Circuit board with hybrid wiring

Abstract

The present invention provides a circuit board with hybrid wiring, comprising: a substrate, a low-impedance wiring set, and a printed wiring set. The low-impedance wiring set includes a first low-impedance conductive trace formed on the first surface of the substrate and a second low-impedance conductive trace disposed within the substrate. The printed wiring set includes printed conductive traces formed on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the printed conductive traces are electrically connected to any two of the first low-impedance conductive traces. The resistance value of the printed wiring set is higher than that of the low-impedance wiring set.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a substrate structure, and more particularly to a circuit board structure with a circuit design. Prior Technology

[0002] Circuit boards, which can house various electronic components, are widely used in a wide range of electronic products. Modern flexible circuit board (FCB) technology mainly includes: flexible printed circuit boards (FPC), flexible flat cables (FFC), flexible die-cutting circuits (FDC), and flexible printed conductive ink circuits (FPIC).

[0003] The flexible printed circuit board is a single-layer or multi-layer circuit board made of flexible materials and has three-dimensional spatial wiring. The advantages of this technology include: high flexibility, adapting to wiring needs in confined spaces; high reliability, suitable for high-frequency and high-temperature environments; and excellent electrical performance, supporting high-current applications. However, its disadvantages include higher manufacturing costs, relatively complex production processes, and greater difficulty in processing and maintenance. Furthermore, the chemicals used in its etching process can easily cause environmental pollution.

[0004] The flexible flat cabling is a flat circuit formed by embedding parallel rolled copper into a plastic substrate, mainly used for two-dimensional planar wiring. The advantages of this technology are low production cost, simple manufacturing process, ease of use, and suitability for short-distance circuit connections. Furthermore, the flexible flat cabling has stable electrical performance, meeting the requirements of ordinary current and signal transmission. However, its disadvantage is that it is only suitable for simple two-dimensional electrical connections and cannot be used in multi-layer structure designs, thus limiting its application range.

[0005] The flexible die-cut circuit is fabricated on flexible materials using precision die-cutting technology, allowing for customized shapes and sizes. Advantages include: customization to meet specific application requirements; easy installation in corresponding electronic products due to pre-cut shapes; and lightweight and thin design, meeting the current demand for slim and lightweight consumer electronics. Disadvantages include reliance on high-precision die-cutting equipment and high mold costs; design changes significantly increase production costs. Furthermore, due to limitations in circuit design, it is typically used for localized connections rather than as a complete circuit board.

[0006] The flexible printed conductive ink circuit system prints conductive ink onto a flexible substrate to form conductive lines. The advantages of this technology include: simple and low-cost manufacturing process; fast production speed suitable for mass production and rapid iterative development; fewer pollution sources during manufacturing due to the simple process; and lighter overall weight, minimizing environmental pollution from waste after electronic products are phased out. However, its disadvantages include lower conductivity compared to circuit boards using metal circuits, and the higher resistance of conductive ink can lead to electrical instability. Furthermore, it has poor durability, is susceptible to environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, or moisture, and its precision and density are limited by the printing process, making it difficult to achieve complex circuit designs.

[0007] Therefore, the technical problem to be solved by this invention is how to provide a circuit board that can reduce process complexity and the generation of chemical pollutants, while also having electrical stability and wiring flexibility. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The main objective of this invention is to provide a circuit board with hybrid circuitry, which has a simple manufacturing process, can effectively reduce the generation of chemical pollutants, and at the same time has electrical stability and wiring flexibility.

[0009] To achieve the aforementioned objective, a circuit board with hybrid circuitry includes: The substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; Low-impedance line group, having a first resistance value, includes: A first low-impedance conductive line is formed on the first surface; and Printed circuit assembly, having a second resistance value, formed on a first surface, includes: Printed conductive lines are electrically connected to a first low-impedance conductive line; The second resistance value is higher than the first resistance value.

[0010] In the preferred embodiment described above, the printed circuit board is printed using conductive ink, and the material of the conductive ink may be: silver paste, copper paste, copper-silver mixed paste, or carbon material.

[0011] In the preferred embodiment described above, it further includes a connector for electrical connection to any two first low-impedance conductive lines.

[0012] In the preferred embodiment described above, the connector may be: a solder pad, a via, a connecting copper foil, or a connecting terminal.

[0013] In the preferred embodiment described above, it further includes a light-emitting module disposed on the first surface, and the printed circuit group can be electrically connected to the light-emitting module in series or in parallel.

