Method of manufacturing printed circuits

A method for manufacturing a network of electrically conductive paths supported by a dielectric material comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a conductive metallic lamina;
• b) making a dielectric substrate fast with the lamina, such that an exposed surface of the substrate defines a reference plane disposed parallel to the lamina;
• c) supporting the substrate on the exposed surface thereof;
• d) mechanically deforming the lamina into a non-planar pattern defining the network of conductive paths substantially parallel to the reference plane, contiguous and integral with areas of waste conductive material, and defining a machining plane parallel to the reference plane along a boundary between waste material of the lamina and the network of conductive paths;
• e) machining the lamina along the machining plane to remove the waste material and leave the network of conductive paths;
• and
• f) providing at least a portion of the substrate, adjacent the lamina, with a viscosity during step d) such that the substrate is sufficiently fluid to flow from under the conductive paths being formed to relieve any compression stresses and to fill voids under waste material of the lamina, and is sufficiently viscous to support the lamina during and after formation.

A method for manufacturing a network of electrically conductive paths supported by a dielectric material comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a conductive metallic lamina;
• b) supporting the lamina on a first surface thereof, such that the supported surface of the lamina defines a first reference plane;
• c) mechanically deforming a second surface of the lamina, substantially parallel with the first surface reference plane, by depressing the waste portions of the lamina toward the first reference plane while extruding the desired network of conductive paths in a direction away from the first reference plane, and defining a machining plane substantially parallel to the first reference plane along a boundary between waste material of the lamina and the extruded network of conductive paths;
• d) making a layer of dielectric material fast with the formed second surface of the lamina, such that an exposed surface of the dielectric layer defines a second reference plane disposed substantially parallel to the first reference plane, and the conductive paths are supported throughout performance of a remainder of the method;
• e) supporting the exposed surface of the dielectric material;
• and
• f) machining the first surface of the lamina, relative to the second reference plane, along the boundary, thereby removing the waste material and leaving the desired conductive paths.

A method for manufacturing a network of electrically conductive paths supported by a dielectric material comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a conductive metallic lamina;
• b) supporting the lamina on a first surface thereof;
• c) defining a first reference plane positioned parallel to the lamina;
• d) mechanically deforming a second surface of the lamina into a non-planar pattern defining the network of conductive paths substantially parallel to the first reference plane, contiguous and integral with areas of waste conductive material, and defining a machining plane substantially parallel to the first reference plane along a boundary between waste material of the lamina and the network of conductive paths, by extruding the desired conductive paths to at least a first level, relative to the first reference plane, and extruding raised terminal pad portions that are raised outwardly from the at a least first level, relative to the first reference plane:
• e) making a layer of dielectric material fast to the formed second surface of the lamina, such that conductive paths are supported throughout performance of a remainder of the method;
• and
• f) machining the lamina along the machining plane to remove the waste material and leave the network of conductive paths.