Modeling and simulation of the manufacturing of copper-clad laminates

The conversion of an epoxy resin from a viscous liquid to a rigid solid during processing coincides with an evolution in material properties. In particular, the processing of copper-clad laminates give rise to dramatic material property changes that may cause unwanted shrinkage and warpage due to residual stress formation. Although experimental investigations provides insight into how the processing conditions influence the shrinkage and warpage, experimentation is both time consuming and expensive. However, numerical simulation allows for the prediction of residual stress as a function of the processing conditions. To better understand the impact of material properties and processing conditions on the residual stress formation, a finite difference scheme was developed incorporating numerical integration. The material models have been shown to accurately predict the behavior of a glass fiber mat reinforced epoxy resin. The simulation was used to predict various material properties and processing conditions. The results show useful insight into methods in which to alleviate residual stress formation in copper-clad laminates.