This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-144097, filed Sep. 9, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments described herein relate generally to a memory card socket.
A memory card socket for mounting a memory card in an electronic device is known.
Embodiments provide a memory card socket capable of efficiently dissipating heat from a memory card.
In general, according to one embodiment, a memory card socket includes a first pad provided in a first face of a first substrate; a first terminal having a first end portion that contacts a terminal of a memory card and a second end portion electrically connected to the first pad; a holder provided on the first face and fixing the first terminal to the first substrate; and a protrusion provided on the first face, having a second face that contacts a portion of the memory card that excludes the terminal, and including a metal material or an insulating material.
Hereinafter, embodiments according to the disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present embodiments are not intended to limit the disclosure. The drawings are schematic or conceptual, and a proportion and the like of each portion are not necessarily the same as actual ones. In the description and the drawings, elements similar to those previously described with reference to a preceding figure are denoted by the same reference signs, and the detailed descriptions thereof will be appropriately omitted.
(Configurations of Memory Card Socket 100)
Configurations of a memory card socket 100 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to
As illustrated in
The memory card socket 100 is mounted in an electronic device such as a personal computer, a smartphone, or a tablet terminal. The memory card socket 100 is mounted on a substrate 10 of the electronic device. The memory card socket 100 is a socket configured so that the memory card 30 can be inserted into and extracted from the socket.
The substrate 10 is an example of a first substrate. The substrate 10 has a face, i.e., first face, F1. An insulating material such as glass epoxy resin is used for the substrate 10. A plurality of interconnection layers, a plurality of through vias, and the like formed from a metal material are provided in the substrate 10.
As illustrated in
Each metal pad 11 is buried in a surface of the face F1, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Although not illustrated, a sensor sensing insertion of the memory card 30 into the memory card socket 100 may be provided.
(Configurations of Memory Card 30)
As illustrated in
The circuit board 31 has a circuit pattern and the like, and various configurations of the memory card 30 are provided on the circuit board 31. An insulating material such as glass epoxy resin is used for the circuit board 31. The metal pads 32a to 32c are provided on a face, which is closer to the substrate 10, of the circuit board 31. The metal pads 32a to 32c, which are identical in configurations, are also referred to simply as “metal pads 32” hereinafter.
Each metal pad 32 is provided on the face, which is closer to the substrate 10, of the circuit board 31. When the memory card 30 is inserted into the memory card socket 100, the metal pad 32 is pressured toward the first end portion 121 of one metal terminal 12 and electrically connected to the metal terminal 12. For example, a conductive material such as gold (Au) is used for the metal pad 32. It is noted that one metal pad 32 may be connected and correspond to one metal terminal 12.
The circuit section 33 is provided on the circuit board 31. The circuit section 33 is a control circuit that controls the various configurations of the memory card 30. For example, the circuit section 33 transmits control signals to the memory section 34 to control writing of data to the memory section 34, reading of data from the memory section 34, erasure of data from the memory section 34, and the like, and manages a data storage state of the memory section 34. The circuit section 33 may be a freely selected logic circuit.
The memory section 34 is provided on the circuit board 31. The memory section 34 stores and manages data received from the outside of the memory card 30. The data is stored in memory cells or the like, not illustrated, of the memory section 34, and data read and the like are performed through a cell current carried in the memory cells. The memory section 34 may be a freely selected memory chip such as a NAND flash memory.
The circuit section 33 and the memory section 34 are electrically connected to the metal pads 32 via metal interconnections and the like, not illustrated in detail, in the circuit board 31. In addition, each metal pad 11 and each metal terminal 12 of the memory card socket 100 are electrically connected to each other. The circuit section 33 and the memory section 34 are thereby electrically connected to the metal pad 11. Furthermore, the metal pad 11 is electrically connected to configurations of the electronic device. In this way, the memory card 30 is electrically connected to the electronic device, and data can be exchanged between the memory card 30 and the electronic device.
The encapsulation resin 35 is provided on a face, which is closer to the lid 15, of the circuit board 31, encapsulates and protects the circuit section 33 and the memory section 34. An insulating material such as epoxy resin is used for the encapsulation resin 35. Using the insulating material for the encapsulation resin 35 can ensure that the lid 15 is electrically separated from the circuit section 33 and the memory section 34 even when the lid 15 contacts the encapsulation resin 35 as described above.
The memory card 30 may be a solid state drive, i.e., SSD.
(Heat Dissipation from Memory Card 30 by Protrusion 14)
How to dissipate heat generated from the memory card 30 by the protrusion 14 will now be described in detail with reference to
The memory card 30 operates at a higher speed than SSDs and, therefore, processes more data per unit time. Owing to this, the circuit section 33 transmits more control signals per unit time, and a higher cell current flows in the memory section 34 per unit time. The circuit section 33 and the memory section 34, therefore, have relatively high calorific values and the memory card 30 has a higher calorific value than the SSDs. The heat generated from the memory card 30 is dissipated to the electronic device through contact surfaces between the metal terminals 12 of the memory card socket 100 and the metal pads 32 of the memory card 30. However, contact areas between the metal terminals 12 of the memory card socket 100 and the metal pads 32 of the memory card 30 are relatively small. Therefore, when the memory card 30 has a high calorific value, the memory card 30 becomes hot. In light of these circumstances, according to the present embodiment, the protrusion 14 is provided in the memory card socket 100 to dissipate the heat from the memory card 30 more efficiently.
