Flexible Conductor Foil Humps for Compact Electronic Component Connections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic component connection methods, such as wire bonding and flip-chip technology, face challenges including space inefficiency, manufacturing complexity, and high costs, while flip-chip methods require additional preparatory steps.
Innovation Solution
A compact electronic component with a flexible conductor foil featuring humps that form local elevations, allowing for flexible and cost-effective connections by having conductor tracks run on these bumps, enabling complex interconnections and accommodating relative movements between components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wire bonding is used to connect electronic components, then electrical connections can be established, but the component occupies more space and manufacturing becomes more complex and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the connection function from traditional wire bonding by using conductor tracks integrated directly into the substrate. The conductor tracks are embedded within the substrate layers, eliminating the need for separate wire bonds and reducing overall component volume while maintaining electrical connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from three-dimensional wire routing to two-dimensional planar conductor tracks on the substrate. This dimensional change allows connections to be made within the substrate plane rather than requiring vertical wire arcs, significantly reducing the height and overall volume of the component.
2Reliability
If wire bonding is used for connections, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the conductor tracks with the substrate structure itself. The tracks are formed as integral parts of the substrate during the same manufacturing process, combining what were previously separate elements (substrate and connection wires) into a single integrated component, thereby simplifying manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support, routing pathways for signals, and integrated connection points. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate wire bonding processes and reduces the number of manufacturing steps required.
3Ease of manufacture
If flip-chip technology is used for connection, then cost-effectiveness improves, but additional preparatory production steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The conductor tracks are pre-formed within the substrate during its manufacturing process, before the electronic component is assembled. This preliminary action eliminates the need for additional preparatory steps on the substrate side that would otherwise be required for flip-chip connections.
4Adaptability or versatility
If conductor tracks are routed arbitrarily, then design flexibility improves, but wires may touch each other causing electrical interference
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses multiple layers of conductor tracks within the substrate, allowing tracks to be routed in three-dimensional space rather than constrained to a single plane. This vertical separation prevents electrical interference between tracks while maintaining design flexibility for complex routing patterns.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
AI summary
The component has a semiconductor element (12), and a contact element fastened at a side of the semiconductor element. The contact element includes a flexible conductor foil (14) with a conductive path. The conductor foil has a hump (26) with essentially constant conductor foil thickness. The hump forms a local elevation with respect to conductor foil level and positioned and dimensioned in such a manner that a section of the conductive path of the conductor foil runs on the hump. The conductive path section stays in electrical contact with a contact position of the semiconductor element. An independent claim is also included for a method for producing an electronic component.