This application claims the benefit of German patent application DE 10 2012 200 343.6, filed on Jan. 11, 2012, the contents of which are incorporated by reference for all that it teaches.
The disclosure relates to a component carrier, in particular a printed circuit board, for electronic and/or electric components. Furthermore, the disclosure relates to an electric conductor of such a component carrier as well as to a method for producing a corresponding component carrier.
Component carriers, electric conductors or methods for producing the same are well-known to the persons skilled in the art and are constantly used throughout the entire field of electrical engineering or the like. The electrical conductivity of an electric conductor of a component carrier is improved the bigger the cross-section of the electric conductor would get. The ability to conducting comparatively high currents is particularly envisioned in power electronics, although the total space allocated to a component carrier may be limited.
The disclosure herein provides a component carrier and an electric conductor, as well as a method of the above-mentioned type, by means of which a significantly improved electrical conductivity and heat conductivity is achieved compared to existing technologies. The wording of the claims is incorporated into the content of the description by explicit reference. Some of the features and characteristics listed below in a non-exhaustive way apply to the component carrier, to the electric conductor as well as to the method. Sometimes they are only described once but are valid independent from one another and in any combination for the component carrier as well as for the electric conductor and the method. Furthermore, the order of the listed features is not binding but can rather be modified or combined corresponding to an optimized component carrier, an optimized electric conductor or an optimized method.
The electric conductors mentioned herein are to be dimensioned in a way as to ensure that an acceptable compromise is reached between the total required space of a component carrier and the conduction cross-section of the electric conductor. According to one aspect of the disclosure, a component carrier may include two opposing sides and two contact faces, each face configured for electrical coupling to a component. A conductor track may be positioned on a first side of the component carrier and electrically couple the two contact faces. A conductor recess may extend from one side toward the other side of the component carrier along the conductor track. The conductor recess may be configured for electrical coupling to an electric conductor arranged in the recess and extending over an entire length of the recess. The component carrier may be configured in a planar configuration.
According to another aspect, an electric conductor may include a conductor track and a conductor. The conductor track may be arranged on a first or second side of a component carrier. The conductor may be arranged substantially parallel to the conductor track in a conductor recess extending from the first or second side in a direction toward the other side.
According to yet another aspect, a method for providing electrical conductivity for a component carrier may include providing a conductor track positioned on a first or second side of the component carrier that includes a first and second contact face. A conductor recess is provided in the component carrier in a region of the conductor track substantially along the conductor track extending from one side toward the other side. A conductor may be positioned in the conductor recess.
These and further features arise not only from the claims but also from the description and the drawings wherein the individual features can be realized on their own or together with other features in the type of sub-combinations of an embodiment of the disclosure and in other fields and can represent advantageous embodiments capable or being protected on their own for which hereby protection is claimed. The division of the application into individual sections and cross headings does not limit the general validity of the contents thereof.
Different embodiments of the disclosure are schematically shown in the drawings and will subsequently be explained in more detail. The embodiments shown in the individual figures partially provide features the other embodiments of the disclosure shown do not provide. However, the features can be combined with one another without extending the scope of the present disclosure. The figures show in:
a conductor track arranged on a component carrier according to embodiments of the disclosure,
a conductor track arranged on a component carrier according to embodiments of the disclosure,
a conductor track arranged on a component carrier according to embodiments of the disclosure,
a sectional view of a component carrier according to embodiments of the disclosure according to line in
a sectional view of a component carrier according to embodiments of the disclosure according to line IV-IV in
According to the disclosure, a component carrier, in particular a printed circuit board, is intended for electronic and/or electric components, which may be configured in a planar or flat manner and which may include a first side as well as a second side opposing the first side. Here, the component carrier may include a first contact face for a contact to a first, particularly electronic component as well as a second contact face for a contact to a second, particularly electronic component. Furthermore, the component carrier may include a conductor track which connects the first contact face to the second contact face in an electrically-conductive way and which is arranged on the first side of the component carrier. The component carrier may include a conductor recess which, starting from the first side or the second side, extends in the direction to the respective other side wherein said conductor recess runs along the conductor track. An electric conductor may be arranged in the conductor recess substantially extending over the entire course thereof, which conductor is connected to the conductor track in an electrically-conductive way. Here, the conductor recess does not only extend through the conductor track but may also extend at least partially through the electrically-non-conductive carrier material, for example a resin board which is usually used for printed circuit boards.
By arranging the electric conductor along the conductor track, not only is the track material which is no longer present due to the recess replaced, but additional conductor material is provided for the electrical connection of the first contact face to the second contact face. So, altogether the conductor cross-section is significantly increased at least between the contact faces. In doing so, however, the original periphery of the component carrier is essentially maintained, at least however merely slightly increased since the increase of the conductor cross-section is effected essentially in the interior of the component carrier or reaches into the depth thereof.
An electric conductor according to the disclosure can, for example, be a wire, a sheet metal strip or the like. However, also an electrically-conductive plastic, paint or the like can be used in some embodiments of the disclosure if reasonable in the scope of the disclosure.
The conductor recess preferably extends as far to the first and second contact face that the electric conductor to be used or to be arranged is part of the current path in the entire region of the current path between the first contact face and the second contact face. Otherwise, the conductor track would, for example, be the weakest link of the current track.
