Components for increased power processing

Abstract

A component assembly may include electrical components placed on a heat sink component to mechanically stabilize them, allowing the electrical components to be made relatively thin. For example, the heat sink component may include a heat sink substrate containing a non-conductive thermal conductive material. The heat sink substrate may have a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and a conductive layer may be formed on the second surface of the heat sink substrate. An electrical component may include a component substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and a conductive pattern may be formed on the first surface of the component substrate. The second surface of the component substrate may be positioned adjacent to the first surface of the heat sink substrate.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Related applications This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 503,500, filed on 22 May 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] Electrical circuits, such as power amplifier circuits, generate heat during normal operation. This heat buildup can undesirably raise the temperature of various components within the circuit. If this heat is not adequately managed, for example, by dissipating it through a heatsink, the electrical device may overheat, potentially damaging its components. Furthermore, some components may utilize thicker substrates to ensure structural integrity, which can hinder heat dissipation and, consequently, limit the component's power handling capacity. Improving heat dissipation would be highly desirable in this field. [Overview of the project]

[0003] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a component assembly includes a heat sink component, which includes a heat sink substrate containing a non-conductive thermal conductive material. The heat sink substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The heat sink component further includes a second conductive layer formed on the second surface of the heat sink substrate. The component assembly also includes an electrical component, which includes a component substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and a conductive pattern formed on the first surface of the component substrate. The electrical component is positioned on the heat sink component such that the second surface of the component substrate is adjacent to the first surface of the heat sink substrate.

[0004] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for forming a component assembly includes depositing a conductive material on a second surface of a heat sink substrate to form a second conductive layer on the heat sink substrate. The heat sink substrate comprises a non-conductive thermal conductive material, and the second surface of the heat sink substrate is on the opposite side of the first surface of the heat sink substrate. The method also includes forming a conductive pattern on a first surface of a component substrate of an electrical component. The component substrate has a second surface opposite to the first surface. The component substrate is positioned on the heat sink substrate such that the second surface of the component substrate is adjacent to the first surface of the heat sink substrate.

[0005] A complete and implementable disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode of the invention, directed to those skilled in the art, is described in more detail in the remainder of this specification with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a component assembly according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the heat sink component of the component assembly shown in Figure 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of another embodiment of the heat sink component shown in Figure 2 according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the electrical components of the parts assembly shown in Figure 1 according to an aspect of this disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the component assembly according to an aspect of the present disclosure, before the thickness of the component substrate of the electrical component is reduced and before the conductive pattern is deposited on the exposed surface of the electrical component. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the component assembly of Figure 1 assembled into a device according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows a method for forming a component assembly according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The repeated use of reference numerals in this specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or similar features or elements of the present invention.

[0008] Those skilled in the art will understand that this description is merely an illustrative description of exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit broader embodiments of the invention, which are embodied in the exemplary configurations.

[0009] Generally speaking, the present invention relates to relatively thin components having features for managing heat flow from a component and providing mechanical integrity to the component. For example, a component assembly may include electrical components placed on a heat sink component, which can help dissipate heat from the electrical components and provide stability to the relatively thin electrical components. One or more conductive layers may extend onto one or more surfaces of the heat sink component or electrical components, which can provide additional mechanical integrity to the assembly and can also facilitate electrical and thermal connections between the electrical components and the heat sink component. The electrical components may have a thickness such that, for example, the ratio of the overall thickness of the assembly to the thickness of the electrical components is, for example, at least about 2.

[0010] For example, by modifying the electrical component substrate to reduce its thickness after bonding it to a heat sink component as described herein, the electrical component can be made thinner than previously permitted, for example, to a relatively extreme level. Heat sink components that may include a metal layer, for example, can increase the mechanical strength of the assembly, thereby reducing the thickness of the electrical component to such a relatively extreme level without affecting the functionality or viability of the component. Furthermore, thinner electrical component substrates facilitate faster heat transfer through the component and allow for more effective management of heat flow through the electrical component. The substrate of the heat sink component can be selected to further promote, rather than hinder, the heat flow from the electrical component. Since greater or higher power through a component increases the component temperature or heat within the component, more effective heat flow management can increase the power handling capacity of the component. In other words, faster heat transfer from the component can enable the component to handle higher power.

[0011] In some embodiments, the component assembly includes a heat sink component having a heat sink substrate containing a non-conductive thermal conductive material. A conductive layer can be formed on one surface of the heat sink substrate. In some embodiments, another conductive layer is formed on the opposite surface of the heat sink substrate. Thus, the heat sink component may include a first conductive layer formed on a first surface of the heat sink substrate and a second conductive layer formed on a second surface of the heat sink substrate, the second surface being opposite to the first surface. In some embodiments, the heat sink component may include only one conductive layer, and in other embodiments, the heat sink component may include at least two conductive layers.

[0012] In some embodiments, the electrical component includes a component substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The electrical component can be placed on a heat sink component such that the second surface of the component substrate is adjacent to the first surface of the heat sink substrate.

[0013] In some embodiments, the electrical component includes a conductive layer formed on the second surface of the component substrate. In such embodiments, the conductive layer of the electrical component can contact the first surface of the heat sink component, or in embodiments where the first conductive layer is formed on the first surface of the heat sink substrate, it can contact the first conductive layer of the heat sink component.

