Large image sensor package

Abstract

This specification discloses an image sensor package comprising a printed circuit board, an image sensor electrically coupled to the printed circuit board, a sealing configuration coupled to the front of the printed circuit board via a first gasket, and a base coupled to the back of the printed circuit board via a second gasket. Electronic components embedded on the back of the printed circuit board align with and connect to mating pads surrounding the image sensor on the front of the printed circuit board. Wire bonds electrically connect the image sensor to the mating pads and electronic components. The sealing configuration includes a cover mounted on a frame surrounding the image sensor. A gap separates the image sensor from contact with the surrounding printed circuit board, which is coupled to the image sensor via the base.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Background A camera is a device used to capture and record images of real objects in the form of photographs and / or videos. To capture and record such images, a camera generally comprises a camera body and a camera lens. The camera lens allows light reflected from real-world objects to pass through, and focuses the light onto an imaging surface within the camera body that captures the focused light as an image. The image may then be used to generate a photograph or a frame in a high-quality video stream. The camera body may also include a processor for executing computer-readable instructions that control various operations of the camera, and a storage device for storing captured images. Some cameras may receive power from an external power source (for example, via a wired connection to a power outlet), while other cameras may receive power from an internal power source (for example, a built-in or attachable battery pack). Various components of the camera must be adjusted and / or improved over time to keep up with the constantly evolving demands for higher resolution photographs, higher quality videos, larger display screens, faster streaming speeds, and the like.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0002] Brief Summary This specification discloses embodiments of systems, apparatus, devices, methods, and / or computer program products related to image sensor packages for large-format camera systems, as well as combinations and partial combinations thereof. The image sensor package is configured to mechanically decouple various components within the image sensor package (e.g., image sensor, ceramic base, alumina frame, glass cover, etc.) to accommodate the different thermal expansions of adjacent and jointly bonded components during operation and to maintain signal integrity. The image sensor package is further configured to strategically position electronic components such as capacitors near the image sensor within the image sensor package, while keeping electronic components out of the mating pads between the sensor and the printed circuit board surrounding the image sensor, thereby improving signal transmission and minimizing the potential risk of pad contamination within the image sensor package.

[0003] In some embodiments, the image sensor package includes, among other things, a printed circuit board having a first surface and a second surface; an image sensor electrically coupled to the printed circuit board via a plurality of wire bonds; a sealing configuration bonded to the first surface of the printed circuit board via a first gasket or epoxy; a base bonded to the second surface of the printed circuit board via a second gasket or epoxy resin; and a plurality of electronic components embedded on the second surface of the printed circuit board. The plurality of wire bonds electrically connect the image sensor to a mating pad positioned on the first surface of the printed circuit board. The sealing configuration includes a cover mounted on a frame surrounding the outer periphery of the image sensor. The base bonds the image sensor to the printed circuit board. The plurality of electronic components align with the mating pad on the first surface of the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board surrounds the image sensor, and the image sensor is separated from contact with the printed circuit board by a gap.

[0004] In some examples, the first gasket is a first ball bearing positioned in a first groove within the frame of the sealing configuration, and the first ball bearing allows the sealing configuration to move while in contact with a first surface of the printed circuit board.

[0005] In some examples, the second gasket is a second ball bearing positioned in a second groove within the base, which allows the base to move while in contact with a second surface of the printed circuit board.

[0006] In some examples, the base further includes a channel surrounding the outer periphery of the image sensor, and multiple electronic components are positioned within the channel in the base.

[0007] In some examples, mating pads on the first surface of the printed circuit board surround the outer periphery of the image sensor and are positioned between the frame and the image sensor. The area including the mating pads is sealed by a sealing configuration to protect the image sensor from potential contaminants in the surrounding environment.

[0008] In some examples, mating pads on a first surface of a printed circuit board are electrically coupled to multiple electronic components embedded on a second surface of the printed circuit board.

[0009] In some examples, the frame positions the cover at a predetermined distance from the image sensor.

[0010] In another embodiment, the image sensor package includes, among other things, an image sensor, a printed circuit board surrounding the image sensor, a gap separating the image sensor from contact with the surrounding printed circuit board, and a plurality of electronic components embedded in the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board has a first surface and a second surface. The image sensor is electrically coupled to the surrounding printed circuit board via a plurality of wire bonds connected to the first surface of the printed circuit board. The plurality of electronic components are embedded on the second surface of the printed circuit board and aligned with the plurality of wire bonds on the first surface of the printed circuit board. The plurality of wire bonds electrically connect the image sensor and the plurality of electronic components via the printed circuit board.

[0011] In yet another embodiment, the image sensor package includes, among other things, an image sensor, a printed circuit board surrounding the image sensor, a sealing configuration, and a base. The printed circuit board has a first surface and a second surface. The sealing configuration is coupled to the first surface of the printed circuit board via a first gasket. The base is coupled to the second surface of the printed circuit board via a second gasket, and the base couples the image sensor to the surrounding printed circuit board.