In one embodiment of the disclosure, the conductor recess completely extends from the first side to the second side, i.e. completely through the component carrier. Correspondingly, the electric conductor is preferably selected or configured in such a way that the entire available space in the conductor recess is filled up by this electric conductor. It is obvious that the bigger the additional electric conductor in the conductor recess is, the higher are the currents that can be used. Preferably, the conductor track is wider than the conductor recess. In particular, the conductor track may be 1.5 to 5 times wider than the conductor recess.
In a further embodiment of the disclosure, the conductor recess runs centrally along the conductor track and particularly interrupts or divides the latter there. That way an equal distribution of the conductor track and the conductor recess is achieved. The conductor track can be used as a cursor, for example for a milling device or the like. The equal distribution or the central interruption or division of the conductor track also proves to be advantageous in the use of solder mask, and also in the metalization of so-called released surfaces in the region of the recess.
In a further embodiment of the disclosure, a side wall, particularly both side walls, of the conductor recess are provided with an electrically-conductive layer as part of the conductor, preferably they are metalized, in particular with the same material as the conductor track. This material can preferably, but not exclusively, be copper. This configuration increases the electrical conductivity and the heat conductivity of the conductor track, protects the edges or side walls of the conductor recess and stabilizes the component carrier. Moreover, this way the contact area between the conductor track and the electric conductor to be arranged in the conductor recess is increased which is also advantageous for the conducting current between the two contact faces.
In a further embodiment of the disclosure, the conductor track has a greater width in the region of the contact face than in the region between the contact faces along the conductor recesses. This way, a big or a comparatively bigger bearing face for tin-solder or its equivalent is provided in the contacting of electric components to the contact faces. Furthermore, an increase in the conductor cross-section in the region of the contact faces is achieved by means of the tin-solder or its equivalent, wherein said increase then preferably extends as far as into the region of the conductor recesses.
In a further embodiment of the disclosure, the conductor track provides a contact recess which surrounds the contact face preferably in a cup-like manner and/or completely or only partially in a ring-shaped manner in the region of a contact face and which preferably changes over into the conductor track recess. The contact recess starts form the free surface of the contact face and extends into the component carrier. By means of the contact recess, additional space is created in order to accommodate an electric conductor according to the above description.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the conductor recess and/or the contact recess is/are filled with tin-solder. In this configuration, the electric conductor may be produced in and/or at the conductor recess during a work step that is required anyway, particularly preferred during soldering, for example by means of a soldering bath, wave soldering or the like.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the conductor, a contact recess, the conductor track, the contact faces as well as tin-solder applied form an electric conductor, preferably with a nearly continuous, preferably constant conductor cross-section. In a further embodiment of the disclosure, an electrically-conductive component is arranged along the conductor recess, preferably a wire, a metal bridge or the like which is connected to the conductor track in an electrically-conducting way, preferably by means of tin-solder or the equivalent, namely along the course of the conductor recess. This way, depending on the material used for the additional electric conductor, the electric conductivity and the heat conductivity of the entire conductor is further increased in the region between the contact faces.
In a further embodiment of the disclosure, several conductor recesses are provided along a conductor, such as two or three, in particular parallel to one another and/or configured in the same way. This way a further increase of the available conductor cross-section is achieved.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the ratio between the width of the conductor track and the width of the conductor recess lies between 1:0.9 and 1:0.1, in particular between 1:0.7 and 1:0.3. In a further embodiment of the disclosure, the width B of the conductor recess is smaller than the thickness D of the component carrier and the width B is more than twice the thickness D of conductor track. An ideal ratio can be found by combining fluid properties, for example of the tin-solder, a required stability of the component carrier as well as a conductor cross-section to be achieved.
An electric conductor may also be provided herein, where the electric conductor may include a conductor track arranged on the first and/or the second side of the component carrier as well as a conductor arranged in a conductor recess. Starting from one of the sides, said conductor recess extends in the direction to the other side and runs essentially parallel to the conductor track.
Furthermore, a method for producing an above-described component carrier is described herein, where the component carrier comprises a conductor track arranged on a first side and/or a second side of the component carrier and where the component carrier comprises a first and a second contact face. In one operation of the method, a conductor recess is applied/introduced in the component carrier in the region of the conductor track essentially along the conductor track, where the conductor recess, starting from one side, extends in the direction to the other side. This can be effected in case of an already existing or previously applied conductor track, that is to say separating the latter. As an alternative, it can be effected before the conductor track is applied or even before copper-plating the conductor track.
In another subsequent operation, a conductor is arranged in the conductor recess, if applicable together with the conductor track during metalization. In a further operation, if applicable, an electrically-conductive connection is realized between the conductor track and the conductor if it has not been produced before.
In an alternative development of the method, tin-solder or one of its equivalents is filled in the conductor recess for producing the electrically-conductive connection, where the conductor recess is completely filled with tin-solder. In this case, the steps comprising the arrangement of the conductor and the connection to the conductor track fall together.
In a further development of the method, the side walls of the conductor recess are coated in an electrically-conductive way, preferably with the same material the conductor track is made of, in particular with copper. This can be effected beforehand or afterwards.
Turning now to the figures, in
In contrast to
In contrast to the conductor tracks of
In
In
It proved to be advantageous to select the width B of the conductor recess 18 smaller than the thickness D of the component carrier 10. Furthermore, in an advantageous configuration, the width B should be more than twice the width d of the conductor track 12.
In order to prevent undesirable spreading of the tin-solder on the surface of the component carrier 10 beyond the region of the conductor track 12, the component carrier 10 is provided with a so-called solder stop paint 44 or the like in these essentially un-used regions.
In
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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DE102012200343.6 | Jan 2012 | DE | national |