The present disclosure relates to an electronic package for mounting to a circuit board. The present disclosure also relates to an electronic assembly including an electronic package mounted to a circuit board. The present disclosure also relates to an electronic device including an electronic assembly, in which the electronic assembly has an electronic package mounted to a circuit board. The present disclosure also relates to a method of manufacturing an electronic package. The present disclosure also relates to a method for mounting an electronic package to a circuit board.
Conventional electronic packages have a substrate. An array of solder balls is arranged on a first side of the substrate to surround an electronic module mounted to the first side of the substrate. A mold structure is applied over the first side of the substrate to encapsulate the array of solder balls and the electronic module under an outer surface of the mold structure. A grinding or similar operation is subsequently performed on the outer surface of the mold structure to expose the array of solder balls. Laser ablation or a similar process is also performed to locally remove mold material in the vicinity of each of the array of solder balls, to define a moat or channel circumscribing each of the exposed solder balls. The resulting electronic package is coupled to a circuit board by use of portions of solder, each of the solder portions fusing corresponding ones of the exposed solder balls to corresponding mounting locations on the circuit board. The fusing is achieved by a reflow soldering operation in which the package is subject to controlled heat at temperatures sufficient to liquify the solder portions. The high temperatures of the reflow soldering operation also liquifies the array of solder balls. The moat or channel formed by the laser ablation step is provided to permit outgas sing so as to reduce the occurrence of voids at the interface between the array of solder balls and the solder portions.
The innovations described in the claims each have several aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of the claims, some prominent features of this disclosure will now be briefly described.
According to one embodiment there is provided an electronic package for mounting to a circuit board, comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side, the substrate configured to receive one or more electronic modules; a first electronic module mounted to the first side of the substrate; a first mold structure extending over at least part of the first side of the substrate; and a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections provided on the first side of the substrate; the first mold structure substantially encapsulating the group of through-mold connections; the group of through-mold connections exposed through the first mold structure; the group of through-mold connections configured to be coupled to a circuit board by a corresponding group of intermediate solder portions, the through-mold connection configured to have a melting point in excess of a melting point of the intermediate solder portion.
In one example an outer surface of the first mold structure is free of any moat or channel circumscribing and adjacent to each of the through-mold connections.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature greater than a liquidus temperature of the intermediate solder portion.
In one example the through-mold connection is configured to have the melting point of the through-mold connection exceeding the melting point of the intermediate solder portion by at least a predetermined amount, the predetermined amount being 10 degrees Celsius, or 15 degrees Celsius, or 20 degrees Celsius. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature exceeding a liquidus temperature of the intermediate solder portion by at least the predetermined amount.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a substantially metallic material.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a solder material. In one example the solder material is free of lead.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony. In one example the alloy comprises 95% by weight of tin and 5% by weight of antimony. In one example the alloy is configured to have a solidus temperature of at least 240 degrees Celsius.
In one example at least one of the group of through-mold connections is coupled to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate. In one example the electrically conductive node comprises an electrically conductive pad. In one example the through-mold connection is directly fused to the electrically conductive node. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a substantially metallic material. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a solder material. In one example the solder material is free of lead. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony. In one example the alloy comprises 95% by weight of tin and 5% by weight of antimony. In one example the alloy is configured to have a solidus temperature of at least 240 degrees Celsius.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a non-solder material. In one example the through-mold connection is predominantly formed of any one of copper, nickel, gold or silver. In one example at least one of the group of through-mold connections is coupled to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate. In one example at least one of the group of through-mold connections is integrally formed as a single unitary piece with a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate. In one example the group of through-mold connections comprises a group of pillars, each pillar extending away from the first side of the substrate. In one example the group of through-mold connections further comprises a group of first flanges, each first flange disposed on a first end face of a corresponding one of the group of pillars and arranged on the first side of the substrate such that the pillar extends away from the first side of the substrate. In one example corresponding ones of the group of pillars and the group of first flanges are integrally formed as a single unitary piece. In one example the group of through-mold connections further comprises a group of second flanges, each second flange disposed on a second end face of a corresponding one of the group of pillars, the second end face opposite to the first end face, the second flange exposed through the first mold structure. In one example corresponding ones of the group of pillars and the group of second flanges are integrally formed as a single unitary piece.
In one example the electronic package is a dual-sided electronic package.
In one example an end face of at least one of the group of through-mold connections is substantially flush with an outer surface of the first mold structure. In one example the end face of the through-mold connection and the outer surface of the first mold structure together define a planar surface.
