Substrate
The substrate design with notches and through-holes near mounting points addresses thermal stress issues, ensuring reliable component mounting and EMC performance by alleviating stress without reducing available space.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024038257
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-03-12
- Publication Date
- 2025-09-26
AI Technical Summary
Existing substrates with electronic components face stress issues due to thermal expansion and contraction, leading to solder joint cracks and reduced EMC performance, and through holes for stress relief reduce mountable area and cause signal transmission problems.
A substrate design with notches and through-holes near mounting points, allowing for stress relief structures that alleviate thermal stress without reducing component mounting area, using fasteners that contact the substrate edges to mitigate stress.
The design effectively reduces stress on electronic components, preventing joint failures and maintaining EMC performance while allowing flexible component placement.
Smart Images

Figure 2025139362000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate having a structure for alleviating stress that occurs in a substrate on which electronic components are mounted on the surface. [Background technology]
[0002] In vehicles, electronic control units equipped with electronic circuit boards are used to control devices equipped with electromechanically integrated electric motors, such as electric actuators. Electronic components are mounted on the surface of the electronic circuit board by soldering or other methods, and a copper foil wiring pattern is arranged on the surface to form an electronic circuit.
[0003] When a circuit board is attached to a support member, such as an electronic control unit housing, multiple locations on the board are secured to the support member, which can generate stress on the board's surface and affect electronic components. Stress can also be generated by temperature changes in the environment in which the board operates. When an electronic board is placed in a high-temperature environment, the heated board and the electronic components mounted on the board's surface undergo thermal expansion in their respective planes. The degree of thermal expansion of the board and electronic components depends on their respective physical properties, their coefficients of linear expansion. Electronic components mounted on the board's surface include integrated circuits (ICs), diodes, chip resistors, and chip capacitors. The coefficient of linear expansion of glass epoxy boards used as surface-mount boards is approximately 10 times greater than that of electronic components, particularly chip resistors and chip capacitors, so the board deforms more than the electronic components. The effects of thermal expansion-induced deformation manifest themselves as tensile stress in the solder joints that secure chip resistors to the board, causing cracks and fractures in the solder joints. Similarly, when the substrate is placed in a low-temperature environment, compressive stress is generated in the solder joints, causing cracks, breakage, etc. Furthermore, when the substrate is placed in a heat cycle environment where high-temperature and low-temperature environments are repeatedly changed, the solder joints are subjected to thermal fatigue due to tensile and compressive stresses, making them even more susceptible to cracks, breakage, etc.
[0004] In response to this, a structure has been proposed in which stress is alleviated by providing through holes in the substrate (Patent Document 1). As shown in Fig. 6, the surface mount substrate in Patent Document 1 has a structure in which circular or oval through holes 111 are provided near substrate joints 106 and 107 of electronic components 104 and 105 on substrate 101, and oval through holes 116 are provided near fixing screw attachment portions 115 that screw and fix the four corners of substrate 101, thereby alleviating stress. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-239470 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] However, in the surface mount board 101 for electronic components shown in Figure 6, the through holes 116 for isolating the stress generated at the fixing screw attachment portion 115 are intended to relieve the stress generated when the fixing screw is tightened at the fixing screw attachment portion 115. However, these through holes are insufficient to relieve the stress generated in the board due to heat transfer from the housing during heat cycles in which high-temperature and low-temperature environments are repeatedly switched several thousand times. Furthermore, the need to provide through holes near the electronic components 104, 105 located at various locations on the board reduces the mountable area for the electronic components 104, 105 on the board, which inevitably increases the size of the board to accommodate the electronic components 104, 105 required for the electronic circuit formed on the board. Furthermore, if the board has many through holes, the wiring pattern on the board must be designed to avoid the through holes 111, 116, which can lead to problems such as mistransmission of signals and reduced EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) performance.
