oscillator

Abstract

The present application can load a larger IC element while suppressing the increase in size and manufacturing cost of an oscillator. The oscillator of the present application includes a plate-shaped body in which a first substrate for mounting a piezoelectric vibrator, an oscillation circuit, and a heating portion is arranged and in which a protrusion portion is formed in a matrix shape, a second substrate facing the plate-shaped body, and an IC element having a rectangular shape in plan view and arranged between the plate-shaped body and the second substrate. Furthermore, the IC element is arranged so as to be inclined with respect to the matrix direction of the protrusion portion in plan view and surrounded by the protrusion portion in plan view. Thus, with respect to the plate-shaped body, a general product or a ready-made product in which a support for preventing contact with another substrate is formed can be used, so the increase in manufacturing cost of the oscillator can be suppressed, and a relatively large IC element can be used while preventing the increase in size of the oscillator.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an oscillator that includes integrated circuit (IC) components. Background Technology

[0002] Various electronic devices, such as information and communication machines, are equipped with oscillators such as oven-controlled crystal oscillators (OCXOs). Patent Document 1 shows an example of an OCXO and a measuring fixture for inspecting the OCXO.

[0003] Furthermore, regarding the aforementioned OCXO, there are cases where it is configured as follows: it includes a first substrate and a second substrate connected via conductive members in a mutually facing and separated manner; a thermostatic bath comprising a quartz oscillator, a temperature sensor, and a heater is formed on the first substrate; and the second substrate is mounted on another machine. Patent Document 2 shows an OCXO with a structure including a first substrate and a second substrate as described above.

[0004] However, regarding the OCXO comprising the first and second substrates, there is a need to prevent the OCXO from becoming too large, and large IC components are used to ensure high performance as the constituent IC components of the OCXO. Furthermore, to suppress the increase in the manufacturing cost of the OCXO, there are situations where it is desirable to use generic or off-the-shelf components for the constituent parts of the OCXO.

[0005] Patent Document 3 describes a piezoelectric device in which an IC element and a piezoelectric resonator are mounted together within a package container. Furthermore, lead electrodes are positioned near the corners of a rectangular IC element mounting portion, and the corners of the IC element are fixed towards each side of the IC element mounting portion. Therefore, the technology described allows for ensuring a bonding area, including dead space, required for wire bonding near the corners of the IC element mounting portion, minimizing the increase in the IC element placement area, and reducing the length of the package container. However, the piezoelectric device does not include a structure comprising a first substrate and a second substrate. Additionally, Patent Document 3 does not consider using generic or off-the-shelf products as components constituting the OCXO.

[0006] [Existing Technical Documents]

[0007] [Patent Literature]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-184089

[0009] [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-209621

[0010] [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-214940 Summary of the Invention

[0011] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0012] The objective of this invention is to simultaneously suppress the increase in the size of oscillators and the rise in manufacturing costs while incorporating larger IC components.

[0013] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0014] The oscillator of the present invention includes: a first substrate for mounting a piezoelectric device, the piezoelectric device including an oscillation circuit and a heating part, the oscillation circuit including a piezoelectric vibrator, and the heating part used to heat the environment by fixing the temperature of the environment in which the piezoelectric vibrator is mounted;

[0015] The second substrate is separated from and faces the first substrate;

[0016] A plate-shaped body, located between the first substrate and the second substrate;

[0017] A conductive component supports the first substrate and the plate-like body relative to the second substrate, and connects the piezoelectric device to a conductive path disposed on the second substrate.

[0018] The protrusions are arranged in a matrix on the plate-like body, protruding toward the second substrate; and

[0019] The IC element is formed in a rectangular shape such that each side is inclined relative to the matrix direction of the protrusion when viewed from above, and is disposed on the second substrate surrounded by the protrusion between the second substrate and the plate-like body when viewed from above.

