METHOD FOR FORMING METAL MEMBER ON CASING

Abstract

A method for forming metal members on a casing, includes steps of providing the casing of an electron device; selecting at least two areas on a common surface of the casing; forming, by an electroplating way, a metal layer on all of the selected areas; and forming, by a patterning way, the metal layer respectively with different metal member pattern layers on different selected areas, wherein the metal member pattern layers are selected from the group consisting of an antenna member pattern, a ground wire member pattern, and an electromagnetic shielding member pattern, so as to use these members as an antenna member, a ground wire member, or an electromagnetic shielding member of the electron device.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a metal member of an electron device, and more particularly to a method for forming a metal member such as an antenna member, a ground wire member, or an electromagnetic shielding member on a casing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] With the progress of technology, the electron device such as a notebook computer, a tablet computer, or a mobile phone has been used as an important portable device. The electron device is equipped with some metal members each having different functions, for example, including an antenna member for data transmitting, a ground wire member for signal grounding, and an electromagnetic shielding member for shielding electromagnetic interference.

[0003] The antenna member for the electron device is usually a sheet metal manufactured by punching process. The sheet metal occupies certain space in the electron device, and it also leads the electron device to be difficult to miniaturize. The electromagnetic shielding member is usually a sheet metal disposed within the electron device or is an aluminum foil attached to the casing of the electron device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In a prior art, the conventional above metal members are manufactured respectively, and are assembled in the electron device one by one. Such producing way brings heavy and complicated manufacture procedure, so that it is difficult to achieve rapid and mass production.

[0005] Therefore, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a method for forming metal members on a casing, to simplify the manufacture procedure and to save time for assembling, and thus to improve production efficiency and production capacity.

[0006] The present invention provides a method for forming metal members on a casing, comprising steps of: (a) providing the casing of an electron device; (b) selecting at least two areas on a common surface of the casing; (c) forming, by an electroplating way, a metal layer on both of the selected areas; and (d) forming, by a patterning way, the metal layer respectively with different metal member pattern layers on different selected areas, wherein the metal member pattern layers are selected from the group consisting of an antenna member pattern, a ground wire member pattern, and an electromagnetic shielding member pattern.

[0007] In an embodiment of the present invention, the casing is made of an insulating material.

[0008] In an embodiment of the present invention, the common surface is an inner side surface of the casing.

[0009] In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises, before step (c), a step of forming a medium layer for electroplating on the common surface.

[0010] In an embodiment of the present invention, the metal layer is a copper layer.

[0011] In an embodiment of the present invention, in step (d), the patterning way includes: (d1) a photoresist forming process; (d2) an exposure process; (d3) a developing process; and (d4) an etching process.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises, after step (d), a step of forming, by a chemical plating way, a protective layer on the metal member pattern layers.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present invention, said protective layer is a nickel layer or a gold layer.

[0014] By means of technical means of the present invention, the metal members such as an antenna member, a ground wire member, or an electromagnetic shielding member can be formed on a casing in a common manufacture procedure. Thus, the manufacture procedure is simplified, and the production speed is raised. Further, time for assembling is reduced due to the metal members is formed directly on the casing without assembling process. Thereby, the production capacity is improved, and production cost is thus decreased.

[0015] Moreover, the metal member manufactured by the method in the present invention is a thin film formed intergratedly with the casing, it occupies little space in the electron device to take advantage to miniaturize the electron device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a flow chat of a method for forming metal members on a casing of an embodiment according to the present invention; and

[0018] FIGS. 2-4 are stereographic views illustrating forming metal members on a casing by the method according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Please refer to FIGS. 1-4. FIG. 1 is a flow chat of a method for forming metal members on a casing of an embodiment according to the present invention; and FIGS. 2-4 are stereographic views illustrating forming metal members on a casing by the method according to the present invention.

[0020] Firstly, a casing 1 of an electron device is provided (step S110). As an example, the electron device (not shown) may be a notebook computer, a tablet computer, or a mobile phone. In this embodiment, the casing 1 is made of an insulating material, such as plastics.

[0021] Next, as shown in FIG. 2, at least two areas on a common surface of the casing 1 are selected (step S120). Generally, the casing 1 has an inner side surface 11 and an outer side surface 12, wherein the inner side surface 11 is referred to a surface which faces to the inner side of the electron device, and the outer side surface 12 is referred to a surface which faces to outside of the electron device. In this step, it is preferred to select the inner side surface 11 as a place for forming the metal member in order to reduce the interference from outside of the electron device. In the embodiment, three areas A1, A2, and A3 on the inner surface 11 of the casing 1 are selected for respectively forming an antenna member, a ground wire member, and an electromagnetic shielding member. Alternatively, two or more areas can be selected.

