About Resist Structuring

Laser structuring of etching and plating resist

Laser resist structuring covers the treatment of standard resists, which are used in the conventional photolithographic imaging processes of Pattern Plating (Semi additive process) or Panel Plating (Subtractive process), as well as of chemical tin resist.  In the Panel Plating and tin resist (chemical tin) processes the laser-structured resist is used as an etch resist, i.e. after structuring only the opened copper is exposed to the etching solution. With Pattern Plating the structured resist serves as a plating resist. In the structured channels copper is plated up, then after tin plating and stripping the resist the copper surfaces are etched.
 
Laser resist structuring is most suitable for the production of high density areas on a HDI printed circuit board. The majority of the board is manufactured conventionally (photolithographically). Small areas with track widths of < 50 µm can be manufactured with a high yield by the means of laser structuring.