[0020] [The effects of the invention]

[0021] The oscillator of the present invention includes: a first substrate for mounting a piezoelectric vibrator, an oscillation circuit, and a heating element; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a plate-like body having protrusions formed in a matrix and situated between the first and second substrates; and an IC element that is rectangular in shape when viewed from above, disposed between the plate-like body and the second substrate. Furthermore, the IC element is arranged such that each side is inclined relative to the matrix direction of the protrusions when viewed from above, and is surrounded by the protrusions when viewed from above. Therefore, regarding the plate-like body, a general-purpose or off-the-shelf product with a standoff for preventing contact with the second substrate can be used, thereby suppressing the increase in manufacturing costs of the oscillator and preventing the use of larger IC elements in a manner that would otherwise lead to the enlargement of the oscillator. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a longitudinal side view of the oscillator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a side plan view of the lower surface of the OCXO in the oscillator.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a side plan view of the upper surface of the second substrate of the oscillator.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a block diagram of an oscillator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the effects of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an inspection method for an oscillator according to another embodiment.

[0028] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 1: Oscillator

[0030] 2: OCXO

[0031] 3: Second substrate

[0032] 4: Microcontroller

[0033] 4A, 4B: Scope

[0034] 5: EEPROM

[0035] 6: Cover

[0036] 7: First substrate

[0037] 8: Control device

[0038] 9: Quartz oscillator

[0039] 10: Plate-shaped body

[0040] 20: Thermostatic bath

[0041] 21: Protrusion

[0042] 22: Conductive components

[0043] 24: Temperature sensor

[0044] 31: Insertion Hole

[0045] 32: Check the terminals

[0046] 33: Through hole

[0047] 100: Inspection device (measuring fixture)

[0048] 102: Contact probe

[0049] 103: Base

[0050] 104: Loading section

[0051] 105: Pressing mechanism

[0052] 106: Rotation shaft

[0053] 107: Fixing part

[0054] CL: Centerline

[0055] X, Y, Z: Axial directions Detailed Implementation

[0056] Reference Figures 1-3 The structure of the oscillator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 This is a longitudinal side view of oscillator 1. Oscillator 1 includes a quartz oscillator (OCXO) 2 with a thermostatic bath. The OCXO 2 has a bottom formed by a plate-shaped body 10 and includes a thermostatic bath 20 that divides the environment above the plate-shaped body 10. A first substrate 7 is disposed within the thermostatic bath 20. The first substrate 7 is provided with a piezoelectric device including an oscillation circuit, a temperature sensor, and a heating element. The oscillation circuit includes a quartz oscillator 9. The temperature sensor is used to detect the temperature within the thermostatic bath 20. The heating element is a heater used to heat and fix the environment within the thermostatic bath 20, where the quartz oscillator 9 is disposed, based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor. The first substrate 7 is fixed to the upper surface of the plate-shaped body 10 via a conductive member 22. The oscillation circuit, temperature sensor, and heating element are not shown in the diagram.

[0057] Figure 2 This is a side plan view of the lower surface of the plate-shaped body 10. Longitudinal rod-shaped conductive members 22 extend from the lower surface of the plate-shaped body 10 (the facing surface opposite to the upper surface of the second substrate 3) toward the second substrate 3. Nine conductive members 22 are provided at the edge of the plate-shaped body 10. Six conductive members 22 are equally spaced along one of the two sides extending in the Y-axis direction, and three conductive members 22 are equally spaced along the other side. The conductive members 22 are used to establish electrical connections between the circuitry within the thermostatic bath 20 and the outside via the second substrate 3.

[0058] Additionally, approximately at the center of the lower surface of the plate-like body 10, four downward-protruding insulating protrusions 21 are provided. The protrusions 21 are arranged in a matrix of two columns and two rows, where the vertical and horizontal directions are the X-axis and Y-axis directions, respectively.

[0059] Additionally, returning Figure 1 The oscillator 1 includes a second substrate 3. An OCXO 2 is positioned above the second substrate 3, facing it and spaced apart, and supported by a conductive member 22. The plate-like body 10 and the second substrate 3 are rectangular (or square in this specification), with their sides aligned. Furthermore, in... Figures 1-3 In this diagram, the direction along the edge of the plate-shaped body 10 and the second substrate 3 is represented as the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the thickness direction of the plate-shaped body 10 and the second substrate 3 is represented as the Z-axis direction.

[0060] Next, the second substrate 3 will be described. Figure 3 This is a top view of the second substrate 3. In the figure, 31 is an insertion hole for the lower end of the conductive member 22 to be inserted. In this example, the oscillator 1 uses a non-through hole to represent the insertion hole 31, but it could also be a through hole. When the second substrate 3 is mounted on another device, the lower end of the conductive member 22 is connected to a conductive path (not shown) provided on the second substrate 3 so that the OCXO 2 can be accessed from the device. Thus, the second substrate 3, the plate-like body 10, and the first substrate 7 are arranged sequentially from bottom to top, with the plate-like body 10 positioned between the first substrate 7 and the second substrate 3.