[0014] In the preferred embodiment described above, the printed conductive lines have a current-limiting resistor.

[0015] In the preferred embodiment described above, the substrate material may be: glass fiber epoxy resin, paper phenolic resin, glass fiber composite epoxy resin, ceramic, polyimide, or polyethylene terephthalate.

[0016] In the preferred embodiment described above, the ratio of the resistivity of the low-impedance circuit group to the resistivity of the printed circuit group is less than or equal to 0.3.

[0017] In the preferred embodiment described above, it further includes electronic components disposed on the first surface, and printed circuit boards are electrically connected to the electronic components. The electronic components may be: resistors, capacitors, inductors, transistors, integrated circuits, optocouplers, connectors, or relays.

[0018] In the preferred embodiment described above, it further includes a second low-impedance conductive line, which is formed in the substrate and extends toward the second surface, and is electrically connected to the first low-impedance conductive line.

[0019] In the preferred embodiment described above, it further includes a third conductive line formed in the substrate and extending toward the second surface and electrically connected to the first low-impedance conductive line. The third conductive line has a third resistance value, which may be higher or lower than the first resistance value.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are that the circuit board with hybrid circuitry not only provides good conductivity and conductivity stability through low-impedance circuit groups, but also, through the printing characteristics of the printed circuit groups, further enhances the flexibility of the overall wiring, making it suitable for various electronic components, such as light-emitting modules or units with different light-emitting surface requirements, resistive elements, capacitor elements, inductor elements, transistors, integrated circuits, optocouplers, connectors, or relays. It can also serve as a bridging circuit between low-impedance circuit groups. Furthermore, due to its simple manufacturing process, the generation of chemical pollutants can be effectively reduced. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0021] Figure 1A: A cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the circuit board with hybrid circuitry provided by the present invention; Figure 1B: A top view of a first embodiment of the circuit board with hybrid circuitry provided by the present invention; Figure 2: A top view of a second embodiment of the circuit board with hybrid circuitry provided by the present invention; Figure 3: A top view of a third embodiment of the circuit board with hybrid circuitry provided by the present invention; and Figure 4: Top view of a third embodiment of the circuit board with hybrid circuitry provided by the present invention. Implementation

[0022] The advantages and features of the present invention, as well as the methods of achieving them, will be more readily understood through a more detailed description with reference to exemplary embodiments and accompanying drawings. However, the invention may be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments provided will, to those skilled in the art, make the scope of the invention more thorough, complete, and fully conveyed by this disclosure.

[0023] It should be noted that, for ease of explanation, the Y-axis direction in the diagram is defined as the first direction Y; and the X-axis direction is defined as the second direction X, with the first direction Y and the second direction X being perpendicular to each other.

[0024] First, please refer to Figures 1A and 1B. Figure 1A is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the circuit board with hybrid circuitry provided by the present invention; Figure 1B is a top view of a first embodiment of the circuit board with hybrid circuitry provided by the present invention. The circuit board 1 with hybrid circuitry includes: a substrate 10, a low-impedance circuit group 20, a printed circuit group 30, and a light-emitting module 40. The substrate 10 has a first surface 101 and a second surface 102 facing each other. The material of the substrate 10 may be: glass fiber epoxy resin (FR-4), paper phenolic resin (FR-1), glass fiber composite epoxy resin (CEM-3), ceramic PCB, polyimide (PI), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

[0025] In this embodiment, a low-impedance circuit group 20 is formed in a three-dimensional direction on a substrate 10 using an FPC flexible circuit board process. The substrate 10 can be a single-layer or multi-layer structure. Subsequently, copper wires are embedded onto the surface of the substrate 10 by hot pressing to form a two-dimensional circuit design of the low-impedance circuit group 20. Through the two- and three-dimensional circuit layout, the low-impedance circuit group 20 includes a first low-impedance conductive line 201 and a second low-impedance conductive line 202. The first low-impedance conductive line 201 is formed on a first surface 101; the second low-impedance conductive line 202 is formed in the substrate 10 and extends toward the second surface 102, with one end of the second low-impedance conductive line 202 near the first surface 101 electrically connected to the first low-impedance conductive line 201. In this embodiment, the second low-impedance conductive line 202 can be arranged to extend along a first direction Y. In this embodiment, the low-impedance line group 20 has a first resistance value of approximately 0.1 ohms (Ω), and the resistivity (ρ) of the low-impedance line group 20 can be adjusted by the width, thickness, and length of the line.

