WO1994021099A1

WO1994021099A1 - Process for manufacturing housings with at least one metallic shielding layer

Info

Publication number: WO1994021099A1
Application number: PCT/EP1994/000702
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markus Seibel; Georg Karls
Original assignee: Plasco Dr. Ehrich Plasma-Coating Gmbh; T.T.K. Kunststoff-Technologie Gmbh
Priority date: 1993-03-11
Filing date: 1994-03-08
Publication date: 1994-09-15
Also published as: DE4307740C2; DE4307740A1

Abstract

A process is disclosed for manufacturing housings with at least one metallic shielding layer for protecting the housing against electromagnetic radiation. At least one surface or part of one surface of a substantially flat object, such as a plate or the like, made of a thermally softenable or meltable material, in particular plastics, is provided with the shielding layer. The substantially flat object at least partially covered by the shielding layer is at least partially softened or melted and the partially softened or molten object at least partially provided with the shielding layer is then shaped into a housing, in particular by bending or folding.

Description

Method for producing housings with at least one metallic shielding layer

description

The invention relates to a method for producing housings with at least one metallic shielding layer for shielding the housing against electromagnetic radiation.

Housings, in particular made of plastic or the like, are becoming increasingly popular for accommodating electrical and / or electronic devices. However, the disadvantage of these known housings is their permeability to electromagnetic radiation. Because of legal regulations regarding the limit of the interference radiation emitted by an electrical and / or electronic device, these devices therefore fundamentally require shielding against electromagnetic radiation.

Attempts have recently been made to implement such electromagnetic shielding of these housings, made in particular of plastic or the like, by using conductive plastic materials. Such materials must contain a high proportion of the electromagnetic shielding substances in order to achieve the desired effect. As a result, however, the processing and application properties of the materials are changed significantly. As a result, these materials have so far not been able to establish themselves.

Furthermore, attempts are also being made to cover the — mostly inner — surfaces of the housings with conductive lacquers for electromagnetic shielding. In particular, metals are used for this, which are not too expensive and have a particularly good electrical conductivity, such as aluminum, copper, silver or, because of its magnetic shielding effect, also nickel. The metals are used, for example, as a powder Lacquer incorporated and the housing walls covered with it. Despite the high proportion of conductive powders of such so-called conductive lacquers, their conductivity is not high, so that thick layers of a few 100 μm are required in order to achieve a sufficient shielding effect. The lacquer-coated materials can later be regenerated only with great expense and labor.

A preferred method also consists in providing the housing walls with thin layers of pure metals. In the case of metals of high electrical conductivity, such as AL, Cu, Ag, Au or also of the magnetically particularly effective Ni, layers of a few, for example of 2 to 20 μm, thickness are already sufficient for this in order to achieve effective shielding. Both chemical and physical processes are used as separation methods. An illustration can be found in the volume "Metallization of plastics" published by Leuze-Verlag, Saulgau 1991 (for example page 75 ff, page 153 ff).

The chemo-galvanic process, however, requires numerous wet chemical process steps; it also works with low separation rates and, above all, has considerable waste water problems. In addition, the selection of the plastics to be coated with this method is very limited.

The physical methods used are the spraying process (flame and arc) or the vacuum-working processes of thermal evaporation or sputtering, or at least used on a trial basis. These physical methods for the deposition of purely metallic shielding layers on the — especially the inner housing walls have the advantage without working with the environmentally harmful problems. However, they suffer to varying degrees from poor adhesion, from uneven layer thickness distribution, from insufficient electrical conductivity of the layers, from excessive thermal stress on the substrates or from insufficient deposition rate of the metal layers during the layer deposition. fertilizer As is known to the person skilled in the art, most of the processes have several of the disadvantages mentioned.

A method is also known, according to which the housings are produced from plates which are coated with a conductive lacquer layer by mechanical processing and shaping. Such housings do have well-adhering and uniform shielding layers which, however, are poorly conductive because of their necessarily high binder content. The lacquer layers therefore require a few 100 μm thickness in order to achieve adequate shielding. In the manufacture of the housings by mechanical processing, cutting and reshaping of the initially flat plates, there is also up to 30 percent waste, based on the material used. For reasons of cost, these wastes have to be used again, but such wastes can no longer be regenerated because of the thick, coated shielding layer. Attempts to re-granulate and reuse such materials failed.

