Side-Mounted Components on Additive Manufactured PCBs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current manufacturing methods for electronic components, such as printed circuit boards, struggle to accommodate increased complexity and compact form factors, limiting the use of side-mounted components and reliable connectivity due to restrictive packaging constraints.
Innovation Solution
The use of additive manufacturing techniques, specifically inkjet printing systems with dielectric and conductive ink heads, to fabricate printed circuit boards with side-mounted components and contacts, enabling the creation of conductive traces and contacts along the Z-axis of printed circuits, allowing for orthogonal separation and integration of components like electrically small antennas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If traditional reductive fabrication methods are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but device complexity and component density are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D planar fabrication to 3D additive manufacturing, enabling components to be built in three dimensions including vertical stacking and side-mounted configurations. This dimensional change allows complex circuits to be constructed layer-by-layer with conductive and dielectric materials deposited in multiple directions, resolving the contradiction between device complexity and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The fabrication process is segmented into distinct additive steps: depositing conductive material, depositing dielectric material, curing layers, and selective removal. Each layer is built independently and sequentially, allowing complex multi-layer circuits to be constructed through repeated simple operations, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while achieving high device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If packaging constraints are strictly enforced, then form factor control is maintained, but side-mounted components and connectivity options are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the third dimension (Z-axis) for component mounting by creating side-mounted contacts and components on vertical surfaces of the circuit board. This allows components to be positioned on the sides and top surfaces rather than only on the planar board area, increasing adaptability while maintaining compact form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements multi-layer stacking where conductive and dielectric layers are nested within each other to create three-dimensional circuit structures. Components can be nested within or between layers, and side-mounted elements are integrated into the vertical structure, maximizing component density within a compact volume without increasing board area.
3Device complexity
If layer count is increased to achieve desired complexity, then device functionality is improved, but board thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the circuit board into thin individual layers that are built sequentially. Each layer consists of thin conductive and dielectric deposits, and the total thickness is controlled by the number and thickness of these segmented layers. This segmentation allows high functionality to be achieved while maintaining thin individual layers and controlled overall thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs thin-film deposition techniques to create conductive and dielectric layers with controlled minimal thickness. These thin films are built up in multiple layers to achieve the desired circuit complexity, allowing high functionality to be packed into a thin overall structure rather than requiring thick individual layers.
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 the fabrication of high-density interconnect printed circuit boards with side-mounted components and contacts, enhancing connectivity and component mounting capabilities, thereby addressing the limitations of traditional manufacturing methods in achieving compact and complex electronic designs.
Implementation Method 1
using the first print head, forming the pattern corresponding to the dielectric inkjet ink; using the second print head, forming the pattern corresponding to the conductive ink
Implementation Method 2
curing the pattern corresponding to the dielectric inkjet ink
Implementation Method 3
sintering the pattern corresponding to the conductive inkjet ink
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure relates to systems and methods for using additive manufacturing (AM) to fabricate printed circuits having side-mounted components and contacts. More specifically, the disclosure is directed to additive manufacturing methods for fabricating electronic components (AME), for example; printed circuit board (PCB), flexible printed circuit (FPC) and high-density interconnect printed circuit board (HDIPCB) (the PCBs, FPCs, and HDIPCB's together referred to as AMEs, or AME circuits), having conductive contacts and/or components along the Z axis of side walls or facets of the each of the printed AMEs.