[0014] In some embodiments, the first conductive layer of the heat sink component is joined to the conductive layer of the electrical component. That is, when the electrical component is disposed on the heat sink component, the two components can be joined. In embodiments including the first conductive layer of the heat sink component and the conductive layer of the electrical component, the first conductive layer can be joined to the conductive layer of the electrical component with an adhesive such as a polymer adhesive like epoxy resin or any suitable adhesive. In other embodiments, the first conductive layer is a first metal layer, the conductive layer of the electrical component is a component metal layer, and the first metal layer can be joined to the component metal layer via a metallized connection.

[0015] In some embodiments, at least one conductive layer extends across the entire surface on which the layer is formed. For example, the first conductive layer extends across the entire first surface of the heat sink substrate, the second conductive layer extends across the entire second surface of the heat sink substrate, and / or the conductive layer of the electrical component extends across the entire second surface of the component substrate. In that way, one or more of the conductive layers may extend only over a part rather than the entire surface on which the layer is formed. For example, each conductive layer may be spaced apart from one or more edges defining the surface on which the layer is formed.

[0016] In some embodiments, a gap is formed in at least one of the first conductive layer or the conductive layer of the electrical component to receive an adhesive. More specifically, in embodiments of the heat sink component including the first conductive layer, gaps, openings, depressions, etc. can be formed or defined in the conductive material of the layer. Such gaps, openings, depressions, etc. define a space for receiving the adhesive, such that when the electrical component is disposed relative to the first conductive layer, at least a portion of the adhesive remains in place and couples the heat sink component and the electrical component to each other. In other embodiments, for example, in embodiments where the first conductive layer of the heat sink component is omitted, such gaps, etc. can be formed in a conductive layer formed on a second surface of a component substrate that contacts the heat sink component when the electrical component is disposed on the heat sink component. It will be appreciated that without such a space for the adhesive, the adhesive would extend only on the contact surfaces of the heat sink component and the electrical component and could be forced to move outward to the boundaries of the components when the components are brought together.

[0017] In some embodiments, one or more vias are formed in the heat sink substrate. For example, at least one via can extend through the heat sink substrate from the first conductive layer to the second conductive layer. In some embodiments, at least one via includes a conductive material that electrically connects the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. For example, at least one via can be plated with a conductive material or otherwise lined on the inside.

[0018] As described herein, the original first surface of the non-conductive conductive substrate can be processed to reduce the thickness of the component substrate. As an example, the component substrate can be ground along its original first surface to reduce the thickness of the component substrate. Other techniques for removing substrate material can be used as well.

[0019] After processing to reduce the thickness of the component substrate, the component substrate can have a thickness of less than approximately 600 μm (micrometers or microns). In some embodiments, the component substrate may have a thickness of less than approximately 500 μm, less than approximately 250 μm in some embodiments, less than approximately 125 μm in some embodiments, and less than approximately 75 μm in some embodiments. The thickness of the component substrate may be in the range of approximately 50 μm to approximately 600 μm, for example, in the range of approximately 75 μm to approximately 500 μm, in the range of approximately 100 μm to approximately 400 μm, or in the range of approximately 150 μm to approximately 300 μm.

[0020] In some embodiments, the heat sink substrate may have a thickness of at least about 100 μm to about 1500 μm. For example, the thickness of the heat sink substrate may be about 100 μm or more, about 125 μm or more, about 250 μm or more, about 500 μm or more, about 1000 μm or more, or about 1250 μm or more. In some embodiments, the thickness of the heat sink substrate may be in the range of about 100 μm to about 1500 μm, for example, in the range of about 150 μm to about 1250 μm, in the range of about 250 μm to about 1000 μm, or in the range of about 300 μm to about 750 μm.

[0021] In some embodiments, the ratio of the thickness of the heat sink substrate to the thickness of the component substrate may be at least about 0.2. In some embodiments, the ratio of the thickness of the heat sink substrate to the thickness of the component substrate may be at least about 0.5, at least about 1 in some embodiments, at least about 5 in some embodiments, at least about 10 in some embodiments, and at least about 20 in some embodiments. For example, the ratio of the thickness of the heat sink substrate to the thickness of the component substrate 120 may be in the range of about 0.2 to about 25, for example, in the range of about 0.25 to about 20, or in the range of about 1 to about 15.

[0022] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the ratio of the overall thickness of the component to the thickness of the component substrate is at least about 1.1. In some embodiments, the ratio of the overall thickness of the component to the thickness of the component substrate may be at least about 2, at least about 3 in some embodiments, at least about 5 in some embodiments, at least about 10 in some embodiments, and at least about 25 in some embodiments. For example, the ratio of the overall thickness of the component to the thickness of the component substrate may be in the range of about 2 to about 30, for example, in the range of about 3 to about 25, or in the range of about 5 to about 20.

[0023] After processing the component substrate, the component substrate includes a first surface (not the original first surface) opposite the second surface, on which a conductive layer is formed. In some embodiments, a conductive pattern can be formed on the first surface of the component substrate. The conductive pattern may include conductive material arranged in any pattern to form the function or characteristics of an electrical component. As an example, the conductive pattern may include a resistive element connected between a first terminal and a second terminal. As a further example, the conductive pattern may include one or more passive components, such as one or more capacitors, inductors, resistors, or transmission lines in series or parallel, to form individual components, and / or the conductive pattern may include various circuits, such as filters, splitters, attenuators, and diplexers.