[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a substrate that can alleviate stress generated in the substrate due to thermal shock, suppress the occurrence and progression of bonding abnormalities in electronic components mounted on the surface of the substrate, and ensure freedom of mounting of electronic components on the substrate. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] In order to solve the above problem, the substrate 1 on which the electronic component 7 of the present invention is mounted has, when explained using the symbols of the embodiment, a mounting portion 4 provided in the vicinity of at least one mounting point P near the outer edges 21, 22 of the substrate 1 and attached to a support member 11, and has at least one pair of notches 2a, 2b near the mounting portion 4, which extend from the outer edges 21, 22 toward the inside of the substrate and penetrate the substrate 1 in the thickness direction near the outer edges on both sides of the mounting point P, and one or more penetration portions 3 near the entry ends 2ac, 2bc of the pair of notches 2a, 2b, and has two connection portions 5a, 5b between the at least one pair of notches 2a, 2b and the penetration portion 3, and the angle θ formed by the extension directions Da, Db of the two connection portions 5a, 5b is 180 degrees or less, and the mounting point P is included within the range of the angle θ.
[0009] With this configuration, the following stresses can be easily mitigated against stress in any direction on the plane of the substrate: (i) stresses that occur when substrate 1 is heated and expands or cooled and contracts; (ii) stresses that occur when substrate 1 is attached to support member 11; and (iii) stresses that occur in substrate 1 when support member 11 to which substrate 1 is attached is heated and expands or cooled and contracts. This can reduce the risk of malfunctions in electronic components 7 mounted on the substrate, particularly in the joints of electronic components 7.
[0010] In the substrate 1 of the present invention, the mounting portion 4 may be formed by cutting out the outer edges 21, 22 of the substrate 1, and the substrate 1 may be fixed to the support member 11 by a fastener 6A that contacts the mounting portion 4.
[0011] According to this configuration, the fastener 6A that fixes the substrate 1 to the support member 11 comes into contact with the substrate 1 at the mounting portion 4 that includes the outer edge 4a of the cutout of the substrate 1, and the fastener 6A does not come into contact with the substrate 1 on the outside of the substrate 1, so that there is no mounting force acting inward on the substrate 1 via the fastener 6A, and therefore the outward stress on the substrate 1 caused by this mounting force can be alleviated.
[0012] In the substrate of the present invention, the fasteners 6 may be screwed, heat staking, or crimped.
[0013] This configuration makes it possible to assemble the substrate 1 to the support member 11 more easily, reliably, and at low cost.
[0014] In the substrate 1 of the present invention, the substrate 1 may be fixed to the support member 11 at a position on the substrate 1 that does not have the notch or the through-hole in the vicinity.
[0015] According to this configuration, when the substrate 1 is fixed at a position that does not have a cutout 2 or a through hole 3 nearby, the cutout 2 and the through hole 3 for realizing a stress relaxation structure are not provided near the fixing position of the substrate 1, and the effective mounting area on the substrate increases, thereby improving the freedom of placement on the substrate for electronic components that are relatively less affected by the stress of the substrate 1.
[0016] In the substrate 1 of the present invention, when the support member 11 is deformed, a part or all of the force acting from the support member 11 to the substrate 1 may act through the attachment portion 4.
[0017] With this configuration, the force acting on the substrate due to deformation of the support member 11 acts from the mounting portion 4 located at the corner or outer edge of the substrate 1, so that the stress generated in the substrate 1 can be alleviated by the stress relaxation structure formed in the area near the mounting portion 4. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0018] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a plan view of a substrate according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is an enlarged view of the substrate of FIG. 1 in the vicinity of the attachment point; [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate taken along line III-III in FIG. 1. [Figure 4A] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an example of a method for fixing a substrate according to the embodiment. [Figure 4B] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an example of another method for fixing the substrate according to the embodiment. [Figure 4C] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of still another method for fixing the substrate according to the embodiment. [Figure 4D] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified example of the substrate according to the embodiment. [Figure 5A] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing another example of the arrangement and shape of a pair of notches and a through-hole in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5B] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing still another example of the arrangement and shape of a pair of cutouts and through-holes in the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional example of a substrate having a structure for alleviating stress. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a substrate 1 of the present invention. The substrate 1 has a substantially rectangular shape, and a notch 2 and a through-hole 3 are provided in the vicinity of an attachment point P, which roughly coincides with the four vertices of the rectangle, to provide a stress relief structure. However, the stress relief structure may be provided only in the vicinity of one to three attachment points. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of attachment point P, where the stress relief structure is provided, in the substrate 1 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate 1 of FIG. 1 taken along line III-III. The present invention employs a substrate of standard thickness (1.6 mm thick), and the vicinity and vicinity in the substrate of the present invention refer to the range affected by tensile and compressive stresses, within 20 mm of the target position.
