Additive Metal Structures on PCBs for Shielding and Thermal Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Tighter packaging requirements in mobile devices lead to challenges in heat transfer and electromagnetic interference shielding due to the limitations of soldered connections and conventional shield cans, which occupy significant space and lack structural efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The use of additive manufacturing to create continuous metallic structures on printed circuit boards, including shield cans, frames, antennas, and heat sinks, which reduce the footprint, enhance conductivity, and allow for intricate designs, eliminating the need for soldered connections and providing improved structural support and interference shielding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If soldered shield cans are used for electromagnetic interference shielding, then shielding effectiveness is improved, but PCB footprint and overall size increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the shield can structure with the PCB by additively manufacturing the shield can directly onto the PCB surface, merging two separate components (shield can and PCB) into an integrated assembly. This eliminates the need for separate mounting flanges and reduces the overall footprint while maintaining shielding effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional 2D PCB mounting to 3D additive manufacturing, building the shield can vertically upward from the PCB surface. This dimensional change allows the shield can to encompass sensitive components without requiring excessive lateral space, thereby reducing PCB footprint while maintaining shielding integrity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional shield cans with soldered connections are used, then electromagnetic shielding is achieved, but heat transfer efficiency deteriorates due to insufficient thermal contact
Solution Approach 1:
The additive manufacturing process merges the shield can thermally with the PCB by creating direct metal-to-metal contact through the layered deposition process. This continuous thermal path from the PCB through the shield can to heat sinks improves heat transfer efficiency compared to conventional soldered connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical soldering connection system with an additive manufacturing system that directly deposits metal layers to form both electrical and thermal connections. This substitution eliminates the thermal resistance inherent in solder joints and creates more efficient thermal pathways.
3Reliability
If soldered connections are used for electronic components, then reliable electrical connection is achieved, but space consumption increases and packaging density decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the connection function from separate soldered components and integrates it directly into the PCB structure through additive manufacturing. The conductive paths are built up layer-by-layer directly on the PCB, eliminating the need for separate soldered connections and reducing space consumption while maintaining electrical reliability.
4Area of stationary object
If tighter packaging is used to reduce device size, then space utilization improves, but heat transfer and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the vertical dimension through additive manufacturing to build shield cans and heat sinks upward from the PCB surface. This allows tight lateral packaging while maintaining effective heat transfer and electromagnetic shielding through vertical structures that do not consume additional PCB footprint space.
Data Source
AI summary
Printed circuit boards include conductive metallic paths, such as vias, traces, and pads on the printed circuit board. One or more metal additive structures are additively manufactured onto the printed circuit boards in a manner that forms a continuous weld with at least one of the conductive metallic paths. As a result, the metal additive structures are continuous with the printed circuit board and do not require separate attachment mechanisms (e.g., soldering or mechanical fastening). The metal additive structures may include shield cans, frames, antennas, or heat sinks for the printed circuit board, for example.