[0024] A conductive pattern formed on a component substrate may include one or more thin-film components. These thin-film components may include one or more resistors, varistors, capacitors, inductors, and / or combinations thereof, such as thin-film filters. The thin-film components may include one or more layers of conductive, dielectric, resistive, inductive, or other materials precisely formed using “thin-film” technology.

[0025] As an example, the conductive pattern may include a thin-film varistor. The varistor may include barium titanate, zinc oxide, or any other suitable dielectric material. For example, various additives that generate or enhance the voltage-dependent resistance of the dielectric material may be included in the dielectric material. For example, in some embodiments, the additives may include oxides of cobalt, bismuth, manganese, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the additives may include oxides of gallium, aluminum, antimony, chromium, titanium, lead, barium, nickel, vanadium, tin, or combinations thereof. The dielectric material may be doped with additives in the range of about 0.5 mol% to about 3 mol%, and in some embodiments, about 1 mol% to about 2 mol%. The average particle size of the dielectric material may contribute to the nonlinear properties of the dielectric material. In some embodiments, the average particle size may be in the range of about 1 micron to 100 microns, and in some embodiments, about 2 microns to 80 microns.

[0026] As another example, a thin-film component may include a thin-film resistor comprising one or more resistive layers. For example, the resistive layers may include tantalum nitride (TaN), nickel-chromium (NiCr), tantalum aluminide, chromium silicide, titanium nitride, titanium tungsten, tantalum tungsten, oxides and / or nitrides of such materials, and / or any other suitable thin-film resistive material. The resistive layers may have any suitable thickness.

[0027] As another example, a thin-film component may include a thin-film capacitor comprising one or more dielectric layers. For example, the dielectric layers may include one or more suitable ceramic materials. Examples of suitable materials include alumina (Al2O3), aluminum nitride (AlN), beryllium oxide (BeO), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), boron nitride (BN), silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), silica (SiO2), silicon nitride (Si3N4), gallium arsenide (GaAs), gallium nitride (GaN), zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), mixtures thereof, oxides and / or nitrides of such materials, or any other suitable ceramic material. Further exemplary ceramic materials include barium titanate (BaTiO3), calcium titanate (CaTiO3), zinc oxide (ZnO), ceramics including low-burnout glass, or other glass-bonding materials. Dielectric materials such as diamond and cubic boron arsenide may also be used.

[0028] The thin-film component may include one or more layers having thicknesses ranging from approximately 0.001 μm to approximately 1,000 μm, approximately 0.01 μm to approximately 100 μm in some embodiments, approximately 0.1 μm to approximately 50 μm in some embodiments, and approximately 0.5 μm to approximately 20 μm in some embodiments. Each layer of the material forming the thin-film component can be added using specialized techniques based on etching, photolithography, PECVD (plasma-induced chemical vapor deposition), or other techniques.

[0029] The heat sink substrate of a heat sink component can include any suitable material having generally low thermal resistivity (e.g., less than approximately 6.67 × 10⁻³ m·°C / W) and generally high electrical resistivity (e.g., greater than approximately 10¹⁴ Ω·cm). A thermal resistivity of 6.67 × 10⁻³ m·°C / W is equivalent to a thermal conductivity of approximately 150 W / m·°C. In other words, a suitable material for a heat sink substrate can have generally high thermal conductivity, such as exceeding approximately 150 W / m·°C.

[0030] For example, in some embodiments, the heat sink substrate may be made from a material having a thermal conductivity of about 100 W / m·°C to about 300 W / m·°C at about 22°C. In other embodiments, the heat sink substrate may be made from a material having a thermal conductivity of about 125 W / m·°C to about 250 W / m·°C at about 22°C. In other embodiments, the heat sink substrate may be made from a material having a thermal conductivity of about 150 W / m·°C to about 200 W / m·°C at about 22°C.

[0031] In some embodiments, the heat sink substrate may include aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, aluminum oxide, boron nitride, silicon nitride, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide, silicon carbide, any suitable ceramic material, and mixtures thereof.

[0032] In some embodiments, the heat sink substrate may include aluminum nitride. For example, in some embodiments, the heat sink substrate can be made from any suitable composition containing aluminum nitride. In some embodiments, the heat sink substrate can be made primarily from aluminum nitride, and for example, the heat sink substrate may also contain additives or impurities. In other embodiments, the heat sink substrate may include beryllium oxide. For example, in some embodiments, the heat sink substrate can be made from any suitable composition containing beryllium oxide. In some embodiments, the heat sink substrate can be made primarily from beryllium oxide, and for example, the heat sink substrate may also contain additives or impurities.

[0033] The component substrate of an electrical component may include one or more dielectric materials. In some embodiments, one or more dielectric materials may have a low dielectric constant. The dielectric constant may be less than about 100, 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 100, in some embodiments from about 1.5 to about 75, and in some embodiments from about 2 to about 8. The dielectric constant can be determined according to IPC TM-650 2.5.5.3 at an operating temperature of 25°C and a frequency of 1 MHz. The dielectric loss tangent may be in the range of about 0.001 to about 0.04, and in some embodiments from about 0.0015 to about 0.0025.

