Vertically oriented component stack and assembly

Abstract

Vertically oriented component stacks, assemblies, and methods are provided. For example, a vertically oriented stack of components includes a plurality of components, each component of the plurality of components including a first side opposite a second side in a vertical direction. The first side surface and the second side surface both extend from the first end surface to the second end surface in the longitudinal direction. Each component has a first external terminal and a second external terminal formed on the first side surface. The first external terminal is spaced apart from the second external terminal in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of components are stacked in a lateral direction such that the first external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction and the second external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction.

Description

[0001] Related applications This application is based on and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 579,300, filed August 29, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0002] High-frequency radio signal communication is becoming increasingly prevalent. For example, the need for faster data transmission speeds in wireless connections is driving demand for high-frequency components, including those configured to operate at high frequencies, including 5G spectrum frequencies. Miniaturization trends are also increasing the demand for small passive devices, often at the cost of reduced power handling capabilities. Miniaturization also increases the difficulty of surface mounting small passive devices. Therefore, more compact component banks are becoming increasingly desirable in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to one embodiment of the invention, a vertically oriented component stack defines a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a vertical direction that are orthogonal to each other. The vertically oriented component stack includes a plurality of components. Each of the plurality of components includes a first side face opposite a second side face in the vertical direction and a first end face opposite a second end face in the longitudinal direction. Both the first and second side faces extend from the first end face to the second end face in the longitudinal direction. Each of the plurality of components has a first external terminal formed on the first side face and a second external terminal formed on the first side face. The first external terminal is spaced apart from the second external terminal in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of components are stacked in the transverse direction such that the first external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the transverse direction, and the second external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the transverse direction.

[0004] According to another embodiment of the invention, an assembly includes a device having a mounting surface and a stack of vertically oriented components. The stack of vertically oriented components defines a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a vertical direction orthogonal to each other. The stack of vertically oriented components includes a plurality of components. Each of the plurality of components includes a first side facing a second side face in the vertical direction and a first end face facing a second end face in the longitudinal direction. Both the first side face and the second side face extend from the first end face to the second end face in the longitudinal direction. Each of the plurality of components has a first external terminal formed on the first side face and a second external terminal formed on the first side face. The first external terminal is spaced apart from the second external terminal in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of components are stacked in the transverse direction such that the first external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the transverse direction, and the second external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the transverse direction. The stack of vertically oriented components is disposed along the first side face on the mounting surface such that the first external terminal and the second external terminal of each of the plurality of components are in contact with the mounting surface.

[0005] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for forming a stack of vertically oriented components, the stack defining a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a vertical direction orthogonal to each other. The method includes forming a first external terminal on a first side surface of each of a plurality of components. The first side surface is vertically opposite to a second side surface, and both the first and second side surfaces extend longitudinally from a first end face to a second end face, the second end face being vertically opposite to the first end face. The method further includes forming a second external terminal on the first side surface of each of the plurality of components; stacking the plurality of components in a transverse direction such that the first external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the transverse direction, and the second external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the transverse direction.

[0006] Other features and aspects of the invention are described in more detail below. Attached Figure Description

[0007] The full and practical disclosure of the invention (including its best mode for those skilled in the art) is set forth in more detail in the remainder of the specification (including with reference to the accompanying drawings), in which: Figure 1 A schematic side view of an embodiment of the vertical component stacking assembly of the present invention, including a stack of vertical components, is shown; Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 Bottom plan view of the stacked vertical components; Figure 3A It shows Figure 1 Vertical components stacked along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of line 3A–3A; Figure 3B It shows Figure 1 Vertical components stacked along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of line 3B–3B; Figure 4 This is a schematic side view of another embodiment of the vertical component stacking assembly including vertical component stacking of the present invention; Figure 5A A schematic top view of one embodiment of a component that can be used in this invention is shown; Figure 5B A schematic side view of another embodiment of a component that can be used in this invention is shown; Figure 6 A flowchart of an embodiment of the method of the present invention for forming a stack of vertical components is provided; Figure 7 A schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, including a stack of vertically oriented components, is shown; Figure 8 It shows Figure 7 A schematic side view of a stacked assembly of vertically oriented components; Figure 9A A schematic side view of one embodiment of a component that can be used in this invention is shown; Figure 9B A schematic exploded view of another embodiment of the component that can be used in this invention is shown; Figure 10 A schematic perspective view of another embodiment of the vertically oriented component stacking assembly of the present invention, including a stack of vertically oriented components, is shown; Figure 11A A schematic perspective view of the first end of a vertically oriented component stack that can be used in this invention is shown; Figure 11B It shows Figure 11A A schematic perspective view of the second end of the stacked vertically oriented components; Figure 12 A flowchart of an embodiment of the method of the present invention for forming a stack of vertically oriented components is provided; Figure 13 A schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the vertically oriented interposer stack assembly of the present invention, including a vertically oriented interposer stack, is shown; Figure 14 It shows Figure 13 A schematic side view of a vertically oriented intermediate layer stacked assembly; and Figure 15 A flowchart of an embodiment of the method of the present invention for forming a stack of vertically oriented components is provided.

[0008] Repeated references to reference numerals in this specification and the accompanying drawings are intended to indicate the same or similar features or elements of the invention. Detailed Implementation It will be understood by those skilled in the art that this discussion is merely a description of exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the broader aspects of the invention.

[0009] In general, the present invention relates to vertical components, such as vertical component stacks, vertically oriented components, and vertically oriented interposer stacks. A vertical component stack may include a plurality of components stacked in a vertical direction such that at least a portion of each component in the stack is aligned in both longitudinal and transverse directions. Each of the plurality of components in the vertical component stack may include at least one electrode extending in a plane parallel to an XY plane defined by the longitudinal and transverse directions. The at least one electrode of each component may be parallel to a mounting surface of the device on which the vertical component stack is mounted.

[0010] A vertically oriented component stack may include multiple components stacked in a lateral direction such that at least a portion of each component is aligned in both the vertical and longitudinal directions. Each component in the vertically oriented component stack may have an external terminal on only one side (i.e., the same side). Such side terminals may allow the vertically oriented component stack to be mounted, for example, onto a device (e.g., a printed circuit board) where the components are vertically oriented and perpendicular to the mounting surface.

[0011] A vertically oriented interposer stack can resemble a vertically oriented component stack and includes multiple interposers, each of which terminates on the same side as the other interposers in the stack. Conductive patterns can be deposited or formed on the surface of one or more interposers, and components (e.g., filters) can be in electrical contact with the conductive patterns. Components can be sandwiched between two interposers in the stack. The stack can include multiple interposers with components sandwiched between them to form a component group.

[0012] Each vertical component described herein can be customized. For example, each component stack or group can be custom-designed to include multiple components required for a specific application, such as performing filtering functions at a given frequency or within a given frequency range. Therefore, each component stack or group can be customized as needed to achieve the required performance for the stack or group.

[0013] In some embodiments, the vertical component (whether a stack of vertical components, a stack of vertically oriented components, or a stack of vertically oriented interposers) includes at least one filter. The filter may be a thin-film filter, a multilayer filter, or any other suitable filter. In some embodiments, the vertical component may include a plurality of filters, and each filter in the vertical component may be of the same type (e.g., all thin-film filters or all multilayer filters), or at least one of the plurality of filters may be of a different type.

[0014] As described above, the vertical component may include at least one thin-film filter. The thin-film filter may include a monolithic substrate and at least one thin-film inductor formed on the monolithic substrate. For example, the thin-film filter may include a patterned conductive layer forming one or more thin-film inductors. In some embodiments, for the thin-film component, the thin-film inductors may be relatively thick, with each thin-film inductor having a thickness ranging from 20 micrometers to about 80 micrometers, in some embodiments from about 30 micrometers to about 70 micrometers, in some embodiments from about 40 micrometers to about 60 micrometers, and in some embodiments from about 45 micrometers to about 55 micrometers. This thickness has been found to reduce the heat generated by the thin-film inductor when a high-power current is applied, but this thickness is not large enough to impede a strong adhesion between the substrate and / or dielectric layer adjacent to the thin-film inductor. In other embodiments, one or more thin-film inductors may be thinner, i.e., the thickness of the one or more thin-film inductors is less than 20 micrometers.

[0015] The one or more thin-film components can be precisely formed using various suitable subtractive, semi-additive, or full additive manufacturing processes. For example, physical vapor deposition and / or chemical deposition can be used. For instance, in some embodiments, sputtering (a type of physical vapor deposition) can be used to form the thin-film component. However, various other suitable methods can be used, including, for example, evaporation, atomic layer deposition (ALD), plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), electroless plating, and electroplating. Photolithographic masks and etching can be used to produce the desired shape of the thin-film component. Various suitable etching techniques can be used, including dry etching and / or wet etching using plasmas of reactive or non-reactive gases (e.g., argon, nitrogen, oxygen, chlorine, boron trichloride, carbon tetrafluoride, sulfur hexafluoride).

[0016] As described above, in some embodiments, the vertical component includes at least one multilayer filter. The multilayer filter may include an inductor comprising a conductive layer formed on a first dielectric layer. The multilayer filter may also include a capacitor comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, the second electrode being spaced apart from the first electrode by a second dielectric layer. In some embodiments, the second dielectric layer may be different from the first dielectric layer, i.e., the capacitor may be separated from the inductor along the vertical Z-direction (e.g., through one or more dielectric layers), for example, the capacitor may be separated from the inductor by at least 10 micrometers, at least about 20 micrometers in some embodiments, at least about 30 micrometers in some embodiments, at least about 40 micrometers in some embodiments, at least about 50 micrometers in some embodiments, at least about 60 micrometers in some embodiments, at least about 80 micrometers in some embodiments, and at least about 150 micrometers in some embodiments. This separation between the inductor and the conductive electrode can reduce interference and produce excellent performance characteristics at high frequencies.

[0017] At least one filter of the vertical component may include one or more dielectric materials, for example, the one or more dielectric materials serving as a filter substrate, one or more dielectric layers, etc. In some embodiments, the one or more dielectric materials may have a low dielectric constant. The dielectric constant may be less than about 120, less than about 100 in some embodiments, less than about 75 in some embodiments, less than about 50 in some embodiments, less than about 25 in some embodiments, less than about 15 in some embodiments, and less than about 5 in some embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the dielectric constant may range from about 1.5 to about 120, from about 1.5 to about 100 in some embodiments, from about 1.5 to about 75 in some embodiments, and from about 2 to about 8 in some embodiments. For example, dielectric materials having a dielectric constant greater than 30 can be used to achieve higher frequencies and / or smaller components. In such embodiments, the dielectric constant may range from about 30 to about 120 or greater, from about 50 to about 100 in some embodiments, and from about 70 to about 90 in some embodiments.

[0018] In some embodiments, one or more dielectric materials may include organic dielectric materials. Examples of organic dielectric materials include polyphenylene ether (PPE) based materials, such as Polyclad's LD621 and Park / Nelco's N6000 series; liquid crystal polymers (LCPs), such as Rogers' or WL Gore & Associates' LCPs; hydrocarbon composites, such as Rogers' 4000 series; and epoxy resin-based laminates, such as Park / Nelco's N4000 series. Examples include epoxy-based N4000-13, bromine-free materials laminated onto LCPs, organic layers with high-k materials, unfilled high-k organic layers, Rogers 4350, Rogers 4003 materials, and other thermoplastic materials (such as polyphenylene sulfide resins, polyethylene terephthalate resins, polybutylene terephthalate resins, polysulfide resins, polyetherketone resins, polytetrafluoroethylene resins, and grafted resins), or similar low-dielectric-constant materials and low-loss organic materials.

[0019] In some embodiments, the dielectric material may be a ceramic-filled epoxy resin. For example, the dielectric material may include organic compounds, such as polymers (e.g., epoxy resins), and may contain ceramic dielectric material particles (e.g., barium titanate, calcium titanate, zinc oxide, alumina, alumina with low-temperature glass) or other suitable ceramic or glass bonding materials. In some embodiments, the dielectric material may be an organic compound, such as an epoxy resin (with or without ceramic doping, with or without glass fibers), a material commonly used as a circuit board, or other plastics commonly used as dielectric materials. In these cases, the conductor is typically a copper foil that has been chemically etched to provide a pattern. In yet other embodiments, the dielectric material may include a material with a relatively high dielectric constant (K), such as one of NPO (COG), X7R, X5R, X7S, Z5U, Y5V, and strontium titanate. In these examples, the dielectric constant of the dielectric material may be greater than 100, for example, in the range of about 100 to about 4000, and in some embodiments in the range of about 1000 to about 3000.

[0020] Other materials may also be used, including N6000, epoxy-based N4000-13, bromine-free materials laminated onto LCP, organic layers of high dielectric constant materials, unfilled high dielectric constant organic layers, Rogers 4350, Rogers 4003 materials (from Rogers Corporation), and other thermoplastic materials (e.g., hydrocarbons, Teflon, FR4, epoxy resins, polyamides, polyimides and acrylates, polyphenylene sulfide resins, polyethylene terephthalate resins, polybutylene terephthalate resins, polysulfide resins, polytetrafluoroethylene resins, BT resin composites (e.g., Speedboard C), thermosetting materials (e.g., Hitachi MCL-LX-67F), and grafted resins) or similar low dielectric constant, low loss organic materials.