[0012] The descriptions provided in the summary section represent only examples of embodiments. Other embodiments in this disclosure may offer a variety of scopes different from those described in the summary.

[0013] Further features and advantages, as well as the structure and operation of various aspects, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that certain aspects described herein are not intended to be limiting. Such aspects are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. Further aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the teachings contained herein. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] The accompanying drawings incorporated herein and forming part thereof illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, further assist in illustrating the principles of the present disclosure and enabling those skilled in the art to create and use embodiments. Note that, in accordance with standard practice in the industry, features are not depicted to scale. In fact, the dimensions of features may be arbitrarily enlarged or reduced for clarity of description.

[0015] [Figure 1] Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary camera system, including a camera body and lens housing, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 2] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computer system used within the camera body shown in Figure 1, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 3] Figure 3 illustrates a front perspective view of an image sensor package having a sealing configuration including a cover and frame, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a rear perspective view of the image sensor package shown in Figure 3, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows a front perspective view of an image sensor package with the sealing cover removed, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a front perspective view of an image sensor package with the cover and frame of the sealing configuration removed, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 7]Figure 7 illustrates a rear perspective view of an image sensor package with a base removed, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] [Figure 8] Figure 8 illustrates a side perspective view of the image sensor package shown in Figure 3, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] [Figure 9] Figure 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal direction of an image sensor package, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] In the drawings, like reference numerals generally refer to the same or similar elements. In addition, generally, the leftmost digit(s) of a reference numeral identifies the drawing in which the reference numeral first appears.

[0025] Aspects of the present disclosure are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0026] Detailed Description A camera system may include a camera lens, a camera body, and a power supply. In some camera systems, the camera lens may be removably attachable to the camera body. Light enters the camera lens, and the camera lens focuses incident light to a focal point at the center of an imaging surface located within the camera body. The imaging surface captures the focused light as an image, and the image may then be used to generate a high-resolution photograph or a frame in a high-quality video stream.

[0027] The imaging surface may be an image sensor package including a printed circuit board and an image sensor. The image sensor may be bonded to a base via thermally conductive epoxy, and the base may bond the image sensor to one side of the printed circuit board. On the opposite side of the printed circuit board, the image sensor may be protected from potential contaminants in the external environment by a sealing mechanism having a frame and cover configuration. The cover may be bonded to the frame, and the frame may surround the image sensor, so that the frame and cover configuration creates an airtight seal to protect the image sensor from external contaminants such as dust and debris that may affect the quality of the captured image.

[0028] Each component within an image sensor package, including, but not limited to, the image sensor, base, cover, frame, and printed circuit board, may have a different coefficient of thermal expansion. During camera system operation, the image sensor can generate considerable heat output, thereby causing each component of the image sensor package to expand or contract at different rates based on the respective coefficients of thermal expansion of each component. This can cause various components of the image sensor package to interfere with and adversely affect the performance of other components. For example, the image sensor may expand at a different rate than the base and printed circuit board, thus potentially causing cracks in the image sensor or printed circuit board. Similarly, the frame may expand at a different rate than the cover, thus potentially causing cracks in the cover and compromising the integrity of the sealing mechanism that protects the image sensor from contaminants in the external environment. To mitigate these problems, adjacent components within an image sensor package may be made from materials with substantially similar coefficients of thermal expansion. For example, the frame may be made from alumina, while the cover may be made from glass. Since alumina and glass have similar coefficients of thermal expansion, they expand or contract at similar rates during the operation of the camera system, which can prevent excessive cracking of either component.

[0029] However, simply using materials with substantially similar thermal expansion coefficients for adjacent components within an image sensor package is often insufficient to maintain the integrity of the various components and ensure optimal operation of the image sensor package. The problem of different thermal expansion coefficients between adjacent components is particularly prevalent in large-format camera systems, where the components are larger and any potential thermal expansion of a component has a more significant impact on its adjacent components. Therefore, additional mechanisms are required to accommodate the different thermal expansion coefficients of adjacent components during operation.

[0030] The embodiments described herein relate to image sensor packages for large-format camera systems. The image sensor package is configured to mechanically decouple various components within the package (e.g., image sensor, ceramic base, alumina frame, glass cover, etc.) to accommodate different thermal expansions of adjacent components during operation and to maintain signal integrity. The image sensor package is further configured to strategically position electronic components such as capacitors closer to the image sensor within the package, while keeping electronic components away from the mating pads surrounding the image sensor, thereby improving signal transmission and minimizing the potential risk of pad contamination within the image sensor package.