[0020] The four corners of the substrate 1 have mounting portions 4 for mounting the substrate 1 to a support member 11 (FIG. 3), such as a support stand, protruding from the housing 10. The mounting portions 4 have a quarter-circular arc-shaped outer edge 4a centered on the mounting point P. Near the mounting portions 4, a pair of notches 2 penetrating the substrate 1 in the thickness direction and a through-hole 3 penetrating the substrate 1 in the thickness direction are provided. The through-hole 3 is an arc-shaped elongated hole centered on the mounting point P. The two notches 2a and 2b are elongated holes shaped like partial arcs centered on the mounting point P, which extend into the substrate 1 from the peripheral portions near the mounting point P on the approximately rectangular outer sides 21 and 22 of the substrate. The entry ends 2ac and 2bc of the two notches 2a and 2b face each other. The through-hole 3 and the notches 2a and 2b may also be arc-shaped with the center at a point other than the mounting point P.
[0021] The inner edge of one of the pair of cutouts 2, cutout 2a, and the inner edge of through-portion 3 form connection portion 5a. Connection portion 5a is a remaining portion with respect to the space formed in substrate 1 by cutout 2a and through-portion 3, and is located near cutout 2a, and particularly between cutout 2a and through-portion 3. The inner edges of cutout 2a and through-portion 3 each have a curved portion with the same center of curvature as through-portion 3, which is an arc-shaped elongated hole, and connection portion 5a is located between these two curved portions. The same is true for connection portion 5b, which is formed by cutout 2b and through-portion 3 corresponding to cutout 2a and through-portion 3, respectively, that form connection portion 5a.
[0022] The two formed connection portions 5a, 5b extend near the through-hole 3, particularly toward the outer edges 21, 22 of the substrate near the attachment point P. The extension direction Da of the connection portion 5a is defined as a tangent direction at the midpoint Ma of the curve 2ab on the through-hole 3 side of the two curves 2aa, 2ab that form the inner edge of the notch 2a. Similarly, the extension direction Db of the connection portion 5b is defined as a tangent direction at the midpoint Mb of the curve 2bb on the through-hole 3 side of the two curves 2ba, 2bb that form the inner edge of the notch 2b. The angle θ formed by the two extension directions Da, Db is defined so that the attachment point P is included within the angle range, i.e., the arc defining the angle θ includes the attachment point P. In this manner, the angle θ formed by the extension directions Da, Db of the connection portions 5a, 5b can be defined. In the substrate of the present invention, the angle θ is 180 degrees or less. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the angle θ is approximately 135 degrees.
[0023] The substrate 1 is fixed by fasteners 6A consisting of male screws. The fasteners 6A are fixed to the support member 11, and at the attachment portion 4 including the outer edge 4a, the fasteners 6A come into contact with the top surface of the substrate 1, which is the electronic circuit mounting surface, thereby fixing the substrate 1.
[0024] 4A is an enlarged view of the vicinity of mounting point P of substrate 1 fixed by screwing with male screw (fastener) 6A. Threaded portion 60 of male screw 6A (fastener) does not contact outer edge 4a of mounting portion 4, leaving a gap 62. The method of fixing with a fastener may be crimping using a crimping member such as eyelet 6B (fastener) as shown in FIG. 4B, or may be heat crimping using a crimping member (fastener) 6C as shown in FIG. 4C.
