Embedded electronic device and method for manufacturing an embedded electronic device

• US 20070290048A1
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Innovatier, Inc., Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Innovatier, Inc.
• Inventors: Singleton, Robert, Keim, Lawrence J.
• Application Number:
  US11/455,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20070290048A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14647 Making flat card-like articles with an incorporated IC or chip module, e.g. IC or chip cards
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14819 the inserts being completely encapsulated
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07724 the record carrier being at least partially made by a molding process molding in general B29C45/14
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0306 Inorganic insulating substrates, e.g. ceramic, glass
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/186 manufactured by mounting on or connecting to patterned circuits before or during embedding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/06 the conductive material being removed chemically or electrolytically, e.g. by photo-etch process semi-additive methods H05K3/108
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/064 sealed by potting, e.g. waterproof resin poured in a rigid casing

Abstract

An embedded electronic device and a method for manufacturing the same wherein the embedded electronic device is composed of a printed circuit board, having a top surface and a bottom surface, a plurality of circuit components attached to the top surface of the printed circuit board having a plurality of standoffs on the bottom surface of the printed circuit board, a bottom overlay attached to the bottom surface of the printed circuit board, a top overlay positioned above the top surface of the printed circuit board and a core layer positioned between the top surface of the printed circuit board and the top overlay.

Claims

1. An embedded electronic device comprising:

a printed circuit board, having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein a plurality of standoffs are attached to the bottom surface;

a plurality of circuit components attached to the top surface of the printed circuit board;

a bottom overlay attached to the bottom surface of the printed circuit board;

a top overlay positioned above the top surface of the printed circuit board; and

a core layer positioned between the top surface of the printed circuit board and the top overlay and further positioned between the bottom surface of the printed circuit board and the bottom overlay.

2. The embedded electronic device of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board has a plurality of circuit traces on the top surface configured to operably connect to the plurality of circuit components and may have a plurality of circuit traces on the bottom surface configured to operably connect to a plurality of circuit components on the bottom surface of the printed circuit board.

3. The embedded electronic device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of circuit traces are formed with conductive ink.

4. The embedded electronic device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of circuit traces are etched onto the printed circuit board.

5. The embedded electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of standoffs are arranged in a dot-pattern on the bottom surface of the printed circuit board to allow the core layer to be positioned between the bottom surface of the printed circuit board and the bottom overlay.

6. The embedded electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of standoffs are affixed to the bottom overlay with a pressure sensitive adhesive tape or a spray-on adhesive.

7. The embedded electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of standoffs are copper.

8. The embedded electronic device of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board is composed of a flame retardant laminate with woven glass reinforced epoxy resin (FR-4).

9. The embedded electronic device of claim 1, wherein the top and bottom overlay are both comprised of polyvinyl chloride.

10. The embedded electronic device of claim 1, wherein the core layer is comprised of thermosetting polyurea.

11. The embedded electronic device of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of circuit components includes at least one push button.

12. The embedded electronic device of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of circuit components includes at least one battery.

13. The embedded electronic device of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of circuit components includes at least one microprocessor chip.

14. The embedded electronic device of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of circuit components includes at least one speaker.

15. A method for manufacturing an embedded electronic device, comprising:

providing a printed circuit board having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein a plurality of standoffs are attached to the bottom surface;

affixing a plurality of circuit components onto the top surface of the printed circuit board;

affixing the bottom surface of the printed circuit board to a bottom overlay using a pressure sensitive adhesive tape or a spray-on adhesive;

loading the printed circuit board and bottom overlay into an injection molding apparatus;

loading a top overlay positioned above a top surface of the printed circuit board into the injection molding apparatus;

injecting thermosetting polymeric material between the top surface of the printed circuit board, the plurality of circuit components and the top overlay; and

injecting thermosetting polymeric material between the bottom surface of the printed circuit board and the bottom overlay.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the thermosetting polymeric material is polyurea.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the plurality of standoffs are arranged in a dot-pattern on the bottom surface of the printed circuit board to allow the polyurea material to be positioned between the bottom surface of the printed circuit board and the bottom overlay.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein a plurality of embedded electronic devices are formed on one printed circuit board.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

removing the injected top and bottom overlay from the mould; and

cutting out the plurality embedded electronic devices.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the circuit traces are formed by etching traces into the printed circuit board.