Laser micromachining and electrical structures formed thereby

Abstract

A unified process of making an electrical structure includes performing a plurality of laser etching operations on a workpiece, without removing the workpiece from a laser processing system. The workpiece includes a conductive material disposed on an electrically insulating substrate, and the plurality of laser etching operations include, but are not limited to, two or more of forming a fiducial, forming thick metal traces separated by high aspect ratio spaces, cutting an alignment hole, cutting a folding line, and singulating the electrical structure. In another aspect of the invention, a database is prepared, and communicatively coupled to the laser processing system to provide control signals that direct a portion of the plurality of operations of the laser processing system, wherein each plurality of etching operations is defined with respect to a common coordinate system.

1 - 31 . (canceled)  
     
     
         32 . A method of making an electrical structure, comprising: providing an insulating substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface, with a layer of metal disposed on the first major surface; and removing, by laser etching, at least one portion of the layer of metal so as to form at least one trace and at least one space adjacent thereto; wherein the at least one trace has a height, a width, and a first aspect ratio (height/width); and the at least one space has a height, a width, and a second aspect ratio (height/width), and wherein the second aspect ratio is greater than the first aspect ratio  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the trace comprises copper, and the height of the conductive trace is in the range of 9 to 72 microns.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the second aspect ratio is in the range of 0.75 to 50.