The present invention relates to a molded interconnect device (MID) and a manufacturing method thereof, in particular to a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property and a method for production thereof.
In a general circuit design, the circuit is designed on a flat board. Since the circuit board is usually a flat board or a sheet structure, therefore it is necessary to provide space for accommodating the circuit when circuit related products are designed, and such requirement is inconvenient. Therefore, some manufacturers start integrating the circuit into the product to form the so-called “molded interconnect device (MID)”.
MID refers to a device produced by manufacturing conducting wires or patterns with electric functions onto an injection molded plastic casing to achieve the effect of integrating a general circuit board with plastic protection and support functions to form a stereoscopic circuit carrier. MID further has the advantage of selecting a desired shape for the design, so that the circuit design is no longer limited to the flat circuit board only, and the circuit can be designed according to the shape of the plastic casing. At present, the MID has be used extensively in the areas of automobile, industry, computers or communication, etc.
However, it is mandatory to take the heat dissipation issue into consideration for the design of electric appliance related products. Since a portion of energy will be converted into heat energy by the resistance of the circuit when electric current is passed through the circuit, the heat energy will be accumulated to increase the ambient temperature of the electric appliance continuously. The heat energy may even damage the electric appliance or cause a fire accident. In other words, the heat dissipation issue exists whenever there is an electric product.
In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property and a method for production thereof to overcome the heat dissipation problem.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the present invention provides a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property comprising: a support element, a thermal conductive element and a metallization layer. Wherein, the thermal conductive element is disposed in the support element and the support element is a non-conductive support or a metallizable support. The metallization layer is formed on a surface of the support element. To improve the conductivity of the support element, the support element further comprises a heat column penetrated and installed in the support element, such that heat can be conducted and dissipated through the support element.
In addition, the molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property of the present invention can have a non-conductive metal composite set in a non-conductive support or on a surface of the non-conductive support according to different processes of manufacturing the metallization layer. It is noteworthy to point out that after the non-conductive metal composite is irradiated by the electromagnetic radiation, the non-conductive metal composite will receive energy of the electromagnetic radiation to form the metal nuclei that serves as a catalyst. In a chemical plating process, the metal nuclei can catalyze metal ions in an electroless plating solution, and the chemical reduction reaction takes place to form a metallization layer on a surface of a predetermined circuit structure. Wherein, the non-conductive metal composite is a thermally stable inorganic oxide and comprises a higher oxide with a spinel structure or a combination thereof.
Moreover, in the molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property of the present invention, an electroplatable colloid can be formed on the non-conductive support. Wherein, when a metal is electroplated on the non-conductive support, the metal will be attached onto the non-conductive support containing the electroplatable colloid.
In addition, the molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property of the present invention can further use a thin film containing micro/nano metal particles to form the metallization layer. More specifically, the foregoing thin film is formed on the support element, and the support element is a non-conductive support. After the thin film is irradiated and heated by the electromagnetic radiation directly or indirectly, the micro/nano metal particles will be fused and combined with the non-conductive support to form the metallization layer. After the metallization layer is formed by the aforementioned method, the thin film containing the micro/nano metal particles without being heated by the electromagnetic radiation can be recycled to reduce the material cost of the molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property.
The present invention further provides a manufacturing method of a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property, and the method comprises the steps of: providing a support element and a thermal conductive element, and the support element is a non-conductive support or a metallizable support, wherein the thermal conductive element is distributed in the support element; and providing a metallization layer, wherein the metallization layer is formed on a surface of the support element. In practical applications, the support element is a non-conductive support, and the non-conductive metal composite is set in the non-conductive support or on a surface of the non-conductive support. After the non-conductive metal composite is exposed in the electromagnetic radiation to produce the metal nuclei, the metal nuclei is distributed on the surface of the non-conductive support to form the metallization layer. Wherein, the non-conductive metal composite is a thermally stable inorganic oxide and comprises a higher oxide with a spinel structure and a combination thereof. In other words, the foregoing method of adding the non-conductive metal composite to the non-conductive support can use the method of exposing in the electromagnetic radiation to release the metal nuclei from the non-conductive metal composite to facilitate the formation of the metallization layer on the surface of the non-conductive support. The method of irradiating in electromagnetic radiations is called laser direct structuring (LDS).
In addition to the method of irradiating by the electromagnetic radiation to form the metallization layer, an electroplatable colloid can be coated on the surface of the non-conductive support, so that a metal can be electroplated onto the surface of the non-conductive support directly. It is noteworthy to point out that different methods can be adopted according to different requirements, and the first method forms the metallization layer on the surface of the non-conductive support by a direct electroplating method, and then provides another non-conductive support containing the thermal conductive element, and finally forms the non-conductive support containing the metallization layer onto the other non-conductive support by the insert injection molding method; and the second method provides another non-conductive support containing the thermal conductive element and forms the non-conductive support on the other non-conductive support by the insert injection molding method, before the metallization layer is formed on the surface of the non-conductive support by a direct electroplating method.