[0061] Additionally, a microcontroller 4, which is rectangular when viewed from above, is disposed on the upper surface of the second substrate 3, serving as an IC component. (See reference) Figure 3 The configuration of microcontroller 4 will be explained. Figure 3 The dotted circle with the symbol 21 indicates the position where the protrusion 21 of the plate-shaped body 10 is vertically projected onto the surface of the second substrate 3. Furthermore, "vertical projection" means that regardless of whether the OCXO 2 is arranged with the plate-shaped body 10 and the second substrate 3 aligned in the Z-axis direction, or whether the OCXO 2 is arranged with the plate-shaped body 10 and the second substrate 3 aligned in the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction, the projection is always in the direction in which the plate-shaped body 10 and the second substrate 3 are arranged.

[0062] like Figure 3 As shown, in a top-down view, the microcontroller 4 is surrounded by four protrusions 21, and each side forming the edge of the microcontroller 4 is arranged at a 45° angle relative to the X-axis or Y-axis. Therefore, the microcontroller 4 is arranged such that each side of the microcontroller 4 is inclined relative to the X-axis and Y-axis. Furthermore, virtual lines are drawn to depict a quadrilateral by connecting the four protrusions 21. These virtual lines intersect each side of the microcontroller 4. Additionally, Figure 3 The dashed and double-dotted lines in the text indicate examples of configuring the sides of the microcontroller 4 to be tilted 60° or 30° clockwise relative to the X-axis or Y-axis. Figure 3(CL in the example represents the center line). In addition, the upper surface of the microcontroller 4 does not contact the plate-like body 10 and is located above the height of the lower end of the protrusion 21.

[0063] Furthermore, on the upper surface of the second substrate 3, in the area separated from the region surrounded by the protrusion 21 and overlapping with the plate-like body 10, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) 5, serving as non-volatile memory, is provided. The EEPROM 5 stores various parameters necessary for the oscillator 1 to output a signal of a specified frequency according to the temperature within the thermostatic bath 20. Furthermore, in order to enable the use of multiple models of the OCXO 2 that can be used in the oscillator 1, the EEPROM 5 also stores information indicating the type of OCXO 2 and information indicating the individual serial number of the OCXO 2. In addition to the EEPROM 5, circuit components are also provided on the second substrate 3, but are not shown in the figure.

[0064] Furthermore, at positions on the upper surface of the second substrate 3 where the protrusion 21 is projected vertically, inspection terminals 32, such as those containing copper foil, are respectively provided. These inspection terminals 32 are used to inspect the electrical characteristics of the microcontroller 4 mounted on the second substrate 3. Additionally, the second substrate 3 has wiring connecting components such as the OCXO 2, microcontroller 4, and EEPROM 5, or terminal portions for connecting to external control devices, but these are omitted from description. Furthermore, on the second substrate 3, such as... Figure 1 The diagram shows a cover 6 that covers the upper surface of the second substrate 3, and each component disposed on the second substrate 3 is housed within the cover 6.

[0065] use Figure 4The block diagram below provides a general overview of the function of the microcontroller 4. In the diagram, 8 is the control device connected to the oscillator 1. The control device 8 is connected to the microcontroller 4 via an I2C bus. The microcontroller 4 is also connected to the EEPROM 5 and the temperature sensor 24 within the OCXO 2 via an I2C bus. Other components connected to the microcontroller 4 besides the temperature sensor 24 and the EEPROM are omitted from the diagram. The microcontroller 4 is configured to allocate data and control instructions required by each device to its built-in Random Access Memory (RAM), enabling data communication between the control device 8 and the devices. Specifically, it can obtain temperature information of the quartz oscillator 9 from the temperature sensor 24 or rewrite data in the EEPROM 5 from the control device 8. From the control device 8's perspective, accessing each device via a unified I2C slave address reduces the need for specification changes in communication between the control device 8 and the microcontroller 4, even with design changes to the devices, thus offering high convenience.

[0066] Here, the configuration of microcontroller 4 is further explained. As also explained in the background section, if the performance of the IC component (microcontroller 4) is to be improved, the microcontroller 4 is made larger.