The object of the invention is to provide a method for producing housings with at least one metallic shielding layer against electromagnetic radiation which meets the following requirements:

1. Provision of purely metallic shielding layers with high effectiveness, uniformity and adhesion on the housing walls,

2. Applicability to numerous different types of plastic,

3. High deposition rate of the shielding layers with low thermal stress on the substrates,

4. Avoiding environmental problems, both when applying the layers and when recycling the waste or the used housing, and

5. Cost-effectiveness and adaptability of the process to design specifications with regard to the design of the housing. The invention is based on the object of providing a method for producing housings with a metallic shielding layer against electromagnetic radiation which satisfies the aforementioned requirements in a satisfactory manner.

This object is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 1.

The invention provides a method which meets the requirements listed above and with which, in a particularly simple manner, it is possible to produce individually designed housings which are provided with an effective shielding layer against electromagnetic radiation, the shielding layer being formed uniformly, is firmly adhering and metallically conductive and its thickness and composition can be individually adapted to the respective requirements depending on the use of the housing. The process also avoids environmental pollution.

Accordingly, at least one surface or part of the surface of an essentially flat object, such as a plate or the like, made of thermally softenable or fusible material, in particular plastic, is provided with the shielding layer. For this purpose, the shielding layer is applied to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object. Then the substantially flat object, at least partially covered with the shielding layer, is at least partially thermally softened or melted. Finally, the object which is at least partially provided with the shielding layer, partially softened or melted, is deformed into the housing, in particular bent or folded or joined in some other way. In the method according to the invention, a metal shielding layer is thus applied to the surface or part of the surface of a flat object, preferably made of plastic or the like material, before mechanical (largely cold) deformation of this flat object. Stand for the actual manufacture of the housing itself. Such a production of housings in accordance with the method according to the invention is extremely simple and therefore inexpensive. In addition, housings produced in this way are reliably shielded against electromagnetic radiation due to the metallic shielding layer, not least because the (metallic) conductive shielding layer can be formed so uniformly and firmly. In addition, the method according to the invention makes it possible to individually adapt the thickness and composition of the shielding layer to the respective requirements which depend on the use of the housing.

Advantageous procedural measures are described in claims 2 to 18.

Essentially flat objects, such as plates or the like, made of softenable or fusible material are suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention. The softenable or fusible material can be plastic, such as a polymer and a thermoplastic, in particular polystyrene or another copolymer of styrene and butadiene, ABS, acrylic, Makrolon and Impax etc., with or act without a reinforcement of glass fiber, carbon fiber, etc., each adapted to the required thermal, electrical and mechanical properties.

Such essentially flat objects can be in the form of plates or can be produced by processes such as injection molding, deep-drawing or foaming, preferably in large numbers of the housings to be manufactured, whereby mechanical processing or reworking can be avoided in whole or in part.

The flat article is preferably pretreated in accordance with the features of claims 2 to 4 in order to obtain a clean surface, ie the surface of contaminants cleaning such as dust particles, grease or the like.

The features of claim 5 are of great importance for the method according to the invention. The physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum enables one or more metallic shielding layers to be applied to the sheet-like object in an extremely uniform and adherent manner, in fact almost regardless of the material of the item. In addition to high coating rates, physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in vacuo has the further advantage of gentle application of (metallic) conductive shielding layers. In addition, the flat object can be provided with a constant thickness of the shielding layer which is precisely adapted to the individual requirements of the housing. With the physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum, the metal vapor is moreover ionized to a high degree, with the result of good adhesion and, at the same time, high conductivity of the shielding layer on the flat object. The layer adhesion can be further increased by additionally applying a high-frequency field or a bias voltage during the physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum.

In this context, the physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum can preferably take place in a continuously operating device, which is equipped with locks for introducing and carrying out the flat objects into and out of the vapor deposition chamber, because of the flat design of the objects to be provided with a shielding layer. The use of such a device makes the method according to the invention particularly economical. However, batch operation for using the method according to the invention is also possible.

