Integrated electronic module with laminated bridge assembly

Abstract

An integrated electronic module assembly can comprise a substrate having conductive regions on opposing surfaces of the substrate and a laminated bridge assembly. The laminated bridge assembly can comprise a dielectric material, wherein the dielectric material forms a planar region and each leg defines a cavity region, the respective leg having at least one interlayer connection. The laminated bridge assembly can also comprise a conductive layer, wherein the conductive layer defines at least one contact region that is electrically coupled to the at least one interlayer connection.The laminated bridge assembly can be electrically and mechanically coupled to the substrate, wherein the substrate has a first surface having a respective conductive area with which the at least one respective interlayer connection is electrically coupled, and an opposing second surface having respective conductive areas that form terminals of the integrated electronic module assembly.

Description

TECHNOLOGICAL AREA

[0001] The present disclosure relates to electronic device packages and, more particularly, but not limited to, an integrated electronic module having a laminated bridge assembly. BACKGROUND

[0002] Electronic device packages have experienced a continuing trend toward miniaturization and the integration of complex functionality into compact form factors. For example, mobile consumer devices now integrate various radios, sensors, processors, memory modules, and other components into thin and lightweight integrated circuit packages. New applications in wearable technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) generally involve the integration of sophisticated electronics constrained by very small footprints. The automotive industry also continues to incorporate more electronics for advanced safety, efficiency, and convenience features.

[0003] However, the increased integration and density of components has presented various challenges. Miniaturization involves reducing the available area on printed circuit boards or other substrates for component placement. Simply reducing the footprint of components can negatively impact manufacturing costs, yield, and reliability. SUMMARY

[0004] Three-dimensional integration techniques can better utilize available volume to provide improved density in electrical packaging. For example, three-dimensional integration may involve vertically stacking components or substrates to improve density without requiring a larger footprint associated with an electronic device package. Three-dimensional integration of electronic device packages may include electrical interconnections between one or more of the layers or one or more of the substrates in a stack. The present inventors have recognized, among other things, that providing reliable interconnections in three-dimensionally integrated electronic packages can present challenges.In one approach, interconnects can be inserted between a bottom and top layer of the substrate and bonded to the substrates to provide mechanical support or electrical connection. Structures providing such interconnects can be difficult to precisely align or place, resulting in poor yield and / or a costly manufacturing process and / or structural constraints, such as minimum spacing between layers or minimum cross-sectional area of ​​interconnects. For example, it can be difficult to achieve planarity at interfaces where interconnects meet. In one approach, solder or other material can be used to fill gaps resulting from poor planarity or fit.However, such solder joints can present other challenges, such as poor reliability or being susceptible to flow across other areas, such as under components.

[0005] The present inventors have recognized, among other things, that providing inter-substrate interconnections or inter-layer interconnections (or both) using layers or substrates in a stack can help with one or more of these difficulties. As described herein, a laminated bridge assembly may include one or more interconnections to enable stacked or three-dimensional integration of components within an integrated electronic device package.The use of the assembly or related techniques herein in an integrated electronic package may provide increased mechanical strength and / or improved electrical interconnect resistance and / or reduced electrical interconnect noise and / or improved planarity between interconnects and / or increased interconnect height to width ratio and / or reduced interconnect sizes, or combinations thereof.

[0006] In one example, an integrated electronic module assembly may include a substrate having conductive regions on opposing surfaces of the substrate and a laminated bridge assembly. The laminated bridge assembly may include a dielectric material, the dielectric material forming a planar region and respective legs defining a cavity region, the respective legs including at least one respective interlayer interconnect. The laminated bridge assembly may also include a conductive layer, the conductive layer defining at least one respective pad region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnect.The laminated bridge assembly may be electrically and mechanically coupled to the substrate, the substrate having a first surface having a respective conductive region to which the at least one respective interlayer interconnect is electrically coupled, and an opposite second surface having respective conductive regions forming terminals of the integrated electronic module assembly.

[0007] In one example, an integrated electronic module assembly may include a substrate having conductive regions on opposing surfaces of the substrate and a laminated bridge assembly. The laminated bridge assembly may include a dielectric material, the dielectric material forming a planar region and respective legs defining a cavity region, the respective legs including at least one respective interlayer interconnect. The laminated bridge assembly may also include a conductive layer, the conductive layer defining at least one respective contact region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnect.The laminated bridge assembly may be electrically and mechanically coupled to the substrate, wherein the integrated electronic module assembly provides a switching converter, wherein the laminated bridge assembly may be electrically and mechanically coupled to an inductor acting as an energy storage device.

[0008] In one example, a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit module may include placing a laminated bridge assembly on a substrate. The laminated bridge assembly may include a dielectric material, the dielectric material forming a planar region and respective legs defining a cavity region, the respective legs including at least one respective interlayer interconnect. The laminated bridge assembly may also include a conductive layer, the conductive layer defining at least one respective contact region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnect. The method may also include electrically and mechanically coupling the laminated bridge assembly to the substrate, the substrate including a conductive region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals in one or more views may describe substantially similar components. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of substantially similar components. The drawings are generally illustrative and exemplary, but not limiting. Fig. 1 is an exploded view of an example having an integrated electronic module assembly. Fig. 2A is a sectional view of an illustrative example having a laminated bridge assembly. Fig. Figure 2B is a top view of the illustrative example showing the laminated bridge assembly of Fig. 2A. Fig. Figure 2C is a bottom view of the illustrative example showing the laminated bridge assembly of Fig. 2A. Fig. 3A is a sectional view of an illustrative example having a laminated bridge assembly. Fig. Figure 3B is a sectional view of the illustrative example showing the laminated bridge assembly of Fig. 3A. Fig. Figure 3C is a sectional view of the illustrative example showing the laminated bridge assembly of Fig. 3A. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of an illustrative example having an integrated electronic module assembly. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of an illustrative example having an integrated electronic module assembly. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of an illustrative example having an integrated electronic module assembly. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an illustrative example including an integrated electronic module assembly and an environment in which the integrated electronic module assembly may be used. Fig. 8 is an exploded view of an example having an integrated electronic module assembly. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a method for manufacturing an integrated electronic module assembly. Fig. 10 is a block diagram of an example including a machine on which one or more portions of the present disclosure may be implemented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] In general, the present subject matter may include structures and techniques that involve stacking and connecting electronic components in a compact manner. Such structures may include or utilize a laminated bridge assembly comprising layered dielectric and conductive materials. The laminated bridge assembly may be placed on a substrate and may define an open cavity region in which components may be placed. The legs of the laminated bridge may include vertical interconnects to conductively couple signals between layers. Contact regions may be included on the laminated bridge surface to allow components to be attached and connected by the interconnects. Multiple assemblies may be stacked vertically by aligning the contact regions, creating a high-density three-dimensional package.A modular approach using a laminated bridge can help enable the efficient use of vertical space to pack more components into a small footprint.

