Miniaturized Component Fixing on Metallic Support Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for high-precision fixing of miniaturized components on support plates face challenges such as thermal stress, material incompatibility, and limited accuracy due to differences in thermal expansion coefficients and the complexity of substrate materials like sapphire or Pyrex, leading to mechanical stress and distortion, especially in microoptical component mounting.
Innovation Solution
A method using a metallic support plate with a cut-out region bridged by connecting webs, allowing for localized heating and uniform thermal expansion, which reduces thermal stress and enables precise positioning of components with a solder joint, utilizing a metallic material with high absorption coefficients for electromagnetic radiation and a suitable solder material like Sn96Ag4 for flux-free laser soldering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a lattice-like metal pattern is coated on the substrate plate, then the solder material can be selectively heated and fixed to the component, but the substrate plate structure becomes complex and manufacturing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the metal coating from the entire substrate surface and concentrates it only in the fixing section where the component is mounted. This is achieved by applying metal coating (such as gold, silver, or copper) selectively only to the specific area where soldering occurs, while leaving the rest of the substrate (e.g., sapphire or quartz) uncoated. This extraction principle simplifies the overall substrate structure by removing unnecessary metal coating from non-fixing areas, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining precise fixing capability through localized metal-solder interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a metal-coated fixing section with distinct properties from the rest of the substrate. The metal coating provides high thermal conductivity and solder wettability specifically where needed, while the uncoated substrate maintains its optical or mechanical properties in other areas. This localized differentiation allows the substrate to serve multiple functions: optical transparency or mechanical strength in uncoated regions, and thermal conduction for soldering in the coated fixing section.
2Manufacturing precision
If electromagnetic radiation is supplied for melting solder material, then the solder material melts and forms a drop for fixing, but thermal stress and distortion occur due to different thermal expansion coefficients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the substrate into a metal-coated fixing section and an uncoated substrate section, creating a composite structure with different thermal properties in different zones. During laser heating, the metal-coated section rapidly conducts heat to melt the solder, while the uncoated substrate experiences minimal thermal stress. This segmentation allows localized thermal processing without inducing global thermal stress and distortion in the entire substrate.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal coating in the fixing section acts as an intermediary between the laser energy and the solder material. The metal layer absorbs and rapidly conducts the electromagnetic radiation, converting it to thermal energy that melts the solder. This intermediary function concentrates the thermal effect precisely where needed while protecting the rest of the substrate from excessive heating, thereby reducing thermal stress and distortion.
3Manufacturing precision
If a continuous metal layer is applied on the substrate plate, then solder material wettability improves, but the substrate plate cannot be locally heated without causing thermal stress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the metal coating to exist only in the fixing section rather than covering the entire substrate. This segmentation provides sufficient continuous metal coverage locally for good solder wettability and thermal conduction, while limiting the metal's thermal stress-inducing effect to a small confined area. The uncoated portions of the substrate remain thermally stable during laser heating.
4Manufacturing precision
If the component is fixed with high precision, then positioning accuracy improves, but the structure becomes more sensitive to thermal stress and distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the thermal field by concentrating metal coating only in the fixing section, creating a localized thermal zone that is isolated from the rest of the substrate. This segmentation ensures that high-precision fixing occurs in a thermally stable environment, as the uncoated substrate portions do not expand or contract during laser heating, maintaining structural stability and positioning accuracy.
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 achieves high accuracy in component positioning, reduces mechanical stress, and simplifies the assembly process, allowing for precise orientation and secure fixing of microoptical components without the need for additional orientable holders, while maintaining cost-efficiency and ease of handling.
Implementation Method 1
a metallic material which has a high absorption coefficient for the electromagnetic radiation used in the method
Implementation Method 2
electromagnetic radiation is supplied in a region of the bottom of the support plate which is substantially localized on the fixing section
Implementation Method 3
the solder material at least partly melts and, owing to its surface tension in the liquefied state—forms a drop of solder material
Implementation Method 4
it is necessary to wait for mutual fixing by re-solidification of the molten solder material
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for high-precision fixing of a miniaturized component (1), in particular having a microoptical element (2), on a predetermined fixing section (3) of a support plate (4) by a solder joint. The support plate is formed throughout from a metallic material and has a cut-out region (10) which encloses the fixing section (3), is bridged by at least one connecting web (9) of the support plate (4), keeps the heat transfer from the fixing section (3) to the remaining support plate low and compensates lateral thermal expansions of the fixing section (3). Solder material (8) is applied on the top of the fixing section (3). The method comprises in particular the steps: arrangement of the component (1) above the fixing section (3), the solder material (8) and the base (7) of the component (1) being present in opposite positions without contact and forming a space. Supply of electromagnetic radiation (12) to the bottom (6) of the fixing section (3) for melting the solder material (8′) so that, as a result of drop formation and optionally as a result of lowering of the component (1) the space fills with molten solder material (8′) for mutual fixing. Waiting for the mutual fixing by resolidification of the molten solder material (8′).