In one example the electronic package further comprises the corresponding group of intermediate solder portions, each intermediate solder portion directly fused to an end face of a corresponding one of the group of through-mold connections. In one example the intermediate solder portion is formed of an alloy comprising tin, silver and copper. In one example the alloy comprises 3% by weight of silver and 0.5% by weight of copper. In one example the group of intermediate solder portions protrude above an outer surface of the first mold structure.
In one example the group of through-mold connections substantially surround the first electronic module. In one example the group of through-mold connections comprise a first sub-group of through-mold connections and a second sub-group of through-mold connections, the first sub-group substantially surrounding the second sub-group.
According to another embodiment there is provided an electronic package for mounting to a circuit board, comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side, the substrate configured to receive one or more electronic modules; a first electronic module mounted to the first side of the substrate; a first mold structure extending over at least part of the first side of the substrate; and a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections provided on the first side of the substrate; the first mold structure substantially encapsulating the group of through-mold connections; the group of through-mold connections exposed through the first mold structure; the group of through-mold connections configured to be coupled to a circuit board by a corresponding group of intermediate solder portions; the group of through-mold connections formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature greater than a liquidus temperature of the intermediate solder portion; at least one of the group of through-mold connections directly fused to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate.
According to another embodiment there is provided an electronic package for mounting to a circuit board, comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side, the substrate configured to receive one or more electronic modules; a first electronic module mounted to the first side of the substrate; a first mold structure extending over at least part of the first side of the substrate; and a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections provided on the first side of the substrate; the first mold structure substantially encapsulating the group of through-mold connections; the group of through-mold connections exposed through the first mold structure; the group of through-mold connections configured to be coupled to a circuit board by a corresponding group of intermediate solder portions; the group of through-mold connections formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature of at least 240 degrees Celsius; at least one of the group of through-mold connections directly fused to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate.
According to another embodiment there is provided an electronic assembly, comprising: a circuit board configured to receive one or more electronic packages; an electronic package mounted to the circuit board; and a group of intermediate solder portions; the electronic package comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side, the substrate configured to receive one or more electronic modules; a first electronic module mounted to the first side of the substrate; a first mold structure extending over at least part of the first side of the substrate; and a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections provided on the first side of the substrate; wherein each of the group of intermediate solder portions couple corresponding ones of the group of through-mold connections to the circuit board; the first mold structure substantially encapsulating the group of through-mold connections; the group of through-mold connections exposed through the first mold structure; the group of through-mold connections configured to have a melting point in excess of a melting point of the group of intermediate solder portions.
In one example each intermediate solder portion is directly fused to an end face of a corresponding one of the group of through-mold connections. In one example the end face is substantially flush with an outer surface of the first mold structure.
In one example the group of intermediate solder portions protrude above an outer surface of the first mold structure.
In one example an outer surface of the first mold structure is free of any moat or channel circumscribing and adjacent to each of the through-mold connections.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature greater than a liquidus temperature of the intermediate solder portion.
In one example the through-mold connection is configured to have the melting point of the through-mold connection exceeding the melting point of the intermediate solder portion by at least a predetermined amount, the predetermined amount being 10 degrees Celsius, or 15 degrees Celsius, or 20 degrees Celsius. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature exceeding a liquidus temperature of the intermediate solder portion by at least the predetermined amount.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a substantially metallic material.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a solder material. In one example the solder material is free of lead.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony. In one example the alloy comprises 95% by weight of tin and 5% by weight of antimony. In one example the alloy is configured to have a solidus temperature of at least 240 degrees Celsius.
In one example the intermediate solder portion is formed of an alloy comprising tin, silver and copper. In one example the alloy comprises 3% by weight of silver and 0.5% by weight of copper.
In one example at least one of the group of through-mold connections is coupled to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate. In one example the electrically conductive node comprises an electrically conductive pad. In one example the through-mold connection is directly fused to the electrically conductive node. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a substantially metallic material. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a solder material. In one example the solder material is free of lead. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony. In one example the alloy comprises 95% by weight of tin and 5% by weight of antimony. In one example the alloy is configured to have a solidus temperature of at least 240 degrees Celsius.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a non-solder material. In one example the through-mold connection is predominantly formed of any one of copper, nickel, gold or silver. In one example at least one of the group of through-mold connections is coupled to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate. In one example at least one of the group of through-mold connections is integrally formed as a single unitary piece with a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate. In one example the group of through-mold connections comprises a group of pillars, each pillar extending away from the first side of the substrate. In one example the group of through-mold connections further comprises a group of first flanges, each first flange disposed on a first end face of a corresponding one of the group of pillars and arranged on the first side of the substrate such that the pillar extends away from the first side of the substrate. In one example corresponding ones of the group of pillars and the group of first flanges are integrally formed as a single unitary piece. In one example the group of through-mold connections further comprises a group of second flanges, each second flange disposed on a second end face of a corresponding one of the group of pillars, the second end face opposite to the first end face, the second flange exposed through the first mold structure. In one example corresponding ones of the group of pillars and the group of second flanges are integrally formed as a single unitary piece.