[0031] The image sensor package of this disclosure includes a printed circuit board, an image sensor electrically coupled to the printed circuit board, a sealing configuration coupled to the front of the printed circuit board via a first gasket, and a base coupled to the back of the printed circuit board via a second gasket. The first gasket mechanically decouples the sealing configuration from other components within the image sensor package, and the second gasket mechanically decouples the base (epoxy-bonded to the image sensor) from other components within the image sensor package. This allows the various components of the image sensor package to expand or contract at different rates during operation without adversely affecting adjacent components, as will be further described below with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, electronic components embedded on the back of the printed circuit board align with and are electrically connected to mating pads surrounding the image sensor on the front of the printed circuit board. Wire bonds electrically connect the image sensor to the mating pads on the front of the printed circuit board and thus also form an electrical connection between the image sensor and the electronic components on the back of the printed circuit board. By positioning electrical components on the back of the printed circuit board, aligned with the mating pads on the front of the printed circuit board, the image sensor package can minimize signal transmission distance and reduce the risk of pad contamination.

[0032] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the meanings of “on,” “above,” and “over” in this disclosure should be interpreted most broadly, so that “on” means not only “directly on” something, but also “on” something that has an intermediate feature or layer between them. Furthermore, “above” or “over” may mean not only “above” something or “over” something, but also “above” something or “over” something that does not have an intermediate feature or layer between them (i.e., directly on something).

[0033] Furthermore, spatial relative terms such as “front,” “back,” “left,” “right,” “top,” “bottom,” “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” and “upper” may be used herein to facilitate descriptions of the relationship between one element or feature and another (one or more) element or feature, as illustrated in the drawings. Spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or processing steps, in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. The device may be oriented differently (rotated 90 degrees or in another direction), and the spatial relative descriptors used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0034] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary camera system 100 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the camera system 100 includes a camera body 105, a lens housing 110, and a power supply 115. The camera body 105 may include a handle 120 that allows a user to support, carry, or otherwise physically operate the camera system 100. Other configurations and designs for the handle 120 may be used to support the camera system 100 in other embodiments of the present disclosure and should be understood by those skilled in the art that are not exclusively disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the power supply 115 may be detachably coupled to the camera body 105 and configured to provide sufficient voltage to power the operation of the camera body 105. For example, the power supply 115 may be a detachable battery pack that provides DC voltage to the camera body 105. In another example, the power supply 115 may be a power outlet that provides AC voltage via a plug and wires that can be connected to the camera body 105. In other embodiments, the power supply 115 may be integrated into the camera body 105 and not detachable by the user. For example, the power source 115 may be a disposable battery or a rechargeable battery located within the camera body 105.

[0035] The lens housing 110 may provide mechanical support for several camera lenses 125 positioned along the z-axis of the lens housing 110. Each camera lens 125 may be separated by a predetermined distance along the z-axis so that incident light 130 is ideally focused onto the imaging plane in the camera body 105. In some embodiments, the predetermined distance between each pair of lenses 125 may be a number calculated to achieve a desired focal point of the incident light 130 on the imaging plane. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the predetermined distance between each pair of lenses 125 may be the same or different in various embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the predetermined distance between each pair of lenses 125 may be adjustable manually or automatically. The lens housing 110 may further include an external cover (not separately enumerated) to protect the camera lenses 125 from the external environment (e.g., dust, weather, debris, etc.).

[0036] In some embodiments of the camera system 100, the lens housing 110 may be detachably coupled to the camera body 105. This scenario allows a user to swap one lens housing 110 containing a specific configuration of the camera lens 125 that achieves a particular focus for another lens housing 110 containing a different configuration of the camera lens 125 that achieves a different focus. In other embodiments of the camera system 100, the lens housing 110 may be attached to the camera body 105 during the manufacturing process of the camera system 100 so that a user cannot easily swap one lens housing 110 for another without disassembling the camera system 100. This scenario may provide a camera system 100 that is more robust (i.e., there is no possibility of a user improperly connecting the lens housing 110 to the camera body 105, resulting in a "slop" in alignment) but has less flexibility in changing the desired focus of the incident light 130 on the imaging plane.

[0037] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 200 used within the camera body 105 shown in Figure 1, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Various embodiments may be implemented using one or more well-known computer systems, such as the exemplary computer system 200 shown in Figure 2. One or more computer systems 200 may be used, for example, to implement any of the embodiments described herein, as well as combinations and partial combinations thereof. The computer system 200 may be used to control various components of the camera system 100, including, but is not limited to, various operations of components in the camera body 105 and components in the lens housing 110.

[0039] In some embodiments, the exemplary computer system 200 may include one or more processors 205, memory 210, power supply 215, one or more sensors 220, one or more network connections 225, one or more user interfaces 230, and one or more computer-readable media 235. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that other embodiments of the disclosure may have more or fewer components than those enumerated herein. Each of these components may be coupled by a bus 202, which enables communication between the various components of the exemplary computer system.