[0011] Fig. 1 is an exploded view of an example having an integrated electronic module assembly 100. In the example of Fig. 1, the integrated electronic module assembly 100 may include a substrate 102, a laminated bridge assembly 104, and a passive component 106.

[0012] The substrate 102 defines opposite sides, including a first surface 112 and a second surface 114. One or more electronic components may be mounted on one or more of the first surface 112 or the second surface 114 (e.g., electrically and / or mechanically coupled thereto). In one example, there may be a plurality of components, such as in a region 110, mounted on the first surface 112 or the second surface 114, or both. The plurality of components in the region 110 may be connected to one or more conductive regions of the first surface 112, as in Fig. 1, and / or the second surface 114 or both.

[0013] The substrate 102 may comprise a ceramic substrate and / or a polymer material such as a glass-epoxy laminate (e.g., an FR-4 substrate) and / or another material (e.g., another material with insulating and / or dielectric properties). The conductive regions of the substrate 102 may comprise traces and / or contacts and / or vias and / or other conductive elements for conducting signals and / or power across the substrate 102.

[0014] The laminated bridge assembly 104 may include a planar region 126 and one or more respective legs, such as leg 122A and leg 122B. The planar region 126 and the legs may include a dielectric material 120. The dielectric material 120 may be generally continuous between the planar region 126 and the leg, for example, may include the planar region 126 and the one or more respective legs being mechanically connected by or defined by the dielectric material 120. In one example, the dielectric material 120 including the planar region 126 and the one or more respective legs may be mechanically connected to each other, such as using an adhesive or other mechanical bonding agent. The dielectric material 120 may be a polymer and / or resin (e.g.an FR-4 substrate) and / or ceramic. For example, the dielectric material 120 may include fiber reinforcement for increased strength.

[0015] The dielectric material 120 may define a cavity region 130. The cavity region 130 may be defined by the legs on one or more sides and the planar region 126 on the top. The cavity region 130 may provide space for installing one or more of the plurality of components in the region 110.

[0016] The laminated bridge assembly 104 may include one or more conductive contact regions, such as contact 140A, contact 140B, contact 140C, or contact 140D. The at least one respective contact region may be configured for electrical coupling to one or more components, such as passive component 106. In one example, the at least one respective contact region may be located on a top surface (e.g., the side of the planar region 126 away from the substrate 102) of the planar region 126. In one example, the at least one respective contact region may be located on a bottom surface (e.g., the side of the planar region 126 proximate the substrate 102) of the planar region 126. In one example, the at least one respective contact region may be positioned on both a top and bottom surface of the planar region 126.

[0017] The laminated bridge assembly 104 may include one or more interlayer interconnects, such as an interconnect 142A, an interconnect 142B, an interconnect 142C, and an interconnect 142D. The at least one interlayer interconnect may be positioned in one or more of the legs. For example, the interconnect 142A and the interconnect 142B may be positioned in the leg 122B, and the interconnect 142C and the interconnect 142D may be positioned in the leg 122A. The at least one interlayer connection may consist of a via structure (e.g., a cavity formed by removing a portion of the dielectric material 120, such as by mechanical processing or chemical etching) that has been filled and / or plated with a conductive material (e.g., copper) and / or a conductive slug (e.g., a piece of conductive material, which may be, for example,may include copper positioned on or within the legs).

[0018] The at least one interlayer interconnect may be electrically coupled to each of the at least one respective contact region. For example, interconnect 142A may be electrically coupled to contact 140A, interconnect 142B may be electrically coupled to contact 140B, interconnect 142C may be electrically coupled to contact 140C, and interconnect 142D may be electrically coupled to contact 140D.

[0019] The integrated electronic module assembly 100 may have any number of interconnections, such as one interconnection, two interconnections, three interconnections, four interconnections, five or more interconnections, 10 or more interconnections, 50 or more interconnections, 250 or more interconnections, or 1000 or more interconnections.

[0020] The laminated bridge assembly 104 may be electrically and / or mechanically coupled to the substrate 102. The laminated bridge assembly 104 may be attached to the substrate 102 using solder and / or an adhesive (e.g., electrically conductive adhesive, non-conductive adhesive, or both), etc. The substrate 102 may include at least one respective conductive region for coupling to the laminated bridge assembly 104, such as a conductive region 144A, a conductive region 144B, a conductive region 144C, and a conductive region 144D. The interconnect 142A may be electrically coupled to the conductive region 144A, the interconnect 142B may be electrically coupled to the conductive region 144B, the interconnect 142C may be electrically coupled to the conductive region 144C, and the interconnect 142D may be electrically coupled to the conductive region 144D.The at least one respective conductive region may be configured to align with a portion of respective ones of the at least one interlayer interconnect positioned toward the substrate 102 (e.g., at the bottom of the legs).

[0021] The at least one respective conductive region may be electrically coupled to one or more components on the substrate 102. The at least one respective conductive region may be coupled to one or more terminals on the substrate 102, such as enabling coupling to one or more other packages and / or one or more other devices.

[0022] In one example, the electrical coupling (e.g., through solder, conductive adhesive, etc.) between the substrate 102 and the laminated bridge assembly 104 may also provide some or all of the mechanical coupling between the substrate 102 and the laminated bridge assembly 104. For example, the solder that electrically connects the at least one respective conductive region to the at least one interlayer interconnect may also mechanically couple the substrate 102 to the laminated bridge assembly 104. In one example, additional bonding agents or methods (e.g., adhesives, heat-induced bonding, etc.) may be used to couple the substrate 102 to the laminated bridge assembly 104.

[0023] The dielectric material 120 may include one or more openings 128, such as allowing an encapsulant and / or coating (e.g., an overmold material, a conformal coating, etc.) to penetrate the cavity region 130. One or more portions of the integrated electronic module assembly 100 may include an encapsulant or coating, such as the cavity region 130. The encapsulant may provide increased mechanical and / or electrical integrity of the integrated electronic module assembly 100, and / or increased and / or more uniform thermal dissipation for the integrated electronic module assembly 100, and / or water resistance, etc.

[0024] The passive component 106 may include, for example, a capacitor, a resistor, or an inductor. In one example, there may be multiple passive components mounted on the laminated bridge assembly 104. The passive components may all be of the same type, or the passive components may be of different types (e.g., one or more inductors and one or more capacitors). In one example, there may be one or more non-passive components (e.g., an active component, such as a transistor or an integrated circuit (IC), etc.) mounted on the laminated bridge assembly 104 alternatively or in addition to the one or more passive components. The passive component 106 may be mounted on the laminated bridge assembly 104 and may be electrically coupled to at least one respective contact region.The passive component 106 may be coupled to the substrate 102 via the laminated bridge assembly 104, such as coupling via the at least one respective contact region, at least one interlayer connection, and at least one respective conductive region.