[0026] In some possible embodiments, a third conductive line (not shown) may also be formed in the substrate 10, and the third conductive line is also arranged to extend along the first direction Y and is not part of the low impedance line group 20. The third conductive line has a third resistance value, which may be higher or lower than the first resistance value.

[0027] The printed circuit group 30 is formed on the first surface 101 and includes one or more printed conductive lines. In this embodiment, the printed circuit group 30 includes printed conductive lines 301, 302, and 303. The light-emitting module 40 is disposed on the first surface 101 and includes a first light-emitting unit 401 and a second light-emitting unit 402. In this embodiment, one end of the printed conductive line 301 is electrically connected to the first low-impedance conductive line 2011, and the other end is electrically connected to the negative terminal of the first light-emitting unit 401; one end of the printed conductive line 302 is electrically connected to the first low-impedance conductive line 2012, and the other end is electrically connected to the positive terminal of the second light-emitting unit 402; one end of the printed conductive line 303 is electrically connected to the positive terminal of the first light-emitting unit 401, and the other end is electrically connected to the negative terminal of the second light-emitting unit 402, so that the printed circuit group 30 is electrically connected to the light-emitting module 40 in series.

[0028] The printed circuit group 30 is printed with conductive ink, which can be silver paste, copper paste, copper-silver mixed paste, or carbon material, wherein the carbon material can be graphite, graphene, carbon black, carbon fiber, or carbon nanotubes. In this embodiment, the printed circuit group 30 has a second resistance value, which is approximately 15 ohms (Ω), and the resistivity (ρ) of the printed circuit group 30 can be adjusted by the width, thickness, and length of the lines. In this embodiment of the invention, by adjusting the width, thickness, and length of the lines, at room temperature, the ratio of the resistivity (ρ1) of the low-impedance circuit group 20 to the resistivity (ρ2) of the printed circuit group 30 is less than or equal to 0.3, that is: (ρ1 / ρ2) ≤ 0.3.

[0029] Because the low-impedance circuit group 20 has a lower resistance and resistivity, while the printed circuit group 30 formed by conductive ink printing has a higher resistance and resistivity, when the electronic device provides a rated voltage to the circuit board 1 with the mixed circuit, the low-impedance circuit group 20, with its lower resistance and resistivity, allows for stable and rapid current conduction. When current enters the printed circuit group 30, its higher resistance and resistivity results in a smaller current driving the light-emitting module 40. Through the flexible design of its printed circuit, the first light-emitting unit 401 and the second light-emitting unit 402 of the light-emitting module 40 can emit light L1 and L2 in different directions according to their orientation design (for example, the light-emitting module 40 in the figure emits light L1 and L2 in the left and right, up and down, and up and down diagonal directions from top to bottom).

[0030] Although this invention only proposes an embodiment in which the electronic components mounted on the substrate 10 are light-emitting modules 40, in practical applications, the printed circuit board assembly 30 can also be printed with different circuits according to the configuration or requirements of different types of electronic components, and is not limited to the embodiment proposed in this invention. Furthermore, although this invention only proposes an embodiment in which electronic components are disposed on the first surface 101, in practical applications, electronic components can also be disposed on the second surface 102, and the electronic components disposed on the second surface 102 can be electrically connected or controlled by the printed circuit board assembly (not shown in the figures) and the second low-impedance conductive line 202 printed on the second surface 102. Additionally, although this invention only proposes an embodiment in which the first surface 101 has two first low-impedance conductive lines 2011 and 2012, in practical applications, only one first low-impedance conductive line can be arranged, and the printed circuit board assembly 30 can form different signal and current conduction paths, and is not limited to the embodiment proposed in this example.