In one example the electronic package is a dual-sided electronic package.
In one example the group of through-mold connections substantially surround the first electronic module. In one example the group of through-mold connections comprise a first sub-group of through-mold connections and a second sub-group of through-mold connections, the first sub-group substantially surrounding the second sub-group.
In one example the electronic assembly forms part of a wireless mobile device.
According to another embodiment there is provided an electronic assembly, comprising: a circuit board configured to receive one or more electronic packages; an electronic package mounted to the circuit board; and a group of intermediate solder portions; the electronic package comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side, the substrate configured to receive one or more electronic modules; a first electronic module mounted to the first side of the substrate; a first mold structure extending over at least part of the first side of the substrate; and a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections provided on the first side of the substrate; wherein each of the group of intermediate solder portions couple corresponding ones of the group of through-mold connections to the circuit board; the first mold structure substantially encapsulating the group of through-mold connections; the group of through-mold connections exposed through the first mold structure; the group of through-mold connections formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature greater than a liquidus temperature of the intermediate solder portion; at least one of the group of through-mold connections directly fused to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate.
According to another embodiment there is provided an electronic assembly, comprising: a circuit board configured to receive one or more electronic packages; an electronic package mounted to the circuit board; and a group of intermediate solder portions; the electronic package comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side, the substrate configured to receive one or more electronic modules; a first electronic module mounted to the first side of the substrate; a first mold structure extending over at least part of the first side of the substrate; and a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections provided on the first side of the substrate; wherein each of the group of intermediate solder portions couple corresponding ones of the group of through-mold connections to the circuit board; the first mold structure substantially encapsulating the group of through-mold connections; the group of through-mold connections exposed through the first mold structure; the group of through-mold connections formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature of at least 240 degrees Celsius; at least one of the group of through-mold connections directly fused to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate.
According to another embodiment there is provided an electronic device comprising an electronic assembly, the electronic assembly comprising: a circuit board configured to receive one or more electronic packages; an electronic package mounted to the circuit board; and a group of intermediate solder portions; the electronic package comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side, the substrate configured to receive one or more electronic modules; a first electronic module mounted to the first side of the substrate; a first mold structure extending over at least part of the first side of the substrate; and a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections provided on the first side of the substrate; wherein each of the group of intermediate solder portions couple corresponding ones of the group of through-mold connections to the circuit board; the first mold structure substantially encapsulating the group of through-mold connections; the group of through-mold connections exposed through the first mold structure; the group of through-mold connections configured to have a melting point in excess of a melting point of the group of intermediate solder portions.
In one example the electronic device is a wireless mobile device.
According to another embodiment there is provided a method for manufacturing an electronic package, the method comprising: providing a substrate having a first side and a second side; arranging a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections on the first side of the substrate, the group of through-mold connections configured to be coupled to a circuit board by a corresponding group of intermediate solder portions, the through-mold connection configured to have a melting point in excess of a melting point of the intermediate solder portion; mounting a first electronic module to the first side of the substrate; applying a first mold structure to the first side of the substrate such that the first mold structure extends over at least part of the first side of the substrate to substantially encapsulate the group of through-mold connections; and removing a portion of the first mold structure to expose the group of through-mold connections.
In one example an outer surface of the first mold structure is kept free of any moat or channel circumscribing and adjacent to each of the through-mold connections.
In one example the step of removing a portion of the first mold structure to expose the group of through-mold connections is such that an outer surface of the first mold structure is kept free of any moat or channel circumscribing and adjacent to each of the through-mold connections.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature greater than a liquidus temperature of the intermediate solder portion.
