Fine copper features put PCB plating and laser drilling on the same agenda

A finer copper feature starts taking shape before the copper is plated. The hole geometry, substrate surface and initial conductive layer all influence what the subsequent process can produce. MKS is bringing that relationship to its TPCA Show programme, combining Atotech chemistry and plating equipment with ESI laser systems.

The company plans to show its PCB and package substrate portfolio at the Taipei exhibition on 20–22 October. G-Plate, a vertical desmear and electroless copper platform for package substrates, is among the equipment being highlighted. MKS describes a target below 5/5µm line and space for the show offering. The exhibition programme is an advance preview of supplier capabilities.

### The copper underneath the pattern

In a semi-additive process, a thin conductive base supports the subsequent formation of the copper pattern. Its thickness and uniformity matter because copper left between features must later be removed without sacrificing too much of the intended conductor.

Atotech’s G-Plate documentation specifies electroless copper deposition below 150nm and thickness uniformity of no more than 2% at one standard deviation. It describes single-panel processing, controlled solution flow and a fully filtered solution supply to manage particles.

The separate vPlate platform covers vertical electrolytic plating for HDI boards and package substrates. Atotech lists handling down to a 36µm panel with 2µm copper on each face, illustrating another practical constraint: thin material must survive transport through the line.

ESI’s Geode A and Geode G2 CO₂ laser platforms address via drilling in ABF package materials and HDI boards respectively, while Capstone UV targets flexible circuits. MKS is also highlighting surface treatments intended to retain adhesion at low copper roughness.

The process connections are the interesting part of this preview. A smaller drilled via still needs reliable metallisation; a finer conductor still needs adequate adhesion; and an exceptionally thin panel still needs to travel through the equipment intact. The show programme brings those manufacturing steps together, rather than treating minimum line width as an isolated number.

MKS Atotech TPCA programme. Atotech equipment specifications.