Flexible Substrate Concave Part for Component Height Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing component built-in modules for electronic devices face challenges in reducing thickness due to the need for a uniform resin casing thickness, which is often determined by the thickest electronic component, leading to increased thickness and uneven surfaces, making it difficult to achieve further thinning while maintaining a flat casing surface.
Innovation Solution
A component built-in module with a flexible substrate featuring a concave part for the tallest electronic component, allowing the resin to be sealed with a thinner wall structure that conforms to the casing surface, and a method for manufacturing this module by injection molding the concave part and sealing the substrate with resin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the resin casing thickness is determined by the thickest electronic component, then all components can be housed, but the overall thickness increases and the surface becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible substrate is formed with a concave portion at the location corresponding to the thickest electronic component. This local structural variation allows the resin casing to be thinner overall while still accommodating the tallest component, as the concave area provides the necessary depth locally without requiring increased thickness across the entire casing.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of solving the thickness problem by increasing the vertical dimension uniformly across the entire casing, the invention introduces a localized concave depression in the flexible substrate. This dimensional variation at a specific location allows the resin to seal properly over components of varying heights without requiring the casing thickness to be determined by the tallest component.
2Length of moving object
If the resin layer thickness is reduced to achieve thinner device, then mass production becomes more difficult and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The concave portion is pre-formed in the flexible substrate before the resin sealing process. This preliminary structural preparation ensures that during mass production, the resin can be applied with a uniform thin thickness while automatically accommodating components of varying heights. The pre-formed concave structure eliminates the need for complex post-processing or variable thickness resin application, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture.
3Shape
If protrusions and recessions are provided on the printed wiring board to equalize component heights, then surface flatness improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying the printed wiring board with protrusions and recessions to equalize component heights, the invention extracts the height-compensation function from the wiring board and relocates it to the flexible substrate. The flexible substrate alone forms the concave portion that accommodates the thickest component, thereby achieving surface flatness without increasing the complexity of the wiring board structure.
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 enables a thinner resin layer and further reduction in electronic device thickness while ensuring easy and cost-effective mass production, suitable for devices like mobile phones, by embedding components within the casing.
Implementation Method 1
a resin that seals the first surface
Implementation Method 2
forming a concave part in which among the plurality of electronic components, at least an electronic component having a highest mounting height is mounted, in a direction from the first surface toward the second surface
Data Source
AI summary
A component built-in module of the present invention includes: a flexible substrate that includes a first surface and a second surface on an opposite side of the first surface, the first surface including a concave part recessed in a direction from the first surface toward the second surface; a plurality of electronic components that are mounted on the first surface, mounting heights of the electronic components from the first surface to respective upper surfaces of the electronic components differing from each other; and a resin that seals the first surface. Among the plurality of electronic components, at least an electronic component having a highest mounting height is mounted in the concave part.