[0040] Bus 202 may be any known internal or external bus technology, including, but not limited to, ISA, EISA, PCI, PCI Express, NuBus, USB, Serial ATA, Ethernet®, or FireWire®. Processor 205 (also called the central processing unit or CPU) may use any known processor technology, including, but not limited to, graphics processors (also called image processing units or GPUs) and multicore processors. In some embodiments, a GPU may be a processor with a dedicated electronic circuit design for processing mathematically intensive applications. A GPU may have a parallel structure that is efficient for parallel processing of large blocks of data, such as mathematically intensive data common to computer graphics applications, images, video, etc.

[0041] Memory 210 may include main or primary memory and one or more secondary memories. In some embodiments, primary memory may be volatile memory such as cache memory, random access memory (RAM), SDRAM, or ROM. Primary memory may include one or more levels of cache that internally store control logic (i.e., computer software) and / or data. In some embodiments, one or more secondary memories may be non-volatile memory such as, for example, a hard disk drive, optical disk, magnetic tape, floppy disk, or flash drive. One or more secondary memories may include a removable storage drive, which may interact with removable storage by reading from and / or writing to removable storage. The exemplary types of memory and devices enumerated herein are not exhaustive, and it should be understood by those skilled in the art that any other computer data storage device may be used in other embodiments of this disclosure.

[0042] The power supply 215 may be a DC voltage (e.g., a battery pack) or an AC voltage (e.g., a wired power outlet), as described above. The sensor 220 may be any type of sensor that enables the exemplary computer system 200 to perform operations on the camera body 105, including, but not limited to, an image sensor, a current sensor, a temperature sensor, a proximity sensor, etc. The network connection 225 may include a transmitter and receiver that enables the exemplary computer system 200 to form telecommunications with any combination of external devices, external networks, external entities, etc. For example, the network connection 225 may enable the computer system 200 to communicate with the Internet or other camera systems 100. In some embodiments, this communication may take place over a communication path that may be wired and / or wireless (or a combination thereof) and may include any combination of LAN, WAN, Internet, etc. Control logic and / or data may be transmitted to and from the computer system 200 over the communication path.

[0043] The user interface 230 allows a user to communicate with an exemplary computer system 200, and vice versa. In some embodiments, the user interface 230 may include an input device that allows a user to input control commands to the exemplary computer system 200, and a display device that allows the exemplary computer system 200 to communicate information and status of the operation of the camera body 105 to the user. For example, the input device may be any known input device technology, including, but not limited to, a keyboard (including a virtual keyboard), a pointing device, a mouse, a trackball, and a touch-sensitive pad or display, which allows a user to manually provide input to the exemplary computer system 200. The display device may be any known display technology, including, but not limited to, a monitor and / or display device using liquid crystal display (LCD) or light-emitting diode (LED) technology. In some embodiments, the display device may be located on the camera body 105 and allow the exemplary computer system 200 to output information to the user.

[0044] The computer-readable medium 235 is stored in memory 210 and may contain instructions to the processor 205 for the operation of an exemplary computer system 200. In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium 235 may contain a variety of instructions 240-260. For example, the computer-readable medium 235 may contain a variety of instructions 240 for implementing an operating system (e.g., Mac OS®, Windows®, Linux®). The operating system may be multi-user, multi-processing, multi-tasking, multi-threaded, real-time, etc. The operating system may perform basic tasks including, but are not limited to, recognizing input from input devices of the user interface 230, sending output to display devices of the user interface 230, organizing files and directories on memory 210, controlling accessory devices attached to the camera body 105 which can be controlled directly or via an I / O controller (e.g., adjusting a predetermined distance between camera lenses 125 in a mounted lens housing 110), and managing traffic on the bus 202. In another example, the computer-readable medium 235 may also include a variety of instructions 245 for establishing and maintaining network connectivity (e.g., software for implementing communication protocols such as TCP / IP, HTTP, Ethernet®, and telephone communication). In yet another example, the computer-readable medium 235 may further include a variety of instructions 250 for performing power management based on information collected by the sensor 220 (e.g., entering a power-saving mode when the voltage from the power supply 215 falls below a threshold). In yet another example, the computer-readable medium 235 may further include a variety of instructions 260 for performing memory storage operations to store captured images in memory 210. The exemplary instructions described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be exhaustive. Those skilled in the art will recognize that in other embodiments of this disclosure, a variety of other types of instructions may be included in the computer-readable medium 235 to serve different purposes.

[0045] The exemplary computer system 200 may also be, to give some non-limiting examples, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a desktop workstation, a laptop or notebook computer, a netbook, a tablet, a smartphone, a smartwatch or other wearable, an appliance, part of the Internet of Things, and / or an embedded system, or any combination thereof.

