Embedded Sensor Exposure via Laser Drilling and Etching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing miniaturization and complexity of electronic components on component carriers pose challenges in efficiently removing heat and ensuring mechanical robustness and electrical reliability, while also making it difficult to assemble components in a simple and compact manner without damaging them.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a stack of electrically conductive and insulating layers, where a blind hole is created by drilling and extended by etching to expose a surface portion of an embedded component, allowing for reliable access without damaging the component, using techniques like laser drilling and plasma etching to maintain component integrity and cleanliness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a blind hole is created by drilling towards the embedded component, then access to the component is achieved, but the component may be damaged by the drilling process
Solution Approach 1:
The drilling process is intentionally stopped before completely penetrating to the component surface, leaving a small distance (e.g., 1-10 μm). This partial action prevents direct contact between the drill bit and the component, avoiding mechanical damage while still creating sufficient access for subsequent etching operations to expose the component surface.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary material layer (insulating or conductive layer) remains between the drill hole and the component surface after drilling. This intermediary layer acts as a protective barrier during drilling and is subsequently removed by selective etching, thereby protecting the component from direct mechanical contact while enabling controlled exposure.
2Productivity
If drilling is used to create access holes, then manufacturing speed is improved, but residue and damage risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hole creation process is segmented into two distinct stages: (1) drilling to create the bulk of the access hole quickly, and (2) selective etching to precisely expose the component surface and remove residues. This segmentation allows each process to be optimized independently - drilling for speed and etching for precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical drilling process is supplemented and replaced by a chemical etching process for the final exposure stage. The etching process uses chemical reactions to precisely remove material and expose the component surface without the mechanical contact and residue issues associated with drilling, thereby improving hole cleanliness.
3Ease of operation
If the blind hole is extended by etching to expose the component, then component access is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The etching process is applied selectively only in the region where component exposure is needed, rather than uniformly across the entire structure. By targeting specific areas with different etching rates or using masks, the process achieves precise local exposure while minimizing overall process complexity and affecting only the necessary regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The drilling step is performed as a preliminary action to create the bulk access hole before the etching step. This preliminary drilling reduces the amount of material that needs to be removed by etching, making the subsequent etching process faster and less complex, while still achieving the final precise exposure of the component surface.
4Volume of moving object
If miniaturization is pursued to reduce component size, then device compactness is improved, but heat removal and reliability become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Heat dissipation structures or thermal management features are extracted and integrated into the component carrier architecture surrounding the miniaturized component. The blind hole structure and exposed component surface enable direct thermal contact with heat sinks or thermally conductive pathways, actively extracting heat from the compact component despite its small size.
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
This method enables the simple and efficient assembly of components with high-quality, compact configurations, reducing the need for conventional molding barriers and release layers, while ensuring the component's functionality and mechanical robustness, particularly suitable for miniaturized components like optical sensors.
Implementation Method 1
creating (for example drilling) a blind hole in the stack towards (but preferably not entirely up to) the embedded component
Implementation Method 2
thereafter extending the blind hole (preferably up to the embedded component) by etching to thereby expose a surface portion of the embedded component
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an embedded printed circuit board including: an insulation substrate including a cavity; a sensor device disposed on the cavity; an insulating layer disposed on the insulation substrate, having an opening part exposing the sensor device; and a pad part disposed on the lower surface of the opening part exposing the sensor device.