[0021] In addition, in some embodiments, non-organic dielectric materials may be used, including ceramic, semiconductor, or insulating materials, such as, but not limited to, sapphire, ruby, alumina (Al₂O₃), aluminum nitride (AlN), beryllium oxide (BeO), boron nitride (BN), silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon dioxide (SiO₂), silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂), mixtures thereof, oxides and / or nitrides of these materials, or any other suitable ceramic material. Additional example ceramic materials include barium titanate (BaTiO₃), calcium titanate (CaTiO₃), zinc oxide (ZnO), ceramics containing low-fired glass, or other glass-bonded materials. Dielectric materials such as diamond may also be used.

[0022] Suitable dielectric materials are typically electrically insulating and thermally conductive. For example, in some embodiments, the filter may include a filter substrate with relatively high thermal conductivity, which can improve the power handling capability of the device. For example, the thermal conductivity of the substrate may be greater than about 20 W / m•℃, greater than about 40 W / m•℃ in some embodiments, greater than about 80 W / m•℃ in some embodiments, and greater than about 100 W / m•℃ in some embodiments.

[0023] Each of the one or more filters in the vertical component can be configured as a variety of suitable filter types, including, for example, low-pass filters, high-pass filters, or band-pass filters. The characteristic frequencies of each filter (e.g., low-pass frequency, high-pass frequency, upper limit of the band-pass frequency, or lower limit of the band-pass frequency (e.g., stopband frequency)) can be in the range of about 100 MHz to about 5 GHz or higher, in some embodiments in the range of about 150 MHz to about 4 GHz, and in some embodiments in the range of about 200 MHz to about 3 GHz.

[0024] Furthermore, each filter in the vertical component may have multiple conductive and non-conductive layers that form the various structures (e.g., inductors, connectors, terminals, etc.) and connections between these structures as described herein. In some embodiments, the filter may have two or more conductive layers, in some embodiments four or more conductive layers, and in some embodiments six or more conductive layers.

[0025] In some embodiments, each filter of the vertical component may include a signal path having input and output. An inductor in each filter may be part of the signal path or connected between the signal path and ground. The signal path may include one or more conductive layers formed over one or more dielectric layers. As used herein, "conductive layer formed over dielectric layer" may refer to a conductive layer formed directly on the dielectric layer. However, one or more thin intermediate layers or coatings may exist between the conductive layer and / or the dielectric layer.

[0026] The conductive layer can include various conductive materials. For example, the conductive layer can include copper, nickel, gold, silver, or other metals or alloys.

[0027] Various suitable techniques can be used to form the conductive layer. Subtractive, semi-additive, or fully additive processes can be used to plate the conductive material into a panel or pattern, followed by printing and etching steps to define the patterned conductive layer. Photolithography, electroplating (e.g., electrolysis), sputtering, vacuum deposition, printing, or other techniques can be used to form the conductive layer. For example, a thin layer of conductive material (e.g., foil) can be bonded (e.g., laminated) to the surface of a dielectric layer. Masking and photolithography techniques can be used to selectively etch the thin layer of conductive material to form the desired conductive material pattern on the surface of the dielectric material.

[0028] Regardless of the filter type (e.g., thin film, multilayer, or other types), the vertical component may include a filter having at least one inductor. The inductor may include a conductive layer formed over a dielectric layer, such as a patterned conductive layer formed over a dielectric layer. The inductor may form a loop or a partial loop; for example, the inductor may extend a full 360° around a center point, or it may only extend a portion of the 360° path around a center point (e.g., about 340°, about 315°, about 300°, about 180°, about 135°, about 90°, or less). The diameter of a single loop ranges from about 2 mm to about 9 mm, and in some embodiments from about 3 mm to about 7 mm. In some embodiments, the conductive layer formed as a loop or partial loop is entirely formed on a single layer. For example, multiple inductors may be entirely formed in the same conductive layer and / or plane. However, in other embodiments, the inductor, whether formed as a loop, a partial loop, or other shape (e.g., one or more straight lines), may include at least two conductive layers spaced apart from each other in the thickness direction of the filter and connected via one or more vias. These conductive layers may be spaced apart by one or more dielectric layers comprising one or more suitable dielectric materials, including those described above. For example, in some embodiments, the thickness of at least some of these dielectric layers may be less than about 180 micrometers, in some embodiments less than about 100 micrometers, in some embodiments less than about 40 micrometers, and in some embodiments less than about 20 micrometers.

[0029] The linewidth of the one or more inductors may be greater than about 0.1 mm, in some embodiments greater than about 0.2 mm, in some embodiments greater than about 0.3 mm, in some embodiments greater than about 0.5 mm, and in some embodiments greater than about 1 mm.

[0030] In some embodiments, one or more inductors of the component may include at least one angle. The angle may be greater than about 15 degrees, greater than about 30 degrees in some embodiments, greater than about 45 degrees in some embodiments, and greater than about 60 degrees (e.g., about 90 degrees) in some embodiments. An inductor may have one to nine or more angles; in some embodiments, an inductor may have fewer than six angles; in some embodiments, an inductor may have fewer than four angles; in some embodiments, an inductor may have fewer than three angles; and in some embodiments, an inductor may have fewer than two angles. In some embodiments, one or more inductors may have no angles. As described above, in some embodiments, one or more inductors may define a complete loop or fewer, for example, the inductors of the component may define less than half the loop.

[0031] While the vertical component is described above as being formed by stacking one or more filters together, it should be understood that vertical component stacks, vertically oriented component stacks, or vertically oriented interposer stacks may also include other components. For example, the stack may include one or more capacitors (e.g., one or more multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs)), varistors, resistors, inductors, fuses, diodes, transformers, sensors, electrostatic discharge (ESD) devices, memory devices, radio frequency devices, power amplifiers, power management devices, antennas, and / or microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices. These components may be used individually to form one of a plurality of components in a vertically stacked or vertically oriented stack; or one or more components may be disposed on a substrate and electrically connected to each other (or otherwise combined) to form a corresponding component among a plurality of components stacked together in a vertically stacked or vertically oriented stack.

[0032] In some embodiments, each of the multiple components in a vertical component stack, a vertically oriented component stack, or a vertically oriented interposer stack can typically be compact. For example, the length of each component can be less than about 150 mm, less than about 100 mm in some embodiments, less than about 80 mm in some embodiments, less than about 50 mm in some embodiments, less than about 30 mm in some embodiments, less than about 15 mm in some embodiments, less than about 8 mm in some embodiments, and less than about 1 mm in some embodiments. Furthermore, the width of each component can be less than about 100 mm, less than about 60 mm in some embodiments, less than about 40 mm in some embodiments, less than about 20 mm in some embodiments, less than about 15 mm in some embodiments, less than about 10 mm in some embodiments, less than about 5 mm in some embodiments, and less than about 1 mm in some embodiments.

[0033] Furthermore, each of the multiple components in a vertical component stack, a vertically oriented component stack, or a vertically oriented interposer stack can typically be low-profile or thin. For example, in some embodiments, the total thickness of each component ranges from about 100 micrometers to about 2 millimeters, in some embodiments from about 150 micrometers to about 1 millimeter, and in some embodiments from about 200 micrometers to about 300 micrometers.

[0034] In some embodiments, at least one interposer may be included. The interposer typically comprises an insulating material. In one embodiment, the insulating material may be, for example, an organic material, such as bismaleimide triazine (BT) resin materials (e.g., BT, BT-epoxy resin, etc.), epoxy resin materials (e.g., glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin (e.g., FR4)), polyimide materials, and / or low-k and ultra-low-k dielectrics (e.g., carbon-doped dielectrics, fluorine-doped dielectrics, porous dielectrics, and organic polymer dielectrics). The insulating material may also be an inorganic interposer, such as an inorganic interposer formed from ceramic materials (e.g., glass) and semiconductor materials (e.g., silicon, germanium, aluminum nitride (AlN), and other group III-V (e.g., gallium nitride) and group IV materials).

[0035] In some embodiments, the interposer may include one or more conductive paths (e.g., conductive traces and / or conductive vias) through an insulating material. The conductive paths may serve as a mechanism for electrically connecting the interposer to adjacent structures, or as a mechanism for routing electrical signals through the interposer. Such paths may include one or more metallic interconnects and vias known in the art. For example, in some embodiments, the interposer may be formed of silicon, and vias may be formed within the interposer; these vias may be referred to as "through-silicon vias (TSVs)".

[0036] As used herein, "formed on" can refer to a layer that is in direct contact with another layer. However, intermediate layers can also be formed between them. Furthermore, when "formed on" is used with reference to a bottom surface, it can be used relative to the outer surface of the component. Therefore, a layer "formed on" a bottom surface can be closer to the outside of the component than a layer on which the component is formed.

[0037] Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail.

[0038] I. Vertical component stacking and assemblies Typically, a vertical component stack comprises multiple components stacked vertically such that at least a portion of each component in the stack is aligned in both longitudinal and lateral directions. For example, a vertical component stack may define longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions orthogonal to each other, and the multiple components may include an upper surface and a lower surface vertically opposite the upper surface. The upper surface may extend on a first plane parallel to an XY plane defined by the longitudinal and lateral directions, and the lower surface may extend on a second plane parallel to the XY plane, such that the first and second planes are parallel to each other. The multiple components may be stacked vertically such that the lower surface of a second component of the multiple components is disposed above the upper surface of a first component of the multiple components. One or more ports (e.g., inputs and outputs of each of the multiple components) may be exposed on the lower surface of the first component of the multiple components. The vertical component stack may be disposed on a mounting surface of a device (e.g., a printed circuit board PCB), wherein the inputs and outputs of each component are electrically connected to the device, thereby forming a vertical component stack assembly.

[0039] The inventors have discovered that this vertical component stacking can free up space on a device. For example, components can be stacked (instead of attaching individual components to the mounting surface of a PCB), reducing the area occupied by the components on the PCB to that of a single component (rather than the sum of the areas occupied by each component). Furthermore, compared to conventional component / device components, the space occupied by vertical component stacking is further reduced by routing the connections between each component and the circuit board to the surface of a single component (e.g., the surface of the component that interfaces with the device in a vertical component stack). For example, all electrical connections of multiple components in a vertical component stack are located within the area occupied by a single component, whereas electrical connections to the PCB might extend beyond the component's area. Additionally, stacked components can be connected to the circuit board, etc., using shorter paths than in conventional layouts, which can prevent losses and improve overall performance at high frequencies.

[0040] In some embodiments, the one or more ports may include at least one ground terminal of each of a plurality of components. Therefore, in some embodiments, a plurality of input terminals, output terminals, and ground terminals may be exposed on the lower surface of a first component, which may be disposed on a mounting surface of the device (as described herein). The plurality of input terminals, output terminals, and ground terminals on the lower surface of the first component may be in electrical contact with the device, thereby electrically connecting the plurality of components to the device.

[0041] A via may extend between a corresponding port exposed on the lower surface of a first component and a corresponding component, for example, to electrically connect the corresponding port to the corresponding component. For example, in some embodiments, an input via extends from an input port exposed on the lower surface of the first component to a corresponding component, and an output via extends from an output port exposed on the lower surface of the first component to a corresponding component. In embodiments where a ground terminal is exposed on the lower surface of the first component in a vertically stacked component, a ground via may extend from at least one ground port exposed on the lower surface of the first component to a corresponding component. Therefore, vias can electrically connect each of the components to a corresponding input terminal, a corresponding output terminal, and / or a corresponding ground terminal exposed on the lower surface of the first component. Each input via, each output via, and each ground via may pass through the first component to the lower surface of the first component. Some input vias, output vias, and ground vias can also pass through other components in the plurality of components to connect the taller component in the vertical component stack to the corresponding input, output, or ground terminal on the lower surface of the first component in the vertical component stack.

[0042] Therefore, in some embodiments, one or more vias can be formed in the plurality of components. In some embodiments, the one or more vias can electrically connect different conductive layers of one of the plurality of components (e.g., different conductive layers of a filter). For example, a via can be formed in a dielectric layer on which the conductive layer of an inductor is formed. Such a via can connect the inductor to another part of the filter, such as a part of a signal path or a ground terminal. In some embodiments, the length of such a via in the Z direction can be equal to the thickness of the dielectric layer in which such a via is formed. For example, the length of such a via can be less than about 180 micrometers, less than about 100 micrometers in some embodiments, and less than about 80 micrometers in some embodiments.

[0043] In other embodiments, vias may be formed in the vertical component stack to connect corresponding components to one or more ports exposed on the lower surface of a first component (e.g., an input, output, or ground terminal exposed on the lower surface of the first component). For example, such a via can connect the signal path of a filter to an input, output, or ground terminal exposed on the lower surface of the first component. In some embodiments, the length of such a via may be in the range of about 5% to 100% of the thickness of the vertical component stack, wherein the thickness is defined in the vertical or stacking direction. That is, the via may pass through a portion or all of the vertical component stack, thereby connecting one or more components stacked vertically to form the vertical component stack to a port exposed on the lower surface of a first component in the stack.

[0044] The one or more vias can have a variety of suitable widths. For example, in some embodiments, the width of the via can range from about 20 micrometers to about 200 micrometers, in some embodiments from about 40 micrometers to about 180 micrometers, in some embodiments from about 60 micrometers to about 140 micrometers, and in some embodiments from about 80 micrometers to about 120 micrometers.

