# US 11,910,538 B2 · Electronic device housings with patterned electrolytic plating layers

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- Number: US 11,910,538 B2
- Document ID: US11910538B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/602,884
- Filed: 2019-08-08
- Published: 2022-05-26
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2019-08-08
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Yi-Chen Chen; Kun Cheng Tsai; Kuan-Ting Wu; Ying-Hung Ku; Hsueh Chen Hung
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910538B2

## CPC

- H05K 3/181: {by electroless plating (adhesives therefor H05K3/387)}
- H05K 5/0247: {Electrical details of casings, e.g. terminals, passages for cables or wiring}
- G06F 1/1656: {Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories (mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203)}
- G06F 1/1658: {related to the mounting of internal components, e.g. disc drive or any other functional module}
- H04M 1/0277: {for a printed circuit board assembly}
- H05K 1/09: Use of materials for the {conductive, e.g. } metallic pattern
- H05K 1/117: {Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors}
- H05K 1/119: {Details of rigid insulating substrates therefor, e.g. three-dimensional details (H05K1/117 takes precedence)}
- H05K 3/027: {the conductive material being removed by irradiation, e.g. by photons, alpha or beta particles}
- H05K 3/188: {by direct electroplating}
- H05K 3/403: {Edge contacts; Windows or holes in the substrate having plural connections on the walls thereof (H05K3/4092 takes precedence)}
- H05K 5/0026: {provided with connectors and printed circuit boards [PCB], e.g. automotive electronic control units}
- H05K 2201/0999: Circuit printed on or in housing, e.g. housing as PCB; Circuit printed on the case of a component; PCB affixed to housing
- H05K 2203/0502: Patterning and lithography
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

In one example, an electronic device housing may include a substrate, an insulating adhesive layer formed on a surface of the substrate, a patterned electroless plating layer formed on the insulating adhesive layer, and a patterned electrolytic plating layer formed on the patterned electroless plating layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic device, comprising:
a first circuit board;
a second circuit board;
a housing to house the first circuit board and the second circuit board;
an insulating adhesive layer formed on a surface of the housing;
a patterned electroconductive layer formed on the insulating adhesive layer to electrically connect the first circuit board and the second circuit board, wherein the patterned electroconductive layer comprises:
a patterned electroless plating layer formed on the insulating adhesive layer; and
a patterned electrolytic plating layer formed on the patterned electroless plating layer;
a first contact pad formed on the insulating adhesive layer and connected to a first end of the patterned electroconductive layer;
a second contact pad formed on the insulating adhesive layer and connected to a second end of the patterned electroconductive layer, wherein the first contact pad is electrically connected to the second contact pad using the patterned electroconductive layer;
a first surface contact connector having a first end connected to the first circuit board via a first spring and a second end physically engaged with the first contact pad; and
a second surface contact connector having a first end connected to the second circuit board via a second spring and a second end physically engaged with the second contact pad.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the insulating adhesive layer comprises polyvinyl acetate, acrylic, phenolics, polycarbonate, polyester, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyetherimide (PEI), polyimide, or any combination thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the patterned electroless plating layer is a patterned electroless copper plating layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the patterned electrolytic plating layer is a patterned electrolytic copper plating layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the patterned electroless plating layer has a thickness in a range of 0.2 μm to 5 μm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the patterned electrolytic plating layer has a thickness in a range of 2 μm to 150 μm.

### Claim 7

A method for manufacturing a casing of an electronic device, comprising:
forming an insulating adhesive layer on a surface of a substrate;
forming an electroconductive layer on the insulating adhesive layer, wherein forming the electroconductive layer comprises:
forming an electroless copper plating layer on the insulating adhesive layer; and
forming an electrolytic copper plating layer on the electroless copper plating layer; and
applying a lithographic patterning process on the electroconductive layer to form a circuit having a pattern, wherein applying the lithographic patterning process on the electroconductive layer comprises:
forming a photoresist layer on a surface of the electroconductive layer;
aligning and exposing the photoresist layer to at least one of an infrared radiation and an ultraviolet radiation;
developing the photoresist layer to form a patterned photoresist layer;
etching the electroconductive layer, while using the patterned photoresist layer as a mask, to form the circuit with the pattern; and
removing the patterned photoresist layer from the surface of the electroconductive layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7,
wherein the insulating adhesive layer is a material selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl acetate, polycarbonate, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyetherimide (PEI), polyimide, and a combination thereof.

### Claim 9

A method for manufacturing a casing of an electronic device comprising:
forming an insulating adhesive layer on a surface of a substrate;
forming an electroconductive layer on the insulating adhesive layer, wherein forming the electroconductive layer comprises:
forming an electroless copper plating layer on the insulating adhesive layer; and
forming an electrolytic copper plating layer on the electroless copper plating layer; and
applying a lithographic patterning process on the electroconductive layer to form a circuit having a pattern;
wherein forming the insulating adhesive layer on the surface of the substrate comprises:
applying the insulating adhesive layer with a release film on the surface of the substrate;
treating the substrate with an anti-fingerprint coating composition upon applying the insulating adhesive layer with the release film; and
removing the release film.

### Claim 10

A method for manufacturing a casing of an electronic device, comprising:
forming an insulating adhesive layer on a surface of a substrate;
forming an electroconductive layer on the insulating adhesive layer, wherein forming the electroconductive layer comprises:
forming an electroless copper plating layer on the insulating adhesive layer; and
forming an electrolytic copper plating layer on the electroless copper plating layer;
applying a lithographic patterning process on the electroconductive layer to form a circuit having a pattern; and
treating the insulating adhesive layer by applying a plasma treatment and a subsequent ultraviolet treatment prior to forming the electroconductive layer on the insulating adhesive layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
forming a first contact pad on the insulating adhesive layer, wherein the first contact pad is connected to a first end of the circuit; and
forming a second contact pad on the insulating adhesive layer, wherein the second contact pad is connected to a second end of the circuit such that the first contact pad and the second contact pad are interconnected via a trace of the circuit.