[0031] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a top view of a second embodiment of the circuit board with hybrid circuitry provided by the present invention. In this embodiment, the materials and functions of the substrate 10, the low-impedance circuit group 20, the printed circuit group 30, and the light-emitting module 40 are the same as those of the first embodiment in Figure 1B, and will not be described again here. The difference lies in that the printed circuit group 30 includes printed conductive lines 304, 305, and 306. One end of the printed conductive line 304 is electrically connected to the first low-impedance conductive line 2011, and the other end is simultaneously electrically connected to the negative terminal of the first light-emitting unit 401 and the negative terminal of the second light-emitting unit 402. One end of the printed conductive line 305 is electrically connected to the first low-impedance conductive line 2012, and the other end is electrically connected to the positive terminal of the second light-emitting unit 402. One end of the printed conductive line 306 is electrically connected to the first low-impedance conductive line 2012, and the other end is electrically connected to the positive terminal of the first light-emitting unit 401, so that the printed circuit group 30 is electrically connected to the light-emitting module 40 in parallel. When a rated voltage is supplied to the circuit board 1 with hybrid circuitry, current can be supplied to the light-emitting module 40 through the low-impedance circuit group 20 and the printed circuit group 30. This allows the first light-emitting unit 401 and the second light-emitting unit 402 of the light-emitting module 40 to emit light in different directions L3 and L4 (e.g., left and right or up and down) according to their orientation design. Furthermore, the flexibility of the printing process of the printed circuit group 30 allows the circuit board 1 with hybrid circuitry of the light-emitting module 40 to be used in various types of electronic devices, such as keyboard backlight modules or lighting devices.

[0032] Please refer to Figure 2. In another parallel configuration, the printed circuit group 30 includes printed conductive lines 307, 308, 309, and 310. One end of the printed conductive lines 307 and 308 is electrically connected to the first low-impedance conductive lines 2011 and 2012, respectively, and the other end is electrically connected to the positive and negative terminals of the first light-emitting unit 401, respectively. One end of the printed conductive lines 309 and 310 is also electrically connected to the first low-impedance conductive lines 2011 and 2012, respectively, and the other end is electrically connected to the positive and negative terminals of the second light-emitting unit 402, respectively. This allows the printed circuit group 30 to be electrically connected to the light-emitting module 40 in parallel. When the rated voltage is supplied to the circuit board 1 with the mixed circuit, current can be supplied to the light-emitting module 40 through the low impedance circuit group 20 and the printed circuit group 30, so that the first light-emitting unit 401 and the second light-emitting unit 402 of the light-emitting module 40 can emit light L3 and L4 in different directions according to their orientation design (for example, emitting light in the up and down oblique direction).

[0033] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a top view of the third embodiment of the circuit board with hybrid circuitry provided by the present invention. In this embodiment, the materials and functions of the substrate 10, the low-impedance circuit group 20, the printed circuit group 30, and the light-emitting module 40 are the same as those of the first embodiment in Figure 1B, and will not be repeated here. The only difference is that the light-emitting module 40 has only a single third light-emitting unit 403; the printed circuit group 30 includes printed conductive lines 311 and 312, one end of the printed conductive line 311 is electrically connected to the first low-impedance conductive line 2011, and the other end is electrically connected to the negative terminal of the third light-emitting unit 403; one end of the printed conductive line 312 is electrically connected to the first low-impedance conductive line 2012, and the other end is electrically connected to the positive terminal of the third light-emitting unit 403, so that the printed circuit group 30 is electrically connected to the light-emitting module 40 in series. Furthermore, in this embodiment, to reduce the current passing through the printed circuit board 30, a repeatedly bent current-limiting resistor 3111 can be formed on the printed conductive line 311 in a printed manner, which can further reduce the current passing through the printed circuit board 30. Thus, when a rated voltage is provided to the circuit board 1 with the mixed circuitry, current can be provided to the light-emitting module 40 through the low-impedance line group 20 and the printed circuit board 30, so that the third light-emitting unit 403 of the light-emitting module 40 can emit light L5 in any direction according to its orientation design.

[0034] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a top view of the fourth embodiment of the circuit board with hybrid circuitry provided by the present invention. In this embodiment, the materials and functions of the substrate 10, the low-impedance circuit group 20, the printed circuit group 30, and the light-emitting module 40 are the same as those in the first embodiment of Figure 1B, and will not be described again here. The only difference is that the printed circuit group 30 includes printed conductive lines 313, 314, 315, 316, and 317; the low-impedance circuit group 20 includes first low-impedance conductive lines 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, and further includes a connector 50. The printed conductive lines 313, 314, and 315 are used to electrically connect the first low-impedance conductive lines 2011 and 2012, and are electrically connected to the light-emitting module 40 in series.