[0034] In some embodiments, one or more dielectric materials may include organic dielectric materials. Examples of organic dielectrics include polyphenyl ether (PPE)-based materials, e.g., LD621 from Polyclad and the N6000 series from Park / Nelco Corporation; liquid crystal polymers (LCPs), e.g., LCPs from Rogers Corporation or WL Gore & Associates, Inc.; hydrocarbon compositions, e.g., the 4000 series from Rogers Corporation; and epoxy laminates, e.g., the N4000 series from Park / Nelco Corp. Examples include epoxy-based N4000-13, bromine-free materials laminated on LCP, organic layers with high-K materials, unfilled high-K organic layers, Rogers 4350, Rogers 4003 materials, as well as other thermoplastic materials such as polyphenylene sulfide resins, polyethylene terephthalate resins, polybutylene terephthalate resins, polyethylene sulfide resins, polyether ketone resins, polytetrafluoroethylene resins and graft resins, or similar low dielectric constant, low-loss organic materials.

[0035] In some embodiments, one or more dielectric materials may include ceramic-filled epoxy. For example, one or more dielectric materials may include organic compounds such as polymers (e.g., epoxy) and may include particles of ceramic dielectric materials such as barium titanate, calcium titanate, zinc oxide, alumina with low-burnout glass, or other suitable ceramic or glass-bonding materials.

[0036] However, other materials can be used, including N6000, epoxy-based N4000-13, bromine-free materials laminated on LCP, organic layers having high-K materials, unfilled high-K organic layers, Rogers 4350, Rogers 4003 materials (from Rogers Corporation), and other thermoplastic materials such as hydrocarbons, Teflon®, FR4, epoxy, polyamide, polyimide, and acrylates, polyphenylene sulfide resins, polyethylene terephthalate resins, polybutylene terephthalate resins, polyethylene sulfide resins, polyether ketone resins, polytetrafluoroethylene resins, BT resin compositions (e.g., Speedboard C), thermosetting resins (e.g., Hitachi MCL-LX-67F), and graft resins, or similar low dielectric constant, low-loss organic materials.

[0037] Furthermore, non-organic dielectric materials can be used, including ceramics, semiconducting or insulating materials such as barium titanate, calcium titanate, zinc oxide, alumina with low-burnout glass, or other suitable ceramic or glass-bonding materials. Alternatively, the dielectric material may be an organic compound such as epoxy (with or without ceramic, with or without glass fibers), which is common as a circuit board material, or other plastics, which is common as a dielectric. In these cases, the conductor may be copper foil that has been chemically etched to provide a pattern. In yet another embodiment, the dielectric material may include a material having a relatively high dielectric constant (K), such as one of NPO(COG), X7R, X5R, X7S, Z5U, Y5V, and strontium titanate. In such examples, the dielectric material may have a dielectric constant greater than 100, for example, in the range of about 100 to about 4000, and in some embodiments, about 1000 to about 3000.

[0038] Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows a component assembly 100 including a heat sink component 102 and an electrical component 104. Figures 2 and 3 show embodiments of the heat sink component 102, and Figure 4 shows an embodiment of the electrical component 104. Figure 5 provides a diagram of the component assembly 100 before the electrical component 104 is thinned and patterned. Figure 6 shows the component assembly 100 mounted on the mounting surface 20 of a device 10, such as a printed circuit board (PCB).

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, the electrical component 104 is placed on the heat sink component 102. Referring to Figure 2, the heat sink component 102 includes a heat sink substrate 106 having a first surface 108 and a second surface 110 opposite the first surface 108. The heat sink substrate 106 includes a non-conductive thermal conductive material. For example, the heat sink substrate may include any suitable material having generally low thermal resistivity and generally high electrical resistivity, such as aluminum nitride, beryllium oxide, or any other such material as described elsewhere in this specification.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, the conductive layer 114 may be formed on the second surface 110 of the heat sink substrate 106. The conductive layer 114 may be formed from a metal-containing material, as the conductive layer 114 may also be called a metal layer. For example, the conductive layer or metal layer 114 may be formed from a metallic material such as copper, nickel, gold, silver, or other metals or alloys. Other exemplary materials for forming the conductive layer 114 are described elsewhere in this specification. Furthermore, the conductive layer 114 may extend over all or only a portion of the second surface 110 of the heat sink substrate 106.

[0041] Referring here to Figure 3, in some embodiments, a conductive layer 112 may be formed on the first surface 108 of the heat sink substrate 106. In embodiments including both conductive layers 112 and 114, conductive layer 112 may be referred to as the first conductive layer 112, and conductive layer 114 may be referred to as the second conductive layer 114. The first conductive layer 112 may be formed from a metal-containing material, so that the first conductive layer 112 may also be called the metal layer. In embodiments where both the first conductive layer 112 and the second conductive layer 114 are metal layers, the first conductive layer 112 may be referred to as the first metal layer, and the second conductive layer 114 may be referred to as the second metal layer. The first conductive layer or first metal layer 112 and / or the second conductive layer or second metal layer 114 may be formed from a metallic material such as copper, nickel, gold, silver, or other metals or alloys. Other exemplary materials for forming the first conductive layer 112 are described elsewhere in this specification.

