SMART PHONE ON A CHIP AND METHOD MAKING SAME

• US 20140254101A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: ZHANG, Yang, STEENSTRA, Jack B., BARRETT, Michael G., CARTER, Mark A., PENG, Yongsheng
• Application Number:
  US13/786,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20140254101A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/712
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3121 a substrate forming part of the encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3677 Wire-like or pin-like cooling fins or heat sinks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5389 the chips being integrally enclosed by the interconnect and support structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/552 Protection against radiation, e.g. light or electromagnetic waves
• 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 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0206 by printed thermal vias
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0209 External configuration of printed circuit board adapted for heat dissipation, e.g. lay-out of conductors, coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0218 by printed shielding conductors, ground planes or power plane H05K1/0236 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/141 One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence
• 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 2201/068 wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion is important
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09872 Insulating conformal coating
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0097 Processing two or more printed circuits simultaneously, e.g. made from a common substrate, or temporarily stacked circuit boards H05K3/0052 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/30 Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4608 comprising an electrically conductive base or core
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/205 Heat-dissipating body thermally connected to heat generating element via thermal paths through printed circuit board [PCB] details of PCBs relating to heat transfer H05K1/0201
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/00 : Screening of apparatus or components against electric or magnetic fields devices for absorbing radiation from an antenna H01Q17/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

Method and apparatuses for making a smart phone on a chip (SPOC) are described. Active components may be embedded into a copper core. In an aspect, and optionally, passive components may also be embedded into the copper core. Printed circuit board (PCB) laminate may be layered above and below the copper core. A copper ground plane may be fixed underneath the layer of PCB laminate below, and furthest from, the copper core. One or more additional components may be surface mounted on top of the PCB laminate layers above the copper core. A conformal coating may be applied to completely and thinly encase the one or more surface mounted additional components. The conformal coating may include trenching and a copper sputter coating finish.

Claims

1. A method of making a smart phone on a chip (SPOC), comprising:

embedding active components into a copper core;

layering printed circuit board (PCB) laminate above and below the copper core;

fixing a copper ground plane underneath the layer of PCB laminate at a position below, and furthest from, the copper core;

surface mounting one or more additional components on top of the PCB laminate layers above the copper core; and

applying a conformal coating to completely and thinly encase the one or more surface mounted additional components, wherein the conformal coating includes trenching and a copper sputter coating finish.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying a conformal coating to completely and thinly encase the one or more surface mounted additional components comprises cutting trenches and applying a conformal coating to compartmentalize the one or more surface mounted additional components.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein applying a conformal coating to compartmentalize the one or more surface mounted additional components comprises isolating the one or more surface mounted additional components from one another to reduce interference.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion for the conformal coating is within an acceptable range of a coefficient of thermal expansion for the one or more surface mounted additional components and PCB laminate layers above and below the copper core.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the copper core conducts heat to the copper ground plane through copper vias to dissipate heat out of the bottom of the smart phone on a chip.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface mounted additional components conduct heat through the conformal coating and copper sputter coating finish to dissipate heat out of the top of the smart phone on a chip.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein applying a conformal coating to completely and thinly encase the one or more surface mounted additional components comprises applying a conformal coating that does not rise above the PCB laminate layers above the copper core more than the height of the tallest one or more surface mounted additional components.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising embedding passive components in the copper core.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

making more than one smart phone on a chip, comprising;

embedding a set of active components into one of multiple copper cores on a panel;

layering printed circuit board (PCB) laminate above and below each of the copper cores on the panel;

fixing a copper ground plane underneath the layer of PCB laminate below, and furthest from, each of the copper cores on the panel;

surface mounting one or more additional components on top of the PCB laminate layers above each of the copper cores on the panel; and

applying a conformal coating to completely and thinly encase the one or more surface mounted additional components on each of the copper cores, wherein the conformal coating includes trenching and a copper sputter coating finish.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising embedding passive components into each of the copper cores on the panel.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising

connecting the smart phone on a chip to a main circuit board;

and

assembling wireless devices that include the smart phone on a chip and the main circuit board.