[0067] Furthermore, as described above, a protrusion 21 is formed on the plate-shaped body 10. This protrusion 21 serves as a support to prevent the plate-shaped body 10 from contacting the substrate below. From the viewpoint of preventing the oscillator 1 from becoming too large, and considering a configuration where the distance between the plate-shaped body 10 and the second substrate 3 remains constant and there is no interference with the protrusion 21, the area directly below the protrusion 21 is limited in height, making it unsuitable for mounting relatively large IC components such as the microcontroller 4. Additionally, if the microcontroller 4 is to be mounted in a way that avoids the area on the lower surface of the plate-shaped body 10 surrounded by the four protrusions 21, the second substrate 3 must be widened outwards and enlarged. Therefore, a method must be investigated to mount a large IC component, avoiding the area directly below the protrusion 21, in the area below the lower surface of the plate-shaped body 10.

[0068] Here, refer to the view of the plate-like body 10 from the lower surface side. Figure 5 The configurable range of the microcontroller 4 will be explained. First, consider arranging the rectangular microcontroller 4 below the central region of the lower surface of the plate-like body 10, with its four outer edges aligned with the longitudinal and transverse array of the protrusions 21. In this case, as... Figure 5As shown, when viewed from above, the microcontroller 4 can only expand to the size of the area 4A that occupies its four corner contact protrusions 21.

[0069] However, as in Figure 3 As described above, the microcontroller 4 is arranged such that the edges of the microcontroller 4 are inclined relative to the longitudinal and lateral (X-axis and Y-axis directions) of the arrangement of protrusions 21, therefore, as Figure 5 As shown, when viewed from above, the size of the microcontroller 4 can be expanded up to the area 4B where the four sides contact the protrusions 21. The length of the four sides of the area 4B is the length of the diagonal of the area 4A. That is, through... Figure 3 The configuration described herein allows the four sides of the microcontroller 4 to be elongated. Therefore, a larger microcontroller 4 with longer sides can be configured below the central area of ​​the lower surface of the thermostat 20, while avoiding the area directly below the protrusion 21. This allows for the installation of a larger microcontroller 4 while suppressing the enlargement of the oscillator 1.

[0070] In addition, Figure 3 In the example described, the edges of the microcontroller 4 are inclined at 45° relative to the X-axis and Y-axis directions of the matrix direction of the protrusions 21. However, the inclination is not limited to 45°; for example, it can be inclined at approximately 30° to 60° in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Furthermore, more than four protrusions 21 can be provided. For example, they can be arranged in a 3x2 matrix. In this case, four adjacent protrusions 21 arranged in a 2x2 matrix are selected from these protrusions 21, and the microcontroller 4 is configured relative to these four protrusions 21 in the layout described above.

[0071] In addition, a general-purpose or off-the-shelf product with a protrusion 21 formed as a support to prevent contact with other substrates can be used, thus suppressing the increase in manufacturing cost of the oscillator 1.

[0072] Furthermore, the protrusion 21 of the oscillator 1 of the present invention can also contact the surface of the second substrate 3. For example, the protrusion 21 can also be a spacer used to ensure the gap between the upper surface of the second substrate 3 and the plate-shaped body 10. In the oscillator 1 with this structure, a larger microcontroller 4 can also be configured in a manner that does not interfere with the protrusion 21.

[0073] Furthermore, the IC component provided in the oscillator 1 of the present invention is not limited to the microcontroller 4. Furthermore, the piezoelectric device is not limited to the OCXO 2; for example, it could be a temperature-compensated crystal oscillator (TCXO). That is, it is not limited to providing a temperature-controlled bath. However, to avoid temperature changes within the temperature-controlled bath 20, it is preferable to prevent the temperature-controlled bath 20 from contacting other devices or substrates. Therefore, the present invention is highly effective in allowing for the provision of larger IC components while avoiding contact with the temperature-controlled bath 20, even without increasing the size of the oscillator 1.

[0074] Furthermore, the oscillator 1 in this embodiment is as follows: Figure 1 , Figure 3 As shown, a test terminal 32 for inspecting the microcontroller 4 is provided at a position on the upper surface of the second substrate 3 where the protrusion 21 is projected vertically. Since the OCXO 2 is expensive during the manufacturing process of the oscillator 1, the microcontroller 4 is sometimes inspected before the OCXO 2 is installed. For example, after the microcontroller 4, EEPROM 5, etc., have been installed on the second substrate 3, a probe is brought into contact with the test terminal 32 to inspect the microcontroller 4. Furthermore, after confirming that the microcontroller 4 is operating normally, the OCXO 2 is installed on the second substrate 3, and then the cover 6 is mounted.