[0042] The first conductive layer 112 may extend over all or only a portion of the first surface 108 of the heat sink substrate 106. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the first conductive layer 112 extends to each of the four edges defining the extent of the first surface 108 of the heat sink substrate 106, but the gap 116 is formed or defined in the first conductive layer 112 such that no conductive material is present within the gap 116. As shown in Figure 3, the gap 116 may have a main portion 116a extending longitudinally along the longitudinal direction X defined by the heat sink substrate 106, and one or more arm portions 116b extending in the width direction along the transverse direction Y defined by the heat sink substrate 106.

[0043] The gap 116 can receive adhesive for joining the heat sink component 102 and the electrical component 104 to each other, as shown in Figure 1. That is, the gap 116 can provide a receptacle for the adhesive so that at least some of the adhesive does not squeeze out or flow out of the component assembly 100 when the heat sink component 102 and the electrical component 104 are joined together. The adhesive may be a polymer adhesive such as epoxy, or any other suitable type of adhesive. In other embodiments, the heat sink component 102 and the electrical component 104 may be joined to each other using other types of connections, as described elsewhere in this specification.

[0044] The first conductive layer 112 and / or the second conductive layer 114 of the heat sink component 102 can impart additional structural integrity to the heat sink component 102 and the component assembly 100. Specifically, the first conductive layer 112 and / or the second conductive layer 114 can add mechanical strength to the heat sink component 102, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the component assembly 100 when assembled with the electrical component 104 to form the component assembly 100. The material forming the first conductive layer 112 and / or the second conductive layer 114 can be selected to provide the desired mechanical strength to the component assembly 100. The mechanical strength or stability provided by the conductive layers 112, 114 may allow the component substrate 120 (Figures 4 and 5) of the electrical component 104 to be of relatively thin thickness, as described elsewhere in this specification. Furthermore, the first conductive layer 112 and / or the second conductive layer 114 can provide electrical connections between and / or through the heat sink component 102 and the electrical component 104, as described herein.

[0045] As further shown in Figure 3, at least one via 118 extends through the heat sink substrate 106 from the first conductive layer 112 to the second conductive layer 114. In the illustrated embodiment, a total of eight vias 118 are formed within the heat sink substrate 106, arranged in two rows of four vias 118 spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal direction X, and the rows spaced apart from each other along the transverse direction Y. In some embodiments, at least one via 118 may contain conductive material to electrically connect the first conductive layer 112 and the second conductive layer 114. The plurality of vias 118 shown in Figure 3 are merely examples, and it will be understood that any suitable number and arrangement of vias 118 may be used, for example, to electrically connect the first conductive layer 112 and the second conductive layer 114.

[0046] Referring here to Figure 4, the electrical component 104 may include a component substrate 120. The component substrate has an original first surface 122 and a second surface 124 opposite the original first surface 122. Similar to the heat sink component 102, the electrical component may include a conductive layer 126 formed on the second surface 124 of the component substrate 120. Similar to the first and second conductive layers 112, 114 of the heat sink component 102, the conductive layer 126 of the electrical component 104 may be formed from any suitable conductive material, such as a metal or a metal-containing material. If the conductive layer 126 is formed from a material containing at least one metal, it may be referred to as a metallic layer. Furthermore, the conductive layer 126 extends over at least a portion of the second surface 124 of the component substrate 120. In some embodiments, the conductive layer 126 extends over the entire second surface 124 of the component substrate 120.

[0047] Furthermore, similar to the first and second conductive layers 112 and 114 of the heat sink component 102, the conductive layer 126 of the electrical component 104 can provide mechanical strength to the component substrate 120 while also providing an electrical connection between the heat sink component 102 and the electrical component 104. For example, the conductive layer 126 may be formed from a material having higher rigidity than the component substrate 120, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the electrical component 104. As described herein, the mechanical integrity provided by the conductive layer 126 and the heat sink component 102 may allow the component substrate 120 to be thinner than its typical thickness, for example, thinner than the typical thickness of a component of a larger size or footprint.

[0048] Referring to Figure 5, the electrical component 104 can be assembled with the heat sink component 102 to form a component assembly 100. For example, the second surface 124 of the component substrate 120 may be adjacent to the first surface 108 of the heat sink substrate 106. The two components 102 and 104 can be joined together by applying an adhesive (not shown) between the heat sink component 102 and the electrical component 104. For example, as described above, a gap 116 may be formed in at least one of the first conductive layer 112 located on the first surface 108 of the heat sink substrate 106 or the conductive layer 126 formed on the second surface 124 of the component substrate 120. Although not shown in the figure, it will be understood that the gap 116 formed in the conductive layer 126 of the electrical component 104 may be configured similarly to the gap 116 shown with respect to the heat sink component 102. At least a portion of the adhesive may be received in the gap 116 so that it remains between the heat sink component 102 and the electrical component 104 when they come into contact with each other. More specifically, when parts 102 and 104 are brought into contact with each other, the adhesive may spread and, in some cases, move beyond the edges of parts 102 and 104, but the gap 116 helps ensure that at least some adhesive remains between parts 102 and 104 to bond them together. It will be understood that the adhesive may be any suitable substance or material for holding the heat sink parts 102 and electrical parts 104 together, such as epoxy (or epoxy resin) or other binders.