[0045] The one or more vias can comprise various conductive materials, such as copper, nickel, gold, silver, or other metals or alloys. Vias can be formed by drilling through-holes (e.g., mechanical drilling, laser drilling, etc.), and then plating the through-holes with a conductive material, such as using chemical plating or seeded copper. The one or more vias can be filled with a conductive material, forming a conductive pillar. Alternatively, the inner surfaces of these vias can be plated, making the one or more vias hollow.

[0046] A vertical component stack can include any suitable number of components stacked vertically. For example, in some embodiments, a vertical component stack includes at least three components stacked vertically. As described above, the first component of the at least three components can be the bottom component in the vertical direction, and the lower surface of the second component is disposed above the upper surface of the first component. The lower surface of the third component of the at least three components can be disposed above the upper surface of the second component, such that the second component is disposed vertically between the first and third components. That is, the second component can be sandwiched between the first and third components. In embodiments including only three components, the third component is the topmost component in the vertical component stack; however, in embodiments including more than three components, the third component can be sandwiched between the other components, just like the second component. For example, a vertical component stack can include four, five, six, seven, or more components stacked vertically, such that the third component is sandwiched within the stack.

[0047] In some embodiments, the vertical component stack includes at least one filter. For example, at least one of the plurality of components in the stack can be a filter. The at least one filter can be any suitable filter type, such as a thin-film filter or a multilayer filter (as described above), or any other suitable filter. The filter can include signal paths having input and output. The filter can be configured to filter signals from the input and produce a filtered output signal at the output. In some embodiments, the plurality of dielectric layers can have conductive layers formed thereon, which are selectively shaped or patterned to form capacitors and / or inductors, which, when stacked together, form a filter.

[0048] In some embodiments, an intermediary layer is provided between at least one pair of adjacent components in a plurality of components. For example, an intermediary layer may be provided between a first component and a second component in the plurality of components. In some embodiments, a vertical component stack includes a plurality of intermediary layers, wherein a corresponding intermediary layer is provided between each pair of adjacent components in the plurality of components. An intermediary layer between a pair of adjacent components can electrically isolate the components of the pair of adjacent components from each other, which can improve the performance of the vertical component stack. It should be understood that one or more vias connecting the components in the stack to corresponding ports exposed on the lower surface of the first component can pass through the intermediary layer to reach the lower surface of the first component as needed. Furthermore, as described above, each intermediary layer may be made of a suitable material, and in some embodiments, the intermediary layer includes a substrate comprising aluminum (e.g., aluminum nitride (AlN)).

[0049] Vertical component stacks can be configured to be mounted on a mounting surface of a device to form an assembly (e.g., a vertical component stack assembly). The assembly may include a device (e.g., a printed circuit board, etc.) having a mounting surface, and a vertical component stack as described herein. The mounting surface of the device may extend on a mounting plane parallel to the XY plane, and the vertical component stack may be disposed on the mounting surface such that a first plane and a second plane of each of the plurality of components are parallel to the mounting plane. As an example, at least one of the plurality of components in the stack is a filter comprising an inductor having a conductive layer and a capacitor having a first electrode and a second electrode, the vertical component stack being disposed on the mounting surface such that the conductive layer, the first electrode, and the second electrode all extend in a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction (e.g., one or more planes parallel to the XY plane) parallel to the mounting surface.

[0050] As described herein, one or more ports (e.g., inputs, outputs, and grounds of each element in the component stack) may be exposed on the lower surface of a first component in a stack of components in a vertical component stack. Each port exposed on the lower surface of the first component may contact a contact area on a mounting surface of the device to, for example, electrically connect the vertical component stack to the device.

[0051] In some embodiments, the contact area is a plurality of independent contact areas, and the plurality of independent contact areas includes one independent contact area corresponding to a respective port. For example, the plurality of independent contact areas may include independent contact areas corresponding to an input terminal, an output terminal, and a ground terminal exposed on the lower surface of a first component among the plurality of components.

[0052] The component may also include one or more switches, for example, which are embedded in or otherwise attached to or mounted on the device and electrically connected to multiple components in a vertically stacked assembly. For example, the device's switches may be electrically connected to a corresponding component in the vertically stacked assembly. The one or more switches may allow for the selective activation of components in the vertically stacked assembly. For example, the one or more switches may allow for the selective activation and deactivation of one or more components in the vertically stacked assembly, based on factors such as operating frequency range, required performance characteristics, power or other loads, heat dissipation or thermal management, and / or other operational requirements or objectives.

[0053] As described herein, this disclosure also provides methods for forming a vertical stack of components. This disclosure may also provide methods for forming an assembly having a device and a vertical stack of components disposed on the device, as understood by those skilled in the art based on this disclosure.

[0054] A method for forming a vertical stack of components may include stacking a plurality of components in a vertical direction, for example, such that the lower surface of a second component of the plurality of components is disposed above the upper surface of a first component of the plurality of components. As described elsewhere herein, the upper and lower surfaces of each component may lie on a plane parallel to an XY plane defined by a longitudinal and a transverse direction, the longitudinal and transverse directions being perpendicular to each other and both perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0055] The method for forming a vertical stack of components may further include defining a plurality of vias, each via extending between a corresponding component of the plurality of components and a lower surface of a first component of the plurality of components. The method may further include exposing a plurality of ports on the lower surface of the first component, each via extending between a corresponding component of the plurality of components and a corresponding port of the plurality of ports to, for example, connect the corresponding component to a port exposed on the lower surface of the first component. Thus, as described above, each of the plurality of vias may pass through the first component, electrically connecting the corresponding component to at least one port exposed on the lower surface of the first component.

[0056] In some embodiments, the plurality of ports includes an input terminal, an output terminal, and a ground terminal. For example, exposing the plurality of ports on the lower surface of a first component may include an input terminal and an output terminal of each of the plurality of components exposed on the lower surface of the first component, and in at least some embodiments, exposing the plurality of ground terminals on the lower surface of the first component among the plurality of components, the plurality of ground terminals including at least one ground terminal of each of the plurality of components. In these embodiments, defining the plurality of vias may include: defining a plurality of input vias, with a corresponding input via extending from an input terminal exposed on the lower surface of the first component among the plurality of components to a corresponding component among the plurality of components; defining a plurality of output vias, with a corresponding output via extending from an output terminal exposed on the lower surface of the first component among the plurality of components to a corresponding component among the plurality of components; and defining a plurality of ground vias, with a corresponding ground via extending from a corresponding ground terminal of a plurality of ground terminals exposed on the lower surface of the first component among the plurality of components to a corresponding component among the plurality of components.

[0057] In some embodiments, the method may further include providing an intermediary layer between adjacent components such that at least two adjacent components are separated from each other by the intermediary layer. As described above, in some embodiments, the method may include providing an intermediary layer between each pair of adjacent components of the plurality of components such that each component is separated from its adjacent component by the intermediary layer. In embodiments including at least one intermediary layer, defining the plurality of vias includes defining a via through each intermediary layer located vertically below the components, the via connecting to a port on the lower surface of the first component. For example, an intermediary layer may be provided between a second component and a first component such that a vertical stack of components includes a first component as the bottom layer, an intermediary layer stacked vertically on top of the first component, and a second component stacked vertically on top of the intermediary layer. In such embodiments, a via is defined in the second component, the intermediary layer, and the first component, the via connecting the second component to a port on the lower surface of the first component, for example, the via being defined to reach the second component from a port on the lower surface of the first component (through the intermediary layer disposed between the first and second components).

[0058] Example Implementation Now refer to the attached diagram, Figure 1 A schematic side view of a stack of vertical components 100 disposed on a mounting surface 20 of device 10 is provided. Figure 2 A bottom view of a vertical component stack 100 is provided. The vertical component stack 100 shown has three components 102 stacked along the vertical direction V. The three components 102 include a first component 102a, a second component 102b, and a third component 102c. It will be understood that in other embodiments, additional components 102 may be added along the vertical direction V, such as... Figure 1The three components 102 shown are stacked together. As described herein, a vertical component stack 100 may be disposed on the mounting surface 20 of device 10 such that one or more of these components 102 are electrically connected to device 10, which may be a printed circuit board (PCB) or the like. The vertical component stack 100 and device 10 together form a vertical component stack assembly 50. Furthermore, the vertical component stack 100 may also be referred to as a component group having components stacked vertically together.

[0059] continue Figure 1 Each of the multiple components 102 in the vertical component stack 100 includes an upper surface 104 and a lower surface 106 opposite to the upper surface 104 along the vertical direction V. The upper surface 104 of each component 102 can be aligned with the longitudinal direction L and the transverse direction T. Figure 2 It extends on a first plane parallel to the XY plane, which is defined by the plane. For example, as... Figure 2 As shown, the lower surface 106 of each component 102 can extend on a second plane parallel to the XY plane. Therefore, the first plane and the second plane are parallel to each other.

[0060] like Figure 1 As shown, multiple components 102 are stacked along the vertical direction V, such that the lower surface 106 of the second component 102b is disposed above the upper surface 104 of the first component 102a. (Reference) Figure 2 One or more ports 108 (e.g., input 108a and output 108b) of one or more components 102 in the stack 100 may be exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a. In some embodiments, one or more ports 108 may include at least one ground terminal 108c of each component 102. Therefore, in some embodiments, multiple input terminals 108a, output terminals 108b, and ground terminals 108c may be exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a, which may be disposed on the mounting surface 20 of the device 10 (e.g., ...). Figure 1 (As shown). Multiple input terminals 108a, output terminals 108b, and ground terminals 108c and / or other types of ports 108 on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a can make electrical contact with the device 10, thereby electrically connecting the multiple components 102 to the device 10. It will be understood that, although... Figure 2Only a portion of the ports 108 shown are labeled as input 108a, output 108b, and ground 108c. However, in some embodiments, each port 108 exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a may be one of input 108a, output 108b, or ground 108c. In other embodiments, however, no port or a portion of the ports 108 exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a may be input 108a, output 108b, and ground 108c.

[0061] Go to Figure 3A and Figure 3B Provided Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the vertically stacked components along lines 3A–3A and 3B–3B, denoted as 100. Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, via 110 may extend between a corresponding port 108 exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a and the corresponding component 102, for example, to electrically connect the corresponding port 108 to the corresponding component 102. For example, in some embodiments, input via 110a extends from an input terminal 108a exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a to a third component 102c (e.g., a conductive layer of the third component 102c). Similarly, in some embodiments, output via 110b (not shown) extends from an output terminal 108b exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a to the third component 102c (e.g., a conductive layer of the third component 102c). Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, ground via 110c extends from at least one ground terminal 108c exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a to the third component 102c (e.g., a conductive layer of the third component 102c). Each input via 110a, output via 110b, and ground via 110c can also extend from the corresponding input port 108a, output port 108b, and ground port 108c exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a to another corresponding component 102 of the vertical component stack 100 (e.g., the conductive layer of the second component 102b and the conductive layer of the first component 102a). Thus, the vias 110 can electrically connect each component 102 to a corresponding port 108 exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a (e.g., a corresponding input terminal 108a, a corresponding output terminal 108b, and / or a corresponding ground terminal 108c).

[0062] like Figure 3A and Figure 3BAs shown, each via 110 passes through the first component 102a to reach the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a. Some vias 110 also pass through other components 102 of the stack 100, for example, some vias 110 pass through the second component 102b, and some vias pass through the second component 102b and the third component 102c, to connect the component 102 of the vertical component stack 100 that is higher than the first component 102a to a corresponding port 108 on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a.

[0063] One or more vias 112 may also be defined in the vertical component stack 100 to, for example, interconnect two or more components 102 of the stack 100 and / or electrically connect the elements of the components 102. For example, see reference. Figure 5B Via 112 can electrically connect an inductor 118 formed on a first dielectric layer 120a of component 102 to a first electrode 122 formed on a second dielectric layer 120b of component 102. Other vias 112 can extend between multiple components 102 (without connecting to port 108 as via 110) to electrically connect two or more components 102 within a vertical component stack 100, for example.

[0064] Return to reference Figure 3A and Figure 3B It will be understood that vias 110 and 112 can be through-holes filled with conductive material, thereby forming solid pillars of conductive material (such as...). Figure 3A (as shown), or the via can be a through-hole with its inner surface plated with conductive material, making vias 110 and 112 hollow (as shown). Figure 3B (As shown). Other parts of this document will describe exemplary conductive materials and methods for forming vias and through holes.

[0065] Go to Figure 4 A schematic side view of another embodiment of the vertical component stack 100 and component 50 is provided. Figure 4 In the depicted embodiment, an intermediary layer 114 is provided between each pair of adjacent components 102. More specifically, an intermediary layer 114 is provided between the first component 102a and the second component 102b, and another intermediary layer 114 is provided between the second component 102b and the third component 102c. Although Figure 4 As not shown, but will be understood, one or more vias 110 connecting the component 102 in the stack 100 to the corresponding port 108 exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a may pass through the intermediary layer 114 as needed to reach the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a.

