IP Library Granted Patent US 12,399,001
Granted Patent B2
US 12,399,001 · App. 18/714,993 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Method for measuring surface parameter of copper foil, and method for sorting copper foil

Inventors: Hiroaki Kurihara (Ageo, JP); Takeshi Iwase (Ageo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUI MINING & SMELTING CO., LTD.
G01B11/30G01B9/04G01N21/95623G01N2021/95638H05K1/0237
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,399,001
App. No.
18/714,993
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A measurement method capable of acquiring, in a simple manner, a surface parameter of copper foil exhibiting high correlation with high frequency characteristics, the method including: (a) acquiring a surface profile of surface-treated copper foil as a reference; (b) setting a cutoff value for an L filter, the cutoff value satisfies: (i) an arithmetical mean height Sa after processing with the L filter, being 0.5 μm or less, and (ii) a percent change of Sdr or α value after processing with the L filter being 80% or less; (c) acquiring a surface profile of surface-treated copper foil as a measurement object; (d) subjecting the acquired surface profile of the copper foil as the measurement object to filter processing; and (e) calculating at least one of surface parameters defined in ISO25178 on the copper foil as the measurement object based on the surface profile after the filter processing.

Claims (22)

1. A method for measuring a surface parameter of copper foil, the method comprising:

(a) utilizing a microscope to measure a surface profile on a treated surface of a surface-treated copper foil as a reference for setting a filter condition;

(b) setting a cutoff value for an L filter based on the surface profile, wherein the cutoff value satisfies:

(i) Sa1, which is an arithmetical mean height Sa after processing with the L filter, being 0.5 μm or less, and

(ii) a percent change of developed interfacial area ratio Sdr before and after processing with the L filter being 80% or less, the percent change of Sdr being represented by a formula (|Sdr0−Sdr1|/Sdr0)×100, wherein Sdr0 is an Sdr before processing with the L filter, and Sdr1 is an Sdr after processing with the L filter, or

(ii′) a percent change of a value before and after processing with the L filter being set to be 80% or less, the percent change of a value being represented by a formula (|α0−α1|/α0)×100, wherein α0 is an α value before processing with the L filter, and α1 is an α value after processing with the L filter; the α value being obtained by dividing a core material volume Vmc by a core height Sk to obtain a quotient and multiplying the quotient by a developed interfacial area ratio Sdr, that is, obtained by a formula (Vmc/Sk)× Sdr; and

the Sa, the Sdr, the Vmc and the Sk being surface parameters defined by ISO25178;

(c) utilizing the microscope to measure a surface profile on a treated surface of a surface-treated copper foil as a measurement object, the surface-treated copper foil as the measurement object being produced or treated under the same condition as the surface-treated copper foil as the reference;

(d) subjecting the acquired surface profile of the surface-treated copper foil as the measurement object to filter processing, the filter processing including processing using an L filter with the cutoff value; and

(e) calculating at least one of surface parameters defined in ISO25178 on the treated surface of the surface-treated copper foil as the measurement object based on the surface profile after the filter processing.

2. The method for measuring a surface parameter of copper foil according to claim 1 , wherein, in (d), the filter processing is conducted without using an S filter.

3. The method for measuring a surface parameter of copper foil according to claim 1 , wherein the Sa1 is 0.3 μm or less, and the percent change of Sdr is 70% or less.

4. The method for measuring a surface parameter of copper foil according to claim 1 , wherein the Sa1 is 0.3 μm or less, and the percent change of a value is 70% or less.

5. The method for measuring a surface parameter of copper foil according to claim 1 , wherein, in (b), a second order differential of a surface parameter defined in ISO25178 is calculated to set the cutoff value for the L filter.

6. A method for selecting copper foil, comprising:

measuring a surface parameter of copper foil using the method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface parameter is at least one selected from the group consisting of an arithmetical mean height Sa, a root mean square height Sq, a maximum height Sz, a developed interfacial area ratio Sdr, a core material volume Vmc, and a core height Sk defined by ISO25178; and

selecting, as a copper foil suitable for a printed-wiring board for high frequency application, a copper foil having a surface in which the Sa is 1.2 μm or less, the Sq is 2.5 μm or less, the Sz is 14 μm or less, the Sdr is 60% or less, the Vmc is 1.5 μm 3 or less, and/or the Sk is 4 μm or less.

7. A method for producing a printed-wiring board for high frequency application, comprising the step of producing a printed-wiring board for high frequency application using a copper foil obtained by the method according to claim 6 .

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microscope comprises at least one from among: an atomic force microscope, a contact-type surface roughness measuring device, and a non-contact-type surface roughness measuring device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microscope comprises a laser microscope.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microscope comprises at least one from among a confocal chromatic probe, a phase-shifting interferometric microscope, a coherence scanning interferometer, a point autofocus probe, a focus variation microscope, and a confocal microscope.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microscope comprises a coherence scanning interferometer.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 31, 2026
From: MITSUI MINING AND SMELTING COMPANY, LIMITED
To: MITSUI KINZOKU COMPANY, LIMITED
Reel/Frame 075357/0342 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2024
From: KURIHARA, HIROAKI; IWASE, TAKESHI
To: MITSUI MINING & SMELTING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 067585/0109 →
Priority Claims (1)
WO PCT/JP2021/047646 · Dec 22, 2021 · international
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240418504A1 · Dec 19, 2024
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