Electrical Component With Flexible Metal Composite Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electrical components, particularly those with glass-containing passivation and ceramic or silicon bodies, face reliability issues due to thermal tensions and crack formation during reflow soldering, especially in larger SMD designs, leading to increased thermal voltages and potential mechanical and chemical vulnerabilities.
Innovation Solution
An electrical component design featuring a ceramic or semiconductor base body with a metallic contact structure and a glass or ceramic passivation layer, including openings for external contact and a flexible metal composite seal to reduce thermal stresses and prevent cracking, along with a production process involving screen printing and thermal treatment for enhanced reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a glass-containing passivation layer is applied to ceramic or silicon bodies, then protection against mechanical and chemical influences is improved, but thermal tensions increase leading to crack formation
Solution Approach 1:
The passivation layer is segmented by creating openings (vias) that divide the continuous glass layer into separate regions. This segmentation allows the metallic contact structure to extend through the passivation layer to external contacts, reducing thermal tension accumulation and preventing crack propagation while maintaining protective coverage in non-opening areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure combining glass-containing passivation material with metallic contact structures and flexible metal composite seals. This composite approach allows the rigid glass layer to provide protection while the metallic components and flexible seals accommodate thermal expansion differences, reducing overall thermal tensions.
2Power
If the component size is increased to larger SMD designs (1210 or larger), then electrical performance and power handling are improved, but thermal voltages increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The metallic contact structure extends in the vertical dimension through the passivation layer via openings, creating a three-dimensional contact path. This dimensional approach allows larger components to manage thermal voltages by providing direct thermal and electrical pathways from the base body through the passivation layer to external contacts, rather than relying solely on surface-level connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The metallic contact structure acts as an intermediary element that bridges the base body and external contacts through the passivation layer. This intermediary provides a controlled pathway for thermal and electrical energy transfer, managing thermal voltages in larger components without compromising the protective function of the passivation layer.
3Productivity
If reflow soldering is used for surface assembly, then manufacturing efficiency is improved, but thermal tensions cause crack germs and reliability problems
Solution Approach 1:
The metallic contact structure is pre-configured to extend through the passivation layer to external contacts before the reflow soldering process. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when thermal cycling occurs during reflow soldering, the pre-established metallic pathways can accommodate thermal expansions and contractions, preventing crack formation while allowing efficient surface assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible metal composite seal and the metallic contact structure extending through openings provide beforehand cushioning against thermal shocks during reflow soldering. These elements are positioned in advance to absorb and distribute thermal stresses, cushioning the brittle ceramic or silicon base body and glass passivation layer from crack-inducing thermal tensions during the soldering process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design effectively reduces thermal voltages and prevents crack formation, ensuring high reliability under bending, temperature, and moisture tests, suitable for applications like the automotive sector, while maintaining simplicity in production compared to existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
the flexible metal composets reduces tensions, which are transferred from a circuit board or circuit board via a solder to the electrical component
Implementation Method 2
This allows good sintering of the external contact with the base body or with the passivation layer
Data Source
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Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The invention specifies an electrical component (1) which has a main body (2), a metallic contact structure (3) which is in direct contact with the main body (2), and an electrically insulating passivation layer (5) which is provided with an opening (4). The metallic contact structure (3) is connected to an external contact-making means (6) through the opening (4). Furthermore, the external contact-making means (6) is covered and surrounded by a flexible metal composite layer (7). The invention also specifies a method for producing an electrical component (1).