The plasma-assisted vapor deposition is advantageously carried out in a vacuum according to claim 6 via an anodically controlled arc, which is described in DE 34 13 891 C2, DE 41 00 541 Cl and P 42 00 429.2 is described. In this process, an arc burns in a vacuum between a cold cathode and a hot, self-consuming anode. In this way, the anode metal is vaporized and the metal vapor is simultaneously ionized by the thermal electrons of the arc. As an "Are" process, the process has the advantage over other plasma-based physical deposition processes that the thermal electrons used for ionizing the metal vapor are provided by the arc itself; there is therefore no need for a special device for the separate generation of thermal electrons, such as are required for ionization. Compared to the known cathodic arc, the anodically controlled arc has the advantage of higher deposition rates, uniform, smooth layers with a fine crystalline structure and correspondingly better electrical conductivity.

Furthermore, it is within the scope of the invention to use at least one mask or the like when applying at least one of the shielding layers to the surface of the flat object in order to obtain at least one area free of the respective shielding layer. In this way, undesired metal deposits can be avoided. Since the parts to be masked are flat, the masks can be applied in the form of stencils without any particular difficulty. The masking can also be carried out by screen printing or photochemically. There are two different procedures. In one case, the areas not to be shielded are covered, then the metal layer is deposited and finally the mask is removed again. In another case, the area to be shielded is only covered after the metal deposition and then the metal is removed from the unshielded area. If necessary, the mask can then remain on the shielding layer as additional corrosion protection or insulation.

To achieve a large thickness of the shielding layer, which is generally due to the thermal stability of the material of the flat object and the heat quantity which becomes greater with increasing layer thickness of the vapor-deposited metal layer, it is also advantageous to temporarily use the flat object according to the feature of claim 8, ie between the application of two shielding layers to the surface or the Cool part of the surface of the flat object.

Another advantage of the method according to the invention is the application of at least one layer of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Al or an alloy thereof, ie all metals with high conductivity, as a shielding layer by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum the surface or part of the surface of the flat object. Cu, which is deposited as a result of the ionization of the metal vapor in a particularly adherent manner on flat objects, in particular made of plastic, is preferably used if the shielding layer is subsequently to be subjected to a galvanic treatment.

A shielding layer according to the features of claim 10, which is composed of a combination of several layers of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Al or an alloy thereof, is particularly advantageous for an individual adaptation to a wide variety of practical requirements.

In particular, the at least one layer provided as a shielding layer made of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Al or an alloy thereof is made in accordance with the measures according to claim 11 with a thickness of about 0.01 to 100 micrometers, in particular 0.05 to 20 Micrometers, preferably from 0.1 to 10 micrometers, are applied to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum.

Of interest for an additional increase in the thickness of the vapor-deposited shielding layer or shielding layers are the features according to claim 12, namely as additional shielding Layer at least one further layer made of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni or an alloy thereof by means of electroplating onto which at least one shielding layer applied by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum is applied to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object.

In this context, the further shielding layer according to claim 13, which is composed of a combination of several layers of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni or an alloy, is particularly advantageous for an individual adaptation to a wide variety of practical requirements.

It is preferred here to have at least one further layer of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni or an alloy thereof provided as a shielding layer in accordance with the measures according to claim 14 with a thickness of approximately to 100 micrometers, in particular approximately approximately 50 micrometers, preferably from about 30 micrometers, to the surface or part of the surface of the flat article by means of galvanization.

According to the features of claims 15 and 16, the flat object is machined before and / or after the application of at least one shielding layer and optionally also between the application of at least two shielding layers to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object. In this way, the flat object can be variably brought to the desired size and provided with bores, grooves or the like. Mechanical processing prior to the application of the shielding layer is advantageous for saving metal to be vapor-deposited onto the flat object. Regardless, the cutting and punching waste can be easily regranulated and reprocessed with the evaporated metal.

In addition, it is within the scope of the invention according to claim 17, the flat object in a region between two mutually adjacent partial surfaces of the object soften or melt and deform these two partial surfaces to each other after softening or melting, in particular to bend or fold them, whereby in a particularly simple manner a housing with already on the surface or part of the surface the partial surfaces of the flat object provided shielding layer can be obtained.

Finally, according to the invention, at least the top of the shielding layer applied to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object after the deformation, in particular after the bending or To solder folds of the object to the housing in the region between two partial surfaces or the like, in order to produce an electrically conductive connection therewith.