[0049] The heat sink component 102 and the electrical component 104 may be joined or bonded to each other in other ways as well. For example, a metallized connection can be formed between components 102 and 104. More specifically, in an embodiment including a first conductive layer 112 formed on a first surface 108 of the heat sink substrate 106 and a conductive layer 126 formed on a second surface 124 of the component substrate 120, the first conductive layer 112 can come into contact with the conductive layer 126 when the electrical component 104 is laminated with the heat sink component 102, as shown in Figure 5. In an embodiment where the first conductive layer 112 is a first metal layer and the conductive layer 126 is a component metal layer, the first metal layer can be joined to the component metal layer via a metallized connection. For example, the metal layers can be soldered together, or heat can be selectively applied to melt the metal layers together at at least one location.

[0050] After joining the electrical component 104 to the heat sink component 102, the thickness of the electrical component 104 can be reduced. For example, the original first surface 122 of the component substrate 120 may remain exposed after joining the components 102 and 104 to each other. The component substrate 120 may be processed along the original first surface 122, for example by grinding, in order to reduce the thickness of the component substrate 120 and, consequently, the electrical component 104. After processing, the component substrate 120 has a first surface 122' opposite to the second surface 124, and a thickness t between the first surface 122' and the second surface 124. csub This is stipulated.

[0051] Because the heat sink component 102 provides additional mechanical stability to the electrical component 104, the thickness of the electrical component 104 can be reduced after the electrical component 104 is bonded to the heat sink component 102, rather than before the components 102 and 104 are bonded together. Furthermore, the mechanical stability provided by the heat sink component 102 can make the component substrate 120 thinner than previously achieved.

[0052] For example, the component substrate 120 has a thickness t of less than approximately 75 μm (micrometers or microns). csubcan have. In some embodiments, the component substrate 120 has a thickness t of less than about 125 μm, in some embodiments less than about 250 μm, and in some embodiments less than about 500 μm csub can have. The thickness t of the component substrate 120 csub may be within the range of about 50 μm to about 600 μm, such as within the range of about 75 μm to about 500 μm, within the range of about 100 μm to about 400 μm, or within the range of about 150 μm to about 300 μm

[0053] Also, the thickness t of the component substrate 120 csub The ratio of the thickness t of the heat sink substrate 106 to the thickness t of the component substrate 120 hssub may be at least about 0.2. In some embodiments, the ratio of the thickness t of the heat sink substrate 106 to the thickness t of the component substrate 120 csub The ratio of the thickness t of the heat sink substrate 106 to the thickness t of the component substrate 120 hssub may be at least about 0.5, in some embodiments at least about 1, in some embodiments at least about 5, in some embodiments at least about 10, and in some embodiments at least about 20. For example, the ratio of the thickness t of the heat sink substrate 106 to the thickness t of the component substrate 12 csub The ratio of the thickness t of the heat sink substrate 106 to the thickness t of the component substrate 120 hssub may be within the range of about 0.2 to about 25, such as within the range of about 0.25 to about 20, or within the range of about 1 to about 15

[0054] Furthermore, the ratio of the thickness t of the component substrate to the overall thickness t of the component assembly 100 is at least about 1.1. In some embodiments, the ratio of the thickness t of the component substrate 120 to the overall thickness t of the component assembly 100 csub is at least about 2, in some embodiments at least about 3, in some embodiments at least about 5, in some embodiments at least about 10, and in some embodiments at least about 25. For example, the ratio of the thickness t of the component substrate 120 to the overall thickness t of the component assembly 100 csub is within the range of about 2 to about 30, such as within the range of about 3 to about 25, or within the range of about 5 to about 20 csub may be within the range of about 2 to about 30, such as within the range of about 3 to about 25, or within the range of about 5 to about 20

[0055] It will also be understood that the component substrate 120 can be thinned (or its thickness reduced) through multiple iterations. For example, the component substrate 120 may undergo a first processing after forming a conductive layer 126 on a second surface 124 of the component substrate 120, and the component substrate 120 may be processed along the original first surface 122 (e.g., by grinding). After bonding the electrical component 104 to the heat sink component 102, the component substrate 120 may undergo a second processing, in which the component substrate 120 is processed along the surface exposed in the first processing step. Other methods for thinning the thickness of the component substrate 120 of the electrical component 104 can also be used.

[0056] Referring again to Figure 1, a conductive pattern 128 can be formed on the first surface 122' of the component substrate 120 of the electrical component 104. That is, after thinning the component substrate 120, an electrical path can be formed on the exposed surface 122' of the component substrate 120. In some embodiments, the conductive pattern 128 includes one or more thin-film components. As an example, as shown in Figure 1, the conductive pattern 128 may include a first terminal 130, a second terminal 132, and a resistive element 134 extending from the first terminal 130 to the second terminal 132. The resistive element 134 may be, for example, a thin-film resistor consisting of one or more resistive layers, or a thin-film varistor. However, it will be understood that the conductive pattern 128 shown herein is merely an example, and the conductive pattern 128 can incorporate any desired shape, design, or structure of electrical elements or conductive paths. For example, the conductive pattern 128 may include one or more passive components, such as one or more capacitors, inductors, resistors, or transmission lines in series or parallel, to form individual components, and / or the conductive pattern 128 may include various circuits such as filters, splitters, attenuators, and diplexers.