[0025] In one example, the passive component 106 may include a first terminal 152 and a second terminal 154. The first terminal 152 may be coupled to contact 140A and / or contact 140B. The second terminal 154 may be coupled to contact 140C and / or contact 140D. Using more than one contact region to couple to a single terminal of the passive component 106 may increase current capacity and / or reduce heat concentration at specific locations of the substrate 102 and / or the laminated bridge assembly 104.

[0026] In one example, the integrated electronic module assembly 100 may include a switching converter (e.g., an alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) converter, a DC-AC converter, a DC-DC converter (e.g., a buck converter, a boost converter, or a buck-boost converter)). The passive component 106 may act as an energy storage device for the switching converter. For example, the passive component 106 may include an inductor that acts as an energy storage inductor for the switching converter.

[0027] Fig. Figure 2A is a sectional view drawing of the illustrative example having the laminated bridge assembly. In the example of Fig. 2A, the laminated bridge assembly 104 has two contact areas, contact 140A and contact 140C. Fig. 2A shows that the laminated bridge assembly 104 may be constructed from one or more layers of dielectric material. The one or more layers of dielectric material may include a first layer 232 and a second layer 234. The first layer may be positioned on the second layer and may be mechanically bonded to the first layer, such as using an adhesive. The one or more layers may include one or more conductive components, such as one or more traces, one or more contacts, one or more inserts, or one or more filled and / or plated vias 202. There may be one or more conductive components forming the contact 140A and one or more other conductive components forming the contact 140C. One or more conductive components may form the interconnect 142A.One or more conductive components may form interconnect 142C. In one example, interconnect 142A and interconnect 142C may be formed at least partially by vias 202.

[0028] The interconnect 142A may include one or more vias 202 on the first layer 232 that are electrically coupled to one or more vias 202 on the second layer 234. In this way, the interconnect 142A may span both of the layers 232 and 234 and connect the contact 140A to the portion of the interconnect 142A at the bottom of the leg 122B.

[0029] The interconnect 142C may include one or more vias 202 on the first layer 232 that are electrically coupled to one or more vias 202 on the second layer 234. In this way, the interconnect 142C may span both layers 232 and 234 and connect the contact 140C to the portion of the interconnect 142C at the bottom of the leg 122A.

[0030] The vias 202 may be round vias and / or oval vias (e.g., longer in one dimension than in another) and / or rod-shaped vias, etc. The vias 202 may all be formed the same, or one or more of the vias 202 may be formed differently than one or more of the other vias 202.

[0031] Each of the legs may include a portion that is the dielectric material 120 and a portion that includes conductive components. In one example, the dielectric material 120 and / or the conductive components may provide mechanical structure for the legs and / or the laminated bridge assembly 104. In one example, a combined effect of the dielectric material 120 and the conductive components in the legs and / or the planar region 126 may provide structure for the legs and / or the laminated bridge assembly 104.

[0032] Each of the legs may have a width 212 and a height 214. Each of the legs may have the same width 212 and height 214, or the legs may differ in one or more ways (e.g., different height, different width, etc.). The ratio of the height 214 of the legs to a width 212 of the legs may affect how high the planar region 126 is above the substrate 102 and / or how wide the substrate 102 must be to accommodate the laminated bridge assembly 104. In one example, the ratio of the height of one or more of the legs to the respective width of the legs may meet or exceed 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, 5:1, 6:1, 8:1, or 10:1. The legs may also have a length that may be greater than the width 212. In one example, the width 212 may be defined as the smaller of the width 212 and the length of the leg (e.g., the narrowest dimension of the leg orthogonal to the height 214).

[0033] Fig. Figure 2B is a plan view drawing of the illustrative example showing the laminated bridge assembly 104 of Fig. 2A. Fig. 2B shows that the at least one respective contact region may be constructed by plating over one or more vias 202. The at least one respective contact region may be sized and shaped to interface with one or more components, such as the passive component 106. A region of the at least one respective contact region may be selected to help reduce resistance in the connection between the at least one respective contact region and the connected components (e.g., a larger region may be selected if space permits).

[0034] Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B show that the at least one interlayer connection may be configured to manage electrical resistance (e.g., reduce interconnect resistance), such as by increasing a cross-sectional area of ​​the at least one interlayer connection. For example, the first layer 232 may include a 2-dimensional array of vias 202 (e.g., multiple rows and columns of vias 202, at least 3 vias 202 across a 2-dimensional region, etc.) to increase a cross-sectional area of ​​the conductive material comprising the at least one interlayer connection in the first layer 232. The second layer 234 may include a 1-dimensional array of vias 202 (e.g., at least 2 vias 202 in an approximate line along a length of the leg) to increase a cross-sectional area of ​​the at least one interlayer connection in the second layer 234.In one example, the second layer 234 may include a 2-dimensional array of vias 202.

[0035] Fig. 2C is a bottom view drawing of the illustrative example showing the laminated bridge assembly of Fig. 2A. In the example of Fig. 2C, a lower portion of interconnect 142A may be plated to create a corresponding conductive region 242A, which may be configured to be coupled to conductive region 144A. A lower portion of interconnect 142C may be plated to create a corresponding conductive region 242C, which may be configured to be coupled to conductive region 144C.

[0036] Fig. 2C shows that the at least one corresponding conductive region and / or the at least one interlayer connection may have structures other than circular via structures. For example, a conductive region may define a rectangular strip, such as defined by a length 224. The length 224 of a given interlayer connection may be selected to provide a predetermined resistance and / or a predetermined heat dissipation and / or a predetermined current carrying capacity. In one example, a length of an interlayer connection of a power node may be greater than a length of an interlayer connection of a control node. In one example, the length of the interlayer connection of the power node may exceed the length of the connection of the control node by 50 percent, 100 percent, 200 percent, 300 percent, 400 percent, 600 percent, or 800 percent.In one example, a current carrying capacity of an interlayer interconnect of a power node may be greater than a length of an interlayer interconnect of a control node.

[0037] In one example, the laminated bridge assembly 104 may include only a single layer of dielectric, or the laminated bridge assembly 104 may include more than two layers of dielectric. For example, the laminated bridge assembly 104 may include three layers, four layers, five layers, six layers, seven layers, or eight or more layers. The layers may be distributed between the planar region 126 and the legs in any manner, such as including all but one layer in the legs, all but two layers in the legs, etc.

[0038] Fig. 3A to Fig. 3C show a potential series of operations in the process for manufacturing a laminated bridge assembly 104.