In one example the through-mold connection is configured to have the melting point of the through-mold connection exceeding the melting point of the intermediate solder portion by at least a predetermined amount, the predetermined amount being 10 degrees Celsius, or 15 degrees Celsius, or 20 degrees Celsius. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature exceeding a liquidus temperature of the intermediate solder portion by at least the predetermined amount.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a substantially metallic material.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a solder material. In one example the solder material is free of lead.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony. In one example the alloy comprises 95% by weight of tin and 5% by weight of antimony. In one example the alloy is configured to have a solidus temperature of at least 240 degrees Celsius.
In one example the step of arranging a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections on the first side of the substrate comprises coupling at least one of the group of through-mold connections to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate. In one example the electrically conductive node comprises an electrically conductive pad. In one example the coupling at least one of the group of through-mold connections to a corresponding electrically-conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate comprises directly fusing the through-mold connection to the electrically conductive node. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a substantially metallic material. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a solder material. In one example the solder material is free of lead. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony. In one example the alloy comprises 95% by weight of tin and 5% by weight of antimony. In one example the alloy is configured to have a solidus temperature of at least 240 degrees Celsius.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a non-solder material. In one example the through-mold connection is predominantly formed of any one of copper, nickel, gold or silver. In one example the step of arranging a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections on the first side of the substrate comprises coupling at least one of the group of through-mold connections to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate. In one example coupling at least one of the group of through-mold connections to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate comprises using a solder to form a metallurgical bond between the through-mold connection and the electrically conductive node. In one example the group of through-mold connections comprises a group of pillars, the step of arranging a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections on the first side of the substrate comprising arranging each pillar of the group of pillars to extend away from the first side of the substrate. In one example the step of removing a portion of the first mold structure to expose the group of through-mold connections comprises exposing an end face of the pillar through the first mold structure. In one example the group of through-mold connections further comprises a group of first flanges, each first flange disposed on a first end face of a corresponding one of the group of pillars, the step of arranging a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections on the first side of the substrate comprising arranging each first flange on the first side of the substrate such that the pillar extends away from the first side of the substrate. In one example corresponding ones of the group of pillars and the group of first flanges are integrally formed as a single unitary piece. In one example the group of through-mold connections further comprises a group of second flanges, each second flange disposed on a second end face of a corresponding one of the group of pillars, the second end face opposite to the first end face. In one example the step of removing a portion of the first mold structure to expose the group of through-mold connections comprises exposing the second flange through the first mold structure. In one example corresponding ones of the group of pillars and the group of second flanges are integrally formed as a single unitary piece.
In one example providing a substrate and arranging a group of through-mold connections on the first side of the substrate are combined, such that the substrate is provided in a state in which the group of through-mold connections are pre-arranged on the first side of the substrate.
In one example the step of applying a first mold structure to the first side of the substrate comprises encapsulating at least part of the first electronic module in the first mold structure.
In one example the method further comprises: mounting a second electronic component to the second side of the substrate, and applying a second mold structure to the second side of the substrate such that the second mold structure extends over at least part of the second side of the substrate. In one example the step of applying a second mold structure to the second side of the substrate comprises encapsulating at least part of the second electronic component in the second mold structure.
In one example the step of removing a portion of the first mold structure to expose the group of through-mold connections comprises ablating an outer surface of the first mold structure. In one example the ablating the outer surface of the first mold structure comprises one or more of laser ablating and grinding.
In one example the step of removing a portion of the first mold structure to expose the group of through-mold connections is performed so as to provide an exposed face of each of the group of through-mold connections being substantially flush with an outer surface of the first mold structure. In one example the step of removing a portion of the first mold structure to expose the group of through-mold connections is performed such that the exposed face of each of the group of through-mold connections and the outer surface of the first mold structure collectively define a planar surface.
In one example the method further comprises: providing the corresponding group of intermediate solder portions; and fusing each intermediate solder portion directly to an end face of a corresponding one of the group of through-mold connections. In one example the intermediate solder portion is formed of an alloy comprising tin, silver and copper. In one example the alloy comprises 3% by weight of silver and 0.5% by weight of copper. In one example the step of fusing each intermediate solder portion directly to an end face of a corresponding one of the group of through-mold connections is performed such that each intermediate solder portion protrudes above an outer surface of the first mold structure.
In one example the step of arranging a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections on the first side of the substrate and the step of mounting a first electronic module to the first side of the substrate are performed such that the group of through-mold connections substantially surround the first electronic module. In one example the group of through-mold connections comprise a first sub-group of through-mold connections and a second sub-group of through-mold connections, the first sub-group substantially surrounding the second sub-group.