[0046] The exemplary computer system 200 could be a client or server accessing or hosting any application and / or data via any delivery paradigm, including, but not limited to, remote or distributed cloud computing solutions, local or on-premises software ("on-premises" cloud-based solutions), "as a service" models (e.g., Content as a Service (CaaS), Digital Content as a Service (DCaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), Management Software as a Service (MSaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Desktop as a Service (DaaS), Framework as a Service (FaaS), Backend as a Service (BaaS), Mobile Backend as a Service (MBaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), etc.), and / or a hybrid model including any combination of the aforementioned examples or other service or delivery paradigms.

[0047] Any applicable data structures, file formats, and schemas within the computer system 200 may be derived from standards, but are not limited to, JavaScript® Object Notation (JSON), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Yet Another Markup Language (YAML), Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML), Wireless Markup Language (WML), MessagePack, XML User Interface Language (XUL), or any other functionally similar representation, either alone or in combination. Alternatively, proprietary data structures, formats, or schemas may be used exclusively or in combination with known or open standards.

[0048] According to some embodiments, a tangible non-temporary device or product comprising a tangible non-temporary computer-usable or readable medium having internally stored control logic (software) may be referred to herein as a computer program product or program storage device. When such control logic is executed by one or more data processing devices (such as a computer system 200), such data processing devices may be made to operate as described herein.

[0049] Based on the teachings contained herein, methods for creating and using embodiments of the disclosure using data processing devices, computer systems, and / or computer architectures other than those shown in Figure 2 will be apparent to those skilled in the art. In particular, embodiments can operate in conjunction with software, hardware, and / or operating system implementations other than those described herein.

[0050] Figures 3 to 9 illustrate various diagrams of an exemplary image sensor package 300 configured to be the imaging surface within the camera body 105, as described above.

[0051] In some embodiments of this disclosure, Figure 3 illustrates a front perspective view of the image sensor package 300, and Figure 4 illustrates a rear perspective view of the image sensor package 300. In the embodiments illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, the image sensor package 300 includes a printed circuit board 305 having a front 310 and a rear 315. In some embodiments, the printed circuit board 305 may include various components of an exemplary computer system illustrated in the block diagram of Figure 2, as described above. The sealing configuration 320 is coupled to the front 310 of the printed circuit board 305 via several fasteners 325 (see Figure 3), while the base 405 is coupled to the rear 315 of the printed circuit board 305 via several fasteners 410 (see Figure 4). The fasteners 325, 410 may be screws, nails, epoxy, or any other type of mechanical or chemical fasteners in other embodiments of this disclosure, and it should be understood by those skilled in the art that they are not exhaustively enumerated herein.

[0052] Referring to Figure 3, the sealing configuration 320 may include a cover 330 coupled to a frame 335. To accommodate the thermal expansion of the components constituting the sealing configuration 320 (e.g., the cover 330 and the frame 335), the components of the sealing configuration 320 may be made from materials having substantially similar coefficients of thermal expansion. For example, the cover 330 may be made from glass, while the frame 335 may be made from alumina. Since glass and alumina have substantially similar coefficients of thermal expansion, the cover 330 and the frame 335 expand and / or contract at substantially the same rate during the operation of the image sensor package 300, thus preventing excessive cracking of the cover 330 or the frame 335 during operation. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that in other embodiments of this disclosure, various other materials having similar coefficients of thermal expansion may be used for the cover 330 and the frame 335.

[0053] Figure 5 shows a front perspective view of the image sensor package 300 with the cover 330 of the sealing configuration 320 removed, exposing the image sensor 505 below. In some embodiments, the image sensor 505 may be the imaging surface of a camera system 100 configured to capture an image. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the image sensor 505 may be of any shape or size in various embodiments without departing from the teachings of this disclosure. As shown in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5, the frame 335 surrounds the outer periphery of the image sensor 505. When the cover 330 is coupled to the frame 335, and the frame 335 is coupled to the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board 305, the sealing configuration 320, including the cover 330 and the frame 335, creates an airtight seal around the image sensor 505. This airtight seal prevents potential contaminants in the environment (e.g., dust, debris, etc.) from affecting the image captured by the image sensor 505, and thus ensures the quality of the captured image.

[0054] Figure 6 shows a front perspective view of the image sensor package 300 with the sealing configuration 320, including the cover 330 and frame 335, completely removed. This exposes the first gasket 605 positioned beneath the frame 335, and the mating pad area 610 positioned between the first gasket 605 and the image sensor 505 on the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board 305. The first gasket 605 is configured to mechanically disengage the sealing configuration 320 from the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board 305, so that the cover 330 and frame 335 of the sealing configuration 320 can expand or contract relatively independently of the other components of the image sensor package 300, as will be described in more detail below with reference to Figure 9.