[0039] Fig. 3A is a cross-sectional view drawing of an example including an intermediate element 304 of a laminated bridge assembly. The intermediate element 304 may be manufactured using techniques and materials similar to those used in printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication, wherein one or more dielectric layers (e.g., glass epoxy or other core or prepreg layers) are stacked and cured, with conductive metallization to provide conductive regions. For example, Fig. 3A that the intermediate element 304 of the laminated bridge assembly may include a first layer 232, a second layer 234, a third layer 336, and a fourth layer 338. The first layer 232 and the fourth layer 338 may be thinner layers (e.g., prepreg layers) that can be covered with a conductor and overplated, while the second layer 234 and the third layer 336 may be thicker core layers that fill the space between the first layer 232 and the fourth layer 338 and provide structural support. In the example of Fig. 3A, the at least one interlayer interconnect may be constructed using solid copper inserts. The at least one interlayer interconnect may also include other conductive features, such as vias, alternatively or in addition to the copper inserts. The at least one respective contact region and the at least one corresponding conductive region may be electrically connected to respective ones of the solid copper inserts.

[0040] Fig. 3A shows that the intermediate element 304 of the laminated bridge assembly may be manufactured such that the dielectric layers have a uniform footprint across the entire assembly, such that the dielectric material 120 initially does not have a void region 130. In another example, the dielectric material 120 may form a void region, but it may not conform to the size and / or shape of the final void region 130. The intermediate element 304 of the laminated bridge assembly may be manufactured at least partially using a layered manufacturing process. For example, one or more layers comprising one or more conductive traces and / or one or more contacts and / or one or more vias, etc., may be placed on top of another layer comprising one or more conductive traces and / or one or more contacts and / or one or more vias.Between the placement of one or more layers and / or following the placement of all layers, one or more vias may be filled or plated, and / or other electrical connections between layers may be made. Conductive inserts may be inserted at any time during the manufacturing process. The construction process of contact 140A may share one or more similarities with a printed circuit board manufacturing process.

[0041] Fig. 3B is a sectional view drawing of an example showing an intermediate member 304 of a laminated bridge assembly of Fig. 3A. Fig. 3B shows a portion 360 of the dielectric material 120 that may be removed from the intermediate member 304 of the laminated bridge assembly during part of the manufacturing process. The removal of the portion 360 of the dielectric material 120 may result in the dielectric material 120 defining the void region 130. The portion 360 may be removed by machining (e.g., milling, drilling, cutting, etc.), chemical etching, laser ablation, water cutting, etc. A trade-off may exist where a volume of the portion 360 is inversely related to a strength of the completed laminated bridge assembly 104. Accordingly, wider legs defined by the dielectric material 120 result in a smaller void region 130, but with greater strength due to more dielectric material remaining in each leg, such as surrounding a respective interlayer interconnect in the leg.The respective legs can be formed by removing dielectric material between the respective legs.

[0042] Fig. 3C is a sectional view drawing of an example having a laminated bridge assembly 104 separated from the intermediate member 304 of the laminated bridge assembly of Fig. 3A is derived. Fig. Figure 3C shows that portion 360 has been removed and the dielectric material of layers 234, 336, and 338 defines the cavity region 130. Fig. 3C shows that a portion of one or more of the dielectric layers may remain following removal of the dielectric material. This portion of the dielectric material may include material surrounding the legs of the laminated bridge assembly 104. For example, a first portion 234A of the second layer 234 may surround the interconnect 142A, and a second portion 234C of the second layer 234 may surround the interconnect 142C. A first portion 336A of the third layer 336 may surround the interconnect 142A, and a second portion 336C of the third layer 336 may surround the interconnect 142C. A first portion 338A of the fourth layer 338 may surround the interconnect 142A, and a second portion 338C of the fourth layer 338 may surround the interconnect 142C.

[0043] The portion of the dielectric material remaining in the legs can provide structural support for the legs, such as helping to maintain the planarity of the legs. The portion of the dielectric material remaining on the legs can contact one or more of the interlayer interconnects on one or more sides, such as completely surrounding one or more interlayer interconnects.

[0044] In one example, all material may be removed from one or more layers. For example, all material of the second layer 234 and / or the third layer 336 and / or the fourth layer 338 may be removed. The remaining interlayer interconnections may support the first layer 232 and provide structure for the laminated bridge assembly 104. In this example, the second layer 234, the third layer 336, and the fourth layer 338 may provide structural support and / or a mold for fabricating the interlayer interconnections, but once the interlayer interconnections are fabricated, the interlayer interconnections alone may be strong enough to support the laminated bridge assembly 104.

[0045] In one example, the cavity region 130 may be defined by the dielectric material of the layers without material removal following the assembly of the two or more layers. For example, the intermediate member 304 of the laminated bridge assembly may include the laminated bridge assembly 104. For example, the dielectric material of the layers may be fabricated to define respective portions of the cavity region 130 corresponding to that layer, such as by machining or initial formation of the dielectric layer. One or more combinations of the above methods may be employed. For example, one or more layers may define a portion of the cavity region 130 prior to machining the intermediate member 304 of the laminated bridge assembly. One or more steps may be performed after the removal of portion 360.For example, a layer can be added and / or an area can be plated.

[0046] Fig. 4 is a sectional view of an illustrative example having an integrated electronic module assembly 100. In the example of Fig. 4, the laminated bridge assembly 104 includes respective conductive regions for electrical interconnections with electrical components on opposite surfaces of the planar region 126. A passive component 106 may be coupled to a first surface of the planar region 126 opposite the cavity region 130. A component 412 may be coupled to a second surface of the planar region 126 within the cavity region 130. There may be one or more additional components on one or more of the first surface or the second surface. Fig. 4 also shows that there may be one or more components 410 attached between the passive component 106 and the planar region 126, such as being coupled to the first surface of the laminated bridge assembly 104.

[0047] Fig. 5 is a sectional view of an illustrative example having an integrated electronic module assembly 100. In the example of Fig. 5, there may be a metal insert 570 attached to a surface of the laminated bridge assembly 104 in the cavity region 130. The metal insert 570 may be configured to spread and / or dissipate heat, such as heat from the passive components 106 and / or the plurality of components in the region 110 and / or another component in and / or near the integrated electronic module assembly 100. The metal insert 570 may be made of copper, aluminum, or another metal. In one example, the metal insert 570 may be replaced with a non-metallic thermally conductive material, such as graphite, graphene, or a ceramic. In one example, the metal insert 570 may be sized and shaped to fit around one or more components mounted on the substrate 102 and / or the laminated bridge assembly 104.In one example, the 570 may be embedded or partially embedded in the laminated bridge assembly 104, such as by embedding the metal insert 570 within the planar region 126 (e.g., removing a portion of the planar region 126 and placing the metal insert 570 in the removed portion).

[0048] In one example, the laminated bridge assembly 104 may include a metal region 572 that is not electrically coupled to another component. The metal region 572 may be configured to spread and / or dissipate heat, such as heat from the passive components 106 and / or the plurality of components in the region 110 and / or another component in and / or near the integrated electronic module assembly 100. The metal region 572 may be used in addition to or alternatively to the metal insert 570. The metal region 572 may be placed near the center of the planar region 126 and may be constructed of inserts and / or filled and / or plated vias and / or plated regions. The metal region 572 may be placed near the metal insert 570, such as heat from the passive components 106 and / or the plurality of components in the region 110 and / or another component in and / or near the integrated electronic module assembly 100. B. help to conduct heat between the passive component 106 and the cavity region 130.In one example, the metal region 572 may be electrically coupled to the metal insert 570, such as to enhance thermal conduction between the metal insert 570 and the metal region 572.

