Manufacture and method for obtaining accurately dimensioned features from a metal-containing web processed with a continuous etch process

Abstract

Corruption of features formed by etching a metal-containing web in a continuous etch process is reduced by distorting the original design or designs of the features to compensate for localized areas subject to excessive etching during the continuous etch process. In the case of a planar speaker diaphragm, for example, the width of the portions of the trace that are in a cross-machine direction is increased to compensate for the higher etching rate caused by the motion through the etch bath. While this causes the modified trace design to appear to be distorted relative to the original trace design, the etched trace resulting from the modified trace design has improved uniformity and greater fidelity to the original trace design than if the original trace design had been used in the continuous etch process.

1 - 6 . (canceled)  
     
     
         7 . A method of preparing a modified trace design having at least one trace for use in effecting selective demetallization of a metal-containing web in a continuous submersion bath etch process, the method comprising: 
 preparing an original trace design;    translating the original trace design for placement on the web, wherein at least some segments of the original trace design are transverse to a direction of elongation of the web; and    widening at least some of the segments of the original trace design that are transverse to the direction of elongation of the web to obtain the modified trace design,    wherein the transverse segments of the modified trace design are linear sections oriented latitudinally relative to the direction of elongation of the web, the latitudinally oriented segments of the modified trace design having respective lets commensurate with corresponding portions of the original trace design, and respective widths wider than corresponding portions of the original trace design.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least some portions of the original trace design are parallel to the direction of elongation of the web, the method further comprising: 
 widening segments of the original trace design that are parallel to the direction of elongation of the web a lesser magnitude than the transverse segments.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least some segments of the modified trace design are linear sections oriented longitudinally relative to the direction of elongation of the web, the longitudinally oriented segments of the modified trace design having respective lengths and widths commensurate with corresponding segments of the original trace design.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the respective widths of the latitudinally oriented segments of the original trace design are widened to a greater extent along respective leading edges than along respective trailing edges to form the modified trace design.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein only to respective leading edges of the latitudinally oriented segments of the original trace design are widened to form the modified trace design.  
     
     
         12 . A method of preparing a modified trace design having at least one trace for use in effecting selective demetallization of a metal-containing web in a continuous submersion bath etch process, the method comprising: 
 preparing an original trace design;    translating the original trace design for placement on the web, wherein at least some segments of the original trace design are transverse to a direction of elongation of the web; and    widening at least some of the segments of the original trace design that are transverse to the direction of elongation of the web to obtain the modified trace design,    wherein the transverse portions of the modified trace are arc sections having respective arc lengths commensurate with corresponding portions of the original trace design, and respective widths wider than corresponding portions of the original trace design.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least some portions of the original trace design are oriented longitudinally relative to the direction of elongation of the web, wherein the method further comprises: 
 widening segments of die original trace design that are oriented longitudinally relative to the direction of elongation of the web a lesser magnitude than the transverse segments.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein at least some segments of the modified trace design are linear sections oriented longitudinally relative to the direction of elongation of the web, the longitudinally oriented segments of the modified trace design having respective lengths and widths commensurate with corresponding segments of the original trace design.  
     
     
         15 . A method of preparing a modified trace design having at least one trace for use in effecting selective demetallization of a metal-containing web in a continuous submersion bath etch process, the method comprising: 
 preparing an original trace design;    translating the original trace design for placement on the web, wherein at least some segments of the original trace design are transverse to a direction of elongation of the web; and    widening at least some of the segments of the original trace design that are transverse to the direction of elongation of the web to obtain the modified trace design,    wherein the transverse segments of the modified trace design are linear sections oriented at an angle relative to the direction of elongation of the web, the angularly oriented segments of the modified trace design having respective lengths commensurate with corresponding portions of the original trace design, and respective widths wider than corresponding portions of the original trace design.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein at least some segments of the modified trace design are linear sections oriented longitudinally relative to the direction of elongation of the web, the longitudinally oriented segments of the modified trace design having respective lengths and widths commensurate with corresponding segments of the original trace design.  
     
     
         17 . A method of preparing a modified trace design having at least one trace for use in effecting selective demetallization of a metal-containing web in a continuous submersion bath etch process, the method comprising: 
 preparing an original trace design;    translating the original trace design for placement on the web, wherein at least some segments of the original trace design are transverse to a direction of elongation of the web;    widening at least some of the segments of the original trace design that are transverse to the direction of elongation of the web to obtain the modified trace design; and    widening at least some of the segments of the original trace design that are parallel to the direction of elongation of the web a lesser magnitude than the parallel segments.    
     
     
         18 . A method of preparing a practical feature design for use in effecting selective demetallization of a metal-containing web in a continuous submersion bath etch process, the method comprising: 
 preparing an ideal feature design exemplifying final feature specifications;    translating the feature design for placement on the web, wherein at least some portions of the ideal feature design are transverse to a direction of elongation of the web, and wherein at least some portions of the ideal feature design are parallel to the direction of elongation of the web; and    widening at least some of the portions of the ideal feature design to obtain the practical feature design at the conclusion of the etch process that is in close fidelity with the ideal feature design, wherein the widening comprises; 
 widening at least some of the portions of the ideal feature design that are parallel to the direction of elongation of the web; and  
 widening the transverse portions a greater magnitude than the parallel portions.  
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein widening the transverse portions comprises widening the transverse portions so that the transverse portions are between about five to fifty percent wider than the parallel portions when the same etched trace width is desired for both portions.