[0075] exist Figure 1 For ease of illustration, the inspection terminal 32 is shown as protruding from the second substrate 3. However, the inspection terminal 32 is part of a conductive pattern formed on the substrate surface, and is extremely thin, for example, containing copper foil. As described above, various devices are mounted on the second substrate 3, but directly below the protrusion 21, the height of the devices must be very small to prevent interference with the protrusion 21, making it difficult to mount devices. Therefore, no devices are mounted on the protrusion 21, but the inspection terminal 32 is provided instead. That is, in order to effectively utilize the area directly below the protrusion 21, the inspection terminal 32 is provided in the area directly below it. In other words, it is not necessary to arrange the inspection terminal 32 outwards from the area directly below it, thus preventing the size of the second substrate 3 from increasing.

[0076] Alternatively, a through hole 33 may be provided for example on the second substrate 3, so that the inspection terminal 32 can be wound around to the lower surface side (other side) of the second substrate 3. Figure 6The inspection device (measuring fixture) 100 shown includes: a contact probe 102, a square base 103, a mounting portion 104, and two pressing mechanisms 105. Four mounting portions 104 are provided on the base 103 (only two are shown in the figure). The corners of the second substrate 3 are mounted on the mounting portions 104 with the edges of the base 103 parallel to the edges of the second substrate 3. Furthermore, viewed from the side, the pressing mechanisms 105 are provided at both ends of the base 103 in a manner that clamps each mounting portion 104.

[0077] The pressing mechanism 105 includes a horizontally rotating shaft 106 located above the mounting portion 104 and a fixing portion 107 rotatable around the rotating shaft 106. The rotating shaft 106 is formed such that it extends in the Y-axis direction of the second substrate 3 while the second substrate 3 is already mounted on the mounting portion 104. The fixing portion 107 is configured such that its front end extends obliquely downward when viewed from the side, and its central portion in the length direction is connected to the rotating shaft 106. A spring (not shown) applies force downward to the front end of the fixing portion 107. Therefore, the second substrate 3 is clamped between the mounting portion 104 and the fixing portion 107, thereby pressing the second substrate 3 against the mounting portion 104 to fix it on the base 103. Furthermore, a plurality of contact probes 102 are provided in such a way that they protrude from the upper surface of the base 103. When the second substrate 3 is fixed on the base 103 as described above, the contact probes 102 can abut against the through hole 33 from the lower side of the second substrate 3 to perform inspection.

Claims

1. An oscillator characterized by, including: a first substrate on which a piezoelectric device is provided, the piezoelectric device including an oscillation circuit including a piezoelectric vibrator and a heating portion for heating an environment in which the piezoelectric vibrator is provided to fix a temperature of the environment; a second substrate separated from the first substrate and facing the first substrate; a plate-shaped body interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate; a conductive member supporting the first substrate and the plate-shaped body with respect to the second substrate and connecting the piezoelectric device and a conductive path provided on the second substrate to each other; a protrusion portion provided in a matrix shape in the plate-shaped body so as to protrude toward the second substrate; and an integrated circuit element formed in a rectangular shape in such a manner that each side thereof is inclined with respect to a matrix direction of the protrusion portion in a plan view, and is provided on the second substrate so as to be surrounded by the protrusion portion and not to overlap the protrusion portion in the plan view between the second substrate and the plate-shaped body.

2. The oscillator according to claim 1, wherein a terminal for inspection of the integrated circuit element is formed at a position at which the protrusion portion is vertically projected on a facing surface of the second substrate with respect to the plate-shaped body.

3. The oscillator according to claim 2, wherein the terminal for inspection is a through hole.

4. The oscillator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the protrusion portion is separated from the second substrate.

5. The oscillator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the piezoelectric vibrator is a quartz vibrator, a thermostat that surrounds the quartz vibrator, the oscillation circuit, and the heating portion is provided, the plate-shaped body forms a bottom portion of the thermostat, and is provided so as to be separated from the first substrate.

6. The oscillator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the integrated circuit element is a microcontroller.

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