Flexure-Circuit Hybrid Structure for Sensor-Shift Camera Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera systems with small form factors face challenges in integrating high-resolution optical image stabilization and autofocus mechanisms due to the need for separate flexure and flex circuit components, which lead to assembly complexities, impedance discontinuities, and suboptimal performance in data transfer rates, power delivery, and thermal management.
Innovation Solution
A flexure-circuit hybrid structure that integrates both flexure and flex circuit functions into a single component, eliminating the need for anisotropic conductive film (ACF) bonding and reducing assembly processes, while sharing layers to enhance data transfer rates, power delivery, and thermal performance by eliminating impedance discontinuities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If separate flexure and flex circuit components are used, then assembly processes are simplified, but impedance discontinuities occur and data transfer rates deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the flexure component and flex circuit into a single integrated flexure-circuit hybrid structure. This eliminates the interface between separate components, thereby removing impedance discontinuities while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through unified fabrication processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The hybrid structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical flexibility (flexure function) and electrical connectivity (circuit function) within a single component. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by eliminating the need for separate components while maintaining ease of manufacture.
2Ease of manufacture
If separate flexure and flex circuit components are used, then manufacturing is easier, but power delivery is suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the flexure and circuit into a hybrid structure, the patent eliminates interface losses between separate components. This improves power delivery efficiency while maintaining ease of manufacture through integrated fabrication processes.
3Device complexity
If separate flexure and flex circuit components are used, then assembly is simpler, but thermal management is suboptimal
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated hybrid structure eliminates thermal interface resistance between separate flexure and circuit components. This improves thermal management while maintaining simple assembly through unified manufacturing processes.
4Ease of manufacture
If ACF bonding is used to join flexure and flex circuit, then assembly is easier, but data transfer rates deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the ACF bonding layer from the structure by integrating the flexure and circuit into a single component. This removes the impedance discontinuities caused by the bonding layer, improving data transfer rates while maintaining ease of manufacture through direct fabrication.
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments include flex circuit arrangements for a camera with sensor shift actuation. Some embodiments include a flexure-circuit hybrid structure. Some embodiments include an actuation-module flex circuit hybrid structure. In some embodiments, the hybrid structures may include different portions that share multiple layers of a plurality of stacked layers. In some embodiments, one portion of a hybrid structure may include one or more layers that are different from the layers in another portion of the hybrid structure.