[0055] In conventional image sensor packages 300, wire bonds (not shown in Figure 6) can electrically connect the image sensor 505 to electronic components located on the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board 305 within the corresponding portion of the mating pad area 610. However, if the various components of the image sensor package 300 encounter thermal expansion during operation, the positions of the electronic components on the corresponding portion of the mating pad area 610 may shift accordingly, and therefore the wire bonds no longer connect the appropriate portion of the image sensor 505 to the correctly correlated electronic components on the portion of the mating pad area 610. This causes signal mismatch and signal loss problems within the image sensor package 300. Furthermore, placing electronic components on the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board 305 within the mating pad area 610 presents a high risk of pad contamination. Therefore, embodiments of the present disclosure aim to solve these problems by placing the electronic components on the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board 305, as will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 7 and 9.

[0056] Figure 7 shows a rear perspective view of the image sensor package 300 with the base 405 removed, exposing the image sensor 505, the second gasket 705 positioned beneath the base 405, and the electronic components 710 embedded on the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board 305 between the image sensor 505 and the second gasket 705. An additional layer of thermally conductive epoxy resin (not shown or enumerated in the embodiment of Figure 7) may be present between the image sensor 505 and the base 405 to bond the image sensor 505 to the base 405, and it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the base 405 provides mechanical support to the image sensor 505, enabling the image sensor 505 to be bonded to the printed circuit board 305. In some embodiments, the image sensor 505 may be very thin (e.g., less than 1 mm thick), so the base 405 is necessary to provide a stable surface for the image sensor 505. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the base 405 may include a layer of thermally conductive paste that functions as a heat sink for the image sensor 505. To accommodate the thermal expansion of the base 405 and the image sensor 505, the base 405 may be made from a material having a substantially similar coefficient of thermal expansion to the material of the image sensor 505. For example, in some embodiments, the base 405 may be made from ceramic, while the image sensor 505 may be made from silicon. Since ceramic and silicon can have substantially similar coefficients of thermal expansion, the base 405 and the image sensor 505 expand and / or contract at substantially the same rate during the operation of the image sensor package 300, thus avoiding excessive compression or tensile stress on the image sensor 505 during the operation of the image sensor package 300.

[0057] The second gasket 705 is configured to mechanically detach the base 405 and the image sensor 505 from the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board 305, so that the base 405 and the image sensor 505 can expand or contract relatively independently of the other components of the image sensor package 300, as will be described in more detail below with reference to Figure 9.

[0058] Figure 8 shows a side perspective view of the image sensor package 300, which includes a printed circuit board 305, a cover 330 and frame 335 coupled to the front 310 of the printed circuit board 305, and a base 405 coupled to the rear 315 of the printed circuit board 305, as previously described with reference to Figures 3 to 7. Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the image sensor package 300. Referring to Figure 8, the cross-sectional view of Figure 9 shows a cross-section of a portion 800 of the image sensor package 300 taken along a reference line 805 that runs along the longitudinal direction of the image sensor package 300. Various components of the image sensor package 300 will now be described with reference to the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 9.

[0059] Referring to Figure 9, the image sensor package 300 includes a printed circuit board 305 having a front surface 310 and a rear surface 315. The sealing configuration 320, including a cover 330 and a frame 335, can be mechanically detached from the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board via a first gasket 605 (see also Figure 6). Specifically, as shown in the embodiment of Figure 9, the first gasket 605 includes a first groove 905 positioned within the frame 335 and a first ball bearing 910 positioned within the first groove 905. The first ball bearing 910 abuts against the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board 305 and allows the sealing configuration 320 to move while abutting against the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board 305 if at least one of the cover 330 and / or frame 335 of the sealing configuration 320 encounters thermal expansion / contraction during the operation of the image sensor package 300. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that, depending on how the cover 330 and / or frame 335 encounter thermal expansion, the sealing configuration 320 may slide in any direction across the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board 305. This mechanical release of the sealing configuration 320 from the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board 305 prevents excessive cracking of the cover 330 and / or frame 335 during the operation of the image sensor package 300, thereby ensuring that the sealing configuration 320 provides an airtight seal to protect the image sensor 505 from external contaminants.