As illustrated in
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Furthermore, as illustrated in
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In the present embodiment, the protrusion 14 needs to contact the memory card 30 as the heat sink and the metal terminals 12 need to contact, i.e., to be electrically connected to the metal pads 32 for data exchange.
If the height of the protrusion 14 is larger than the height of the first end portion 121, the first end portion 121 cannot contact each metal pad 32 of the memory card 30 even with the memory card 30 inserted into the memory card socket 100. This is why the height of the protrusion 14 needs to be smaller than the height of the first end portion 121. As illustrated in
On the other hand, when the height of the protrusion 14 is smaller than the height of each holder 13, the protrusion 14 cannot contact the memory card 30. The holder 13 is not elastic, unlike the metal terminal 12. Therefore, the height, i.e., distance H3, of the holder 13 hardly changes no matter how the memory card 30 presses down the holder 13. Therefore, the height of the protrusion 14 needs to be larger than the height of the holders 13 for the protrusion 14 to contact the memory card 30.
The memory card socket 100 can thereby realize both the heat dissipation from the memory card 30 by the protrusion 14 and the data exchange by electrical connection between the metal terminals 12 and the metal pads 32.
As described so far, according to the first embodiment, the protrusion 14 functions as the heat sink that contacts the memory card 30 when the memory card 30 is inserted into the memory card socket 100 and dissipates the heat generated from the memory card 30 toward the electronic device. This can prevent the metal terminals 12 and the metal pads 32 from becoming hot.
According to the first embodiment, the height of the protrusion 14 is smaller than the height of the first end portion 121 and larger than the height of the holder 13. That is, when the memory card 30 is not inserted into the memory card socket 100, the distance H1 from the face F1 of the substrate 10 to the first end portion 121 of the metal terminal 12 is longer than the distance H2 from the face F1 to the face F2. In addition, when the memory card 30 is not inserted into the memory card socket 100, the distance H3 from the face F1 to an upper surface of the holder 13 is shorter than the distances H1 and H2. This enables the protrusion 14 to contact the circuit board 31 and the first end portion 121 to be electrically connected to each metal pad 32 when the memory card 30 is inserted into the memory card socket 100. Therefore, the memory card socket 100 can realize both the heat dissipation from the memory card 30 by the protrusion 14 and the data exchange by the electrical connection between the metal terminals 12 and the metal pads 32.
Furthermore, the heat dissipation face, i.e., face F2, of the protrusion 14 may be wider than the mounting surface, i.e., face F4. With the relatively wide heat dissipation face, the contact surface between the protrusion 14 and the memory card 30 is relatively wide. The heat generated from the memory card 30 can be, therefore, dissipated more efficiently.
The metal layer 16 is buried in the substrate 10 under the face F4 of the protrusion 14. A relatively high thermal conductivity material, e.g., a metal material such as gold is used for the metal layer 16.
The metal layer 16 is provided to contact the protrusion 14. Therefore, the heat generated from the memory card 30 is also dissipated to the metal layer 16 via the protrusion 14. Owing to this, according to the second embodiment, the heat generated from the memory card 30 is thermally conducted to objects with larger volumes, i.e., the protrusion 14 and the metal layer 16, achieving more efficient heat dissipation. Although not illustrated in detail, the metal layer 16 may be connected further to another heat sink, not illustrated, provided in the substrate 10. In this case, the heat generated from the memory card 30 is thermally conducted to objects with far larger volumes, i.e., the protrusion 14, the metal layer 16, and the heat sink, achieving far more efficient heat dissipation. It is noted that the heat-dissipation heat sink connected to the metal layer 16 is provided not to contact the metal pads 11 and interconnections, not illustrated. This can prevent short-circuit between the heat-dissipation heat sink and the metal pads 11 or the interconnections in the substrate 10. A surface area of the metal layer 16 is preferably larger than the areas of the faces F3 and F4 for enhancing thermal conductivity and heat dissipation.
Other configurations in the second embodiment may be similar to those in the first embodiment. Therefore, the second embodiment can obtain similar effects to those of the first embodiment.
As illustrated in
For example, as illustrated in
Other configurations in the third embodiment may be similar to those in the first embodiment. Therefore, the third embodiment can also obtain similar effects to those of the first embodiment.
The protrusion 17 is similar in configurations and functions to the protrusion 14 despite a difference in magnitude. That is, the protrusion 17 is placed on the face F1 of the substrate 10. For example, a high thermal conductivity metal material such as gold or a high thermal conductivity insulating material such as resin is used for the protrusion 17. When the conductive metal material is used for the protrusion 17, the protrusion 17 is apart from and electrically separated from the metal pads 11 and the metal terminals 12. When the insulating material is used for the protrusion 17, the protrusion 17 may not necessarily be apart from the metal pads 11, the metal terminals 12, and the holders 13 and may contact the metal pads 11, the metal terminals 12, and the holders 13.
As illustrated in
Providing the protrusion 17 as well as the protrusion 14 enables the face F2 of the protrusion 17 as well as the face F2 of the protrusion 14 to contact the memory card 30. With the configurations, according to the fourth embodiment, the heat generated from the memory card 30 is conducted to both the protrusion 14 and the protrusion 17, achieving more efficient heat dissipation. Furthermore, the protrusion 17 is provided separately from the protrusion 14. As illustrated in
Other configurations in the fourth embodiment may be similar to those in the first embodiment. Therefore, the fourth embodiment can obtain similar effects to those of the first embodiment.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2022-144097 | Sep 2022 | JP | national |