[0035] On the other hand, connector 50 is used to electrically connect to one end of the first low-impedance conductive lines 2013 and 2014; printed conductive line 316 is used to electrically connect one end of the pure copper conductive line 2011 and the end of the first low-impedance conductive line 2014 away from connector 50; printed conductive line 317 is used to electrically connect one end of the pure copper conductive line 2012 and the end of the first low-impedance conductive line 2013 away from connector 50. Thus, through the arrangement of printed conductive lines 316 and 317, the first low-impedance conductive lines 2011 and 2012 are electrically connected to another set of first low-impedance conductive lines 2013 and 2014 with connector 50. In this embodiment, connector 50 may be: a solder pad, a via, a connecting copper foil, or a connecting terminal.

[0036] Compared to conventional technology, the circuit board with hybrid circuitry provided by this invention not only offers excellent conductivity and stability through low-impedance circuitry, but also enhances the overall wiring flexibility through the printing characteristics of the printed circuitry, making it suitable for various electronic components, such as light-emitting modules or units with different light-emitting surface requirements, resistors, capacitors, inductors, transistors, integrated circuits, optocouplers, connectors, or relays. It can also serve as a bridging circuit between low-impedance circuitry groups. Furthermore, its simple manufacturing process effectively reduces the generation of chemical pollutants. Therefore, this invention is a creation with significant industrial value.

[0037] This invention may be modified in various ways by those skilled in the art, but all modifications shall not deviate from the scope of protection sought by the appended patent application.

[0038] L1~L5: Light 1: Circuit board with mixed circuitry 10:Substrate 101: First Surface 102: Second Surface 20: Low impedance line group 201: First low-impedance conductive line 2011-2014: First Low-Impedance Conductive Circuit 202: Second low-impedance conductive line 30: Printed Circuit Board Assembly 301~317: Printed conductive circuits 3111: Current-limiting resistor 40: Light-emitting module 401: First light-emitting unit 402: Second light-emitting unit 403: Third light-emitting unit 50: Connector

Claims

1. A circuit board with hybrid circuitry, comprising: a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; at least one low-impedance circuit group having a first resistance value, including: at least one first low-impedance conductive line formed on the first surface; and at least one printed circuit group having a second resistance value formed on the first surface, including: at least one printed conductive line electrically connected to the at least one first low-impedance conductive line; wherein, The second resistance value is higher than the first resistance value; wherein the at least one printed conductive line has a current-limiting resistor.

2. The circuit board with mixed circuitry as described in claim 1, wherein the at least one printed circuit group is printed using a conductive ink, the material of which may be: silver paste, copper paste, copper-silver mixed paste, or carbon material.

3. The circuit board with mixed circuitry as described in claim 1, further comprising a connector for electrical connection to either of the first low-impedance conductive lines.

4. A circuit board with mixed circuitry as described in claim 3, wherein the connector may be: a pad, a via, a connecting copper foil, or a connecting terminal.

5. The circuit board with hybrid circuitry as described in claim 1, further comprising at least one light-emitting module disposed on the first surface, and the at least one printed circuit group being electrically connected to the at least one light-emitting module in series or parallel.

6. The circuit board with hybrid circuitry as described in claim 1, wherein the substrate material may be: glass fiber epoxy resin, paper phenolic resin, glass fiber composite epoxy resin or ceramic, polyimide or polyethylene terephthalate.

7. A circuit board with hybrid circuitry as described in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the resistivity of the low-impedance circuitry group to the resistivity of the printed circuitry group is less than or equal to 0.

3.

8. The circuit board with mixed circuitry as described in claim 1, further comprising at least one electronic component disposed on the first surface, the at least one printed circuit group electrically connected to the at least one electronic component, the at least one electronic component being: a resistor, a capacitor, an inductor, a transistor, an integrated circuit, an optocoupler, a connector, or a relay.

9. The circuit board with mixed circuitry as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one second low-impedance conductive line formed in the substrate and extending toward the second surface, and electrically connected to the at least one first low-impedance conductive line.

10. The circuit board with mixed circuitry as described in claim 1, further comprising at least one third conductive line formed in the substrate and extending toward the second surface and electrically connected to the at least one first low-impedance conductive line, the at least one third conductive line having a third resistance value that may be higher or lower than the first resistance value.

11. A circuit board with hybrid circuitry, comprising: a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; at least one low-impedance circuit group having a first resistance value, comprising: at least one first low-impedance conductive line formed on the first surface; and at least one second low-impedance conductive line formed in the substrate and extending toward the second surface, and electrically connected to the at least one first low-impedance conductive line; and at least one printed circuit group having a second resistance value formed on the first surface, comprising: at least one printed conductive line electrically connected to the at least one first low-impedance conductive line; wherein, The second resistance value is higher than the first resistance value.

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