Further features, advantages and details of the invention result from the following description of some preferred embodiments of the invention and from the drawing. Here show:

1 shows a schematic flow diagram of a basic principle of the method according to the invention;

2 shows a schematic flow diagram of an embodiment of a method according to the invention;

3 shows a schematic flow diagram of a modified embodiment of a method according to the invention according to FIG. 2;

4 shows a sectional view through a flat object provided with a metallic shielding layer by the method according to FIGS. 2 and / or 3;

Fig. 5 is a schematic flow diagram of another

Embodiment of a method according to the invention; FIG. 6 shows a schematic flow diagram of a modified embodiment of a method according to the invention according to FIG. 5;

7 shows a sectional view through a flat object provided with a metallic shielding layer by the method according to FIGS. 5 and / or 6;

Fig. 8 is a schematic flow diagram of another

Embodiment of a method according to the invention;

9 shows a sectional view through a flat object provided with a metallic shielding layer by the method according to FIG. 8;

10 is a schematic flow diagram of yet another embodiment of a method according to the invention;

FIG. 11 shows a schematic flow diagram of a modified embodiment of a method according to the invention according to FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 shows a schematic flow diagram of a further modified embodiment of a method according to the invention according to FIG. 10; and

13 shows a sectional view through a flat object provided with a metallic shielding layer by the method according to FIGS. 10 to 12.

1, the method according to the invention for producing housings with at least one metallic shielding layer for shielding the housing against electromagnetic radiation begins with the delivery or provision of essentially flat objects, such as a plate or the like, from thermally softenable materials or fusible material. The softenable or fusible material can it is plastic, such as a polymer and a thermoplastic, in particular polystyrene or another copolymer of styrene and butadiene, ABS, acrylic, Makrolon and Impax etc., with or without a reinforcement made of glass fiber, carbon fiber etc., and adapts to the required thermal, electrical and mechanical properties.

Then at least one surface or part of the surface of the essentially flat object is provided with the shielding layer. In particular, at least the shielding layer which is to be applied directly to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object is applied to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum. At least one layer made of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Al or an alloy thereof, in particular all metals with high conductivity, is particularly suitable as the metallic shielding layer. A shielding layer, which is composed of a combination of several layers of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Al or an alloy thereof, is particularly advantageous for an individual adaptation to a wide variety of practical requirements.

Thereupon the essentially flat object provided with the shielding layer is partially softened or melted. In other words, the flat object is softened or melted in a region between two adjacent partial surfaces of the object, ie in the so-called seam region between the two partial surfaces. Immediately after the softening or melting, the object provided with the shielding layer is deformed into a housing with extremely good shielding properties against electromagnetic radiation by the mutually adjacent partial surfaces being bent, folded, folded or folded against one another in the softened or melted seam region be joined in any other way. Finally, the method according to the invention ends with the removal of the finished housing or the further transport thereof to an assembly station or the like, in which the respective housing is equipped with the intended electrical and / or electronic components.

The method according to the invention consequently allows the manufacture of housings for electrical or electronic devices with an individually coordinated, metallic shielding layer of high adhesion and uniformity on the respective material, preferably on the plastics, of such housings. None of the partial areas of an individual housing has a weaker shielding effect than another partial area of the same housing. In addition, the method according to the invention is particularly environmentally friendly. The waste with thin metal layers (<10 micrometers) generated during cutting can be regranulated. Reprocessing of the plastics with thicker metallic shielding layers (30 micrometers and more) is possible in a simple manner by means of separation, for example by mechanical removal of the metallic shielding layer from the respective plastic.

If necessary, in the method according to the invention, the surface or part of the surface of the flat object - as indicated in FIG. 1 - can be pretreated before the shielding layer is applied in order to obtain a clean surface, i.e. rid the surface of contaminants such as dust particles, grease or the like. As a result, the adhesiveness between the surface or the part of the surface of the flat object and the shielding layer is increased.

Such pretreatment of the surface or part of the surface of the flat article can be carried out chemically in a manner known per se. Alternatively, the surface or part of the surface of the flat article can also be pretreated using low-pressure plasma, using of in particular oxygen, air, noble gases, nitrogen or tetrafluoromethane. This latter pretreatment has, in addition to a less aggressive effect on the corresponding material - all the more so since it is a question of plastics - the further advantage of the additional increase in adhesion for the metallic shielding layer to be applied subsequently.

