Wettable Flank Component Manufacturing for Visible Solder Joints
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for improved methods of manufacturing electronic components with wettable flanks to ensure reliable and visible connections, particularly in applications where connections are not visible and require assurance of proper assembly, such as in the automotive and medical fields.
Innovation Solution
A method involving forming cavities or trenches on a substrate, depositing insulating and conductive layers, thinning the layers to expose conductive material, and separating chips to create components with wettable flanks, ensuring reliable electrical connections and visible soldering verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If connection metallizations are extended to the flanks of the component to create wettable flanks, then visual inspection of soldering quality is enabled and connection reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to additional deposition and thinning steps
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive material layer is deposited and configured to extend to the flanks before the final component assembly and soldering steps. This preliminary preparation of the wettable flanks ensures that the connection metallizations are ready for soldering, enabling visual inspection and improving connection reliability without adding complexity to the actual soldering process
Solution Approach 2:
The connection metallizations are extended from the traditional planar surface into the third dimension by reaching the vertical flanks of the component. This dimensional extension allows solder to flow along the flanks during assembly, creating visible solder joints that indicate proper connection while maintaining electrical connectivity
2Reliability
If multiple layers of insulating and conductive material are deposited and then thinned to expose conductive material, then wettable flanks are created, but manufacturing time and process steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple layers of insulating and conductive materials are deposited in advance during the substrate preparation phase, before chip mounting and final assembly. The conductive layer is configured to extend to the flanks during this preliminary stage, so that subsequent thinning steps simply expose the pre-positioned conductive material rather than requiring additional deposition operations
Solution Approach 2:
The deposition of insulating and conductive layers is merged with the substrate preparation and chip mounting processes. These operations are combined into an integrated manufacturing sequence where layer deposition, chip placement, and flank formation occur in a coordinated manner, reducing total manufacturing time despite the multiple material layers involved
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 method produces components with wettable flanks that facilitate reliable electrical connections and enable visual inspection of soldering quality, reducing the need for X-ray checks and ensuring mechanical resistance and electrical integrity.
Implementation Method 1
depositing a layer of conductive material to couple the connection areas of two adjacent chips
Implementation Method 2
depositing a layer of conductive material to couple the connection areas of two adjacent chips
Implementation Method 3
forming a first layer of insulating material on the substrate, the first layer of insulating material covering the upper surface of the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
The present description provides a method of manufacturing electronic components. The electronic components have wettable flanks. An example method comprises a) providing a substrate having chips formed therein, connection areas being arranged on an upper surface of the substrate, conductive pads being able to cover the connection areas, b) optionally, forming cavities between the chips, c) depositing a layer of insulating material on the substrate and in the cavities, d) making the connection area or conductive pads accessible, e) depositing a layer of conductive material to couple the connection areas of two adjacent chips, f) depositing an additional layer of insulating material, g) thinning the additional layer until the conductive material is accessible, and h) separating the electronic components by dicing through the cavities, provided which the conductive material forms the wettable flanks of the electronic components.