[0025] <Action and effect> According to the substrate 1 having the cutouts 2 and through-holes 3 for realizing the stress relaxation structure described above, the areas of the cutouts 2a, 2b and through-holes 3 of the connecting portions 5a, 5b near the mounting portions 4 at the corners of the substrate are reduced in response to a deformation force acting from the support member 11 in a direction that shrinks the substrate 1. Also, the areas of the cutouts 2a, 2b and through-holes 3 are increased in response to a deformation force acting from the support member 11 in a pulling direction. Such deformation of the cutouts 2a, 2b and through-holes 3 reduces the effect of stress on the substrate 1 that accompanies expansion and contraction of the substrate 1, thereby making it possible to relieve stress acting on the electronic components 7 mounted on the surface of the substrate.
[0026] The pair of notches 2a, 2b and the through-hole 3 are arranged so that the angle θ between the extension directions Da, Db of the two connection portions 5a, 5b is 180 degrees or less. Therefore, when a tensile force acts from the attachment portion 4 to the substrate 1 in the outward direction of the attachment point P, the notches 2a, 2b and the through-hole 3 deform to increase the angle θ between the two connection portions 5a, 5b, thereby relieving the stress. In response to a compressive force, the angle θ decreases. On the other hand, if the angle θ between the extension directions of the two connection portions exceeds 180 degrees, the notches 2a, 2b and the through-hole 3 cannot deform and relieve the stress generated in the substrate 1 when the attachment portion 4 applies a force to the left, downward left, or downward in FIG. 2 . Therefore, by using the substrate of this embodiment, in which the angle θ is 180 degrees or less, stress generated in any direction within the plane of the substrate can be relieved.
[0027] 4A, 4B, and 4C, even if fasteners 6A, 6B, and 6C move outward from board 1 during thermal expansion of the support member, the stress generated in board 1 can be alleviated by the stress relaxation structure formed in the area near mounting portion 4 on the outer edge of board 1. Furthermore, by using a fastening method commonly used for fastening electronic boards, such as screwing, crimping, or heat caulking, the effect of being able to alleviate the stress generated in board 1 by the stress relaxation structure in the area near mounting portion 4 can be achieved easily and at low cost without using a special fastening method.
[0028] <Modifications of the arrangement of the notch and the through-hole> Modified examples of the arrangement of the pair of notches 2a, 2b and the through-hole 3 near the mounting portion 4 of the substrate are shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B.
[0029] In a first modified example shown in FIG. 5A, a stress relaxation structure is provided in a region near the mounting portion 4 formed by cutting out a vertex of the substrate 1 near the mounting point P. A pair of cutouts 2a, 2b have a triangular shape that cuts out each of the two outer edges 21, 22 of the substrate 1, and the through portion 3 is a triangular hole. The cutout 2a has a first edge 2aa parallel to the vertical side 22 and a slanted second edge 2ab, and the cutout 2b has a first edge 2ba parallel to the horizontal side 21 and a slanted second edge 2bb. The through portion 3 has a long edge 3a (the perpendicular to the long edge 3a passes through the vertex of the substrate 1 near the mounting point P) that faces the vertex of the substrate 1 near the mounting point P, and short edges 3b, 3c.
[0030] The connection portion 5a and the extending direction Da that characterizes the connection portion 5a are defined by one of the cutout portions 2a and the through portion 3 as follows: The second edge 2ab of the cutout portion 2a and the long edge 3a of the through portion 3 are straight lines that are approximately parallel to each other, and the connection portion 5a is located between the edges 2ab and 3a. The extending direction Da of the connection portion 5a is a tangential direction at the midpoint Ma of the second edge 2ab of the cutout portion 2a that is closer to the through portion 3. In this modified example, in which the second edge 2ab is a straight line, the extending direction Da is a direction parallel to the second edge 2ab and facing the outer edge 21 of the substrate 1. Similarly, the connection portion 5b is defined between the second edge 2bb of the cutout portion 2b and the long edge 3a of the through portion 3, and the extending direction Db of the connection portion 5b is a direction parallel to the second edge 2bb and facing the outer edge 22 of the substrate 1. The angle θA formed by the two extension directions Da, Db can be defined so that the attachment point P is included within that angle range, and in this first modified example, it is 180 degrees. According to the arrangement of the pair of cutouts 2a, 2b and the through hole 3 in this first modified example, the cutouts 2a, 2b and the through hole 3 deform, making it possible to alleviate stress occurring in any direction on the substrate plane.