In addition, in the method according to the invention - as can be seen from FIG. 1 - if necessary, at least the uppermost shielding layer applied to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object can be formed after deformation, in particular after bending, folding, folding or other joining of the object to the housing in the area between two partial surfaces, ie in the seam area, are soldered or the like.

The method according to the invention according to FIG. 2 differs from that according to FIG. 1 only in the additional mechanical processing of the essentially flat object between the application of a shielding layer and the deformation of the essentially flat object provided with the shielding layer.

Accordingly, the object is first verse by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum with the shielding layer in the form of, for example, a layer of Cu up to the thickness of the shielding layer required for later use, depending on the thermal load capacity of the material of the flat object ¬ hen. The thickness of the layer of Cu can be, for example, 1 to 5 micrometers. A layer made of Al can also be provided as the shielding layer, but only if no galvanization subsequently takes place. A shielding layer made of AI has a slightly lower conductivity than Cu, but does not require any further protection against oxidation.

This is followed by mechanical processing, such as grinding, milling, introducing grooves, slots, bores, etc., of the flat object. However, in order to largely or completely rule out such mechanical processing, it is advantageous, particularly in the case of large quantities, to use flat objects produced by injection molding or the like.

Finally, the flat object is deformed into a finished housing after (partial) thermal softening or melting. If necessary, the flat object is pretreated again. Furthermore, the upper shielding layer can be contacted after the flat object has been deformed.

The method according to the invention shown schematically in FIG. 3 largely corresponds to the method according to FIG. 2. However, the order of the individual process steps is different. In the method according to FIG. 3, the mechanical processing of the flat object takes place before application, in particular vapor deposition of the surface or part of the surface of the flat object by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum, which in turn softens or melting and connect the deformation. Also different is the possible use of a mask or the like when applying at least one of the shielding layers to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object

FIG. 4 shows an essentially flat object 10 which has been subjected to the method according to the invention according to FIGS. 2 and 3. The flat object 10 itself is provided with a bore 12 and a groove 14 by mechanical processing. On its surface 16 or that part of the surface 16 of the flat object 10 which is not occupied by the bore 12 and the groove 14, a layer of, for example, Cu or Al is formed as a metallic shielding layer 18 by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum upset. The physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum is advantageously anodic controlled arc. The free areas of the bore 12 and the groove 14 in the surface 16 of the flat object 10 continue in the metallic shielding layer 18 applied by vapor deposition, as shown in FIG. 4.

In the method according to the invention according to FIG. 5, before the mechanical processing and subsequent deformation of the flat object into a housing, a repeated — here once — application of layers provided as shielding layers is carried out on the surface or on the part of the surface of the flat surface Subject.

For example, the surface or a part of the surface of the flat object can be vacuum-coated in a first vapor deposition step with a layer of Cu and then in a second, subsequent vapor deposition step with a layer of Al to protect the layer by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition of Cu against oxidation or also coated with a layer of Ni, etc. However, it is equally conceivable to coat the layer of Cu applied in the first vapor deposition step as a shielding layer in the second, subsequent vapor deposition step with an additional layer of Cu as a further shielding layer to provide.

As shown in FIG. 5, cooling of the flat object between the application of two shielding layers to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object is particularly advantageous. Such a procedure is particularly useful when the thickness of the layer of, for example, Cu, Al or similar material applied as a shielding layer in the first vapor deposition step is to be increased further, but the flat object has only limited heat stability due to its selected material has. If the shielding layer with the predetermined thickness were to be applied in only a single vapor deposition step, there would be only a limited heat stability for a flat object made of a material. Because of the heat caused by the physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum, there is a risk of inadmissible deformation.

Apart from the possible pretreatment of the flat object before the two or at least one of the two vapor deposition steps and possible contacting after the deformation of the flat object to form a housing, additional mechanical processing of the flat surface can also be carried out in the method according to the invention Object occurs between two successive vapor deposition steps, as can be seen in FIG. 5.

The method according to the invention according to FIG. 6 differs from that of FIG. 5 only in the sequence of the individual method steps. Accordingly, in the method according to the invention according to FIG. 6 there is a repeated — also here once — repeated application of layers provided as shielding layers on the surface or on the part of the surface of the flat object by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum between the mechanical processing and interposed the deformation of the flat object to form a housing.