[0049] Fig. 6 is a sectional view of an illustrative example including an integrated electronic module assembly 100. Fig. 6 shows that the integrated electronic module assembly 100 may include a first substrate 102A, a first laminated bridge assembly 104A, a second substrate 102B, and a second laminated bridge assembly 104B, generally illustrating a "stackable" or modular configuration. The first substrate 102A and the second substrate 102B may be configured similarly to the substrate 102 described above, or one or both may differ in one or more ways. The first laminated bridge assembly 104A and the second laminated bridge assembly 104B may be configured similarly to the laminated bridge assembly 104 described above, or one or both may differ in one or more ways. Fig. 6 shows that the first laminated bridge assembly 104A may be configured to receive the second substrate 102B. The second substrate 102B may be mounted on the first laminated bridge assembly 104A, such as via a plurality of solder bumps 610B. The first substrate 102A may also include a plurality of solder bumps 610A for mounting the integrated electronic module assembly 100 on another chip.

[0050] A modular integrated electronic module assembly 100 may allow a user to customize or scale one or more capabilities of a system (e.g., output power, processing power), such as by adding additional stacked modules. This may enable customization or scaling of capabilities without the need for a newly designed or manufactured chip.

[0051] The first substrate 102A and the first laminated bridge assembly 104A may form a first integrated module assembly 100A. The second substrate 102B and the second laminated bridge assembly 104B may form a second integrated module assembly 100B. A configuration of the contact regions on the first integrated module assembly 100A may be configured to enable stacking of the second integrated module assembly 100B on the first integrated module assembly 100A. Together, the first integrated module assembly 100A and the second integrated module assembly 100B may form the integrated electronic module assembly 100. In one example, the second integrated module assembly 100B may also include a configuration of contact regions that enables stacking of an additional integrated module assembly on the second integrated module assembly 100B.In one example, the stack may include three integrated electronic module assemblies, four integrated electronic module assemblies, five integrated electronic module assemblies, or six or more integrated electronic module assemblies. The integrated electronic module assembly 100, including two or more integrated electronic module assemblies, may all be connected outside of the integrated electronic module assembly 100 only via the plurality of solder bumps 610A.

[0052] The first integrated module assembly 100A may include a first plurality of components in region 110A. The second integrated module assembly 100B may include a second plurality of circuit components in region 110B. The first plurality of components in region 110A may be mounted on the first substrate 102A and / or the first laminated bridge assembly 104A. The second plurality of circuit components in region 110B may be mounted on the second substrate 102B and / or the second laminated bridge assembly 104B.

[0053] In one example, the second substrate 102B may be omitted, and the second laminated bridge assembly 104B may be configured to be mounted directly on the first laminated bridge assembly 104A. The first laminated bridge assembly 104A may have a configuration of contact regions that enables stacking of the second laminated bridge assembly 104B on the first laminated bridge assembly 104A. The first laminated bridge assembly 104A may provide electrical and mechanical interconnection between the second laminated bridge assembly 104B and the first substrate 102A. In one example, the second laminated bridge assembly 104B may also have a configuration of contact regions that enables stacking of an additional laminated bridge assembly on the second laminated bridge assembly 104B.In one example, the stack may include three laminated bridge assemblies, four laminated bridge assemblies, five laminated bridge assemblies, or six or more laminated bridge assemblies.

[0054] In one example, the integrated electronic module assembly 100 may include two or more substrates and two or more laminated bridge assemblies, but each bridge assembly may not have a corresponding substrate. For example, the stack forming the integrated electronic module assembly 100 could include two bridge assemblies between substrates, or the stack could end with two bridge assemblies with no substrate in between.

[0055] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of an illustrative example including an integrated electronic module assembly 100 and an environment in which the integrated electronic module assembly may be used. In the example of Fig. 7, the integrated electronic module assembly 100 has been overmolded and / or encapsulated to form a package, and the substrate 102 is not shown. Fig. 7 shows that the integrated electronic module assembly 100 may be configured to receive an integrated circuit chip 702 (e.g., a chip-scale package or other integrated circuit package) on a surface of the substrate opposite the cavity region 130. The integrated circuit chip 702 may be a chip that is optionally installed after the integrated electronic module assembly 100 leaves a manufacturing facility. For example, the integrated circuit chip 702 could be an optional chip used to upgrade the integrated electronic module assembly 100. In one example, the integrated electronic module assembly 100 is a general-purpose device, and the integrated circuit chip 702 is selected to achieve a desired function of the combined assembly of the integrated electronic module assembly 100 and the integrated circuit chip 702.

[0056] In one example, the integrated circuit chip 702 may include one or more discrete components (e.g., resistors, capacitors, transistors, etc.) alternatively or in addition to an integrated circuit component. For example, the integrated circuit chip 702 may include a substrate on which one or more integrated circuit chips and one or more discrete components are mounted. The integrated circuit chip 702 may be an independent module that can function separately from the integrated electronic module assembly 100 or in conjunction with the integrated electronic module assembly 100.

[0057] In one example, the integrated electronic module assembly 100 may include an integrated circuit chip electrically and mechanically coupled to respective conductive regions of the laminated bridge assembly 104 on a surface of the laminated bridge assembly 104 within the cavity region 130.

[0058] Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of an example having an integrated electronic module assembly 100. Fig. 8 shows that there may be one leg 122C and one leg 122D. The legs may not be required to be parallel to one or more of the other legs and / or to be arranged on a perimeter of the planar region 126 and / or to extend across the entire planar region 126. For example, leg 122D is not parallel to legs 122A and 122B. Leg 122C is not arranged on the perimeter of the planar region 126. Legs 122C and 122D do not cover the entire length of the planar region 126.

[0059] One or more of the legs may not have an interlayer connection and may be used only for mechanical support and / or heat dissipation. One or more of the legs may be positioned, sized, and shaped to fit around one or more of the plurality of components in region 110. In one example, a leg may have a bend and / or a curve. There may be any number of legs, which may include, for example, one leg, two legs, three legs, four legs, five legs, or six or more legs.

[0060] In one example, two or more legs may be configured to include electrical components that are electrically and mechanically coupled between the legs. For example, a bank of input and / or output capacitors may be positioned horizontally between two conveniently spaced legs. The capacitors may be connected to a single terminal on each side, which may result in an effective capacitance equal to the sum of all capacitor values ​​coupled between the two legs.

[0061] In one example, the integrated electronic module assembly 100 may be configured differently. For example, one or more of the legs may be located on the substrate 102. One or more of the at least one interlayer interconnect may be encased in legs on the substrate 102. In one example, all of the legs are located on the substrate 102, and the laminated bridge assembly 104 is a flat dielectric material 120. In this example, the dielectric of the substrate 102 may define the cavity region 130. The substrate 102 with legs may be fabricated similarly to the laminated bridge assembly 104 described above or may differ in one or more ways.