[0066] Now referencing 5A and Figure 5BIn some embodiments, at least one component 102 in the vertical component stack 100 is a filter. The at least one filter can be any suitable filter type (e.g., such as...). Figure 5A The thin-film filter shown, such as Figure 5B (The multilayer filter shown, or any other suitable filter). For example, refer to... Figure 5A At least one component 102 may be a thin-film filter having an inductor including patterned conductive lines 116 extending between an input terminal 108a and an output terminal 108b, and the input terminal 108a and the output terminal 108b may be respectively connected via (e.g., refer to...) Figure 3A and Figure 3B The input via 110a and output via 110b (described herein) are connected to the patterned conductive line 116. As described elsewhere in this document, the patterned conductive line 116 may include at least one complete loop (e.g., as described elsewhere in this document). Figure 5A (The three loops shown) or one or more partial loops, although straight segments can also be used to define one or more inductors. Reference Figure 5B At least one component 102 may be a multilayer filter having a conductive layer formed on a first dielectric layer 120a to form an inductor 118, and a first electrode 122 formed on a second dielectric layer 120b and a second electrode 124 formed on a third dielectric layer 120c to form a capacitor 126. It will be understood that... Figure 5A and Figure 5B The filter elements shown are merely examples. Each filter element 102 included in the vertical component stack 100 can be configured as needed, for example, based on filter type (e.g., low-pass, high-pass, or passband), characteristic frequency (e.g., 6 GHz, 8 GHz, 12 GHz, or higher or lower characteristic frequencies), etc.

[0067] See Figure 1 and Figure 4 The mounting surface 20 of the device 10 of the vertical component stack assembly 50 can extend on a mounting plane parallel to the XY plane, and the vertical component stack 100 can be disposed on the mounting surface such that a first plane (defined by the upper surface 104 of the component) and a second plane (defined by the lower surface 106 of the component) of each component 102 are parallel to the mounting plane. As an example, at least one component 102 of the vertical component stack 100 is a filter comprising an inductor 118 having a conductive layer and a capacitor 126 having a first electrode 122 and a second electrode 124. The vertical component stack 100 can be disposed on the mounting surface 20 such that each of the conductive layer of the inductor 118, the first electrode 122, and the second electrode 124, for example, is disposed on one or more planes parallel to the XY plane along the longitudinal direction L and the lateral direction T. Figure 2 ) extends, thus parallel to the mounting surface 20.

[0068] As described herein, one or more ports 108 may be exposed on the lower surface 106 of a first component 102a in the vertical component stack 100. Each port 108 exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a may contact a contact area 22 on the mounting surface 20 of the device 10 to, for example, electrically connect the vertical component stack 100 to the device 10. It will be understood that the contact area 22 may be any suitable material (e.g., a conductive material) for electrically connecting the component 102a to the device 10.

[0069] In some embodiments, the contact area 22 is a plurality of independent contact areas 22, for example Figure 1 and Figure 4 The first contact area 22a and the second contact area 22b are shown in the diagram. For example, the plurality of independent contact areas 22 may include an independent contact area 22 corresponding to a respective port 108; for example, each port 108 may contact an independent contact area 22. In other embodiments, the plurality of ports 108 may contact the same contact area 22; for example, each input terminal 108a may be connected to the same contact area 22.

[0070] Component 50 may also include one or more switches 24 or other device components 26, which may be wholly or partially embedded in, otherwise attached to, or mounted on device 10, and electrically connected to one or more components 102 of the vertical component stack 100. For example, as Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the switch 24 of device 10 can be electrically connected to a corresponding component 102 of the vertical component stack 100 via contact area 22. Device component 26 (e.g., external capacitor or resistor, amplifier input, antenna output, microprocessor, etc.) can be electrically connected to one or more components 102 of the vertical component stack 100 via contact area 22.

[0071] Turn Figure 6An exemplary method 600 for forming a vertical component stack 100 includes (602) stacking a plurality of components 102 in a vertical direction V, for example, such that the lower surface 106 of a second component 102b is disposed above the upper surface 104 of a first component 102a, which may be the bottommost component 102 in the vertical component stack 100. Method 600 also includes (604) defining a plurality of vias 110, each via 110 extending between a corresponding component 102 and the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a. Method 600 may optionally include (606) defining one or more vias 112, the one or more vias 112 being used, for example, to connect a plurality of elements of a single component 102 or to interconnect two or more components 102 (as described herein).

[0072] Method 600 further includes (608) exposing a plurality of ports 108 along the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a. In some embodiments, exposing the plurality of ports 108 may include exposing one or more input terminals 108a, output terminals 108b, and ground terminals 108c. Each via 110 may extend between a corresponding component 102 and a corresponding port 108 to, for example, electrically connect the corresponding component 102 to the port 108 exposed on the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a. Thus, as described above, each of the plurality of vias 110 may pass through the first component 102a to electrically connect the corresponding component 102 to at least one port 108 exposed along the lower surface 106 of the first component 102a. Furthermore, it will be understood that in embodiments including at least one input terminal 108a, at least one output terminal 108b and / or at least one ground terminal 108c, (604) defining a plurality of vias 110 includes defining an input via 110a to electrically connect at least one input terminal 108a to a corresponding component 102, defining an output via 110b to electrically connect at least one output terminal 108b to a corresponding component 102, and / or defining a ground via 110c to electrically connect at least one ground terminal 108c to a corresponding component 102.

[0073] Still referencing Figure 6 Method 600 may optionally include (610) providing an intermediary layer 114 between adjacent components 102 such that at least two adjacent components 102 are separated from each other by the intermediary layer 114. As described above, in some embodiments, (606) providing an intermediary layer 114 between components 102 may include providing an intermediary layer 114 between each pair of adjacent components 102 of a plurality of components 102 in a vertical component stack 100 such that each component 102 is separated from its adjacent component 102 by the intermediary layer 114.

[0074] II Vertical orientation component stacking and assemblies Typically, a vertically oriented component stack includes a plurality of components stacked in a transverse direction, such that at least a portion of each component in the stack is aligned in both a longitudinal and a vertical direction. For example, a vertically oriented component stack may define longitudinal, transverse, and vertical directions orthogonal to each other and include a plurality of components. Each of the plurality of components may include a first side face and a second side face opposite each other in the vertical direction, and a first end face and a second end face opposite each other in the longitudinal direction. Both the first side face and the second side face extend longitudinally from the first end face to the second end face. Furthermore, each of the plurality of components may have a first external terminal formed on the first side face and a second external terminal formed on the first side face. The first external terminal may be spaced apart from the second external terminal in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of components may be stacked in a transverse direction such that the first external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the transverse direction, and the second external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the transverse direction.

[0075] Vertically oriented component stacks can be disposed on the mounting surface of a device (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB) or the like), wherein a first external terminal and a second external terminal are close to the mounting surface and electrically connected to the device, thereby forming a vertically oriented component stack assembly.

[0076] The inventors have discovered that this vertically oriented component stack (where components terminate along the same edge or surface) allows components to stand upright when connected to a device (e.g., a PCB). These side terminals allow multiple components to be stacked together to form a vertically oriented component stack or group, which, for example, occupies minimal space on the device (e.g., a smaller board space) or has a smaller footprint compared to similar devices with end terminals and internal conductive layers extending parallel to the board. For example, the thickness of each component in the group (which is typically less than or less than the length and width of the component) and the length of each component in the group can define the footprint of the vertically oriented component stack or group, which is smaller than the footprint defined by the length and width of each component (which is typically greater than or greater than the thickness). Furthermore, vertically oriented stacks or groups can be connected to boards, etc., using shorter paths than conventional layouts, which can prevent losses and improve overall performance at high frequencies.

[0077] In some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of components includes a grounded external terminal formed on a first side of the at least one component. For example, the grounded external terminal may be disposed longitudinally between the first external terminal and the second external terminal.

[0078] External terminals formed on the first side of each component (e.g., first external terminals and second external terminals, and grounding terminals in some embodiments) can be formed using one or more techniques commonly known in the art. For example, external terminals can be formed by forming a fracture in a solid terminal material strip using solder fillet, overlay, plating, and / or drilling or other methods. As another example, external terminals can be formed using techniques such as sputtering, painting, printing, electroless plating or fine copper terminal (FCT), electroplating, plasma deposition, propellant spray / air brushing, etc.

[0079] Typically, external terminals can be formed from any of a variety of different materials known in the art. For example, external terminals can be made of metals (e.g., conductive metals). External terminal materials can include precious metals (e.g., silver, gold, palladium, platinum, etc.) and base metals (e.g., copper, tin, nickel, chromium, titanium, tungsten, etc.), as well as various combinations thereof. In a particular embodiment, the external terminal can include copper or an alloy thereof.

[0080] In some embodiments, the external terminals can be formed such that they are relatively thick. For example, external terminals can be formed by applying a thick strip of metal to an exposed portion of the electrode layer (e.g., by immersing the capacitor in a liquid external terminal material). This metal can be in a glass matrix and can include silver or copper. As an example, such a strip can be printed and fired onto the capacitor. Subsequently, an additional metal plating (e.g., nickel, tin, solder, etc.) can be formed over the terminal strip, allowing the capacitor to be soldered to the substrate. This application of the thick film strip can be performed using any method known in the art (e.g., by a termination machine and printing roller for transferring a paste loaded with metal over the exposed electrode layer).

[0081] The average thickness of the thickly plated external terminals can be about 150 µm or less, for example, about 125 µm or less, for example, about 100 µm or less, for example, about 80 µm or less. The average thickness of the thickly plated external terminals can be about 25 µm or greater, for example, about 35 µm or greater, for example, about 50 µm or greater, for example, about 75 µm or greater. For example, the average thickness of the thickly plated external terminals can range from about 25 µm to about 150 µm, for example, from about 35 µm to about 125 µm, for example, from about 50 µm to about 100 µm.

[0082] In another embodiment, the external terminals can be formed as a thin-film coating such that each external terminal is metallic. This thin-film coating can be formed by depositing a conductive material (e.g., a conductive metal) on exposed portions of the electrode layer. For example, the leading edge of the electrode layer can be exposed such that the leading edge allows for the formation of a plated terminal.

[0083] The average thickness of the thinly plated external terminals can be about 50 µm or less, for example, about 40 µm or less, for example, about 30 µm or less, for example, about 25 µm or less. The average thickness of the thinly plated external terminals can be about 5 µm or greater, for example, about 10 µm or greater, for example, about 15 µm or greater. For example, the average thickness of the external terminals can be from about 5 µm to about 50 µm, for example, from about 10 µm to about 40 µm, for example, from about 15 µm to about 30 µm, for example, from about 15 µm to about 25 µm.

[0084] In some embodiments, external terminals may include plated terminals, such as electroplated terminals, electroless plated terminals, or combinations thereof. For example, electroplated terminals can be formed by electroplating. Electroless plated terminals can be formed by electroless plating.

[0085] When multiple layers constitute an external terminal, the external terminal can include electroplated terminals and electroless plated terminals. For example, an initial material layer can be deposited first using electroless plating. The plating technology can then be switched to an electroless plating system, which allows for faster material deposition.

[0086] When forming plated external terminals using any plating method, the edges of one or more electrode layers or internal conductive layers of the component may be exposed from the component body and subjected to the plating solution (e.g., by immersing the component in a plating solution). The plating solution may contain a conductive material (e.g., a conductive metal) to form the plated terminals; that is, a conductive material is used to form the plated terminals. This conductive material can be any of the materials described above or any material generally known in the art. For example, the plating solution may be a nickel sulfamate bath solution or other nickel solution, such that the plating layer and external terminals comprise nickel. Alternatively, the plating solution may be a copper acid bath or other suitable copper solution, such that the plating layer and external terminals comprise copper.

[0087] Additionally, it should be understood that the plating solution may include other additives known in the art. For example, additives may include other organic additives and media that can facilitate the plating process. Furthermore, additives may be employed to allow the plating solution to be used at a desired pH level. In some embodiments, drag-reducing additives may be employed in the solution to aid in complete plating coverage and bonding of the plating material to the exposed front edges of the capacitor and lead terminals.

[0088] The component can be exposed, submerged, or immersed in the plating solution for a predetermined amount of time. Such exposure time is not limited, but can be sufficient to allow for the deposition of enough plating material to form the plated terminal. At this point, the time should be sufficient to allow for the formation of a continuous connection between the desired exposed adjacent leading edges of the corresponding electrode layers of a given polarity within a set of alternating dielectric and electrode layers.

[0089] Generally, the difference between electroplating and electroless plating lies in the electrical bias employed in electroplating (e.g., by using an external power source). Typically, electroplating solutions can withstand high current densities, such as ten to fifteen amperes per square foot (amp / ft). 2 (Rated voltage is 9.4 volts). A connection can be formed by connecting the capacitor to the negative terminal of the capacitor to which the plating terminal needs to be formed and to the positive terminal of a solid material in the same plating solution (e.g., copper in a copper plating solution). That is, the capacitor is biased to a polarity opposite to that of the plating solution. Using this method, the conductive material of the plating solution is attracted to the metal at the exposed front edge of the electrode layer lead terminals.

[0090] Various pretreatment steps can be performed before immersing the component in the plating solution or subjecting the capacitor to the plating solution. These steps can be performed for a variety of purposes, including catalysis, acceleration, and / or improvement of the adhesion of the plating material to the edges of the one or more electrodes or internal conductive layers of the component.

[0091] Additionally, an initial cleaning step may be performed before plating or any other pretreatment steps. This step can be used to remove any oxide buildup formed on the exposed layers of the component. This cleaning step may be particularly helpful in assisting the removal of any nickel oxide buildup when internal electrodes or other conductive elements are formed of nickel. Component cleaning can be achieved by complete immersion in a pre-cleaning bath (e.g., a bath containing an acidic cleaner). In some embodiments, exposure may last for a predetermined time, such as on the order of about 10 minutes. Cleaning can also be achieved alternatively by chemical polishing or harmorizing steps.