According to another embodiment there is provided a method for manufacturing an electronic package, the method comprising: providing a substrate having a first side and a second side; arranging a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections on the first side of the substrate, the arranging comprising directly fusing each of the group of through-mold connections to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate; mounting a first electronic module to the first side of the substrate; applying a first mold structure to the first side of the substrate such that the first mold structure extends over at least part of the first side of the substrate to substantially encapsulate the group of through-mold connections; and removing a portion of the first mold structure to expose the group of through-mold connections; wherein the group of through-mold connections are configured to be coupled to a circuit board by a corresponding group of intermediate solder portions, the through-mold connections formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature greater than a liquidus temperature of the intermediate solder portion.
According to another embodiment there is provided a method for manufacturing an electronic package, the method comprising: providing a substrate having a first side and a second side; arranging a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections on the first side of the substrate, the arranging comprising directly fusing each of the group of through-mold connections to a corresponding electrically conductive node provided on or embedded in the substrate; mounting a first electronic module to the first side of the substrate; applying a first mold structure to the first side of the substrate such that the first mold structure extends over at least part of the first side of the substrate to substantially encapsulate the group of through-mold connections; and removing a portion of the first mold structure to expose the group of through-mold connections; wherein the group of through-mold connections are configured to be coupled to a circuit board by a corresponding group of intermediate solder portions, the through-mold connections formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature of at least 240 degrees Celsius.
According to another embodiment there is provided a method for mounting an electronic package to a circuit board, the method comprising: providing an electronic package, the electronic package comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side, the substrate configured to receive one or more electronic modules; a first electronic module mounted to the first side of the substrate; a first mold structure extending over at least part of the first side of the substrate; and a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections provided on the first side of the substrate; the first mold structure substantially encapsulating the group of through-mold connections; the group of through-mold connections exposed through the first mold structure; providing a circuit board configured to receive the electronic package; and mounting the electronic package to the circuit board by use of a group of intermediate solder portions such that each of the group of intermediate solder portions couples corresponding ones of the group of through-mold connections to the circuit board, the through-mold connection configured to have a melting point in excess of a melting point of the intermediate solder portion.
In one example the step of mounting the electronic package to the circuit board comprises fusing each intermediate solder portion directly to an end face of a corresponding one of the group of through-mold connections.
In one example the step of mounting the electronic package to the circuit board comprises performing a reflow operation, the reflow operation configured to reflow each intermediate solder portion directly to an end face of a corresponding one of the through-mold connections. In one example performing the reflow operation comprises applying heat sufficient to liquify the intermediate solder portion in preference to the through-mold connection. In one example performing the reflow operation comprises controlling the application of heat so as to substantially avoid liquification of the through-mold connection during the reflow operation. In one example the reflow operation comprises a preheating phase, a soak phase and a reflow phase, in which performing the reflow operation comprises controlling the application of heat such that liquification of the through-mold connection is confined to a minor portion of the reflow phase. In one example performing the reflow operation comprises controlling the application of heat such that liquification of the through-mold connection occurs for a period of less than 10 seconds, or less than 8 seconds, or less than 6 seconds in the reflow phase. In one example performing the reflow operation comprises controlling the application of heat such that the through-mold connection remains wholly or partially in a solid phase throughout the reflow operation.
In one example an outer surface of the first mold structure is free of any moat or channel circumscribing and adjacent to each of the through-mold connections.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature greater than a liquidus temperature of the intermediate solder portion.
In one example the through-mold connection is configured to have the melting point of the through-mold connection exceeding the melting point of the intermediate solder portion by at least a predetermined amount, the predetermined amount being 10 degrees Celsius, or 15 degrees Celsius, or 20 degrees Celsius. In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature exceeding a liquidus temperature of the intermediate solder portion by at least the predetermined amount.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a substantially metallic material.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a solder material. In one example the solder material is free of lead.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony. In one example alloy comprises 95% by weight of tin and 5% by weight of antimony. In one example the alloy is configured to have a solidus temperature of at least 240 degrees Celsius.
In one example the through-mold connection is formed of a non-solder material. In one example the through-mold connection is predominantly formed of any one of copper, nickel, gold or silver.
According to another embodiment there is provided a method for mounting an electronic package to a circuit board, the method comprising: providing an electronic package, the electronic package comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side, the substrate configured to receive one or more electronic modules; a first electronic module mounted to the first side of the substrate; a first mold structure extending over at least part of the first side of the substrate; and a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections provided on the first side of the substrate; the first mold structure substantially encapsulating the group of through-mold connections; the group of through-mold connections exposed through the first mold structure; providing a circuit board configured to receive the electronic package; and mounting the electronic package to the circuit board by use of a group of intermediate solder portions such that each of the group of intermediate solder portions couples corresponding ones of the group of through-mold connections to the circuit board, the through-mold connection formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature greater than a liquidus temperature of the intermediate solder portion.
