Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Electrical device making
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-05
2002-05-21
Vo, Peter (Department: 3729)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Electrical device making
C029S025420, C029S025350, C361S309000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06389680
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION P 1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electronic component, particularly to a method of manufacturing an electronic component having a structure in which a cover material, such as an insulating film or a protective film, is disposed to cover an entire surface of the electronic component except for locations at which cutting lines intersect.
2. Description of Prior Art
For example, as shown in
FIG. 5
, a chip type coil component includes a thin film coil pattern (conductor pattern) which is disposed on a surface of a substrate. The method of manufacturing such a chip type coil component includes a step of cutting out individual elements
54
by cutting a mother substrate
53
on which a plurality of thin film coil patterns
51
are arranged. As can be seen in
FIG. 5
, the surfaces of the thin film coil patterns
51
are covered with an insulating/protecting film (referred to as a “cover material”)
52
at predetermined positions.
Further, a resin material including, for example, polyimide or the like is used for the cover material
52
because of its desired surface smoothness, insulation performance, heat resistance and aptitude for micro-machining required because of the decreasing size of such components.
Further, a conventional method of cutting out the individual elements
54
by cutting the mother substrate
53
at predetermined positions includes a step of breaking the mother substrate
53
by using a scriber. However, this method requires a process of cutting and separating each element
54
from the mother substrate
53
by using a cleavage operation. With such a method, the mother substrate
53
cannot be cut when the insulating/protecting film
52
covers scribe lines. Therefore, cut margins
55
shown in
FIG. 5
must be provided at the periphery of each of the insulating/protecting films
52
.
Further, considering the machining accuracy of the scribing and breaking process involved in this conventional method, a width of the cut margin
55
provided at the periphery of the insulating/protecting film
52
needs to be at least about 100 &mgr;m and each insulating/protecting film
52
needs to be located at a region about 50 &mgr;m from respective surrounding peripheral portions of each individual element
54
, such as a thin film coil pattern.
Further, considering the forming accuracy of the insulating/protecting films
52
, the thin film coil pattern (conductor pattern)
51
needs to be formed about 30 to 50 &mgr;m from respective surrounding peripheral portions of the insulating/protecting film
52
.
When it is necessary to reduce a size of an electronic component of a chip type, particularly, a chip type coil component including a conductive pattern comprising a thin film coil pattern or the like located on the surface of a substrate, is important to have a sufficient width and size of an area for forming a conductive pattern in order to maintain and improve the function and characteristics of the component. However, when a mother substrate is cut by the scribing and breaking process as described above, it is difficult to secure an area on the mother substrate that is sufficient for forming a conductive pattern because of problems with the manufacturing accuracy of the scribing and breaking process and accuracy of forming the insulating/protecting film. Thus, it is not possible to achieve the desired reduction in size of the electronic component.
Further, other conventional methods of cutting out individual elements by cutting the mother substrate at predetermined positions involve a dicing process using a dicing blade for cutting the mother substrate. According to such a dicing process, the manufacturing accuracy is improved and the insulating/protecting film can simultaneously be cut with the substrate. Therefore, the cut margin
55
required in the method shown in
FIG. 5
is not needed. Thus, as shown in
FIG. 6
, the insulating/protecting film
52
can be formed on the entire surface of the mother substrate
53
and there is no requirement to leave exposed portions of the substrate or to form cut margins
55
required in the process shown in FIG.
5
. Accordingly, this conventional method using a dicing process provides an advantage over the scribing and breaking process or the like shown in
FIG. 5
, because in the conventional method shown in
FIG. 6
, the conductor patterns
51
can extend up to the outer peripheral portions of a chip and an area which can be used for forming the chip can be reliably and accurately provided.
According to the conventional dicing process, the mother substrate
53
is cut along cut lines A and B (
FIG. 6
) which intersect each other perpendicularly. In that case, for example, a first cutting operation is initially performed along the cut lines A and a second cutting operation is performed thereafter along the cut lines B of a sub-mother substrate
53
a
having a strip-like shape to thereby cut out the individual elements
54
from the substrate
53
.
Further, in performing the second cutting operation, the dicing blade is always brought into contact with an end of the substrate (end portion of the sub-mother substrate
53
a
which is formed to have the strip-like shape by the first cutting operation). At this moment, as shown by
FIG. 7
, the machining is performed by first bringing the insulating/protecting film
52
into contact with the dicing blade
57
at an end portion of the sub-mother substrate
53
a
. The insulating/protecting film
52
is sing softer and more deformable than a material used for forming the substrate. A very small chip or breakage of the insulating/protecting film
52
is liable to occur at the end portion of the sub-mother substrate
53
a
during dicing because of the action of the dicing blade
57
on the substrate
53
a
. Therefore, debris
56
comprising a part of the insulating/protecting film
52
may be caused at the end of the substrate
53
a
by stretching or removal of the insulating/protecting film
52
or may remain in the individual elements
54
of the electronic component.
A product where debris from the insulating/protecting film remains on the component as described above, causes a failure in the functioning and reliability of the electronic component and the finished product incorporating the electronic component.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the problems described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a method of manufacturing an electronic component which is arranged to increase an area on a surface of a mother substrate which is available for forming an element of the electronic component while preventing debris from an insulating/protecting film from remaining on the element or the electronic component.
According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing an electronic component which includes the steps of providing a mother substrate; forming a plurality of elements of the electronic component on the mother substrate; forming a cover material, such as an insulating film or a protecting film, on an entire surface of the mother substrate except for locations where cutting lines intersect such that portions of the substrate are exposed only at the locations where the cutting lines intersect; cutting out a plurality of the elements of the electronic component from the mother substrate by cutting the mother substrate along the intersecting cut lines; wherein the mother substrate is cut along the cut lines by using a dicing process and the dicing process begins at the exposed portions of the substrate where cutting lines intersect such that only the mother substrate is cut initially and then continues such that the mother substrate and the cover material are cut together.
By cutting the mother substrate where the cover material is not located at portions of intersecting cut lines such that the surface of the mother substrate is exposed at the intersection portions, several advantages are provided. When a first cu
Kawaguchi Masahiko
Matsuta Katsuji
Keating & Bennett LLP
Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
Smith Sean
Vo Peter
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