[0092] Additionally, an activation step can be performed on the exposed metal edges of the electrode layer or other internal conductive layers to promote the deposition of conductive material. Activation can be achieved by immersion in palladium salts, photo-patterned palladium organometallic precursors (via mask or laser), screen-printed or inkjet-deposited palladium compounds, or electrophoretic palladium deposition. It should be understood that palladium-based activation is currently disclosed only as an example of an activation solution, which typically works well in conjunction with the activation of exposed terminal block portions formed of nickel or its alloys. However, it should be understood that other activation solutions can also be used.

[0093] Additionally, as an alternative to or in addition to the activation steps described above, an activating dopant can be introduced into the conductive material during the formation of the electrode layer or conductive layer of the component. For example, when the electrode layer or conductive layer comprises nickel and the activating dopant comprises palladium, the palladium dopant can be introduced into the nickel ink or composition forming the electrode layer or conductive layer. This eliminates the need for a palladium activation step. It should also be understood that some of the activation methods described above (e.g., organometallic precursors) also facilitate the co-deposition of the glass-forming agent to increase adhesion to the general ceramic body of some embodiments of components, such as vertically oriented component stacks. When the activation step is used as described above, trace amounts of activating agent material may typically remain on the exposed conductive portions before and after termination plating.

[0094] Additionally, post-plating treatment steps can be employed. These steps can be performed for various purposes, including enhancing and / or improving material adhesion. For example, a heating (or annealing) step can be used after the plating process. This heating can be achieved through baking, laser irradiation, ultraviolet (UV) exposure, microwave exposure, arc welding, etc.

[0095] As indicated herein, an external terminal may include at least one plating layer. In some embodiments, an external terminal may include only one plating layer. However, it should be understood that an external terminal may include multiple plating layers. For example, an external terminal may include a first plating layer and a second plating layer. Additionally, an external terminal may include a third plating layer. The materials of these plating layers may be any of those described above and known in the art.

[0096] For example, one plating layer (e.g., a first plating layer) may include copper or an alloy thereof. Another plating layer (e.g., a second plating layer) may include nickel or an alloy thereof. Another plating layer (e.g., a third plating layer) may include tin, lead, gold, or a combination of materials (e.g., an alloy). Alternatively, the initial plating layer may include nickel, followed by a tin or gold plating layer. In another embodiment, an initial copper plating layer may be formed, followed by a nickel layer.

[0097] In some embodiments, the initial plating or first plating layer may be a conductive metal (e.g., copper). The area can then be covered with a second layer comprising a resistive polymeric material for sealing. The area can then be polished to selectively remove the resistive polymeric material, and then a third layer comprising a conductive metal material (e.g., copper) can be plated again.

[0098] The aforementioned second layer above the initial plating layer may correspond to a solder barrier layer, such as a nickel solder barrier layer. In some embodiments, the aforementioned layer can be formed by electroplating an additional metal (e.g., nickel) layer on top of the initial chemically plated or electroplated layer (e.g., plated copper). Other exemplary materials for the aforementioned solder barrier layer include nickel-phosphorus, gold, and silver. In some embodiments, the third layer above the aforementioned solder barrier layer may correspond to a conductive layer, such as plating with nickel (Ni), nickel / chromium (Ni / Cr), silver (Ag), palladium (Pd), tin (Sn), lead / tin (Pb / Sn), or other suitable plating solder.

[0099] Alternatively, a metal plating layer can be formed, followed by an electroplating step to provide a resistive alloy or higher resistive metal alloy coating on such metal plating, such as electroless Ni-P alloy plating. However, it should be understood that any metal coating may be included, as will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art from the full disclosure herein.

[0100] It should be understood that any of the above steps can occur as a bulk process, such as barrel plating, fluidized bed plating, and / or flow-through plating terminal, all of which are well known in the art. This bulk process can process multiple components simultaneously, thus providing an efficient and rapid termination process. This is a particular advantage compared to traditional termination methods, such as the printing of thick-film terminals that require individual component processing.

[0101] In some embodiments, a combination of multiple external terminal configurations can be used for the external terminals of one or more components in a vertically oriented component stack. For example, in some embodiments, the first external terminal and the second external terminal can be a combination of FCT (pure copper termination) and thick film termination. For example, an FCT can be applied to each end of a first side of the component, and a thick film terminal can be applied to each FCT terminal. Other combinations of terminal forming techniques and / or terminal forming configurations can also be used.

[0102] As described herein, the formation of external terminals is typically guided by the location of exposed edges of the electrode layer or other conductive layer of the component. This phenomenon can be termed “self-deterministic” because the formation of externally plated terminals is determined by the configuration of exposed conductive material at selected locations on the component. In some embodiments, the component may include “dummy tabs” for providing exposed conductive metal along a portion of the component body that does not include electrodes or conductive layers extending to the edge of the component body. In some embodiments, for example, one or more “dummy tabs,” “dummy electrodes,” anchor tabs, and / or anchor electrodes may be added features to facilitate nucleation, for example, during fine copper termination (FCT, electroless plating) processes. In the FCT process, such dummy tabs or electrodes, or anchor tabs or electrodes, may be positioned internally or externally relative to the component to nucleate the metallized plating material, thereby forming externally plated terminals.

[0103] It should be recognized that additional techniques for forming external terminals may also be within the scope of this disclosure. Exemplary alternatives include, but are not limited to, forming external terminals (e.g., first external terminals, second external terminals, and / or grounded external terminals) by means of: plating; magnetization; masking; electrophoresis / electrostatic deposition; sputtering; vacuum deposition; printing; or other techniques for forming thick-film conductive layers or thin-film conductive layers.

[0104] Each of the plurality of components may include, in addition to the first and second sides, opposing third and fourth sides. The third and fourth sides may extend longitudinally from the first end face to the second surface and vertically from the first side face to the second side face. In some embodiments, a first external terminal of at least one of the plurality of components surrounds the first end of the component, such that a first portion of the first external terminal is formed on the first side face, a second portion of the first external terminal is formed on the first end face, a third portion of the first external terminal is formed on the third side face, and a fourth portion of the first external terminal is formed on the fourth side face. In some embodiments, a second external terminal of at least one of the plurality of components surrounds the second end of the component, such that a first portion of the second external terminal is formed on the first side face, a second portion of the second external terminal is formed on the second end face, a third portion of the second external terminal is formed on the third side face, and a fourth portion of the second external terminal is formed on the fourth side face.

[0105] In some embodiments, one or both of the first external terminal or the second external terminal may partially surround the respective end of the respective component. For example, in some embodiments, a second portion of the first external terminal and a second portion of the second external terminal of each of the plurality of components respectively cover the first end face and the second end face, and are spaced apart from the third side face and the fourth side face in the lateral direction.

[0106] In an embodiment that includes at least one component having a grounded external terminal disposed between a first external terminal and a second external terminal, the grounded external terminal may cover a third or fourth side from a first side, or both a third and a fourth side.

[0107] A vertically oriented component stack can include any suitable number of components stacked in the lateral direction. For example, in some embodiments, a vertically oriented component stack includes at least three components stacked in the lateral direction, such as three, four, five, six, seven, or more components stacked in the lateral direction. In embodiments including only three components, the first and third components can be the outermost components of the vertically oriented component stack, with the second component sandwiched between the first and third components in the lateral direction. In embodiments including more than three components, two or more components can be sandwiched between the two outermost components.

[0108] In some embodiments, the vertically oriented component stack includes at least one filter. For example, at least one of the multiple components in the stack can be a filter. The at least one filter can be any suitable filter type (e.g., a thin-film filter or multilayer filter as configured above, or any other suitable filter). For example, the filter can include signal paths having input and output. The filter can be configured to filter signals from the input and produce a filtered output signal at the output. In some embodiments, conductive layers can be formed on multiple dielectric layers, which are selectively shaped or patterned to form capacitors and / or inductors, which, when stacked together, form the filter. The input port and output port can terminate on the same side (e.g., along a first side of the filter component). For example, a first external terminal can be the input port of the filter, and a second external terminal can be the output port of the filter. Furthermore, as described herein, the filter can include a grounded external terminal, which is the ground port of the filter.

[0109] In some embodiments, one or more vias may be formed in a single component of a vertically oriented component stack. For example, if the stacked components are filters, vias may be formed in the filters to connect two or more elements of the filters. In some embodiments, one or more vias may be formed to interconnect components in a vertically oriented component stack. For example, a via formed in one component may contact a via formed in an adjacent component, thereby electrically connecting the adjacent components. Suitable techniques and materials for forming vias in one or more components of a vertically oriented component stack (e.g., for the vertical component stack described above) are described in more detail elsewhere herein.

[0110] In some embodiments, an intermediary layer is provided between at least one pair of adjacent components in a stack of vertically oriented components. For example, an intermediary layer may be provided between a first component and a second component in the stack. In some embodiments, the vertically oriented component stack includes a plurality of intermediary layers, wherein a corresponding intermediary layer is provided between each pair of adjacent components. An intermediary layer between a pair of adjacent components can electrically isolate the components of the pair of adjacent components from each other, which can improve the performance of the vertically oriented component stack. For example, an intermediary layer between adjacent components can provide electrical isolation between adjacent terminals of the stacked components. As mentioned above, each intermediary layer can be made of a suitable material, and in some embodiments, the intermediary layer includes a substrate made of aluminum (e.g., aluminum nitride (AlN)). In embodiments that do not include an intermediary layer between each pair of adjacent components, a cap made of aluminum nitride or other electrically insulating material may be provided over the components to create space between adjacent external terminals.

[0111] Vertically oriented component stacks can be configured for mounting on a device's mounting surface to form an assembly, such as a vertically oriented component stack assembly. The assembly may include a device having a mounting surface (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB), etc.), and, for example, a vertically oriented component stack as described herein. The mounting surface may extend on a mounting plane parallel to an XY plane defined by longitudinal and lateral directions. A first side of each of the plurality of components in the vertically oriented component stack may extend on a first plane parallel to the XY plane, and the vertically oriented component stack may be disposed on the mounting surface such that the first side of each of the plurality of components is parallel to the mounting surface. Furthermore, the vertically oriented component stack may be disposed on the mounting surface such that the first side of each of the plurality of components extends parallel to the mounting surface, and a first external terminal and a second external terminal of each of the plurality of components are in contact with the mounting surface.

[0112] As described herein, at least one external terminal is provided on a first side of each component of the vertically oriented component stack. For example, a first external terminal, a second external terminal, and a ground terminal may be formed on the first side of each component of the vertically oriented component stack. In some embodiments, each external terminal of the vertically oriented component stack, when mounted on a mounting surface of a device, may contact a contact area on the mounting surface of the device to, for example, electrically connect the vertically oriented component stack to the device.

[0113] In some embodiments, one or more of the components in a vertically oriented component stack include at least one internal conductive layer. The internal conductive layer may extend in both vertical and longitudinal directions such that it is perpendicular to the mounting surface when the stack is mounted on a device mounting surface. For example, the internal conductive layer may be electrodes of an inductor or capacitor, patterned conductive lines, etc.

[0114] In some embodiments, the contact area of ​​the device is a plurality of independent contact areas, and the plurality of independent contact areas includes an independent contact area corresponding to a corresponding external terminal. For example, the plurality of independent contact areas may include independent contact areas corresponding to a corresponding first external terminal, a second external terminal, and a ground terminal of a plurality of stacked components.

[0115] The component may also include one or more switches, for example, which are wholly or partially embedded in the device, or otherwise attached to or mounted on the device, and which are electrically connected to multiple components of a vertically oriented component stack. For example, the switch of the device may be electrically connected to a corresponding component of a vertically oriented component stack. The one or more switches may allow selective activation of multiple components of the vertically oriented component stack. For example, the one or more switches may allow selective activation and deactivation of one or more components of the vertically oriented component stack, for example, based on operating frequency range, desired performance characteristics, power or other loads, heat dissipation or thermal management, and / or other operational requirements or objectives.

[0116] As described herein, this disclosure also provides a method for forming a stack of vertically oriented components. This disclosure may also provide a method for forming an assembly having a device and a stack of vertically oriented components disposed on that device, as understood by those skilled in the art based on this disclosure.

[0117] A method for forming a vertically oriented stack of components may include forming a first external terminal on a first side of one or more of the components, the first side being vertically opposite to a second side, and both the first and second sides extending longitudinally from a first end face to a second end face opposite to the first end face in the longitudinal direction. The method may also include forming a second external terminal on the first side of one or more of the components. In some embodiments, the method may include forming a grounded external terminal on the first side of one or more of the components. The grounded external terminal may be disposed laterally between the first and second external terminals. It will be understood that forming one or more external terminals (whether a first external terminal, a second external terminal, or a grounded external terminal) may include one or more of the techniques described above for forming external terminals, such as forming solder joints, surrounding a component with conductive material such that the conductive material is disposed on two or more surfaces of the component, plating (e.g., electroless plating, FCT plating, etc.), forming a fracture on a solid terminal material strip, sputtering, and / or any other techniques described herein.

