Electrical component with conductive path

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention is directed to electrical components, methods for making electrical components and machines employing such electrical components.
In a specific aspect, it is directed to a three-dimensional electrical component having a first side and second side and comprising an electrically insulating polymer matrix capable of heat conversion to an electrically conducting polymer matrix having at least one passageway from the first side to the second side having a tapered wall configuration with constantly changing cross section of the passageway from the first side through the passageway to the second side and an electrically conducting path between the first side and second side formed by the in situ heat conversion of the walls of the passageway in the electrically insulating polymer matrix.
In a further principle aspect of the present invention the electrically conductive path is formed in passageway of the electrically insulating polymer matrix by directing a a laser beam to the walls of the passageway to heat the polymer matrix to a temperature sufficient to convert it to an electrically conductive polymer matrix.
In a further aspect of the present invention the electrically insulating polymer matrix is filled with an electrically insulating fibrous filler capable of heat conversion to an electrically conducting fibrous filler such as a heat convertible carbonaceous fiber as for example thermally stabilized polyacrylonitrile fibers.
In a further aspect of the present invention the walls of the passageway have an adherent continuous coating of a conductive metal.
In a further aspect of the present invention the electrical component comprises a plurality of passageways providing a plurality of electrically conducting paths between the first side and second side.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the walls of the passageway taper down from a maximum cross section on the first side to a minimum cross section on the second side.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the walls of the passageway taper down from maximum cross sections at both the first and second sides to a minimum at some point between the first and second sides and a laser beam is directed to the walls of the passageway from the first side and the second side to form the conducting path