Stencil Printing Electronic Encapsulation Mold
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional encapsulation methods for electronic devices, such as stencil and screen printing, are limited by the ability to apply only thin layers of dielectric ink, which cannot effectively cover electronic components with high profiles, and the use of removable dams introduces additional manufacturing steps and rigidity issues for flexible electronics.
Innovation Solution
A method using a mold placed on the electronics module during the printing process to contain the encapsulant material, allowing for sufficient thickness and flexibility in materials like silicone or metal, which can be part of the final product or removed after curing, ensuring complete coverage of electronic components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If stencil or screen printing is used to print dielectric ink, then the process can be simple and cost-effective, but the encapsulant layer thickness is limited to less than 100 microns which cannot cover high-profile electronic components
Solution Approach 1:
A mold is introduced as an intermediary tool during the stencil printing process. The mold contains the dielectric ink in the print head, allowing the ink to be deposited in thicker layers than conventional printing alone can achieve. The mold cavity depth controls the maximum encapsulant thickness, enabling coverage of high-profile electronic components while maintaining the simplicity of the printing process
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a vertical dimension control mechanism by introducing a mold with specific cavity depth. This allows the encapsulant layer thickness to be controlled not just by printing parameters but by the physical dimension of the mold cavity, enabling thicknesses greater than 100 microns while maintaining printing process advantages
2Manufacturing precision
If removable dams are used to achieve thicker dielectric layers, then the encapsulant thickness can be increased, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex with additional steps and may leave rough edges
Solution Approach 1:
The mold serves multiple functions simultaneously: it contains the dielectric ink during printing, defines the encapsulant thickness through its cavity depth, and provides a smooth finished edge. By combining these functions into a single component, the invention eliminates the need for separate dams and their associated addition and removal steps, simplifying the manufacturing process while achieving thicker encapsulant layers
Solution Approach 2:
The mold is prepared in advance with the exact cavity depth required for the desired encapsulant thickness. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for post-printing adjustments or additional steps to achieve the correct thickness, as the mold itself pre-defines the final encapsulant dimensions during the printing process
3Strength
If rigid materials like steel or aluminum are used for dams, then the structure provides strength, but the rigidity prevents use in flexible electronics applications
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter of the mold from rigid materials (steel, aluminum) to flexible materials (silicone, rubber, thermoplastics). This parameter change allows the mold to conform to flexible electronics substrates while still providing the necessary structural strength to contain the dielectric ink and define the encapsulant thickness. The flexible material adapts to the substrate curvature and movement, enabling use in flexible electronics applications
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 reliable, cost-effective encapsulation of electronic devices with sufficient thickness and flexibility, addressing the limitations of existing methods by allowing for thicker encapsulation layers and compatibility with flexible electronics.
Implementation Method 1
The dispensed liquid encapsulant is cured to form an encapsulated electronic device package
Implementation Method 2
The dispensed liquid encapsulant is cured to form an encapsulated electronic device package
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, devices, and systems are provided for the encapsulation of electronic devices. The encapsulation includes positioning an electronic device in a cavity of a mold, and screen or stencil printing an encapsulant, in a liquid form, around the flexible electronic device. The mold is of a sufficient thickness to allow the encapsulant to completely cover electronic components mounted on a first surface of the electronic device.