According to another embodiment there is provided a method for mounting an electronic package to a circuit board, the method comprising: providing an electronic package, the electronic package comprising: a substrate having a first side and a second side, the substrate configured to receive one or more electronic modules; a first electronic module mounted to the first side of the substrate; a first mold structure extending over at least part of the first side of the substrate; and a group of electrically conductive through-mold connections provided on the first side of the substrate; the first mold structure substantially encapsulating the group of through-mold connections; the group of through-mold connections exposed through the first mold structure; providing a circuit board configured to receive the electronic package; and mounting the electronic package to the circuit board by use of a group of intermediate solder portions such that each of the group of intermediate solder portions couples corresponding ones of the group of through-mold connections to the circuit board, the through-mold connection formed of an alloy comprising tin and antimony, the alloy configured to have a solidus temperature of at least 240 degrees Celsius.
For purposes of summarizing the disclosure, certain aspects, advantages and novel features of the innovations have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, the innovations may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.
Still other aspects, embodiments, and advantages of these exemplary aspects and embodiments are discussed in detail below. Embodiments disclosed herein may be combined with other embodiments in any manner consistent with at least one of the principles disclosed herein, and references to “an embodiment”, “some embodiments”, “an alternate embodiment”, “various embodiments”, “one embodiment” or the like are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described may be included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of such terms herein are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
The present disclosure relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ [Attorney Docket SKYWRKS.1360A1, titled “ELECTRONIC PACKAGE WITH THROUGH-MOLD CONNECTIONS AND RELATED ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY,” filed on even date herewith, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. The present disclosure relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ [Attorney Docket SKYWRKS.1360A3], titled “METHODS FOR MOUNTING AN ELECTRONIC PACKAGE TO A CIRCUIT BOARD,” filed on even date herewith, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
Various aspects of at least one embodiment are discussed below with reference to the accompanying figures, which are not intended to be drawn to scale. The figures are included to provide illustration and a further understanding of the various aspects and embodiments, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, but are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention. In the figures, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every figure. In the figures:
The following description of certain embodiments presents various descriptions of specific embodiments. However, the innovations described herein can be embodied in a multitude of different ways, for example, as defined and covered by the claims. In this description, reference is made to the drawings where like reference numerals can indicate identical or functionally similar elements. It will be understood that elements illustrated in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Moreover, it will be understood that certain embodiments can include more elements than illustrated in a drawing and/or a subset of the elements illustrated in a drawing. Further, some embodiments can incorporate any suitable combination of features from two or more drawings. Any suitable principles and advantages of the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented together with each other. The headings provided herein are for convenience only and are not intended to affect the meaning or scope of the claims.
Aspects and embodiments described herein are directed to an electronic package, preferably a dual-sided electronic package, for mounting to a separate circuit board. In particular, aspects and embodiments described herein allow the electronic package to be mounted to a circuit board by use of intermediate portions of solder coupling through-mold connections of the electronic package to corresponding mounting locations on the circuit board. Aspects and embodiments described herein allow mounting of the electronic package to the circuit board to be achieved with a package design and manufacturing process of reduced complexity, whilst also inhibiting the occurrence of voids or other defects in the vicinity of the interface between the intermediate solder portions and the through-mold connections. Aspects and embodiments described herein potentially allow for reducing the time and cost of manufacturing each individual electronic package.
It is to be appreciated that embodiments of the packages, devices and methods discussed herein are not limited in application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The packages, devices and methods are capable of implementation in other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Examples of specific implementations are provided herein for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use herein of “including”, “including”, “having”, “containing”, “involving”, and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. References to “or” may be construed as inclusive so that any terms described using “or” may indicate any of a single, more than one, and all of the described terms.
In a subsequent fabrication state (not shown), individual ones of the electronic packages 10 are separated from the strip 1 along the dashed lines indicated in
As shown in
As shown in Table 1, the solidus and liquidus temperatures of the materials used for the solder balls 5 and the intermediate solder portions 7 are similar to each other.