[0062] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method 900 for manufacturing parts of an integrated electronic module assembly. At 905, a laminated bridge assembly may be placed on a substrate. The laminated bridge assembly may include a dielectric material, wherein the dielectric material may form a planar region and respective legs define a cavity region, wherein the respective legs may include at least one respective interlayer interconnect. The laminated bridge assembly may include a conductive layer, wherein the conductive layer may define at least one respective contact region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnect.At 910, the laminated bridge assembly may be electrically and mechanically coupled to the substrate, where the substrate may include a conductive region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnect. The illustrated order of steps is not intended to be a limitation on the order in which the steps are performed. In one example, two or more steps may be performed concurrently or at least partially concurrently.

[0063] At step 905, the laminated bridge assembly may be laminated bridge assembly 104, and the substrate may be substrate 102. In one example, method 900 may also include placing a passive component, such as passive component 106, on the planar region. Method 900 may also include electrically and mechanically coupling the passive component to the planar region, such as coupling the passive component to the at least one respective contact region.

[0064] Fig.10 is a block diagram of an example including a machine 1000 on which one or more portions of the present disclosure may be implemented. Examples described herein may include logic or any number of components or mechanisms within or operated by the machine 1000. Circuitry (e.g., processing circuitry) is a collection of circuits implemented in tangible entities of the machine 1000 that include hardware (e.g., simple circuits, gates, logic, etc.). Membership in a circuitry may be flexible over time. Circuitry includes members that, alone or in combination, can perform predetermined operations during operation. In one example, hardware of the circuitry may be immutably configured to perform a predetermined operation (e.g., hardwired).In one example, the circuitry hardware may comprise variably connected physical components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.), including a machine-readable medium that is physically modified (e.g., magnetically, electrically, movable placement of particles with invariant mass, etc.) to encode instructions of the specified operation. Upon connecting the physical components, the underlying electrical properties of a hardware component are changed, for example, from an insulator to a conductor or vice versa. The instructions enable embedded hardware (e.g., the execution units or a loading mechanism) to create members of the circuitry in hardware via the variable connections to perform portions of the specified operation during operation.Accordingly, in one example, the elements of the machine-readable medium are part of the circuitry or are communicatively coupled to the other components of the circuitry when the device is in operation. In one example, any of the physical components may be used in more than one member of more than one circuitry. For example, during operation, execution units may be used at one time in a first circuit of a first circuitry and reused at another time by a second circuit in the first circuitry or by a third circuit in a second circuitry. Additional examples of these components with respect to machine 1000 follow.

[0065] In alternative embodiments, machine 1000 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, machine 1000 may operate in the capacity of a server machine, a client machine, or both in server-client network environments. In one example, machine 1000 may act as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. Machine 1000 may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a web device, a network router, a switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequentially or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine.Furthermore, although only a single machine is illustrated, the term "machine" should also be understood to include any collection of machines that individually or collectively execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform one or more of any of the methodologies discussed herein, such as cloud computing, software-as-a-service (SaaS), other computer cluster configurations.

[0066] The machine (e.g., computer system) 1000 may include a hardware processor 1002 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), main memory 1004, static memory (e.g., memory or storage for firmware, microcode, a basic input / output (BIOS), UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), etc.) 1006, and mass storage 1008 (e.g., hard disks, tape drives, flash storage, or other block devices), some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interlink (e.g., bus) 1030. The machine 1000 may further include a display unit 1010, an alphanumeric input device 1012 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 1014 (e.g., a mouse).In one example, the display unit 1010, the input device 1012, and the UI navigation device 1014 may be a touchscreen display. The machine 1000 may additionally include a storage device (e.g., drive unit) 1008, a signal generation device 1018 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 1020, and one or more sensors 1016, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or another sensor. The machine 1000 may include an output controller 1028, such as a serial (e.g., USB (Universal Serial Bus)), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near-field communication (NFC), etc.) connection for communicating with or controlling one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, etc.).

[0067] Registers of the processor 1002, main memory 1004, static memory 1006, or mass storage 1008 may be or include a machine-readable medium 1022 on which one or more sets of data structures or instructions 1024 (e.g., software) are stored that embody or are utilized by one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. The instructions 1024 may also be located, in whole or in part, in any of the registers of the processor 1002, main memory 1004, static memory 1006, or mass storage 1008 during execution thereof by the machine 1000. In one example, one or any combination of the hardware processor 1002, main memory 1004, static memory 1006, or mass storage 1008 may constitute the machine-readable media 1022.Although the machine-readable medium 1022 is illustrated as a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store the one or more instructions 1024.

[0068] The term "machine-readable medium" may include any medium that can store, encode, or carry instructions for execution by machine 1000 that cause machine 1000 to perform any one or more of the techniques of the present disclosure, or that can store, encode, or carry data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting examples of a machine-readable medium may include solid-state memory, optical media, magnetic media, and signals (e.g., radio frequency signals, other photon-based signals, audio signals, etc.). In one example, a non-transitory machine-readable medium comprises a machine-readable medium having a plurality of particles with invariant (e.g., residual) mass, and are thus compositions of matter.Accordingly, non-transitory machine-readable media are machine-readable media that do not include transitory propagating signals. Specific examples of non-transitory machine-readable media may include: persistent memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

[0069] In one example, information stored or otherwise provided on the machine-readable medium 1022 may represent the instructions 1024, such as the instructions 1024 themselves or a format from which the instructions 1024 may be derived. This format from which the instructions 1024 may be derived may include source code, encoded instructions (e.g., in compressed or encrypted form), packaged instructions (e.g., divided into multiple packages), or the like. The information representing the instructions 1024 in the machine-readable medium 1022 may be processed into the instructions by processing circuitry to implement any of the operations discussed herein. For example, deriving the instructions 1024 from the information (e.g., processing by the processing circuitry) may include: compiling (e.g., from source code, object code, etc.)), interpreting, loading, organizing (e.g., dynamically or statically linking), encoding, decoding, encrypting, decrypting, packaging, unpacking, or otherwise manipulating the information into the instructions 1024.

[0070] In one example, deriving the instructions 1024 may include assembling, compiling, or interpreting the information (e.g., by the processing circuitry) to produce the instructions 1024 from an intermediate or preprocessed format provided by the machine-readable medium 1022. The information, if provided in multiple pieces, may be combined, unpacked, and modified to produce the instructions 1024. For example, the information may be present in multiple compressed source code packages (or object code, or binary executable code, etc.) on one or more remote servers. The source code packages may be encrypted when in transit over a network and decrypted, decompressed, assembled (e.g., linked) if necessary, and compiled or interpreted (e.g., into a library, a standalone executable, etc.) on a local machine.) and executed by the local machine.