[0060] In some embodiments, the base 405 may be bonded to the image sensor 505 via a thermally conductive epoxy. Similar to the above description with respect to the first gasket 605, the base 405 and the image sensor 505 may be mechanically decoupled from the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board via a second gasket 705 (see also Figure 7). Specifically, as shown in the embodiment of Figure 9, the second gasket 705 includes a second groove 915 positioned within the base 405 and a second ball bearing 920 positioned within the second groove 915. The second ball bearing 920 abuts against the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board 305 and allows the base 405 and the image sensor 505 to move while abutting against the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board 305 if at least one of the base 405 and / or the image sensor 505 encounters thermal expansion / contraction during the operation of the image sensor package 300. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that, depending on how the base 405 and / or the image sensor 505 encounter thermal expansion, the base 405 coupled to the image sensor 505 may slide in any direction across the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board 305. Furthermore, a gap 925 exists between the outer periphery of the image sensor 505 and the surrounding printed circuit board 305. The gap 925 is configured to provide a buffer space for the image sensor 505 to expand during thermal expansion without stressing the integrity of the surrounding printed circuit board 305 or the electronic components 710 embedded on the printed circuit board 305. Mechanically disengaging the base 405 and the image sensor 505 from the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board 305, in combination with the gap 925 between the image sensor 505 and the surrounding printed circuit board 305, helps prevent excessive cracking of the image sensor 505 during the operation of the image sensor package 300. This is particularly necessary in large-format camera systems 100 that include larger components that are more significantly affected by thermal expansion during operation.

[0061] As described above, to avoid the conventional problems of pad contamination and signal mismatch / missing signals caused by inaccurate wire bonding of the image sensor 505 to the corresponding electronic component 710 after encountering thermal expansion, the embodiment in Figure 9 positions the electronic component 710 on the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board 305. As shown in the embodiment in Figure 9, the base 405 may further include a channel 930 surrounding the periphery of the image sensor 505. The channel 930 abuts against the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board 305 and aligns with the mating pad area 610 on the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board 305 (see also Figure 6). Several electronic components 710 necessary for the operation of the printed circuit board 305 may be embedded on the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board 305 and positioned within the channel 930 of the base 405. The image sensor 505 may be electrically connected to the mating pad area 610 on the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board 305 via several wire bonds 935. In some embodiments, the electronic component 710 may be electrically connected to the corresponding portion of the mating pad area 610 via the printed circuit board 305. This allows the electronic component 710 to be electrically connected to the appropriate portion of the image sensor 505 via the mating pad area 610 without requiring the image sensor 505 to directly form a wire bond 935 with the correlated electronic component 710.

[0062] The embodiment shown in Figure 9 reduces the distance between the electronic component 710 and the wire bond 935, thereby reducing power loss, increasing signal transmission speed, and maintaining signal integrity. Furthermore, embedding the electronic component 710 on the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board 305 allows the mating pad area 610 on the front surface 310 of the printed circuit board 305 to be free of the component, thereby minimizing the risk of pad contamination. Embedding the electronic component 710 on the back surface 315 of the printed circuit board 305 also allows the printed circuit board 305 to be fully manufactured before the wire bonding of the image sensor 505, thereby streamlining the manufacturing process and saving time and costs.

[0063] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the electronic component 710 may be various electronic components (e.g., capacitors) necessary for the operation of the image sensor 505 in different embodiments of this disclosure. It should also be understood by those skilled in the art that the number of electronic components 710 and wire bonds 935 included in the image sensor package 300 may vary in different embodiments of this disclosure and is not exhaustively described herein.

[0064] Referring further to Figure 9, in some embodiments, the cover 330 of the sealing configuration 320 may be positioned at a predetermined distance 940 from the image sensor 505. The predetermined distance 940 may be calculated and determined so that the image sensor 505 can capture an image of optimal resolution from the incident light 130. For example, in embodiments where the cover 330 is made of glass, defects such as air bubbles in the glass of the cover 330 may reflect and / or refract the incident light 130, resulting in black spot projection on the image sensor 500, which adversely affects the resolution of the captured image. To avoid defects that project black spots onto the image sensor 505, the glass of the cover 330 must be of high quality, which is much more expensive to manufacture, especially for the large image sensor 505 in the large format camera system 100. Alternatively, the glass of the cover 330 may be positioned at a predetermined distance 940 from the image sensor 505, so that defects in the glass produce blurred spots rather than black spots in the image captured by the image sensor 505. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the predetermined distance 940 may be any distance calculated for the optimal image resolution in various embodiments of this disclosure, and is not exhaustively detailed herein.

[0065] This disclosure is described above with the help of functional components illustrating the implementation of specified functions and their relationships. The boundaries of these functional components are arbitrarily defined herein for the sake of clarity. Alternative boundaries may be defined, as long as the specified functions and their relationships are adequately performed.

[0066] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments sufficiently illustrate the general nature of the disclosure so that others, by applying knowledge in the art, can readily modify and / or adapt such specific embodiments to various uses without diverting from the general concepts of the disclosure and without excessive experimentation. Such adaptations and modifications are therefore intended to be within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teachings and advice presented herein. It should be understood that the expressions or terms herein are for illustrative purposes only, and not limiting, so that they may be interpreted by those skilled in the art in light of the teachings and advice presented herein.