The intermediate solder portions 7 are typically applied to the exposed surfaces of the solder balls 5 as a paste. The electronic package 10 is then aligned relative to the circuit board 8 so that each of the intermediate solder portions 7 mate with a corresponding mounting location on the circuit board. A reflow soldering operation fuses each intermediate solder portion 7 to both: i) a corresponding one of the solder balls 5 of the electronic package and ii) a corresponding mounting location on the circuit board 8. The reflow operation results in liquification of both the solder balls 5 and the intermediate solder portions 7. Consequently, mixing of the liquid phases of the intermediate solder portions 7 and solder balls occurs. The individual moat or channel 312 surrounding each solder ball 5 provides a reservoir for receiving volatile components evolved from the liquified intermediate solder portions 5 and solder balls 5 during the reflow operation. It will be appreciated that incorporation of the moat or channel 312 into the mold structure 31 increases the pitch or spacing between adjacent ones of the solder balls 5. It will also be appreciated that a specific manufacturing operation is involved to form each distinct moat/channel 312 in the mold structure 31.
A flip chip 41 is mounted to the first side 21 of the substrate panel 2 by an arrangement of solder balls (not shown).
A group of through-mold connections 50 substantially surround the flip chip 41. For the example shown in
As shown in
For the example shown in
As can be seen in
In the electronic package 100 of
The first and second mold structures 31, 32 may help to protect the various electronic modules mounted to the opposing sides 21, 22 of the substrate panel 2 (such as flip chip 41, semiconductor die 42, filter 43) from impact loads encountered during validation testing, transportation or operational use. Impact loads may be dissipated throughout the first and second mold structures 31, 32, thereby helping to reduce the forces encountered by the electronic modules.
The electronic package 100 illustrated in
The electronic package 100 of
As shown in Table 2, the solidus temperature of the Sn5Sb material used for the through-mold connections 50 exceeds the liquidus temperature of the SAC 305 material used for the intermediate solder portions 7 by a differential or predetermined amount of around 19 degrees Celsius. It will be appreciated that this temperature differential will allow the intermediate solder portions 7 to be reflowed onto the through-mold connections 50 by use of a temperature profile which either avoids any liquification of the material of the through-mold connections 50, or confines any such liquification to those brief periods when the reflow temperature reaches its peak value.
During the process of mounting the electronic package 100 to the circuit board 8, each of the intermediate solder portions 7 is applied to the exposed surface of corresponding ones of the through-mold connections 50 as a paste. The electronic package 100 is then aligned relative to the circuit board 8 so that each of the intermediate solder portions 7 mate with a corresponding one of the electrically conductive pads 81 on the circuit board. As described in subsequent paragraphs of this disclosure, a reflow soldering operation is performed to fuse each intermediate solder portion 7 to both: i) the corresponding through-mold connection 50 of the electronic package 100 and ii) the corresponding electrically conductive pad 81 of the circuit board 8. The reflow operation is performed at temperatures sufficient to liquify the intermediate solder portions 7 to promote wetting with the material of the through-mold connections 50 and the electrically conductive pads 81.
As shown in
With the electronic package 100 mounted to the circuit board 8 as shown in
For the example electronic package 100 of
It will be appreciated that through-mold connections of non-solder material having profiles different to those illustrated in
In one embodiment (not shown), the through-mold connections 50′, 50″, 50″′, 50″″ of
Alternatively, in a preferred embodiment shown in
It will be appreciated that the fabrication step 1003 may precede or be performed substantially simultaneously with fabrication step 1002.
The electronic package 100 resulting from the fabrication steps described in relation to
The electronic package resulting from the fabrication steps described in relation to
In other embodiments, a conformal shielding layer (not shown) may be provided to overlie either or both of the first mold structure 31 and the second mold structure 32. The shielding layer may define an electromagnetic interference shield for the electronic package 100, 100′.
As will be appreciated, the electronic package 100, 100′ illustrated and described above may employ a variety of different electronic modules mounted to the substrate panel 2. The electronic modules may each be a single discrete electronic component, or alternatively be a collection of two or more electronic components co-located in a common module. It will be appreciated that the examples described herein and illustrated in the figures illustrate non-limiting examples of various electronic modules and that the electronic modules may differ from the specific examples described herein.
By way of example,
The electronic packages 100″, 100′″, 100″″ shown in
In the example wireless device 500, a power amplifier (PA) circuit 518 having a plurality of PAs can provide an amplified RF signal to switch 430 (via duplexers 400), and the switch 430 can route the amplified RF signal to an antenna 524. The PA circuit 518 can receive an unamplified RF signal from a transceiver 514 that can be configured and operated in known manners.