FIG. 7 shows an essentially flat object 10 which has been subjected to the method according to the invention according to FIGS. 5 and 6. The flat object 10 provided with a bore 12 and a groove 14 carries a first shielding layer 18 which covers the surface 16 or that part of the surface 16 of the flat object 10 with the exception of the regions of the bore 12 and the groove 14 . A layer of, for example, Cu is applied as a metallic shielding layer 18 by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum. The surface 20 or part of the surface 20 of the first shielding layer 18 itself is in turn provided with a second shielding layer 22, for example in the form of a layer of Ni or Al. Place the free areas of the bore 12 and the groove 14 of the flat object 10 continues in the metallic shielding layer 18 applied by vapor deposition as in the shielding layer 22 according to FIG. 7.

8 shows a further method according to the invention, in which a shielding layer, for example a layer of Cu, is first applied by plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum to the surface or to the part of the surface of the flat object which is subjected to mechanical processing that follows. Subsequently, two further shielding layers in the form of, for example, a layer of Cu and a layer of Ni are also applied to the surface or part of the surface of the first shielding layer or the second shielding layer by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition. Ultimately, the flat object provided with a total of three metallic shielding layers is deformed or joined to form a housing.

According to FIG. 8, a pretreatment of the flat article can optionally take place before the individual steaming steps and a cooling of the flat article between the individual steaming steps. It is also conceivable to mechanically further process the flat object between the individual vaporization steps.

After the last vaporization step of the flat object or also a mechanical processing of the flat object that may follow it and before possible contacting of the upper shielding layer, the flat object is deformed or joined into a housing.

FIG. 9 shows an essentially flat object 10 which has been subjected to the method according to the invention according to FIGS. 7 and 8. The flat article 10 provided with a bore 12 and a groove 14 carries a first shielding layer 18 which covers the surface 16 or that part of the surface 16 of the flat article 10 with the exception of the Areas of bore 12 and groove 14 are covered. A layer of, for example, Cu is applied as a metallic shielding layer 18 by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum. The surface 20 or part of the surface 20 of the first shielding layer 18 itself is in turn provided with a second shielding layer 22, for example in the form of a layer of likewise Cu, on its surface 24 or on part of the surface 24 of the shielding layer 22 a third shielding layer 26, for example a layer of Ni, is applied. The free areas of the bore 12 and the groove 14 of the flat object 10 continue in the metallic shielding layer 18 applied by vapor deposition, the shielding layer 22 and the shielding layer 26 in accordance with FIG. 9.

The method according to the invention shown in FIG. 10 differs from the method according to the invention according to FIG. 2 described above only in that in order to reinforce a first shielding layer, it is applied directly to the surface or to part of the surface of the flat object by means of, for example, physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum, after the mechanical processing, at least one further shielding layer is applied to the at least one surface or a part of the at least one surface of the flat object by means of galvanization. A layer of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni or an alloy thereof, that is to say all metals with high conductivity, can be provided as a further shielding layer to be applied in a conventional manner by galvanization. Shielding layers to be galvanized, which are composed of a combination of several layers of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni or an alloy thereof, are of particular advantage for individual adaptation to a wide variety of practical requirements.

As usual, the galvanization of the flat object is followed by the deformation of the flat object into a housing. Before the steaming step if necessary, a pretreatment of the surface or part of the surface of the flat object can be carried out again. The same applies, as indicated in FIG. 10, to the galvanization. After the flat object has been deformed into a housing, it is finally possible to make contact with the uppermost shielding layer in the seam region between two partial surfaces of the housing by soldering or the like.

The methods according to the invention schematized in FIGS. 11 and 12 are identical to the method according to FIG. 10 except for the sequence of the individual method steps. Accordingly, in the method according to FIG. 11, the galvanization takes place between the vapor deposition step and the mechanical processing. In the method according to the invention in FIG. 12, the mechanical processing takes place both the application of the first shielding layer directly to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object by means of, for example, physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum, and the application of the at least one further shield ¬ layer by galvanizing ahead.