[0022] Next, since it is hard to electroplate a metal on an insulating material, it is preferred to form a medium layer for electroplating on the common surface (i.e., inner side surface 11) of the insulating casing 1 before electroplating (step S130). Next, a metal layer is formed, by an electroplating way, on all of the selected areas A1, A2, and A3 (step S140). The metal layer may be a copper layer or other metal materials suitable for an antenna member, a ground wire member, or an electromagnetic shielding member. In the step S140, a single metal layer 2 may be formed on all of the selected areas A1, A2, and A3, as shown in FIG. 3a. Alternatively, several metal layers 2a, 2b, and 2c may be formed on the selected areas A1, A2, and A3 respectively. Other arrangements such as a metal layer formed on whole surface of the casing 1 or the like can also be applied.

[0023] After forming the metal layer, the metal layer 2 (or the metal layer 2a, 2b, and 2c) is (are) formed respectively with different metal member pattern layers 31, 32, and 33 on different selected areas A1, A2, and A3 (step S150), wherein the metal member pattern layers 31, 32, and 33 are selected from the group consisting of an antenna member pattern, a ground wire member pattern, and an electromagnetic shielding member pattern.

[0024] There are various patterning ways can be used, and the patterning way used in the embodiment includes a photoresist forming process (step S151), an exposure process (step S152), a developing process (step S153), and an etching process (step S154). Substantially, the patterning way of the embodiment includes the steps of: forming a photoresist layer on the metal layer, exposing the photoresist layer, on which a photomask covers, by a specific light, and performing a developing process to form a specific pattern by applying a developing agent on the photoresist layer. And, the metal layer 2 is etched with corresponding pattern to form different metal member pattern layers 31, 32, and 33 on different selected areas A1, A2, and A3 (step S155). After that, the photoresist layer is removed by a stripping way. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other patterning ways also can be used.

[0025] In the embodiment, the metal member pattern layer 31 is formed, by a patterning way, with an antenna member pattern, the metal member pattern layer 32 is formed, by a patterning way, with a ground wire member pattern, and the metal member pattern layer 33 is formed, by a patterning way, with an electromagnetic shielding member pattern. Therefore, the metal member pattern layer 31 can be used as an antenna member for an electron device, the metal member pattern layer 32 can be used as a ground wire member for an electron device, and the metal member pattern layer 33 can be used as an electromagnetic shielding member for an electron device. Further, since the metal member pattern layers 31, 32, and 33 have been formed on the casing 1, it is not necessary to perform a step of assembling these metal member pattern layers to the casing after step S150.

[0026] In addition, it is preferred to form, by a chemical plating way, a protective layer on the metal member pattern layers 31, 32, and 33 to prevent oxidation (step S160). The protective layer may be made of oxidation resistant materials such as nickel, gold, or the like. However, step S160 can be omitted in the case of other factors or another oxidation resistant way has been provided.

[0027] By the above method, an antenna member, a ground wire member, and an electromagnetic shielding member can be formed on a casing in a common manufacture procedure. Thus, the manufacture procedure is simplified, and the production speed is raised. Further, there is no assembling process after forming the metal members since the metal members is formed directly on the casing. Therefore, time for assembling and producing can be saved by the method of the present invention, and thus the production capacity is improved and the production cost is decreased. Moreover, the metal member manufactured by the method of the present invention is a thin film formed intergratedly with the casing; it occupies less space in the electron device to take advantage to miniaturize the electron device.

[0028] As can be appreciated from the above embodiments, the method for forming metal members on a casing of the present invention has industry worth which meets the requirement for a patent. The above description should be considered as only the discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention. However, a person having ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications to the present invention. Those modifications still fall within the spirit and scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for forming metal members on a casing, comprising steps of: (a) providing the casing of an electron device; (b) selecting at least two areas on a common surface of the casing; (c) forming, by an electroplating way, a metal layer on all of the selected areas; and (d) forming, by a patterning way, the metal layer respectively with different metal member pattern layers on different selected areas, wherein the metal member pattern layers are selected from the group consisting of an antenna member pattern, a ground wire member pattern, and an electromagnetic shielding member pattern.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step (a), the casing is made of an insulating material.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step (b), the common surface is an inner side surface of the casing.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, before step (c), a step of forming a medium layer for electroplating on the common surface.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step (c), the metal layer is a copper layer.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step (d), the patterning way includes: (d1) a photoresist forming process; (d2) an exposure process; (d3) a developing process; and (d4) an etching process.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, after step (d), a step of forming, by a chemical plating way, a protective layer on the metal member pattern layers.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the protective layer is a nickel layer or a gold layer.