Plated Glass-Substrate Frame for Edge Protection and Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Glass substrates in electronics packaging are fragile and prone to damage during handling and processing, requiring specialized toolsets that are not widely available, leading to high technology improvement costs for transitioning to high volume manufacturing.

Innovation Solution

An in-situ frame assembly process where a metallic frame is directly plated onto the glass substrate, ensuring perfect alignment and adhesion without the need for separate frame components or overmolding materials, thereby maintaining thickness uniformity and improving mechanical anchoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If glass substrate edges are directly handled during processing, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but the glass substrate becomes vulnerable to damage and reliability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehandling simplicityVSAvoidglass substrate durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A frame structure is pre-formed and then attached to the glass substrate before subsequent processing steps. This preliminary framing action protects the vulnerable glass edges from damage during handling and processing operations, allowing standard manufacturing equipment to be used without specialized glass handling toolsets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The frame acts as a protective cushion or buffer around the glass substrate edges. This beforehand protection absorbs mechanical stresses and prevents direct contact between handling tools and the fragile glass edges, thereby maintaining both manufacturing simplicity and substrate reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Reliability

If specialized toolsets are designed for glass panel handling, then glass substrate reliability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveglass substrate protectionVSAvoidprocessing equipment requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The protection system is segmented into a separate frame component that can be independently manufactured and then attached to the glass substrate. This segmentation allows the use of standard, widely-available manufacturing equipment for both the frame and substrate, eliminating the need for specialized integrated glass handling toolsets while still providing edge protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If separate frame components are used, then glass substrate protection is achieved, but manufacturing precision decreases due to misalignment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveedge protectionVSAvoidframe alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The frame and glass substrate are merged into a single integrated assembly through direct attachment. This merging eliminates the misalignment issues that would occur with separate components, as the frame is positioned and secured directly to the substrate in a single manufacturing step, ensuring precise alignment without requiring complex alignment procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Strength

If overmolding materials are used to secure frame and glass substrate, then mechanical strength is improved, but manufacturing precision decreases due to thickness variation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly mechanical strengthVSAvoidthickness uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using expensive overmolding materials that require precise thickness control, a simpler attachment method is employed where the frame is directly secured to the glass substrate. This approach uses readily available materials and processes that do not compromise mechanical strength while maintaining thickness uniformity, effectively replacing the need for precision-critical overmolding materials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

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

The solution provides a cost-effective and precise method for handling glass substrates, eliminating misalignment and material selection issues, while enhancing the mechanical robustness and electrical performance of hybrid panels.

Implementation Method 1

a frame around a perimeter of the substrate, wherein the frame is over a top surface, a bottom surface, and a sidewall surface of the substrate, and wherein the frame comprises a conductive material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectroplating: Electroplating

Data Source

PatentEP4671220A1Hybrid panel with a glass substrate and plated frame

Publication Date: 2025.12.31 INTEL CORP

Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1D
Figure 1E~1F

AI summary

Embodiments disclosed herein include an apparatus that comprises a substrate. In an embodiment, the substrate comprises a glass layer. In an embodiment, a frame is provided around a perimeter of the substrate. In an embodiment, the frame is over a top surface, a bottom surface, and a sidewall surface of the substrate. In an embodiment, the frame comprises a conductive material.