[0031] 5B, similar to FIG. 5A, the substrate 1 has a stress relaxation structure consisting of two cutouts 2a, 2b and a through-hole 3 provided in the region near the mounting portion 4 formed by cutting out the vertex of the substrate 1 near the mounting point P. The through-hole 3 has a triangular shape with one of the vertices facing inward of the substrate 1 being rounded, and each of the two cutouts 2a, 2b has a triangular shape that cuts out each of the two outer edges 21, 22 of the substrate that form the vertex of the substrate 1 near the mounting point P.
[0032] The through portion 3 is located near the outer edge 4a of the mounting portion 4, and has a bottom edge 3a close to the outer edge 4a and two side edges 3b, 3c. Two connection portions 5a, 5b are formed by the through portion 3 and the two cutout portions 2a, 2b located on both sides of the through portion 3. The extension direction Da of the connection portion 5a is the direction in which the connection portion 5a, formed between the side 2ab closer to the through hole 3 and the first side edge 3b closer to the side 2ab, of the two sides 2aa, 2ab that form the cutout portion 2a, extends. The extension direction Da is defined as the tangent direction at the midpoint Ma of the side 2ab, and is parallel to the side 2ab in this modified example in which the side 2ab is a straight line. Similarly, the extension direction Db of the connection portion 5b is the direction in which the connection portion 5b extends, formed between the side 2bb closest to the through hole 3 and the second side edge 3c close to the side 2bb, of the two sides 2ba and 2bb that form the cutout portion 2b. It is defined as the tangent direction at the midpoint Mb of the side 2bb. In this modification, in which the side 2bb is a straight line, the extension direction Db is the direction parallel to the side 2bb. The angle θB formed by the two extension directions Da and Db can be defined so that the attachment point P is included within that angle range, and in this second modification, it is approximately 30 degrees. The arrangement of the two cutouts 2a and 2b and the through hole 3 in this second modification allows the cutouts 2a and 2b and the through hole 3 to deform, thereby mitigating stresses that occur in any direction on the substrate plane.
[0033] <Other embodiments> In the following description, parts corresponding to matters previously described in each embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described, the other parts of the configuration are the same as those in the previously described embodiment unless otherwise specified. The same configuration produces the same effects. It is possible to combine not only the parts specifically described in each embodiment, but also partially combine embodiments as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.
[0034] FIG. 4D shows a substrate 1 that has a stress relief structure only near a portion of the substrate 1, namely, a mounting point P. In the substrate 1 shown in FIG. 4D, electronic components mounted on the surface of the substrate are not shown. Mounting portions 4 having a stress relief structure consisting of notches 2 and through-holes 3 are provided in the area near two mounting points P, which are shown on the right side of the figure and roughly coincide with the two vertices of the substantially rectangular substrate 1. On the other hand, areas near the two vertices of the substrate 1, shown on the left side of the figure, do not have a stress relief structure. The substrate 1 is fixed to a support member 11 on the left side of the substrate by fasteners 6L, 6L through through-holes (not shown) in the substrate, and is fixed to the support member 11 on the right side of the substrate by fasteners 6R, 6R at mounting portions 4. According to the configuration shown in FIG. 4D, no notches or through-holes are provided near the fasteners 6L, 6L on the left side of the substrate that does not have a stress relief structure, thereby increasing the mountable area for mounting electronic components on the substrate surface, particularly on the left side of the substrate.