In addition, the present invention also can use the double injection molding or insert injection molding method to form the metallization layer. Wherein, before the metallization layer is provided, the surface of the support element is etched first, and the metal catalyst is provided and distributed on the surface after the etching step. In the double injection molding method, the support element is used as an example of the metallizable support, and before or after the step of providing the metallizable support and the thermal conductive element, a non-metallizable support containing the thermal conductive element is further provided. Wherein, the non-metallizable support containing the thermal conductive element and the metallizable support containing the thermal conductive element are formed by the double injection molding method, and then the etching step takes place, and the metal catalyst is provided and the metallization layer is formed. If the insert injection molding method is adopted, two embodiments can be used according to different manufacturing processes. In the first embodiment, another non-conductive support of the thermal conductive element and the metallizable support containing the thermal conductive element are formed by the insert injection molding method, and then the metallization layer is formed on the etched surface after the etching step. In the second embodiment, the metallizable support containing the thermal conductive element is coated onto the etched surface to form the metallization layer first, and then the other non-conductive support containing the thermal conductive element and the metallizable support containing the thermal conductive element are formed by the insert injection molding method.
In the manufacturing method of the molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property addition in accordance with the present invention, the support element is a non-conductive support used in the step of forming the metallization layer, and a thin film containing micro/nano metal particles is formed on the non-conductive support. After the thin film containing the micro/nano metal particles are irradiated and heated by the electromagnetic radiation directly or indirectly, the micro/nano metal particles will be fused and combined to the non-conductive support to form the metallization layer.
In summation, the molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property of the present invention and the method for production thereof have the following advantages:
1. In the molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property and the method for production thereof in accordance with the present invention, the thermal conductive element is added into the support element to improve the thermal conducting effect of the support element. The support element can be a non-conductive support or a metallizable support.
2. In the molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property and the method for production thereof in accordance with the present invention, the MID can be formed by a laser, double injection molding, insert injection molding or direct electroplating method.
The technical characteristics and effects of the present invention will become apparent in the detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows.
a is a first flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
b is a second flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
c is a third flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device
(MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
a is a first flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
b is a second flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
c is a third flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
a is a first flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
b is a second flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
c is a third flow chart of a first processing procedure of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
d is a fourth flow chart of a first processing procedure of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
e is a third flow chart of a second processing procedure of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
f is a fourth flow chart of a second processing procedure of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
a is a first flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
b is a second flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
c is a third flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device
(MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
a is a first flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention;
b is a second flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention;
c is a third flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention;
d is a fourth flow chart of a first processing procedure of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention;
e is a fifth flow chart of a first processing procedure of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention;
f is a fourth flow chart of a second processing procedure of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention;
g is a fifth flow chart of a second processing procedure of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a seventh preferred embodiment of the present invention;
a is a first flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a ninth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
b is a second flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a ninth preferred embodiment of the present invention;
c is a third flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a ninth preferred embodiment of the present invention; and
d is a fourth flow chart of manufacturing a molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property in accordance with a ninth preferred embodiment of the present invention.
The technical characteristics and contents of the present invention will become apparent with the following detailed description and related drawings. It is noteworthy to point out that same numerals are used for representing respective same elements in the drawings.
With reference to
With reference to
It is noteworthy to point out that when the metallization layer is formed on the non-conductive support, an indirect catalyst can be used to form the metallization layer on the non-conductive support, wherein the indirect catalyst has its properties when it goes through the excitation of physical energy, bond breaking or chemical redox reactions. If the indirect catalyst has not changed to the catalyst yet, then the indirect catalyst will not have the properties of the catalyst. The property of the catalyst can be used for forming a metal on the non-conductive support. In other words, the aforementioned property of the indirect catalyst can be used for forming a metallization layer on a specified area. With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
With reference to
In addition, there are two ways of forming the metallization layer by the electroplatable colloid. With reference to
With reference to
The present invention further provides another way of forming the molded interconnect device (MID) with a thermal conductive property by using a thin film containing a plurality of micro/nano metal particles to form the foregoing metallization layer. With reference to
Exemplary embodiments have been disclosed herein, and although specific terms are employed, they are used and are to be interpreted in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purpose of limitation. Accordingly, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.
This application claims the priority benefit of co-pending U.S. provisional application 61/417,231, filed on Nov. 25, 2010, the entire specification of which is incorporated by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61417231 | Nov 2010 | US |