Finally, FIG. 13 shows an essentially flat object 10, which was treated according to the inventive method according to FIGS. 10 to 12. The flat object 10 itself is provided with a bore 12 and a groove 14 by mechanical processing. On its surface 16 or that part of the surface 16 of the flat object 10 which is not occupied by the bore 12 and the groove 14, a layer of, for example, Cu is applied as a metallic shielding layer by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum. The surface 20 or part of the surface 20 of the shielding layer 18 is coated with a further shielding layer 22 by galvanization. The free areas of the bore 12 and the groove 14 of the flat object 10 settle in the metallic shielding layer applied by vapor deposition 18 as in the galvanized shielding layer 22 - as shown in Fig. 7 - on.

The method according to the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Rather, there are further combinations of the individual method steps with one another within the scope of the invention.

All features disclosed in the application documents are claimed as essential to the invention, insofar as they are new or in combination with respect to the prior art.

Claims

1. A method for producing housings with at least one metallic shielding layer for shielding the housing against electromagnetic radiation, wherein at least one surface or part of the surface of an essentially flat object, such as a plate or the like, is made of thermally softened or fusible material, in particular plastic, is provided with the shielding layer, the substantially flat object at least partially covered with the shielding layer is at least partially softened or melted, and the at least partially provided, partially softened or partially softened with the shielding layer finally, the molten object is deformed into the housing, in particular bent or folded.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the surface or part of the surface of the flat Ge¬ object before applying the shielding layer to increase the adhesion between the surface or part of the surface of the flat object and the shielding layer is pretreated.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the surface or part of the surface of the flat Ge object is chemically pretreated.

4. The method according to claim 2 and / or 3, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the surface or part of the surface of the flat object is pretreated by means of a low-pressure plasma using in particular oxygen, air, noble gases, nitrogen or tetrafluoromethane.

5. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least the shielding layer to be applied directly to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object by means of physical Plasma-assisted vapor deposition is applied in vacuo to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the plasma-assisted vapor deposition is carried out in vacuo via an anodically controlled arc.

7. The method according to claim 5 and / or 6, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that at least one mask or the like when applying at least one of the shielding layers on the surface of the flat object to obtain at least one area free from the respective shielding layer ¬ is used.

8. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the flat object is cooled between the application of two shielding layers on the surface or part of the surface of the flat object by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum.

9. The method according to at least one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that as a shielding layer at least one layer of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Al or an alloy hier¬ from by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum on the surface or the part the surface of the flat object is applied.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that a combination of several layers of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Al or an alloy thereof as a shielding layer by means of physi¬ cal plasmage.stutzlicher vapor deposition in a vacuum on the surface or part of the surface of the flat object is applied.

11. The method according to claim 9 and / or 10, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the at least one provided as a shielding layer layer made of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni, Al or an alloy thereof with a thickness of about 0.01 to 100 micrometers, in particular 0.05 to 20 micrometers, preferably 0.1 to 10 micrometers, is applied to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum.

12. The method according to at least one of claims 5 to 11, characterized in that at least one further layer of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni or an alloy thereof as a further shielding layer by means of galvanizing onto the at least one by means of physical plasma-assisted vapor deposition in a vacuum the surface or part of the surface of the flat object applied shielding layer is applied.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that a combination of several layers of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni or an alloy thereof is applied as a shielding layer by means of electroplating to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object.

14. The method according to claim 12 and / or 13, characterized gekenn¬ characterized in that the at least one further provided as a shielding layer of Cu, Ag, Au, Ni or an alloy thereof with a thickness of about to 100 microns, in particular from about to 50 microns, preferably from about 30 microns, is applied to the surface or part of the surface of the flat article by means of galvanization.

15. The method according to at least one of claims l to 14, characterized in that the flat object is mechanically processed before and / or after the application of the at least one Abschirm¬ layer on the surface or part of the surface of the flat object.

16. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the flat object between the application of at least two shielding layers on the surface or part of the surface of the flat object is mechanically processed.

17. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the flat object is softened or melted in a region between two adjacent partial surfaces of the object and the respective two partial surfaces to each other after softening or melting Housing deformed, in particular bent or folded or joined in some other way.

18. The method according to at least one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that at least the uppermost of the shielding layer applied to the surface or part of the surface of the flat object after the deformation, in particular after the bending or folding of the Object is soldered to the housing in the area between two partial surfaces or the like.