[0118] The method may further include stacking the plurality of components in a lateral direction such that the first external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction, and the second external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction. When the components in the stack also include ground external terminals, the ground external terminals are typically substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction.

[0119] Example Implementation Now for reference Figures 7 to 12 Example embodiments of vertically oriented component stacks, vertically oriented component stack assemblies, and methods for forming vertically oriented component stacks will be described in more detail. It will be understood that reference numerals similar to those used for vertically oriented component stack assembly 50 and vertically oriented component stack 100 may denote the same or similar features.

[0120] like Figure 7 As shown, Figure 7 A schematic perspective view of a vertically oriented component stack assembly 60 is provided, which includes a vertically oriented component stack 200 disposed on a mounting surface 20 of a device 10. It will be understood that the device 10 may be a printed circuit board (PCB) or the like, and may be as described above regarding... Figure 1 and Figure 4 Configure it as described. Figure 8 A side view of the vertically oriented component stack assembly 60 is provided.

[0121] In the illustrated embodiment, the vertically oriented component stack 200 has four components 202 stacked along a lateral direction T, which is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L and the vertical direction V. It will be understood that in other embodiments, other numbers of components 202 may be stacked together along the lateral direction T to form the vertically oriented component stack 200, which may also be referred to as a vertically oriented component group. For example, three, five, six, or more components 202 may be stacked together to form a stack or group 200.

[0122] Each component 202 includes a plurality of external terminals 208, which include a first external terminal 208a, a second external terminal 208b, and a ground external terminal 208c, all formed on a first side surface 206 of the respective component 202. That is, each external terminal 208 of the components 202 in the vertically oriented component stack 200 is formed on the same side of the respective component 202. In the depicted embodiment, each external terminal 208 is formed on a first side surface 206, which is vertically opposite to a second side surface 204.

[0123] Each component 202 further defines a first end face 201 and a second end face 203 opposite each other along the longitudinal direction L. A first side face 206 and a second side face 204 both extend from the first end face 201 to the second end face 203 along the longitudinal direction L. Each component 202 also defines an opposite third side face 205 and a fourth side face 207. The third side face 205 and the fourth side face 207 extend from the first end face 201 to the second end face 203 along the longitudinal direction L and from the first side face 206 to the second side face 204 along the vertical direction V. The first side face 206 and the second side face 204 may also extend from the third side face 205 to the fourth side face 207 along the transverse direction T.

[0124] As described herein, a vertically oriented component stack 200 can be disposed on a mounting surface 20 of the device 10, such that one or more of the plurality of components 202 are electrically connected to the device 10. More specifically, as Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the first side surface 206 contacts the mounting surface 20, such that the first external terminal 208a, the second external terminal 208b, and the grounding external terminal 208c contact the contact area 22 of the device 10. Figure 8 The contact area 22 is used to electrically connect component 202 of the vertically oriented component stack 200 to device 10. It will be understood that the contact area 22 can be any suitable material for electrically connecting component 202 and device 10, such as a conductive material.

[0125] In some embodiments, the contact area 22 is a plurality of independent contact areas 22, for example Figure 8The first contact area 22a and the second contact area 22b are shown. For example, the plurality of independent contact areas 22 may include independent contact areas 22 corresponding to a corresponding first external terminal 208a, a corresponding second external terminal 208b, and a corresponding ground external terminal 208c of the plurality of components 202. For example, each external terminal 208 may contact an independent contact area 22. In other embodiments, the plurality of external terminals 208a, 208b, and 208c may contact the same contact area 22. For example, each first external terminal 208a of the vertically oriented component stack 200 may be connected to the same contact area 22.

[0126] Component 60 may also include one or more switches 24 or other device components 26, which may be wholly or partially embedded in, otherwise attached to, or mounted on device 10, and electrically connected to one or more components 202 of the vertically oriented component stack 200. For example, as Figure 8 As shown, the switch 24 of device 10 can be electrically connected to a corresponding component 202 of the vertically oriented component stack 200 via contact area 22. Similarly, one or more device components 26 (e.g., external capacitors or resistors, amplifier inputs, antenna outputs, microprocessors, etc.) can be electrically connected to one or more components 202 of the vertically oriented component stack 200 via one or more contact areas 22.

[0127] Now for reference Figure 9A and Figure 9B In some embodiments, at least one component 202 in the vertically oriented component stack 200 is a filter. The at least one filter can be any suitable filter type (e.g., such as...). Figure 9A The thin-film filter shown, such as Figure 9B (The multilayer filter shown or any other suitable filter). For example, refer to... Figure 9A At least one component 202 may be a thin-film filter having an inductor including patterned conductive lines 216 extending between a first external terminal 208a (which may be an input port of the filter) and a second external terminal 208b (which may be an output port of the filter). As described elsewhere herein, the patterned conductive lines 216 may include at least one complete loop (e.g., as shown in other parts of this document). Figure 9A (The three rings shown) or one or more partial rings, although straight segments may also be used to define one or more inductors. The patterned conductive line 216 is also electrically connected to the grounded external terminal 208c.

[0128] Figure 9BAn exploded view of multiple layers of a multilayer filter is provided, which are stacked along the lateral direction T to form the filter. For example, at least one component 202 of the vertically oriented component stack 200 can be as follows: Figure 9B The multilayer filter shown has a conductive layer formed on a first dielectric layer 220a to define an inductor 218, and a first electrode 222 formed on a second dielectric layer 220b and a second electrode 224 formed on a third dielectric layer 220c to form a capacitor 226. The inductor 218 is electrically connected via a via 212 to a first external terminal 208a (which may be the input port of the filter) and the capacitor 226, which is electrically connected to a second external terminal 208b (which may be the output port of the filter), to form, for example, a signal path from the input terminal or the first external terminal 208a to the output terminal or the second external terminal 208b. Although... Figure 9B It is not shown, but it will be understood that one or both of inductor 218 or capacitor 226 may also be connected to grounded external terminal 208c.

[0129] Will understand, Figure 9A and Figure 9B The filter elements shown are merely examples. Each filter element 202 included in the vertically oriented component stack 200 may be configured as needed, for example, based on filter type (e.g., low-pass, high-pass, or passband), characteristic frequency (e.g., 6 GHz, 8 GHz, 12 GHz, or higher or lower characteristic frequencies), etc.

[0130] Go to Figure 10 A schematic side view of another embodiment of the vertically oriented component stack 200 and component 60 is provided. Figure 10 In the illustrated embodiment, an intermediary layer 214 is provided between each pair of adjacent components 202. More specifically, an intermediary layer 214 is provided between the first component 202a and the second component 202b, another intermediary layer 214 is provided between the second component 202b and the third component 202c, and yet another intermediary layer 214 is provided between the third component 202c and the fourth component 202d. Although Figure 10 As not shown, but it should be understood that one or more vias 212 connecting components 202 in the stack 200 may pass through the interposer layer 214 as needed to connect multiple components 202 to each other.

[0131] like Figure 7 and Figure 10As shown, in some embodiments, at least one component 202 of the stack 200 has a first external terminal 208a surrounding a first end 209 of the component 202, such that a first portion 208a-1 of the first external terminal 208a is formed on a first side surface 206, a second portion 208a-2 of the first external terminal 208a is formed on a first end face 201, a third portion 208a-3 of the first external terminal 208a is formed on a third side surface 205, and a fourth portion 208a-4 of the first external terminal 208a is formed on a fourth side surface 207. Similarly, in some embodiments, at least one component 202 of the stack 200 has a second external terminal 208b surrounding a second end 211 of the component 202, such that a first portion 208b-1 of the second external terminal 208b is formed on a first side surface 206, a second portion 208b-2 of the second external terminal 208b is formed on a second end surface 203, a third portion 208b-3 of the second external terminal 208b is formed on a third side surface 205, and a fourth portion 208b-4 of the second external terminal 208b is formed on a fourth side surface 207.

[0132] Now for reference Figure 11A and Figure 11B In some embodiments, at least one of the first external terminal 208a or the second external terminal 208b may partially surround the corresponding ends 209, 211 of the corresponding component 202. For example, as Figure 11A As shown, in each of the plurality of components, the second portion 208a-2 of the first external terminal 208a is spaced apart from the third side surface 205 and the fourth side surface 207 along the lateral direction T, and the second portion 208a-2 of the first external terminal 208a covers the first end face 201. Figure 11B As depicted, the second portion 208b-2 of the second external terminal 208b of each of the plurality of components 202 is spaced apart from the third side 205 and the fourth side 207 in the lateral direction T, and the second portion 208b-2 of the second external terminal 208b covers the second end face 203.

[0133] Go to Figure 12An exemplary method 1200 for forming a vertically oriented component stack 200 includes (1202) forming a first external terminal 208a on a first side 206 of a plurality of components 202. One or more of the plurality of components 202 may be filters as described herein. Method 1200 further includes (1204) forming a second external terminal 208b on the first side 206 of the plurality of components 202. Method 1200 may optionally include (1206) forming a ground external terminal 208c on the first side 206 of one or more of the plurality of components 202. Thus, each external terminal 208 formed on the plurality of components 202 (e.g., the first external terminal 208a, the second external terminal 208b, and the ground external terminal 208c (when formed on one or more components)) is formed along the same edge or surface of the component 202.

[0134] like Figure 12 As shown in (1208), method 1200 also includes stacking a plurality of components 202 in the lateral direction T. The stacking of the plurality of components 202 forms a vertically oriented component stack 200, which can be arranged or mounted on device 10 as described herein to form a vertically oriented component stack assembly 60. As described herein, the components 202 of the vertically oriented component stack 200 are oriented perpendicular to the mounting surface 20 of device 10, rather than being oriented parallel to the mounting surface as is usually the case, such that the components 202 are vertically oriented and terminate along one side of the stack 200. This vertically oriented component stack 200 can occupy less space on device 10 than typical components, thus offering a space-saving advantage compared to known designs. Stacking components 202 into a component stack or assembly 200 as described herein can also achieve other advantages, such as improved performance.

[0135] III. Vertically Oriented Intermediate Layer Stacking and Components Generally, a vertically oriented interposer stack includes multiple interposers stacked laterally, with components (e.g., filters) disposed between adjacent interposers. At least a portion of each interposer in the stack can be aligned in both longitudinal and vertical directions, and two or more components located between the interposers can be aligned with each other in both longitudinal and vertical directions. For example, a vertically oriented interposer stack can define longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions orthogonal to each other, and includes multiple interposers and multiple components. Each of the multiple interposers may include a first side and a second side facing each other in the vertical direction, and a first end face and a second end face facing each other in the longitudinal direction. Both the first and second side faces extend longitudinally from the first end face to the second end face. Furthermore, each of the multiple interposers may form a first external terminal on the first side and a second external terminal on the first side. The first external terminal may be spaced apart from the second external terminal in the longitudinal direction. At least one of the multiple components may be disposed between adjacent interposers. Multiple interposers and components electrically connected thereto can be stacked in the lateral direction such that the first external terminals of the multiple interposers are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction, and the second external terminals of the multiple interposers are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction.

[0136] A vertically oriented interposer stack can be disposed on the mounting surface of a device (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)). A first external terminal and a second external terminal are close to the mounting surface and electrically connected to the device, thereby forming a vertically oriented interposer stack assembly.

[0137] The inventors have discovered that this vertically oriented interposer stack (where the interposers terminate along the same edge or surface) allows the interposers to stand upright when connected to a device (e.g., a PCB). These side terminals allow multiple interposers to be stacked together to form a vertically oriented interposer stack or group, which occupies minimal space on the device (e.g., a vertically oriented component group occupies less board space) or has a smaller footprint compared to similar devices with end terminals and internal conductive layers extending parallel to the board.

[0138] Furthermore, conductive patterns can be deposited on the surface of each interposer, such that the conductive patterns are electrically connected to a first external terminal and a second external terminal. Components disposed between adjacent interposers can be electrically connected via conductive patterns, allowing components to be easily stacked or grouped (e.g., filter stacks or groups, where multiple components are filters) when disposed between adjacent interposers. This configuration simplifies the fabrication of stacks or groups and reduces manufacturing costs, while reducing the board space occupied by the stacks or groups, and / or provides the performance advantages described herein. Moreover, this configuration allows the use of universally designed components, such as universal thin-film or multilayer filters, within a component group without requiring a dedicated component group design for each component; for example, allowing existing discrete components to be used in new configurations. Furthermore, vertically oriented interposer stacks with patterned interposers allow for the easy use of a variety of different components within the stack, such as a mix of different filtering technologies (e.g., thin-film filters and multilayer filters can be used in the stack) and / or a mix of different types of components (e.g., a stack including multilayer capacitors and thin-film filters, etc.).

[0139] As described above, each interposer can be made of a suitable material. In some embodiments, each interposer includes a substrate comprising aluminum, such as aluminum nitride (AlN). Other suitable materials are described in other parts of this document.

[0140] As described, at least one of the plurality of interposers may include a conductive pattern deposited or formed on the surface of the at least one interposer. For example, the conductive pattern may be deposited or formed on a third side of the interposer extending longitudinally from a first end face and a second end face of the at least one interposer, and vertically from the first side to the second side of the at least one interposer.