[0057] Referring now to Figure 6, in some embodiments, the component assembly 100 can be mounted on the mounting surface 20 of the device 10. The device 10 may be a printed circuit board (PCB) or the like. For example, the second conductive layer 114 of the heat sink component 102 may be in contact with the mounting surface 20 of the device 10. More specifically, in some embodiments, the second conductive layer 114 may be in contact with electrical and / or thermal conductive terminals formed in or on the mounting surface 20 of the device 10, which can conduct heat and / or current from the component assembly 100 into the device 10.

[0058] This disclosure also includes methods for forming a component assembly, such as a component assembly 100. Referring to Figure 7, an exemplary method 700 for forming the component assembly 100 includes depositing a conductive material on a second surface 110 of a heat sink substrate 106 of a heat sink component 102 to form a second conductive layer 114 on the heat sink substrate 106 (702). As described herein, the heat sink substrate 106 comprises a non-conductive thermal conductive material, and the second surface 110 of the heat sink substrate 106 is on the opposite side of the first surface 108 of the heat sink substrate 106. In some embodiments, method 700 also includes depositing a conductive material on the first surface 108 of the heat sink substrate 106 to form a first conductive layer 112 on the heat sink substrate 106 (704).

[0059] Referring to Figure 7, Method 700 may also include (706) forming at least one via 118 within the heat sink substrate 106. The via 118 may extend from a first surface 108 of the heat sink substrate 106 to a second surface 110 of the heat sink substrate 106. For example, in an embodiment including both layers 112, 114, the via 118 may extend between the first conductive layer 112 on the first surface 108 of the heat sink substrate 106 and the second conductive layer 114 on the second surface 110 of the heat sink substrate 106. In such an embodiment, Method 700 may include (708) depositing conductive material within at least one via 118 to electrically connect the first conductive layer 112 and the second conductive layer 114. The conductive material may be the same material as the material forming the first conductive layer 112 and / or the second conductive layer 114. One or more vias 118 can be formed in the heat sink substrate 106 by drilling or otherwise defining the vias 118.

[0060] Furthermore, the method may also include depositing a conductive material on a second surface 124 of the component substrate 120 of the electrical component 104 to form a conductive layer 126 on the component substrate 120 (710). In the illustrated embodiment, the method 700 further includes bonding a first conductive layer 112 of the heat sink substrate 106 to the conductive layer 126 of the component substrate 120 (712). The component substrate 120 may be positioned on the heat sink substrate 106 such that the second surface 124 of the component substrate 120 is adjacent to the first surface 108 of the heat sink substrate 106.

[0061] As an example, bonding the first conductive layer 112 of the heat sink substrate 106 to the conductive layer 126 of the component substrate 120 may include bonding the first conductive layer 112 to the conductive layer 126 of the component substrate 120 with an adhesive. Depositing a conductive material on a first surface 108 of the heat sink substrate 106 to form the first conductive layer 112 (704), and / or depositing a conductive material on a second surface 124 of the component substrate 120 to form the conductive layer 126 (710), as will be described in more detail elsewhere in this specification, may include forming a gap 116 in the conductive material for receiving an adhesive. Naturally, the heat sink component 102 and the electrical component 104 may be bonded to each other in other ways as described herein.

[0062] As shown in Figure 7, Method 700 processes the component substrate 120 to a thickness t of less than approximately 600 μm. csub The component substrate 120 is processed to have an initial thickness t csub_i This may include reducing (714). Machining the component substrate 120 involves grinding the original first surface 122 of the component substrate 120, thereby reducing the thickness of the component substrate t csub This may also include forming a new first surface 122' of the component substrate 120 that is spaced apart from the second surface 124. Furthermore, as described elsewhere in this specification, the component substrate 120 can be bonded to the heat sink substrate 106 before the component substrate 120 is machined to reduce its thickness, for example, the heat sink substrate 106 will have a resulting component thickness t csub To facilitate a relatively significant reduction in thickness, the component substrate 120 can be made relatively thin, thereby providing additional stability. For example, the heat sink component 102 can reinforce the electrical component 104, thereby allowing the component substrate 120 to be processed or thinned to a relatively extreme level without causing, for example, warping or cracking. In some embodiments, the component substrate 120 has an initial thickness t csub_i Approximately 1 / 2 (approximately 50%) or less, for example, the initial thickness t of the component substrate 120. csub_iIt can be processed to approximately 1 / 3 (approximately 33%), approximately 1 / 4 (approximately 25%), approximately 1 / 5 (approximately 20%), approximately 1 / 6 (approximately 17%), and approximately 1 / 8 (approximately 12.5%) or less.

