

a plurality of conductors according to claim 1 arranged in parallel and an insulating layer provided on both sides of the plurality of conductors.

5. The flexible substrate according to claim 4 , wherein:

the insulating layer is made of resin film material having an adhesive layer at least on one side.

6. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 1 , wherein:

the surface oxide film is made of an oxide comprising a mixture of Sn oxide and an oxide of Zn.

7. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 1 , wherein:

the surface oxide film is made of an oxide comprising a mixture of Sn oxide and an oxide of P.

8. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 1 , wherein:

the surface oxide film is made of an oxide comprising a mixture of Sn oxide and an oxide of Al.

9. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 1 , wherein:

the surface oxide film is made of an oxide comprising a mixture of Sn oxide and an oxide of Ti.

10. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 1 , wherein:

the surface oxide film is made of an oxide composed of a mixture of Sn oxide and an oxide of an element other than Sn.

11. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 10 , wherein:

the element other than Sn has higher oxidative tendency than Sn.

12. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 10 , wherein:

the element other than Sn is at least one kind of element chosen from among Zn, P, Al, and Ti.

13. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 10 , wherein:

the surface oxide film is made of an oxide composed of a mixture of Sn oxide and an oxide of Zn.

14. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 10 , wherein:

the surface oxide film is made of an oxide composed of a mixture of Sn oxide and an oxide of P.

15. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 10 , wherein:

the surface oxide film is made of an oxide composed of a mixture of Sn oxide and an oxide of Al.

16. The conductor for a flexible substrate according to claim 10 , wherein:

the surface oxide film is made of an oxide composed of a mixture of Sn oxide and an oxide of Ti.

17. A flexible substrate, comprising:

a plurality of conductors according to claim 10 arranged in parallel and an insulating layer provided on both sides of the plurality of conductors.

18. The flexible substrate according to claim 17 , wherein:

the insulating layer is made of resin film material having an adhesive layer at least on one side.

19. A fabrication method of a conductor for a flexible substrate, used for a flexible flat cable or disposed inside a flexible printed-circuit board, comprising steps of:

forming a plating film made of Sn or Sn-alloy on a surface of a base conductor made of Cu or Cu-alloy; forming another plating layer made of at least one kind of element selected from among Zn, P, Al, and Ti on a surface of the plating film; and subsequently oxidizing the another plating layer and a surface region of the plating film by means of a reflow process, thereby forming a surface oxide film made of a mixture of Sn oxide and oxide of the selected element.

20. A fabrication method of a conductor for a flexible substrate, used for a flexible flat cable or disposed inside a flexible printed-circuit board, comprising steps of:

forming an Sn-alloy plating film containing at least one kind of element selected from among Zn, P, Al, and Ti on a surface of a base conductor made of Cu or Cu-alloy; and subsequently oxidizing a surface region of the Sn-alloy plating film by means of a reflow process, thereby forming a surface oxide film made of a mixture of Sn oxide and oxide of the selected element.

Assignments (4)
MERGER Recorded Feb 12, 2014
From: HITACHI CABLE, LTD.
To: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 032251/0017 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 27, 2014
From: HITACHI CABLE FINE-TECH, LTD.
To: HITACHI METALS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 032047/0767 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT ASSIGNOR'S NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 021000 FRAME 0085 Recorded Nov 14, 2008
From: TSUJI, TAKAYUKI; HORIKOSHI, TOSHIYUKI; ITO, MASATO
To: HITACHI CABLE, LTD.; HITACHI CABLE FINETECH CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 021841/0141 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 22, 2008
From: TSUJI, TAKAYUKI; HORIKOSHI, TOSHIYUKI; ITO, MASSATO
To: HITACHI CABLE, LTD.; HITACHI CABLE FINETECH CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 021000/0085 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090229865A1 · Sep 17, 2009