The transceiver 514 can also be configured to process received signals. Such received signals can be routed to the LNA 104 from the antenna 524, through the duplexers 400. Various operations of the LNA 104 can be facilitated by the bias/logic circuit 432.
The transceiver 514 is shown to interact with a baseband subsystem 510 that is configured to provide conversion between data and/or voice signals suitable for a user and RF signals suitable for the transceiver 514. The transceiver 514 is also shown to be connected to a power management component 506 that is configured to manage power for the operation of the wireless device 500. Such a power management component can also control operations of the baseband sub-system 510.
The baseband sub-system 510 is shown to be connected to a user interface 502 to facilitate various input and output of voice and/or data provided to and received from the user. The baseband sub-system 510 can also be connected to a memory 504 that is configured to store data and/or instructions to facilitate the operation of the wireless device, and/or to provide storage of information for the user.
A number of other wireless device configurations can utilize one or more features described herein. For example, a wireless device does not need to be a multi-band device. In another example, a wireless device can include additional antennas such as diversity antenna, and additional connectivity features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.
Any of the embodiments described above can be implemented in association with mobile devices such as cellular handsets. The principles and advantages of the embodiments can be used for any systems or apparatus, such as any uplink wireless communication device, that could benefit from any of the embodiments described herein. The teachings herein are applicable to a variety of systems. Although this disclosure includes example embodiments, the teachings described herein can be applied to a variety of structures. Any of the principles and advantages discussed herein can be implemented in association with radio frequency (RF) circuits configured to process signals having a frequency in a range from about 30 kHz to 300 GHz, such as in a frequency range from about 400 MHz to 8.5 GHz, in a frequency range from about 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz, or in a frequency range from about 2 GHz to 10 GHz.
Aspects of this disclosure can be implemented in various electronic devices. Examples of the electronic devices can include, but are not limited to, consumer electronic products, parts of the consumer electronic products such as packaged radio frequency modules, uplink wireless communication devices, wireless communication infrastructure, electronic test equipment, etc. Examples of the electronic devices can include, but are not limited to, a mobile phone such as a smart phone, a wearable computing device such as a smart watch or an ear piece, a telephone, a television, a computer monitor, a computer, a modem, a hand-held computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a vehicular electronics system such as an automotive electronics system, a robot such as an industrial robot, an Internet of things device, a radio, a camera such as a digital camera, a portable memory chip, a kitchen appliance such as a microwave or a refrigerator, a home appliance such as a washer or a dryer, a peripheral device, a wrist watch, a clock, etc. Further, the electronic devices can include unfinished products.
Unless the context indicates otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” “include,” “including” and the like are to generally be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” “may,” “e.g.,” “for example,” “such as” and the like, unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/or states. The word “coupled”, as generally used herein, refers to two or more elements that may be either directly connected, or connected by way of one or more intermediate elements. Likewise, the word “connected”, as generally used herein, refers to two or more elements that may be either directly connected, or connected by way of one or more intermediate elements. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, shall refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Where the context permits, words in the above Detailed Description using the singular or plural number may also include the plural or singular number respectively.
It will be noted that the figures are for illustrative purposes only, and are not to scale.
Having described above several aspects of at least one embodiment, it is to be appreciated various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Indeed, the novel electronic packages, electronic assemblies, electronic devices, and methods described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, and changes may be made. Any suitable combination of the elements and/or acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure and are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only, and the scope of the invention should be determined from proper construction of the appended claims, and their equivalents.
Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/350,592, filed Jun. 9, 2022 and titled “ELECTRONIC PACKAGE, AN ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY, AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE, A METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AN ELECTRONIC PACKAGE, AND A METHOD FOR MOUNTING AN ELECTRONIC PACKAGE TO A CIRCUIT BOARD,” U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/350,683, filed Jun. 9, 2022 and titled “ELECTRONIC PACKAGE, AN ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY, AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE, A METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AN ELECTRONIC PACKAGE, AND A METHOD FOR MOUNTING AN ELECTRONIC PACKAGE TO A CIRCUIT BOARD,” and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/350,602, filed Jun. 9, 2022 and titled “ELECTRONIC PACKAGE, AN ELECTRONIC ASSEMBLY, AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE, A METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING AN ELECTRONIC PACKAGE, AND A METHOD FOR MOUNTING AN ELECTRONIC PACKAGE TO A CIRCUIT BOARD,” the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties and for all purposes.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63350602 | Jun 2022 | US | |
63350683 | Jun 2022 | US | |
63350592 | Jun 2022 | US |