[0067] The scope and breadth of this disclosure should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments described above, but should be defined solely in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

[0068] The claims of this application are different from the claims of the parent application or any other related application. Therefore, the applicant revokes any abandonment of claims made in the parent application or any prior application in connection with this application. Accordingly, the examiner is advised that any such prior abandonment and any cited documents that the abandonment was intended to avoid should be reconsidered. Furthermore, the examiner is also reminded that any abandonment made in this application should not be read in or against the parent application.

Claims

1. It is an image sensor package, A printed circuit board having a first surface and a second surface, An image sensor is electrically coupled to the printed circuit board via a plurality of wire bonds that electrically connect the image sensor to a mating pad positioned on the first surface of the printed circuit board, A sealing configuration bonded to the first surface of the printed circuit board via a first gasket, wherein the sealing configuration has a cover attached to a frame surrounding the outer periphery of the image sensor, A base bonded to the second surface of the printed circuit board via a second gasket, wherein the base bonds the image sensor to the printed circuit board, A plurality of electronic components embedded on the second surface of the printed circuit board, wherein the plurality of electronic components are aligned with the mating pad on the first surface of the printed circuit board. Equipped with, The printed circuit board surrounds the image sensor, The image sensor is separated from contact with the printed circuit board by a gap. Image sensor package.

2. The image sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the gap between the image sensor and the printed circuit board is a predetermined distance.

3. The image sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the first gasket is a first ball bearing positioned in a first groove within the frame of the sealing configuration, and the first ball bearing enables the sealing configuration to be movable while in contact with the first surface of the printed circuit board.

4. The image sensor package according to claim 3, wherein the second gasket is a second ball bearing positioned in a second groove in the base, and the second ball bearing allows the base to move while in contact with the second surface of the printed circuit board.

5. The image sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the base further comprises a channel surrounding the outer periphery of the image sensor, and the plurality of electronic components are positioned within the channel in the base.

6. The image sensor has a first thermal expansion coefficient, The base has a second coefficient of thermal expansion, The first coefficient of thermal expansion is substantially the same as the second coefficient of thermal expansion. The image sensor package according to claim 1.

7. The base is a ceramic base, The image sensor is attached to the ceramic base using thermally conductive epoxy. The image sensor package according to claim 6.

8. The cover of the sealing configuration has a third coefficient of thermal expansion, The frame of the sealing configuration has a fourth coefficient of thermal expansion, The third coefficient of thermal expansion is substantially the same as the fourth coefficient of thermal expansion. The image sensor package according to claim 6.

9. The aforementioned cover is a glass cover, The aforementioned frame is an alumina frame. The image sensor package according to claim 8.

10. The image sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the frame positions the cover at a predetermined distance from the image sensor.

11. The image sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic components are capacitors.

12. The image sensor package according to claim 1, further comprising at least one coupling mechanism for coupling the frame to the first surface of the printed circuit board.

13. The image sensor package according to claim 12, wherein the at least one coupling mechanism is a screw.

14. The image sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the mating pad on the first surface of the printed circuit board is electrically coupled to the plurality of electronic components embedded on the second surface of the printed circuit board.

15. The image sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the mating pad on the first surface of the printed circuit board surrounds the outer periphery of the image sensor and is positioned between the frame and the image sensor.

16. It is an image sensor package, Image sensor and, A printed circuit board surrounding the image sensor, wherein the printed circuit board has a first surface and a second surface, A gap that separates the image sensor from contact with the surrounding printed circuit board, Multiple electronic components embedded in the aforementioned printed circuit board and Equipped with, The image sensor is electrically coupled to the surrounding printed circuit board via a plurality of wire bonds connected to the first surface of the printed circuit board. The plurality of electronic components are embedded on the second surface of the printed circuit board and aligned with the plurality of wire bonds on the first surface of the printed circuit board. The plurality of wire bonds electrically connect the image sensor and the plurality of electronic components via the printed circuit board. Image sensor package.

17. A base for connecting the image sensor and the printed circuit board, wherein the base and the image sensor have substantially similar coefficients of thermal expansion, The image sensor package according to claim 16, further comprising:

18. The image sensor package according to claim 16, wherein the gap separating the image sensor and the printed circuit board is a predetermined distance.

19. It is an image sensor package, Image sensor and, A printed circuit board surrounding the image sensor, wherein the printed circuit board has a first surface and a second surface, A sealing configuration bonded to the first surface of the printed circuit board via a first gasket, A base bonded to the second surface of the printed circuit board via a second gasket, wherein the base is bonded to the printed circuit board surrounding the image sensor, and An image sensor package equipped with the following features.

20. The first gasket is a first ball bearing positioned in a first groove within the sealing configuration, and the first ball bearing enables the sealing configuration to move while in contact with the first surface of the printed circuit board. The second gasket is a second ball bearing positioned in a second groove within the base, and the second ball bearing allows the base to move while in contact with the second surface of the printed circuit board. The image sensor package according to claim 19.

Images