[0035] The substrate 1 having the stress relaxation structure exemplified above has two notches 2a, 2b and one through-hole 3 for one mounting portion 4, as well as two connecting portions 5a, 5b extending between the notches and the through-holes, but may also have a configuration that includes further notches, through-holes or connecting portions, or a combination thereof.
[0036] Furthermore, attachment points may be provided near the periphery of the surface of the substantially rectangular substrate, rather than near the vertices (corners), and a stress relief structure consisting of a notch, a through-hole, and a connection may be provided near an attachment portion formed by cutting out a semicircular shape from the periphery. The substrate may be fixed with fasteners at the attachment portions on the periphery, similar to the attachment portions near the vertices of the substrate. The substrate may have an outer edge on which no attachment portion is provided, or multiple attachment portions may be provided on one outer edge. The shape of the cutout of the attachment portion may be modified according to the shape of the fastener to more efficiently contact the substrate and the fastener. This configuration allows the substrate to be fixed to the support member at locations other than the corners of the substrate, thereby improving the flexibility of the shapes of the substrate and the housing and the relative positioning between the substrate and the housing.
[0037] In a substrate equipped with the stress relaxation structure of the present invention, the temperature range in which the substrate operates normally may be from −40° C. to 130° C. This configuration enables an electronic substrate built into a vehicle electronic control unit to operate normally in a typical heat cycle environment.
[0038] In a circuit board equipped with the stress relaxation structure of the present invention, the circuit board may operate normally for 10 years or more. With this configuration, an electronic circuit board built into an electronic control unit of a vehicle can operate normally for the typical period of use of the vehicle.
[0039] In a substrate equipped with the stress relaxation structure of the present invention, the extension direction of the connection portion constituting the stress relaxation structure can also be defined by other methods. Considering the entire connection portion, whose shape is specified by the notch and the through-hole, the extension direction may be any direction representative of the direction in which the connection portion expands or contracts due to stress generated from the attachment portion to the connection portion. For example, the extension direction may be defined as the direction of a line on the substrate surface perpendicular to a line connecting the closest points of the outlines of the notch and the through-hole that form the connection portion. Using FIG. 4C , the points Q2a and Q3a where the outlines of the notch 2a and the through-hole 3 are closest may be defined as the extension direction D2a of the connection portion 5a, and the direction perpendicular to the line La connecting them may be defined as the extension direction D2b of the connection portion 5b. Similarly, for the notch 2b and the through-hole 3, the extension direction D2b of the connection portion 5b may be defined based on the line Lb connecting the closest points Q2b and Q3b. If there are multiple pairs of closest points, the extension direction of the connection portion may be determined using the pair of closest points closest to the outer edge of the substrate.
[0040] Although the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]
[0041] 1...substrate, 2a, 2b...notch portion, 3...penetration portion, 4...mounting portion, 5a, 5b...connection portion, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6L, 6R...fastener, P...mounting point, 11...support member, 21, 22...outer edge
Claims
1. a mounting portion provided in a region near at least one mounting point near the outer edge of the board on which the electronic component is mounted and attached to the support member; In the vicinity of the mounting portion, At least one pair of notches extending from the outer edges of the two sides in contact with the mounting portion toward the inside of the substrate and penetrating the substrate in a thickness direction; one or more through-portions near the entry ends of the pair of notches; Two connection portions are provided between the at least one pair of notches and the through portion, The angle formed by the extending directions of the two connecting portions is 180 degrees or less, the angle is defined such that the arc forming the angle includes the attachment point; substrate.
2. The substrate according to claim 1 , the mounting portion is formed by cutting out an outer edge of the substrate, The substrate is fixed to the support member by a fastener that contacts the mounting portion.
3. The substrate of claim 2 , wherein the fastener is secured by screwing, heat staking, or crimping.
4. The substrate according to claim 1 , further comprising: a support member fixed to the substrate at a position on the substrate that does not have the notch or the through-hole in the vicinity thereof.
5. 4. The substrate according to claim 1, wherein a part or all of a force acting from the support member to the substrate when the support member is deformed acts through the attachment portion.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Surface mounting substrate
JP2013239470A