Mechanically Punched Micro Via Fabrication Process in LCP Substrate for RF-MEMS and Related Electronic Packaging Applications

The objective of this paper is to present the understanding of micro via fabrication process using mechanical punching on liquid crystal polymer (LCP) substrate. LCP is attracting significant interest in electronic packaging for radio frequency (RF) and microwave applications for its multifarious advantages over the contemporary substrates used in commercial production. Various surface and subsurface features such as micro vias and cavities, at low cost are critical for the fabrication of RF-MEMS packaging. Therefore, there is a need for understanding micro features, such as via fabrication using different processing techniques. Micro mechanical punching is one of such via fabrication techniques. Depending upon the package, the size of via could range from few microns to hundreds of microns. This research has successfully demonstrated the micro mechanical punching process for fabrication of through vias of different sizes and pitch on LCP substrate along with the detailed investigation of the relationship between material structure and properties affected by the different process parameters during the via fabrication steps.