Flexible Circuit Board Semiconductor Package Layout

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional semiconductor packages lack design flexibility and efficient routing designs, leading to increased design time and costs, especially in miniaturized electronic applications.

Innovation Solution

The use of a flexible circuit board with a conductive film, land pads, a heat sink, passive components, and a lead frame, allowing for flexible layout and simpler routing designs, which can include wire bonding or flip-chip connections, and encapsulation with molding material for protection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional semiconductor packages use rigid substrates and complex routing designs, then structural stability is maintained, but design flexibility is reduced and design time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign flexibilityVSAvoiddesign time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a flexible circuit board instead of traditional rigid substrates, enabling the package to accommodate various layout configurations and routing designs. This flexibility allows designers to optimize signal paths and component placement without being constrained by rigid structural requirements, thereby reducing design time while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible circuit board introduces dynamic adaptability to the package design, allowing the routing paths and component positions to be adjusted according to different application requirements. This dynamic characteristic enables faster redesign and reconfiguration compared to conventional rigid packages.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If conventional semiconductor packages use traditional routing designs, then manufacturing processes are standardized, but routing efficiency is reduced and design complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverouting efficiencyVSAvoidrouting design complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible circuit board simplifies routing design by allowing direct trace routing on the flexible substrate, eliminating the need for complex via structures and multi-layer routing found in conventional rigid PCBs. This reduces routing design complexity while improving routing efficiency through more direct signal paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the routing function from complex rigid PCB structures and implements it on a simplified flexible substrate, removing unnecessary complexity from the routing design while maintaining efficient signal transmission paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Volume of moving object

If semiconductor packages are miniaturized for portable applications, then device size is reduced, but design flexibility and routing options are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepackage sizeVSAvoidlayout flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The flexible circuit board enables miniaturized packages to maintain layout flexibility by allowing traces and components to be arranged in three-dimensional configurations on the flexible substrate. This overcomes the limitation of rigid boards where miniaturization restricts routing options, as the flexible material can be folded, bent, or layered to accommodate compact designs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The flexible circuit board introduces dimensional flexibility by allowing the circuit layout to extend into three-dimensional space through folding and layering, enabling complex routing patterns in a compact volume that would be impossible with planar rigid substrates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 approach enhances design flexibility and reduces design time and costs by enabling more efficient routing and thermal management in semiconductor packages, suitable for various electronic applications.

Implementation Method 1

a heat sink on a portion of the bottom surface of the flexible circuit board

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS20130334673A1Flexible power module semiconductor packages

Publication Date: 2013.12.19 SEMICON COMPONENTS IND LLC

AI summary

Power module semiconductor packages that contain a flexible circuit board and methods for making such packages are described. The semiconductor package contain a flexible circuit board, a conductive film on a first portion of the upper surface of the flexible circuit board, a land pad on a second portion of the upper surface of the flexible circuit board, a heat sink on a portion of the bottom surface of the flexible circuit board, a passive component, a discrete device, or an IC device connected to a portion of the conductive film, and a lead of a lead frame connected to the land pad. These packages can have a high degree of design flexibility of the layout of the package and simpler routing designs, reducing the time to design the packages and reducing the costs of the packages. Other embodiments are also described.