Fatigue behavior of thin Cu foils for flexible printed circuit board

Flexible printed circuit board (PCB), which is used for folder and slide type cellular phones, consists of flexible copper clad laminate (FCCL) and cover layer. Through it an electric current is applied to liquid crystal display (LCD) from the main board of cellular phone. In thin Cu foils of flexible PCB fatigue cracks due to repeated bending motion generate and propagate, and they cause a short circuit. Fatigue behavior of thin Cu foils being used for flexible PCB must be evaluated and confirmed to resolve this problem. It is based on findings by several researches that the mechanical properties of thin film materials differ from those of their bulk counterparts. Thin film properties have been investigated over the last years; however fatigue behavior of thin films has not yet been studied as thoroughly as monotonic behavior. In this study fatigue properties of thin Cu foils for the application in flexible PCB are obtained. Fatigue testing was performed for two kinds of Cu foils that were made by rolling and electrochemical procedures respectively. Differences of fabrications in fatigue behavior of thin foils were distinguished. Especially for rolled Cu foils, effects of rolling directions in fatigue properties were evaluated.