[0071] The instructions 1024 may further be transmitted or received using a transmission medium by the network interface device 1020 over a communications network 1026 using any of a number of transfer protocols (e.g., Frame Relay, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.). Example communications networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), LoRa / LoRaWAN or satellite communications networks, mobile telephone networks (e.g., cellular networks such as those compliant with 3G, 4G LTE / LTE-A, or 5G standards), POTS (Plain Old Telephone) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards known as WiFi®, IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, among others). In one example, the network interface device 1020 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or telephone jacks) or one or more antennas for connecting to the communication network 1026. In one example, the network interface device 1020 may include a plurality of antennas to communicate wirelessly using SIMO (Single-Input Multiple-Output) and / or MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple Output) and / or MISO (Multiple-Input Single-Output) techniques.The term "transmission medium" shall be understood to include any tangible medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions for execution by the machine 1000, and includes digital or analog communication signals or other intangible medium for enabling communication of such software. A transmission medium is a machine-readable medium. Additional Notes & Examples

[0072] Example 1 is an integrated electronic module assembly comprising: a substrate having conductive regions on opposing surfaces of the substrate; and a laminated bridge assembly, the laminated bridge assembly comprising: a dielectric material, the dielectric material forming a planar region and respective legs defining a cavity region, the respective legs having at least one respective interlayer interconnection; and a conductive layer, the conductive layer defining at least one respective contact region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnection;wherein the laminated bridge assembly is electrically and mechanically coupled to the substrate, the substrate having a first surface having a respective conductive region to which the at least one respective interlayer interconnect is electrically coupled, and an opposite second surface having respective conductive regions forming terminals of the integrated electronic module assembly;

[0073] In Example 2, the subject matter of Example 1 optionally comprises, wherein the at least one respective interlayer connection comprises a via structure or a metal insert, wherein the via structure or the metal insert is mechanically supported by the dielectric material.

[0074] In Example 3, the subject matter of one or more of Examples 1-2 optionally comprises at least one passive component electrically and mechanically coupled to the at least one respective contact region.

[0075] In Example 4, the subject matter of Example 3 optionally comprises wherein the at least one passive component is located on a surface of the dielectric material opposite the cavity region.

[0076] In Example 5, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1-4 optionally comprises wherein a configuration of the at least one respective contact region is configured to enable stacking of one or more laminated bridge assemblies to provide electrical and mechanical interconnection between the one or more laminated bridge assemblies and the substrate.

[0077] In Example 6, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1-5 optionally comprises, wherein a configuration of the at least one respective contact region is configured to enable stacking of one or more integrated electronic module assemblies to provide electrical and mechanical interconnection between the one or more integrated electronic module assemblies.

[0078] In Example 7, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1-6 optionally comprises

[0079] In Example 8, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1-7 optionally comprises wherein the planar region defines at least one opening to allow an encapsulant or coating to penetrate into the cavity region.

[0080] In Example 9, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1-8 optionally comprises wherein the laminated bridge assembly has respective conductive regions configured for electrical interconnection with electrical components on opposing surfaces.

[0081] In Example 10, the subject matter of Example 9 optionally comprises an integrated circuit package electrically and mechanically coupled to a respective conductive region of the laminated bridge assembly in the cavity region.

[0082] In Example 11, the subject matter of one or more of Examples 9-10 optionally comprises a second laminated assembly electrically and mechanically coupled to a respective conductive region of the laminated bridge assembly in the cavity region.

[0083] In Example 12, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1-11 optionally comprises wherein the planar region is shaped to fit around respective components mounted on the substrate.

[0084] In Example 13, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1-12 optionally comprises, wherein a length of an interlayer connection of a power node is greater than a length of an interlayer connection of a control node.

[0085] In Example 14, the subject matter of any one or more of Examples 1-13 optionally comprises a metal insert attached to a surface of the laminated bridge assembly in the cavity region, the metal insert configured to dissipate heat.

[0086] Example 15 is an integrated electronic module assembly comprising: a substrate; and a laminated bridge assembly, the laminated bridge assembly comprising: a dielectric material, the dielectric material forming a planar region and respective legs defining a cavity region, the respective legs having at least one respective interlayer interconnection; and a conductive layer, the conductive layer defining at least one respective contact region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnection; the laminated bridge assembly being electrically and mechanically coupled to the substrate, the integrated electronic module assembly providing a switching power converter, the laminated bridge assembly being electrically and mechanically coupled to an inductor acting as an energy storage device.

[0087] In Example 16, the subject matter of Example 15 optionally comprises an integrated circuit package electrically and mechanically coupled to the laminated bridge assembly, the integrated circuit package positioned in the cavity region, the inductor positioned on a surface of the laminated bridge assembly opposite the cavity region.

[0088] Example 17 is a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit module assembly, the method comprising: placing a laminated bridge assembly on a substrate, the laminated bridge assembly comprising: a dielectric material, the dielectric material forming a planar region and respective legs defining a cavity region, the respective legs having at least one respective interlayer interconnect; and a conductive layer, the conductive layer defining at least one respective contact region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnect; and electrically and mechanically coupling the laminated bridge assembly to the substrate, the substrate having a conductive region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnect.

[0089] In Example 18, the subject matter of Example 17 optionally comprises: placing a passive component on the planar region; and electrically and mechanically coupling the passive component to the planar region, including electrically coupling the passive component to the at least one respective contact region.

[0090] In Example 19, the subject matter of one or more of Examples 17-18 optionally comprises: forming the respective legs by removing dielectric material between the respective legs.

[0091] In Example 20, the subject matter of Example 19 optionally comprises, wherein forming the respective legs by removing dielectric material includes removing dielectric material by mechanical processing.

[0092] Example 21 is at least one machine-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations to implement any of Examples 1-20.

[0093] Example 22 is an apparatus comprising means for implementing any of Examples 1-20.

[0094] Example 23 is a system for implementing any of Examples 1-20.

[0095] Example 24 is a method for implementing any of Examples 1-20.

[0096] Each of the non-limiting aspects above may stand alone or may be combined in various permutations or combinations with one or more of the other aspects or other subject matter described in this document.

[0097] The above detailed description contains references to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the detailed description. The drawings illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are also generally referred to as "examples." Such examples may include additional elements to those shown or described. However, the present inventors also contemplate examples in which only the elements shown or described are provided. Furthermore, the present inventors also contemplate examples that utilize any combination or permutation of the elements shown or described (or one or more aspects thereof), either with respect to a particular example (or one or more aspects thereof) or with respect to other examples (or one or more aspects thereof) shown and described herein.

[0098] In the event of any inconsistency between this document and any documents so incorporated by reference, the usage in this document shall prevail.