12. A smart phone on a chip (SPOC) prepared by the method of claim 1.

13. A smart phone on a chip apparatus, comprising:

a copper ground plane;

a copper core;

one or more active components embedded in the copper core;

a first set of printed circuit board (PCB) laminate layers above the copper core;

a second set of printed circuit board (PCB) laminate layers below the copper core but above the copper ground plane;

one or more additional components surface mounted on top of the PCB laminate layer above, and furthest from, the copper core;

copper vias configured to conduct heat from the copper core through the first and second sets of PCB laminate layers to the top and bottom of the smart phone on a chip; and

a shield comprising a conformal coating on top of the one or more additional surface-mounted components, wherein the conformal coating includes trenching and copper sputter coating finish.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the conformal coating is applied to completely and thinly encase the one or more surface mounted additional components to compartmentalize the one or more surface mounted additional components.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more surface mounted additional components are isolated from one another to reduce interference.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion for the conformal coating is within an acceptable range of a coefficient of thermal expansion for the one or more surface mounted additional components and PCB laminate layers above and below the copper core.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the copper core conducts heat to the copper ground plane through copper vias to dissipate heat out of the bottom of the smart phone on a chip.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more surface mounted additional components conduct heat through the conformal coating and copper sputter coating finish to dissipate heat out of the top of the smart phone on a chip.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the conformal coating does not rise above the PCB laminate layers above the copper core more than the height of the tallest one or more surface mounted additional components.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising one or more passive components embedded in the copper core.

21. A computer program product for making a smart phone on a chip, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing a computer to;

embed active components into a copper core;

layer printed circuit board (PCB) laminate above and below the copper core;

fix a copper ground plane underneath the layer of PCB laminate below, and furthest from, the copper core;

surface mount one or more additional components on top of the PCB laminate layers above the copper core; and

apply a conformal coating to completely and thinly encase the one or more surface mounted additional components, wherein the conformal coating includes trenching and a copper sputter coating finish.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the code for causing a computer to apply a conformal coating to completely and thinly encase the one or more surface mounted additional components comprises code for causing a computer to cut trenches and apply a conformal coating to compartmentalize the one or more surface mounted additional components.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the code for causing a computer to apply a conformal coating to compartmentalize the one or more surface mounted additional components comprises code for causing a computer to isolate the one or more surface mounted additional components from one another to reduce interference.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion for the conformal coating is within an acceptable range of a coefficient of thermal expansion for the one or more surface mounted additional components and PCB laminate layers above and below the copper core.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the copper core conducts heat to the copper ground plane through copper vias to dissipate heat out of the bottom of the smart phone on a chip.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the one or more surface mounted additional components conduct heat through the conformal coating and copper sputter coating finish to dissipate heat out of the top of the smart phone on a chip.

27. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the code for causing a computer to apply a conformal coating to completely and thinly encase the one or more surface mounted additional components comprises code for causing a computer to apply a conformal coating that does not rise above the PCB laminate layers above the copper core more than the height of the tallest one or more surface mounted additional components.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising code for causing a computer to embed passive components in the copper core.

29. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

a computer program product for making more than one smart phone on a chip, comprising code for causing a computer to;

embed a set of active components into one of multiple copper cores on a panel;

layer printed circuit board (PCB) laminate above and below each of the copper cores on the panel;

fix a copper ground plane underneath the layer of PCB laminate below, and furthest from, each of the copper cores on the panel;

surface mount one or more additional components on top of the PCB laminate layers above each of the copper cores on the panel; and

apply a conformal coating to completely and thinly encase the one or more surface mounted additional components on each of the copper cores, wherein the conformal coating includes trenching and a copper sputter coating finish.

30. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising code for causing a computer to embed passive components into each of the copper cores on the panel.

31. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising code for causing a computer to:

connect the smart phone on a chip to a main circuit board; and

assemble wireless devices that include the smart phone on a chip and the main circuit board.

32. A smart phone on a chip apparatus, comprising:

means for conducting heat from a copper core to dissipate heat out of the top and bottom of the smart phone on a chip, wherein active components are embedded in the copper core;

means for layering above and below the copper core, wherein one or more additional components are surface-mounted to the layering means above the copper core;

means for shielding the one or more additional components, wherein the shielding means is a conformal coating including trenching and a copper sputter coating finish; and

means for supporting the layering means below the copper core, wherein the supporting means is a copper ground plane.