PCB Stack with Embedded Components and Sintered Vias
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for manufacturing printed circuit boards (PCBs) with embedded component packages are costly and time-consuming, requiring large panel formats and electroplating processes that increase the risk of yield loss and premium costs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving attaching a component to a first PCB, positioning a prepreg with a via hole and component cavity, filling the via hole with conductive material, and curing it to form a sintered via connecting the first and second PCBs, eliminating the need for electroplating and allowing for smaller PCB stack sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional electroplating and drilling/etching processes are used to create vias, then electrical connections between PCB layers are achieved, but manufacturing costs and lead times increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the electroplating process from the via formation sequence. Instead of drilling holes and electroplating copper, the invention uses laser drilling to create vias that are then filled with conductive material and sintered, completely removing the electroplating step and its associated costs and time requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electrochemical electroplating process with a laser-based drilling and sintering process. Laser drilling creates the via holes, and subsequent sintering of conductive material forms the electrical connection, substituting complex electrochemical machinery with more straightforward thermal and optical processes.
2Productivity
If large PCB panel formats are used to make embedded component processes cost effective, then more circuits and component packages can be added, but the risk of catastrophic yield loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by forming vias and embedding components before final PCB assembly. Component packages are attached to substrates and vias are created in advance, allowing modules to be pre-tested and validated individually before integration, thereby reducing the risk of catastrophic yield loss on large panels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the PCB fabrication process into modular stages: substrate preparation, component attachment, via formation, and final assembly. This segmentation allows smaller, manageable modules to be processed independently and tested separately, reducing the impact of defects on overall yield and enabling smaller panel formats to be used effectively.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional embedded component processes are used, then component packages can be attached to core PCB, but manufacturing costs and lead times are higher
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes key process parameters: instead of electroplating at room temperature with chemical solutions, it uses laser drilling with controlled power and duration, followed by sintering at elevated temperatures. These parameter changes simplify the process equipment requirements and reduce manufacturing complexity, thereby lowering costs and lead times while maintaining embedded component capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs disposable consumables such as sacrificial masks and temporary alignment fixtures that are discarded after use. This eliminates the need for expensive, precision-engineered reusable tooling and equipment, significantly reducing capital investment and manufacturing costs while enabling flexible embedded component integration.
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 reduces manufacturing costs and lead times, lowers yield loss, and enables the production of PCB stacks with embedded components using less sophisticated facilities, while eliminating the need for electroplating and drilling/etching processes.
Implementation Method 1
curing the conductive material to form a sintered via connecting the first printed circuit board with the second printed circuit board
Data Source
AI summary
A method by attaching a component to a first PCB, positioning a prepreg, having a via hole and a component cavity, proximate the first PCB with the component in the component cavity, putting a conductive material in the via hole of the prepreg, positioning a second PCB proximate the first PCB with the component and prepreg between the first PCB and the second PCB, and curing the conductive material to form a sintered via connecting the first PCB with the second PCB. A device with a first PCB, a component attached to the first PCB, a second PCB proximate the first PCB with the component between the first PCB and the second PCB, and a sintered metal via of conductive material connecting the first PCB with the second PCB.