[0141] The conductive pattern can have any suitable shape or configuration and can be made of any suitable conductive material (e.g., the conductive material described herein). In some embodiments, the conductive pattern can be deposited or formed on the surface of each of a plurality of interposers. The conductive pattern on each interposer can have the same configuration, or at least one conductive pattern can be different from other conductive patterns formed or deposited on a plurality of interposers stacked in a vertical orientation. For example, the conductive pattern can correspond to a component electrically connected to the conductive pattern, such that different components can be used for different conductive patterns (e.g., a conductive pattern electrically connected to a filter can be different from a conductive pattern electrically connected to a multilayer ceramic capacitor).

[0142] As described herein, at least one of the plurality of components in the stack can be a filter. In some embodiments, the filter may be disposed between at least one interposer having a conductive pattern and an adjacent interposer such that the filter is electrically contacted with the conductive pattern. The conductive pattern may include input lines and output lines, and the filter may be electrically contacted with the input lines and output lines. In some embodiments, a first external terminal of at least one interposer is an input port, and a second external terminal of at least one interposer is an output port. Input lines may be connected to input ports, and output lines may be connected to output ports. In these embodiments, the filter may be electrically connected to the conductive pattern of at least one interposer to filter signals between the input port and the output port.

[0143] In some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of components disposed between the intermediary layers may be spaced apart from one or more sides and / or ends of the adjacent intermediary layer. For example, at least one component may not extend along the entire height in the vertical direction and / or the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the adjacent intermediary layer. In some embodiments, at least one component may be substantially centered relative to the surface of the adjacent intermediary layer without extending to any edge of the intermediary layer surface. That is, at least one component may be shorter than the surface of the adjacent intermediary layer in both the vertical and longitudinal directions, and at least one component may be substantially centered relative to the surface of the intermediary layer such that at least one component is spaced apart from the edge defining the surface of the intermediary layer.

[0144] In some embodiments, at least one of the plurality of interposers includes a grounded external terminal formed on a first side of the at least one interposer. For example, the grounded external terminal may be disposed in the longitudinal direction between the first external terminal and the second external terminal.

[0145] The external terminals formed on the first side of each interposer (e.g., first external terminals and second external terminals, and ground terminals in some embodiments) can be formed using one or more techniques generally known in the art. Such techniques may include forming solder joints, overlaying, plating, and / or drilling or otherwise defining breaks in solid terminal material strips, as well as sputtering, painting, printing, electroless plating or fine copper termination (FCT), electroplating, plasma deposition, propellant spraying / air coating, etc. Some of these techniques have been described in more detail above, for example, with respect to vertically oriented component stacks. Furthermore, it should be understood that any suitable material described herein can be used to form the external terminals of multiple interposers.

[0146] Each of the plurality of components may include, in addition to the first and second sides, opposing third and fourth sides. The third and fourth sides may extend longitudinally from the first end face to the second surface and vertically from the first side to the second side. In some embodiments, a first external terminal of at least one of the plurality of intermediary layers surrounds the first end of the intermediary layer, such that a first portion of the first external terminal is formed on the first side, a second portion of the first external terminal is formed on the first end face, a third portion of the first external terminal is formed on the third side, and a fourth portion of the first external terminal is formed on the fourth side. In some embodiments, a second external terminal of at least one of the plurality of intermediary layers surrounds the second end of the component, such that a first portion of the second external terminal is formed on the first side, a second portion of the second external terminal is formed on the second end face, a third portion of the second external terminal is formed on the third side, and a fourth portion of the second external terminal is formed on the fourth side.

[0147] In some embodiments, one or both of the first external terminal or the second external terminal may partially surround the respective end of the respective intermediate layer. For example, in some embodiments, a second portion of the first external terminal and a second portion of the second external terminal of each of the plurality of intermediate layers respectively cover the first end face and the second end face, and are spaced apart from the third side face and the fourth side face in the lateral direction.

[0148] In an embodiment that includes at least one intermediate layer having a grounded external terminal disposed between a first external terminal and a second external terminal, the grounded external terminal may extend from a first side to a third side or a fourth side, or both the third and fourth sides.

[0149] A vertically oriented interposer stack can include any suitable number of interposers and components stacked in the lateral direction. For example, in some embodiments, a vertically oriented interposer stack includes at least three components and at least four interposers stacked in the lateral direction, such as three, four, five, six, seven, or more components and four, five, six, seven, eight, or more interposers stacked in the lateral direction. In some embodiments, the vertically oriented interposer stack includes one more interposer than the number of components, such that the components are sandwiched between adjacent interposers. In other embodiments, multiple components may be sandwiched between adjacent interposers; and in still other embodiments, at least one component may not be sandwiched between adjacent interposers, and the interposers may be located only on one side of the components.

[0150] In some embodiments, as described above, the vertically oriented interposer stack includes at least one filter. For example, at least one of the plurality of components in the stack can be a filter. The at least one filter can be any suitable filter type, such as a thin-film filter or a multilayer filter (which can be configured as described above), or the at least one filter can be any other suitable filter type. In some embodiments, the filter can include signal paths having inputs and outputs. The filter can be configured to filter signals from the input and produce a filtered output signal at the output. In some embodiments, conductive layers formed thereon may be on the plurality of dielectric layers, which are selectively shaped or patterned to form capacitors and / or inductors, which, when stacked together, form the filter. However, the input and output ports or external terminals are not formed on the filter, but rather the ports and terminals are formed on the interposer, and the filter is disposed on the interposer to position the input and output terminals of the filter for electrical connection to the input and output ports or terminals, respectively. Furthermore, as described herein, the filter can be grounded by connection to a grounded external terminal formed on the interposer.

[0151] In some embodiments, one or more vias may be formed in a single component of a vertically oriented interposer stack. For example, if the stacked components are filters, vias may be formed in the filters to connect two or more components of the filters. In some embodiments, one or more vias may be formed to interconnect components in a vertically oriented interposer stack. For example, a via formed in one component may contact a via formed in an adjacent component to electrically connect the adjacent components. In some embodiments, vias may extend through one or more interposers to electrically connect multiple elements of a vertically oriented interposer stack. Suitable techniques and materials for forming vias in one or more components of a vertically oriented interposer stack are described in more detail elsewhere herein, for example, with respect to the vertical component stack described above.

[0152] Vertically oriented interposer stacks can be configured for mounting on a mounting surface of a device to form an assembly, such as a vertically oriented interposer stack assembly. As described herein, such an assembly may include a device (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)) with a mounting surface and a vertically oriented interposer stack. The mounting surface may extend on a mounting plane parallel to an XY plane defined by longitudinal and transverse directions. A first side of each of the plurality of interposers in the vertically oriented interposer stack may extend on a first plane parallel to the XY plane, and the vertically oriented interposer stack may be disposed on the mounting surface such that a first plane of each of the plurality of interposers is parallel to the mounting plane. Furthermore, the vertically oriented interposer stack may be disposed on the mounting surface such that a first side of each of the plurality of interposers extends parallel to the mounting surface, and a first external terminal and a second external terminal of each of the plurality of interposers are in contact with the mounting surface.

[0153] As described herein, at least one external terminal is provided on a first side of each interposer in the vertically oriented interposer stack. For example, a first external terminal, a second external terminal, and a ground terminal may all be formed on the first side of each interposer in the vertically oriented interposer stack. In some embodiments, each external terminal of the vertically oriented interposer stack may contact a contact area on the mounting surface of a device when mounted on a mounting surface of a device, for example, to electrically connect the vertically oriented interposer stack to the device.

[0154] In some embodiments, one or more of the components in a vertically oriented interposer stack include at least one internal conductive layer. The internal conductive layer may extend in both vertical and longitudinal directions such that it is perpendicular to the mounting surface when the stack is mounted on a device mounting surface. For example, the internal conductive layer may be electrodes of an inductor or capacitor, patterned conductive lines, etc.

[0155] In some embodiments, the contact area of ​​the device is a plurality of independent contact areas, and the plurality of independent contact areas includes an independent contact area corresponding to a corresponding external terminal. For example, the plurality of independent contact areas may include independent contact areas corresponding to a corresponding first external terminal, a second external terminal, and a ground terminal of the stacked plurality of interposers.

[0156] The component may also include one or more switches, for example, which are wholly or partially embedded in the device, or otherwise connected to or mounted on the device, and electrically connected to a plurality of components of a vertically oriented interposer stack. For example, the switch of the device may be electrically connected, for instance, to a corresponding component of a plurality of components of a vertically oriented interposer stack via at least one external terminal of the interposer and a conductive pattern of the interposer, the corresponding component being disposed on the conductive pattern to electrically connect the component to the conductive pattern. The one or more switches may allow selective activation of components of the vertically oriented interposer stack. For instance, the one or more switches may allow selective activation and deactivation of one or more components of the vertically oriented interposer stack, for example, based on operating frequency range, desired performance characteristics, power or other loads, heat dissipation or thermal management and / or other operational needs or objectives.

[0157] As described herein, this disclosure also provides a method for forming a vertically oriented interposer stack. This disclosure may also provide methods for forming an assembly having a device and a vertically oriented interposer stack disposed on the device, as understood by those skilled in the art based on this disclosure.

[0158] A method for forming a vertically oriented stack of interposers may include depositing a conductive pattern on the surface of one or more of the plurality of interposers. For example, the surface may be a third side of the one or more interposers extending in both a longitudinal and vertical direction. The conductive pattern may be formed of any suitable conductive material (e.g., those described herein), and the conductive pattern may be deposited on the one or more interposers using any suitable technique (e.g., those described herein for depositing conductive materials on a surface).

[0159] The method may further include forming a first external terminal on a first side of one or more of the plurality of interposers, the first side being vertically opposite to a second side, and both the first and second sides extending longitudinally from a first end face to a second end face, the second end face being longitudinally opposite to the first end face. The method may also include forming a second external terminal on a first side of one or more of the plurality of interposers. In some embodiments, the method may include forming a ground external terminal on a first side of one or more of the plurality of interposers. The ground external terminal may be disposed laterally between the first external terminal and the second external terminal. It should be understood that forming the one or more external terminals (whether the first external terminal, the second external terminal, or the ground external terminal) may include one or more of the techniques described above for forming external terminals, such as forming solder joints, surrounding a component with conductive material such that the conductive material is disposed on two or more surfaces of the component, plating (e.g., electroless plating, FCT plating, etc.), forming a fracture on a solid terminal material strip, sputtering, and / or any other techniques described herein.

[0160] The method may further include stacking the plurality of interposers in a lateral direction, wherein one or more components are disposed between adjacent interposers such that first external terminals of the plurality of interposers are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction, and second external terminals of the plurality of interposers are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction. When the components in the stack also include ground external terminals, the ground external terminals are typically substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction.

[0161] Example Implementation Now for reference Figures 13 to 15 Example embodiments of vertically oriented interposer stacks, vertically oriented interposer stack assemblies, and methods for forming vertically oriented interposer stacks will be described in more detail. It should be understood that similar reference numerals to those used for vertical component stack assembly 50, vertically oriented component stack assembly, vertical component stack 100, and vertically oriented component stack 200 may denote the same or similar features.

[0162] like Figure 13 As shown, a schematic perspective view of a vertically oriented interposer stack assembly 70 is provided, which includes a vertically oriented interposer stack 300 disposed on a mounting surface 20 of a device 10. It should be understood that the device 10 may be a printed circuit board (PCB) or the like, and may be as described in the references. Figure 1 and Figure 4 Configure it as described above. Figure 14 A side view of the vertically oriented intermediate layer stacked component 70 is provided.

[0163] In the illustrated embodiment, the vertically oriented interposer stack 300 includes five interposer layers 302 and four components 330 stacked along a lateral direction T, which is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L and the vertical direction V. It should be understood that in other embodiments, other numbers of interposer layers 302 and components 330 may be stacked along the lateral direction T to form the vertically oriented interposer stack 300, which may also be referred to as a vertically oriented interposer group. For example, three, five, six, or more interposer layers 302 may be stacked together, with components 330 disposed between the interposer layers to form a stack or group 300.

[0164] Each interposer 302 includes a plurality of external terminals 308, including a first external terminal 308a, a second external terminal 308b, and a ground external terminal 308c, all of which are formed on a first side surface 306 of the respective interposer 302. That is, each external terminal 308 of the interposer 302 in the vertically oriented interposer stack 300 is formed on the same side of the respective interposer 302. In the illustrated embodiment, each external terminal 308 is formed on a first side surface 306, which is opposite to a second side surface 304 along the vertical direction V.

[0165] Each interposer layer 302 further defines a first end face 301 and a second end face 303 opposite each other along the longitudinal direction L. A first side face 306 and a second side face 304 both extend from the first end face 301 to the second end face 303 along the longitudinal direction L. Each interposer layer 302 also defines an opposite third side face 305 and a fourth side face 307. The third side face 305 and the fourth side face 307 extend from the first end face 301 to the second end face 303 along the longitudinal direction L and from the first side face 306 to the second side face 304 along the vertical direction V. The first side face 306 and the second side face 304 may also extend from the third side face 305 to the fourth side face 307 along the transverse direction T.

[0166] As described herein, a vertically oriented interposer stack 300 can be disposed on the mounting surface 20 of the device 10, such that one or more interposers 302 are electrically connected to the device 10. More specifically, as Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the first side 306 is positioned to contact the mounting surface 20, such that the first external terminal 308a, the second external terminal 308b, and the grounding external terminal 308c contact the contact area 22 of the device 10. Figure 14 The contact area 22 is configured to electrically connect the interposer 302 of the vertically oriented interposer stack 300 to the device 10. It should be understood that the contact area 22 can be any suitable material for electrically connecting the interposer 302 to the device 10, such as a conductive material.

