Attachable modular electronic systems

• US 20040142603A1
• Filed: 07/24/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eggs In The Pipeline LLC
• Original Assignee: Eggs In The Pipeline LLC
• Inventors: Walker, J. Thomas
• Application Number:
  US10/625,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20040142603A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/701
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/16 the devices being of types provided for in two or more different main groups of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. forming hybrid circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/18 the devices being of types provided for in two or more different subgroups of the same main group of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/185 Components encapsulated in the insulating substrate of the printed circuit or incorporated in internal layers of a multilayer circuit semiconductor chips encapsulated by interconnect and support structures H01L23/5389, H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/305 Affixing by adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/321 by conductive adhesives

Abstract

A apparatus having layers. A first layer has a conductive adhesive region and a non-conductive adhesive region. A second layer has an electronic component in electrical connection to the conductive adhesive regions in the first layer so that the conductive adhesive regions provide contact points for the electronic component. A third layer has an adhesive material to couple the apparatus to an object. A forth layer substantially covers the third layer.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first layer comprising a non-conductive adhesive region and a conductive adhesive region;

a second layer coupled to the first layer, the second layer comprising an electronic component, wherein the electronic component is in electrical connection to the conductive adhesive region in the first layer so that the conductive adhesive region provides a contact point for the electronic component; and

a third layer coupled to the second layer, the third layer comprising an adhesive to couple the apparatus to an object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a forth layer coupled to the third layer to substantially cover the third layer, the forth layer being releasably removable from the third layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thickness measured from the first layer to the third layer is less than 1.5 millimeters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a flex radius of 0.1 inches.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the component in the second layer is one of a plurality of types, and wherein the first layer comprises a plurality of conductive adhesive regions arranged in a geometric pattern that corresponds to the component type of the component in the second layer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second layer further comprises a substrate.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a conductive non-adhesive region to provide an additional contact point for the electronic component.

8. A system comprising a plurality of modules, wherein each module comprises a component layer and an adhesive layer, wherein each component layer comprises an electronic component, wherein each adhesive layer comprises a non-conductive adhesive region and a conductive adhesive region, wherein the electronic component in each module is in electrical connection with the conductive adhesive region in that module, and wherein the adhesive layer in a first module of the plurality of modules is coupled the adhesive layer in a second of the plurality of modules so that the conductive adhesive region in the first module is coupled to the conductive adhesive region in the second module to create an electrical path between the electronic component in the first module and the electronic component in the second module.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each component layer further comprises a flexible substrate.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein if the system is adhered to an object the system thickness measured from the object to the farthest part of the system from that object is less than 0.5 millimeters.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the system has a flex radius of 0.1 inches.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein one of said modules is a central processing unit module, one of said modules is a power module, and one of said modules is a sensor.

13. A method of constructing a circuit, the method comprising:

remove a releasable cover from a first module, wherein removing the cover exposes at least part of an adhesive layer of the first module, wherein the adhesive layer contains regions of conductive and non-conductive material, and wherein the first module contains a first electronic component;

remove a releasable cover from a second module, wherein removing the cover exposes at least part of an adhesive layer of the second module, wherein the adhesive layer contains regions of conductive and non-conductive material, and wherein the second module contains a second electronic component; and

adhering the second module to the first module, wherein adhering includes connecting conductive regions in the adhesive layer of the first module with conductive regions in the adhesive layer of the second module to form an electrical connection between the electronic component in the first module and the electronic component in the second module.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first module further comprises an additional conductive region, and wherein the method further comprises:

coupling contacts to the additional conductive region in the first module, wherein the contacts are coupled to a computer device;

downloading programming information from the computer device to the electronic component in the first module; and

uncoupling the contacts from the first module.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein method further comprises:

removing only a portion of a releasable cover from a third module, wherein removing the portion of the cover exposes a portion of an adhesive layer of the third module, wherein the adhesive layer contains regions of conductive and non-conductive material, and wherein the third module contains a third electronic component; and

adhering the exposed portion of the adhesive layer of the third module to the adhesive layer of the first module, wherein adhering includes connecting conductive regions in the adhesive layer of the third module to conductive regions in the adhesive layer of the first module to form an electrical connection between the electronic component in the third module and the electronic component in the first module.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the removing and adhering are performed by an automated manufacturing device.

17. A method of processing data related to an object, wherein the method comprises:

removing a releasable cover from a device to expose at least part of an adhesive layer, wherein the device comprises an electronic component;

coupling the device to an object using the adhesive layer; and

processing data in the electronic component, wherein the data is related to the object or related to the environment the object is in.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein coupling the device includes flexing the device to conform to shape of the object.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the device has a thickness of less than 0.5 millimeters.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein processing data comprises:

sensing data in a sensor module of the device; and

transmitting the data using an interface in the device.