[0099] Throughout this document, the terms "ein" or "eine" are used, as is customary in patent documents, to include one or more than one, regardless of any other instances or uses of "at least one" or "one or more." Throughout this document, the term "or" is used to refer to a non-exclusive or, such that "A or B" includes "A but not B," "B but not A," and "A and B," unless otherwise noted. Throughout this document, the terms " inklusive" and " in dem / der" are used as the simple English equivalents of the respective terms "aufweisend" and "wobei."Furthermore, in the following claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are open-ended, meaning that a system, apparatus, article, composition, formulation, or process that includes elements in addition to those listed in a claim following such a term is still considered to fall within the scope of that claim. Furthermore, in the following claims, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0100] Method examples described herein may be at least partially machine- or computer-implemented. Some examples may include a computer-readable medium or machine-readable medium encoded with instructions operable to configure an electronic device to perform methods as described in the above examples. Implementation of such methods may include code such as microcode, assembly code, higher-level language code, or the like. Such code may include computer-readable instructions for performing various methods. The code may form portions of computer program products. Such instructions may be read and executed by one or more processors to enable performance of operations comprising, for example, a method.The instructions are in any suitable form, such as, but not limited to, source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, and the like.

[0101] In one example, the code may further be tangibly stored on one or more transient, non-transitory, or persistent tangible computer-readable media, such as during execution or at other times. Examples of these tangible computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, hard disks, removable magnetic disks, removable optical disks (e.g., compact disks and digital video disks), magnetic cartridges, memory cards and flash drives, random access memories (RAMs), read-only memories (ROMs), and the like.

[0102] The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the examples described above (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with one another. Other embodiments may be used, such as by one of ordinary skill in the art who reviews the above description. The Abstract is provided to enable the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. Furthermore, in the above Detailed Description, various features may be grouped together to streamline the disclosure. This should not be interpreted as intending that an unclaimed disclosed feature is essential to any claim.Rather, the inventive subject matter may lie in fewer than all features of a particular disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are incorporated into the Detailed Description as examples or embodiments, each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment, and it is contemplated that such embodiments may be combined in various combinations or permutations. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[0103] According to one aspect, an integrated electronic module assembly may include a substrate having conductive regions on opposite sides of the substrate and a laminated bridge assembly. The laminated bridge assembly may include a dielectric material, the dielectric material forming a planar region and respective legs defining a cavity region, the respective legs including at least one respective interlayer interconnect. The laminated bridge assembly may also include a conductive layer, the conductive layer defining at least one respective contact region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnect.The laminated bridge assembly may be electrically and mechanically coupled to the substrate, the substrate having a first surface having a respective conductive region to which the at least one respective interlayer interconnect is electrically coupled, and an opposite second surface having respective conductive regions forming terminals of the integrated electronic module assembly.

Claims

[1] Integrated electronic module assembly, comprising: a substrate having conductive regions on opposite surfaces of the substrate; and a laminated bridge assembly, the laminated bridge assembly comprising: a dielectric material, the dielectric material forming a planar region and respective legs defining a cavity region, the respective legs having at least one respective interlayer interconnection; and a conductive layer, the conductive layer defining at least one respective contact region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnect; wherein the laminated bridge assembly is electrically and mechanically coupled to the substrate, the substrate having a first surface having a respective conductive region to which the at least one respective interlayer interconnect is electrically coupled, and an opposite second surface having respective conductive regions forming terminals of the integrated electronic module assembly. [2] The integrated electronic module assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one respective interlayer connection comprises a via structure or a metal insert, the via structure or the metal insert being mechanically supported by the dielectric material. [3] An integrated electronic module assembly according to any preceding claim, comprising at least one passive component electrically and mechanically coupled to the at least one respective contact region. [4] The integrated electronic module assembly of claim 3, wherein the at least one passive component is located on a surface of the dielectric material opposite the cavity region. [5] An integrated electronic module assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein a configuration of the at least one respective contact region is adapted to enable stacking of one or more laminated bridge assemblies to provide electrical and mechanical interconnection between the one or more laminated bridge assemblies and the substrate. [6] An integrated electronic module assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein a configuration of the at least one respective contact region is configured to enable stacking of one or more integrated electronic module assemblies to provide electrical and mechanical interconnection between the one or more integrated electronic module assemblies. [7] An integrated electronic module assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein a ratio of a height of respective legs to a width of the respective legs exceeds 4:

1. [8] An integrated electronic module assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the planar region defines at least one opening to allow an encapsulant or coating to penetrate into the cavity region. [9] An integrated electronic module assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the laminated bridge assembly has respective conductive regions configured for electrical interconnection with electrical components on opposite surfaces. [10] The integrated electronic module assembly of claim 9, comprising an integrated circuit package electrically and mechanically coupled to a respective conductive region of the laminated bridge assembly in the cavity region. [11] An integrated electronic module assembly according to claim 9 or 10, comprising a second laminated assembly electrically and mechanically coupled to a respective conductive region of the laminated bridge assembly in the cavity region. [12] An integrated electronic module assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the planar region is shaped to fit around respective components mounted on the substrate. [13] An integrated electronic module assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein a length of an interlayer connection of a power node is greater than a length of an interlayer connection of a control node. [14] An integrated electronic module assembly according to any preceding claim, comprising a metal insert attached to a surface of the laminated bridge assembly in the cavity region, the metal insert being configured to dissipate heat. [15] Integrated electronic module assembly comprising: a substrate; and a laminated bridge assembly, the laminated bridge assembly comprising: a dielectric material, the dielectric material forming a planar region and respective legs defining a cavity region, the respective legs having at least one respective interlayer interconnection; and a conductive layer, the conductive layer defining at least one respective contact region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnect; wherein the laminated bridge assembly is electrically and mechanically coupled to the substrate, wherein the integrated electronic module assembly provides a switching converter, wherein the laminated bridge assembly is electrically and mechanically coupled to an inductor acting as an energy storage device. [16] The integrated electronic module assembly of claim 15, comprising an integrated circuit package electrically and mechanically coupled to the laminated bridge assembly, the integrated circuit package positioned in the cavity region, the inductor positioned on a surface of the laminated bridge assembly opposite the cavity region. [17] A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit module assembly, the method comprising: Placing a laminated bridge assembly on a substrate, the laminated bridge assembly comprising: a dielectric material, the dielectric material forming a planar region and respective legs defining a cavity region, the respective legs having at least one respective interlayer interconnection; and a conductive layer, the conductive layer defining at least one respective contact region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer connection; and Coupling, electrically and mechanically, the laminated bridge assembly to the substrate, wherein the substrate has a conductive region electrically coupled to the at least one respective interlayer interconnect. [18] A method according to claim 17, comprising: Placing a passive component on the planar area; and electrically and mechanically coupling the passive component to the planar region, including electrically coupling the passive component to the at least one respective contact region. [19] A method according to claim 17 or 18, comprising forming the respective legs by removing dielectric material between the respective legs. [20] The method of claim 19, wherein forming the respective legs by removing dielectric material includes removing dielectric material by mechanical processing.

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