The other side of UV:YAG laser in printed circuit board fabrication, some experiments and experiences, not always microvia related

Driven by silicon and array packaging (BGA, CSP, ...) the printed circuit industry was forced to develop processes for finer structures and smaller vias. The result was the development of a number of different methods for microvia (vias with a diameter of 0.15 mm and less) generation. Today the most commonly used process for the production of microvias is laser ablation. The two mainly used laser types in the printed circuit industry are UV:YAG and CO/sub 2/. Multek Europe has been experienced in laser technology for a long time. Today Multek Europe is using UV:YAG lasers for producing microvia printed circuit boards. Laser ablation of different materials requires a strong understanding of the parameter effects and interactions. Multek Europe optimized the parameters of the laser ablation process for reliable production of stacked and staggered microvias in different materials. Also, several alternative applications where UV:YAG laser could be used to deliver useful tasks for printed circuit production were investigated and developed. This paper presents an overview of the laser generation of microvias and describes additional-non microvia related-applications where the UV:YAG laser may support the production of printed circuit boards.