A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board includes providing an insulating layer, forming a plating seed layer on the insulating layer, forming a first circuit pattern on the plating seed layer and a second circuit pattern on the first circuit pattern, and forming a top metal layer on the second circuit pattern. The second circuit pattern can be thinner than the first circuit pattern, and the top metal layer can be wider than the second circuit pattern.

A printed circuit board includes an insulating layer, a circuit pattern on the insulating layer, and a surface treatment layer on the circuit pattern. The surface treatment layer includes a bottom surface having a width wider than a width of a top surface of the circuit pattern.

A method of etching an electrically conductive layer structure during manufacturing a component carrier is provided. The method includes carrying out a first etching of at least one exposed region of an electrically conductive layer structure by a first etching composition having a photo-hardenable compound to thereby form a recess in the electrically conductive layer structure, hardening the photo-hardenable compound by irradiation with photons selectively on an upper side wall portion of the recess to thereby cover the upper side wall portion with a photo-hardened compound, carrying out a second etching by a second etching composition selectively on a side wall portion and/or bottom portion of the recess being not covered with the photo-hardened compound, and subsequently removing the photo-hardened compound from the side wall portion. In addition, a component carrier is provided.

An etched nickel plated substrate and related methods is disclosed. Specific implementations may include providing a dielectric layer, coupling a layer of copper with a first side of the dielectric layer, plating a first side of the layer of copper with a layer of nickel; forming a patterned layer on the layer of nickel, and spray etching the layer of nickel using an etchant. The method may include holding the etchant on the dielectric layer for a predetermined period of time, and while holding the etchant, etching substantially only the layer of nickel until the layer of nickel may be substantially coextensive with a perimeter of each of a plurality of traces in the layer of copper.

A printed circuit board includes an insulating layer, a circuit pattern on the insulating layer, and a surface treatment layer on the circuit pattern. The surface treatment layer includes a bottom surface having a width wider than a width of a top surface of the circuit pattern.

In a described example, a method is described including: depositing a zinc seed layer on a substrate; forming a photoresist pattern on the zinc seed layer, with openings in the photoresist pattern exposing portions of the zinc seed layer; electroplating a copper structure onto the exposed portions of the zinc seed layer; stripping the photoresist; annealing the substrate to form copper/zinc alloy between the copper structure and the substrate; and etching away the unreacted portions of the zinc seed layer.

A circuit board includes: a metal core base material including a first main surface, a second main surface on an opposite side of the first main surface, a side surface, and a projection that projects from the side surface; an outer cover including a first insulation layer that covers the first main surface, a second insulation layer that covers the second main surface, and a third insulation layer that covers the side surface; a first wiring layer provided in the first main surface with the first insulation layer interposed between the first wiring layer and the first main surface; a second wiring layer provided in the second main surface with the second insulation layer interposed between the second wiring layer and the second main surface; and a sealing portion that is made of an insulation material embedded in the outer cover and covers an end surface of the projection.

A printed circuit board includes an insulating layer, a circuit pattern on the insulating layer, and a surface treatment layer on the circuit pattern. The surface treatment layer includes a bottom surface having a width wider than a width of a top surface of the circuit pattern.

A printed circuit board includes: an insulating layer; a plating seed layer disposed on the insulating layer; a circuit pattern layer disposed on the plating seed layer and formed of copper (Cu); and a surface treatment layer disposed on the circuit pattern layer and formed of gold (Au), wherein the circuit pattern layer includes a corner portion of an upper portion which has a curvature, and wherein the corner portion of the circuit pattern layer is a boundary surface between the top surface and a side surface of the circuit pattern layer, and the boundary surface has a concavely curved surface.

A method of manufacturing a printed circuit board includes providing an insulating layer, forming a plating seed layer on the insulating layer, forming a first circuit pattern on the plating seed layer and a second circuit pattern on the first circuit pattern, and forming a top metal layer on the second circuit pattern. The second circuit pattern can be thinner than the first circuit pattern, and the top metal layer can be wider than the second circuit pattern.