[0167] In some embodiments, the contact area 22 is a plurality of independent contact areas 22, for example Figure 1 The first contact area 22a and the second contact area 22b are shown. For example, multiple independent contact areas 22 may include independent contact areas 22 corresponding to a corresponding first external terminal 308a, a corresponding second external terminal 308b, and a corresponding ground external terminal 308c in multiple interposer layers 302. For example, each external terminal 308 may contact an independent contact area 22. In other embodiments, multiple external terminals 308a, 308b, and 308c may contact the same contact area 22. For example, each first external terminal 308a of the vertically oriented interposer layer stack 300 may be connected to the same contact area 22.

[0168] Component 70 may also include one or more switches 24 or other device components 26, which may be wholly or partially embedded in device 10, or otherwise connected to or mounted on device 10, and electrically connected to one or more interposers 302 of the vertically oriented interposer stack 300. For example, as Figure 14 As shown, the switch 24 of device 10 can be electrically connected to a corresponding interposer 302 of the vertically oriented interposer stack 300 via contact area 22. Similarly, one or more device components 26 (e.g., external capacitors or resistors, amplifier inputs, antenna outputs, microprocessors, etc.) can be electrically connected to one or more interposers 302 of the vertically oriented interposer stack 300 via one or more contact areas 22.

[0169] refer to Figure 14 At least one of the plurality of interposers 302 may include a conductive pattern 332 deposited or formed on the surface of the interposer 302. For example, the conductive pattern 332 may be deposited or formed on the third side 305 of the interposer 302.

[0170] The conductive pattern 332 can have any suitable shape or configuration. In the illustrated embodiment, the conductive pattern 332 includes an input line 334, an output line 336, and two ground portions 338. The conductive pattern can be formed from any suitable material and can be disposed on the surface 305 of the interposer 302 using any suitable technique or process.

[0171] In some embodiments, at least one component 330 in the vertically oriented interposer stack 300 is a filter. The at least one filter can be any suitable filter type, such as a thin-film filter or a multilayer filter, examples of which are respectively... Figure 5A and Figure 9A as well as Figure 5B and Figure 9BAs shown. In some embodiments, the filter component 330 can be configured as Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 9A or Figure 9B As shown. The filter component 330 can be positioned relative to the third surface 305 of the interposer layer 302 such that the input terminal of the filter is in electrical contact with the input line 334 of the conductive pattern 332, and the output terminal of the filter is in electrical contact with the output line 336 of the conductive pattern 332. For example, the filter component 330 can be positioned such that its first end 340 contacts the input line 334, and its second end 342 contacts the output line 336, thus electrically connecting the input and output terminals of the filter component 330 to the input line 334 and the output line 336, respectively. Figure 14 As shown, the filter component 330 can also be electrically connected to one or two of the plurality of grounding portions 338.

[0172] It should be understood that each filter component 330 included in the vertically oriented interposer stack 300, and the conductive pattern 332 of one or more interposers 302, can be configured as needed, for example, based on filter type (e.g., low-pass, high-pass, or passband), characteristic frequency (e.g., 6 GHz, 8 GHz, 12 GHz, or higher or lower characteristic frequencies), etc. Furthermore, the stack 300 may also include other types of components 330; that is, in at least some embodiments, components 330 other than filters can be disposed between adjacent interposers 302.

[0173] In some embodiments, the external terminals 308 of the interposer layer 302 in the stack 300 can be configured similar to Figure 7 and Figure 10 The external terminals of component 202 shown (such as...) Figure 13 (as shown), or similar Figure 11A and Figure 11BThe external terminals of component 202 shown. For example, in some embodiments, a first external terminal 308a of at least one interposer layer 302 of stack 300 surrounds a first end 309 of interposer layer 302, such that a first portion 308a-1 of the first external terminal 308a is formed on a first side surface 306, a second portion 308a-2 of the first external terminal 308a is formed on a first end face 301, a third portion 308a-3 of the first external terminal 308a is formed on a third side surface 305, and a fourth portion 308a-4 of the first external terminal 308a is formed on a fourth side surface 307. Similarly, in some embodiments, a second external terminal 308b of at least one interposer 302 of the stack 300 surrounds a second end 311 of the interposer 302, such that a first portion 308b-1 of the second external terminal 308b is formed on a first side surface 306, a second portion 308b-2 of the second external terminal 308b is formed on a second end surface 303, a third portion 308b-3 of the second external terminal 308b is formed on a third side surface 305, and a fourth portion 308b-4 of the second external terminal 308b is formed on a fourth side surface 307.

[0174] In other embodiments, at least one of the first external terminal 308a or the second external terminal 308b may partially surround the respective ends 309, 311 of the respective intermediate layer 302. For example, similar to Figure 11A In the illustrated embodiment, the second portion 308a-2 of the first external terminal 308a of each of the plurality of interposer layers 302 can be spaced apart from the third side surface 305 and the fourth side surface 307 in the lateral direction T, and the second portion 308a-2 of the first external terminal 308a covers the first end face 301. Furthermore, similar to... Figure 11B In the embodiment shown, the second portion 308b-2 of the second external terminal 308b of each of the plurality of intermediary layers 302 is spaced apart from the third side surface 305 and the fourth side surface 307 in the lateral direction T, and the second portion 308b-2 of the second external terminal 308b covers the second end face 303.

[0175] Turn Figure 15 An exemplary method 1500 for forming a vertically oriented interposer stack 300 includes (1502) depositing a conductive pattern 332 on a third side of each of the plurality of interposers. The conductive pattern 332 may be made of any suitable conductive material and may be formed using any suitable technique, such as those described herein for depositing conductive materials on a surface.

[0176] Method 1500 further includes (1504) forming a first external terminal 308a on a first side 306 of the plurality of interposer layers 302. Method 1500 further includes (1506) forming a second external terminal 308b on the first side 306 of the plurality of interposer layers 302. Method 1500 may optionally include (1508) forming a ground external terminal 308c on the first side 306 of one or more of the plurality of interposer layers 302. Thus, each external terminal 308 formed on the plurality of interposer layers 302 (e.g., the first external terminal 308a, the second external terminal 308b, and the ground external terminal 308c (when formed on one or more components)) is formed along the same edge or surface of the interposer layer 302.

[0177] like Figure 15 As shown in (1510), method 1500 further includes stacking a plurality of interposers 302 in a lateral direction T, wherein a corresponding component 330 of a plurality of components 330 is disposed between adjacent interposers 302. As described herein, the stacking of interposers 302 and components 330 forms a vertically oriented interposer stack 300, which can be disposed or mounted on device 10 to form a vertically oriented interposer stack assembly 70. As described herein, the interposers 302 and components 330 of the vertically oriented interposer stack 300 are oriented perpendicular to the mounting surface 20 of device 10, rather than parallel to the mounting surface as is typically done with components mounted on a PCB or the like, such that the interposers 302 and components 330 are vertically aligned, and the interposers 302 terminate along one side of the stack 300. This vertically oriented interposer stack 300 can occupy less space on device 10 than typical components, and therefore has the advantage of space saving compared to known designs. As described herein, other advantages (e.g., improved performance) can also be achieved by stacking the interposers 302 and sandwiching the component 330 between these interposers, with the component 330 in electrical contact with the conductive patterns formed on the adjacent interposers 302 to form an interposer stack or group 300.

[0178] Those skilled in the art can practice these and other modifications and variations of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that aspects of the various embodiments can be interchanged in whole or in part. Moreover, those skilled in the art will understand that the foregoing description is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the invention further described in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vertically oriented component stack, the vertically oriented component stack defining a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a vertical direction orthogonal to each other, the vertically oriented component stack comprising: Multiple components, each of which includes a first side face opposite to the second side face in the vertical direction and a first end face opposite to the second end face in the longitudinal direction, both the first side face and the second side face extending from the first end face to the second end face in the longitudinal direction. Each of the plurality of components has a first external terminal formed on the first side and a second external terminal formed on the first side, the first external terminal being spaced apart from the second external terminal in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of components are stacked in the lateral direction such that the first external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction, and the second external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction.

2. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the plurality of components further includes a grounded external terminal formed on a first side of the at least one component.

3. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 2, wherein, The grounding external terminal is formed in the longitudinal direction between the first external terminal and the second external terminal.

4. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 1, wherein, The vertically oriented component stack is configured to be mounted on the mounting surface along the first side, such that the first external terminal and the second external terminal of each of the plurality of components are in contact with the mounting surface.

5. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 4, wherein, Each of the plurality of components includes at least one internal conductive layer extending in the vertical and longitudinal directions such that the internal conductive layer is perpendicular to the mounting surface.

6. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 1, wherein: Each of the plurality of components further includes a third side opposite to the fourth side, the third side and the fourth side extending from the first end face to the second surface in the longitudinal direction and from the first side to the second side in the vertical direction. The first external terminal of each of the plurality of components covers a first end of the component, such that a first portion of the first external terminal is formed on the first side surface, a second portion of the first external terminal is formed on the first end face, a third portion of the first external terminal is formed on the third side surface, and a fourth portion of the first external terminal is formed on the fourth side surface. The second external terminal of each of the plurality of components covers the second end of the component such that a first portion of the second external terminal is formed on the first side surface, a second portion of the second external terminal is formed on the second end surface, a third portion of the second external terminal is formed on the third side surface, and a fourth portion of the second external terminal is formed on the fourth side surface.

7. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 6, wherein, The second portion of the first external terminal of each of the plurality of components covers the first end face and the second portion of the second external terminal covers the second end face, and the second portions of the first external terminal and the second external terminal of each of the plurality of components are spaced apart from the third side and the fourth side in the lateral direction.

8. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the plurality of components is a filter.

9. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 8, wherein, The first external terminal is the input port of the filter, the second external terminal is the output port of the filter, and the filter further includes a grounded external terminal disposed on a first side of the filter and located between the input port and the output port.

10. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 8, wherein, The filter is a thin-film filter.

11. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 8, wherein, The filter is a multilayer filter.

12. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 11, wherein, The multilayer filter includes an inductor and a capacitor, wherein the inductor includes a conductive layer formed on a first dielectric layer, wherein the capacitor includes a first electrode and a second electrode, the second electrode being separated from the first electrode by a second dielectric layer, and wherein the vertically oriented component stack is configured to be mounted on a mounting surface such that the conductive layer, the first electrode, and the second electrode all extend in the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction, and are all perpendicular to the mounting surface.

13. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 1, wherein, An intermediary layer is provided between at least one pair of adjacent components among the plurality of components.

14. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 13, wherein, The interposer layer includes a substrate, which comprises aluminum.

15. The vertically oriented component stack according to claim 1, further comprising: Multiple intermediary layers; Among the plurality of components, each pair of adjacent components is provided with a corresponding intermediary layer among the plurality of intermediary layers.

16. A component comprising: Equipment with mounting surfaces; as well as A stack of vertically oriented components, the stack defining a longitudinal direction, a lateral direction, and a vertical direction orthogonal to each other, the stack comprising: Multiple components, each of which includes a first side face opposite to the second side face in the vertical direction and a first end face opposite to the second end face in the longitudinal direction, both the first side face and the second side face extending from the first end face to the second end face in the longitudinal direction. Each of the plurality of components has a first external terminal formed on the first side and a second external terminal formed on the first side, the first external terminal being spaced apart from the second external terminal in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of components are stacked in the lateral direction such that the first external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction, and the second external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction; The vertically oriented components are stacked along the first side surface on the mounting surface, such that the first external terminal and the second external terminal of each of the plurality of components are in contact with the mounting surface.

17. The component of claim 16, wherein, Each of the plurality of components includes at least one internal conductive layer extending in the vertical and longitudinal directions such that the internal conductive layer is perpendicular to the mounting surface of the device.

18. The component of claim 16, wherein, At least one of the plurality of components is a filter.

19. The component of claim 18, wherein, The first external terminal is the input port of the filter, the second external terminal is the output port of the filter, and the filter further includes a ground external terminal formed on a first side of the filter and located between the input port and the output port.

20. The component of claim 16, wherein, The device includes at least one switch that is in electrical contact with at least one of the plurality of components stacked in the vertical orientation component.

21. The component of claim 16, wherein, An intermediary layer is provided between at least one pair of adjacent components among the plurality of components.

22. The component of claim 16, wherein, The first external terminal and the second external terminal of each of the plurality of components are in contact with the contact area on the mounting surface of the device.

23. The component of claim 22, wherein, The contact area is a plurality of independent contact areas, wherein the plurality of independent contact areas includes an independent contact area corresponding to a corresponding first external terminal and a second external terminal of each of the plurality of components.

24. A method for forming a stack of vertically oriented components, the stack defining a longitudinal direction, a transverse direction, and a vertical direction orthogonal to each other, the method comprising: A first external terminal is formed on a first side of each of the plurality of components, the first side being opposite to a second side in the vertical direction, and both the first side and the second side extending from a first end face to a second end face in the longitudinal direction, the second end face being opposite to the first end face in the longitudinal direction; A second external terminal is formed on the first side of each of the plurality of components; The plurality of components are stacked in the lateral direction such that the first external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction, and the second external terminals of the plurality of components are substantially aligned with each other in the lateral direction.

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