Circuit Assembly with Embedded Discrete Components
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need to reduce the height of integrated circuit packages to accommodate the shrinking size requirements of electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets, while maintaining the performance of standard discrete components like inductors and capacitors, which are challenging due to their physical structures.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves mounting discrete components in a substrate hole, using a horizontally disposed support structure with flanges that extend laterally beyond the hole, allowing the component to be partially positioned within and outside the hole, and electrically connecting it to the substrate, thereby reducing the overall package height without compromising performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard discrete components are mounted on the surface of a substrate, then electrical connectivity and mechanical stability are maintained, but the package height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The discrete component is nested within a substrate hole, with only the terminal ends extending beyond the substrate surface. This nesting approach allows the component to be partially embedded in the substrate, significantly reducing the overall package height while maintaining electrical connectivity through the lead frames that extend to the substrate surface.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of mounting components on the two-dimensional surface of the substrate, the invention utilizes the third dimension by creating holes through the substrate and mounting components within these cavities. This dimensional transition from surface mounting to cavity mounting reduces the vertical profile of the package.
2Length of stationary object
If discrete components are miniaturized to reduce package height, then package thickness decreases, but component performance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of miniaturizing the entire discrete component, the invention uses only the necessary portions of the component - specifically the terminal ends that provide electrical connectivity - while embedding the bulk of the component body within the substrate hole. This partial usage approach maintains component performance with standard-sized components while achieving reduced package thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses the substrate hole structure as a template or copy of traditional surface mounting, but inverts the approach by creating a cavity rather than adding height. This allows standard components to be used without modification while achieving the height reduction goal.
3Length of stationary object
If discrete components are mounted in substrate holes, then package height is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into distinct steps: forming substrate holes, mounting discrete components in the holes, and establishing electrical connections. This segmentation allows each step to be optimized independently and facilitates automation, reducing overall manufacturing complexity despite the additional hole-forming step.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate hole acts as an intermediary structure that simplifies the mounting process. By pre-forming holes in the substrate, the component placement process becomes more straightforward, as components can be directly inserted and secured within the cavities rather than requiring complex surface mounting techniques.
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit assembly includes a substrate having a substrate electrical circuit, opposite top and bottom substrate surfaces, and a substrate hole extending through the substrate. The circuit assembly also includes a discrete component assembly electrically connected to the substrate electrical circuit and a support member attached to the discrete component. At least a portion of the discrete component is physically mounted in the substrate hole.