[0063] The component substrate 120 is processed to achieve a thickness t csub After reducing the amount, method 700 may include forming a conductive pattern 128 on the first surface 122' of the component substrate 120 of the electrical component 104 (716). As described herein, the conductive pattern 128 may include one or more thin film components, one or more conductive wires or traces, or any other suitable conductive elements. For example, forming the conductive pattern 128 may include depositing a conductive material to form at least one of a capacitor, inductor, resistor, transmission line, filter, splitter, attenuator, or diplexer. As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the conductive pattern 128 in the illustrated embodiment of the component assembly 100 includes a resistive element 134 connected between a first terminal 130 and a second terminal 132. Therefore, forming the conductive pattern 128 (716) includes forming the first terminal 130, the second terminal 132, and the resistive element 134 on the first surface 122' of the component substrate 120 by depositing a conductive material on the first surface 122' to define the first terminal 130, the second terminal 132, and the resistive element 134. However, the conductive pattern 128 may have any desired configuration.

[0064] The conductive material can be deposited on the first surface 108 and / or second surface 110 of the heat sink substrate 106 and the second surface 124 of the component substrate 120 using any suitable method or technique. For example, subtractive, semi-additive, or fully additive methods can be used, using panel or pattern electroplating of the conductive material, followed by printing and etching steps to form a patterned conductive layer. The conductive layer can be formed using photolithography, plating (e.g., electrolytic), sputtering, vacuum deposition, printing, or other techniques. For example, a thin layer of conductive material (e.g., foil) may be bonded (e.g., laminated) to the surface of a substrate which may be a dielectric material. The thin layer of conductive material can be selectively etched using a mask and photolithography to generate a desired pattern of the conductive material on the surface of the substrate.

[0065] These and other modifications and variations of the present invention can be carried out by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that the aspects of the various embodiments may be interchangeable, either whole or in part. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the foregoing description is merely illustrative and is not intended to limit the invention to what is so further described in the appended claims, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 10 devices 20 Implementation aspects 100-part assembly 102 Heatsink Parts 104 Electrical components 106 Heatsink board 108 First side 110 Second side 112 First conductive layer 114 Second conductive layer 116 Gap 116a Main section 116b Arm 118 Beer 120 component board 122 The original first face 122' First side 124 Second side 126 Conductive layer 128 conductive patterns 130 First terminal 132 Second terminal 134 Resistors 700 methods

Claims

1. It is a parts assembly, It is a heat sink component, A heat sink substrate comprising a non-conductive thermal conductive material, the heat sink substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, A heat sink component including a second conductive layer formed on the second surface of the heat sink substrate, and It is an electrical component, A component substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, An electrical component comprising a conductive pattern formed on the first surface of the component substrate, The electrical component is arranged on the heat sink component such that the second surface of the component substrate is adjacent to the first surface of the heat sink substrate in the component assembly.

2. The component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the heat sink component further comprises a first conductive layer formed on the first surface of the heat sink substrate.

3. The component assembly according to claim 2, wherein the electrical component further comprises a conductive layer formed on the second surface of the component substrate.

4. The component assembly according to claim 3, wherein the first conductive layer of the heat sink component is bonded to the conductive layer of the electrical component.

5. The component assembly according to claim 4, wherein the first conductive layer is bonded to the conductive layer of the electrical component using epoxy.

6. The component assembly according to claim 4, wherein the first conductive layer is a first metal layer, the conductive layer of the electrical component is a component metal layer, and the first metal layer is joined to the component metal layer via a metal film connecting portion.

7. The component assembly according to claim 4, wherein the first conductive layer extends over the entire first surface of the heat sink substrate, and the conductive layer of the electrical component extends over the entire second surface of the component substrate.

8. The component assembly according to claim 4, wherein a gap is formed in the first conductive layer or in at least one of the conductive layers of the electrical component to receive an adhesive.

9. The component assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first conductive layer extends over the entire first surface of the heat sink substrate.

10. The component assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first conductive layer is a first metal layer and the second conductive layer is a second metal layer.

11. The component assembly according to claim 2, wherein at least one via extends through the heat sink substrate from the first conductive layer to the second conductive layer.

12. The component assembly according to claim 11, wherein the at least one via comprises a conductive material that electrically connects the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer.

13. The component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrical component further comprises a conductive layer formed on the second surface of the component substrate.

14. The component assembly according to claim 13, wherein the conductive layer of the electrical component extends over the entire second surface of the component substrate.

15. The component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the electrical component is joined to the heat sink component using an adhesive.

16. The component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the component substrate has a thickness of less than approximately 600 μm.

17. The component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the thickness of the heat sink substrate to the thickness of the component substrate is at least about 0.

2.

18. The component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the overall thickness of the component assembly to the thickness of the component substrate is at least about 2.

19. The component assembly according to claim 1, wherein the conductive pattern includes at least one of a capacitor, inductor, resistor, transmission line, filter, splitter, attenuator, or diplexer.

20. A method for forming a parts assembly, wherein the method is A step of depositing a conductive material onto a second surface of a heat sink substrate to form a second conductive layer on the heat sink substrate, wherein the heat sink substrate includes a non-conductive thermal conductive material, and the second surface of the heat sink substrate is on the opposite side of the first surface of the heat sink substrate. The steps include forming a conductive pattern on a first surface of a component substrate of an electrical component, wherein the component substrate has a second surface opposite to the first surface, A method wherein the component substrate is placed on the heat sink substrate such that the second surface of the component substrate is adjacent to the first surface of the heat sink substrate.

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