ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL INTERCONNECTION FOR ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

• US 20140321075A1
• Filed: 04/24/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: SUNG, Kuo-Hua, GRESPAN, Silvio
• Granted Patent: US 9,374,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/750
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/62 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/0249 for simultaneous welding or soldering of a plurality of wires to contact elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/117 Pads along the edge of rigid circuit boards, e.g. for pluggable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/118 specially for flexible printed circuits, e.g. using folded portions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09481 Via in pad; Pad over filled via if used for surface mounting H05K1/113
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09572 Solder filled plated through-hole in the final product soldering lead-in-hole components H05K3/3447
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0969 Apertured conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0979 Redundant conductors or connections, i.e. more than one current path between two points
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09854 Hole or via having special cross-section, e.g. elliptical
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0126 Dispenser, e.g. for solder paste, for supplying conductive paste for screen printing or for filling holes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/361 Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/363 by soldering

Abstract

The described embodiments relate generally to electronic devices and more particularly to methods for forming mechanical and electrical connections between components within an electronic device. In one embodiment, an interconnect component such as a flex cable is attached to a substrate such as a printed circuit board. A plurality of apertures can be created in the interconnect component, passing through bonding pads located on one end of the interconnect component. The interconnect component can then be aligned with bonding pads on the substrate with the bonding pads on the interconnect component facing away from the substrate. A conductive compound can be injected into the apertures through the interconnect component, forming a mechanical and electrical connection between the bonding pads. In some embodiments, an adhesive layer can be used to further strengthen the bond between the interconnect component and the substrate.

Claims

1. A method for providing an electrical and mechanical connection between a substrate and an interconnect component, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of apertures in the interconnect component, wherein the plurality of apertures pass at least partially through a plurality of conductive bonding pads located on a first surface of the interconnect component;

placing a second surface of the interconnect component opposite the first surface in contact with a surface of the substrate;

aligning the interconnect component so that the plurality of conductive bonding pads located on the first surface of the interconnect component are positioned above a plurality of corresponding bonding pads located on the surface of the substrate; and

depositing a conductive compound along an outer surface of each of the plurality of conductive bonding pads located on the interconnect component, wherein the conductive compound is allowed to fill each of the plurality of apertures in the interconnect component, mechanically and electrically coupling the plurality of bonding pads located on the interconnect component to the plurality of bonding pads located on the substrate.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

prior to placing the second surface of the interconnect component in contact with the surface of the substrate, applying an adhesive layer between the interconnect component and the substrate, the adhesive layer having openings aligned with the plurality of apertures in the interconnect component, wherein the adhesive layer forms an additional mechanical connection between the interconnect component and the substrate.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of apertures in the interconnect component are created using a laser.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the plurality of apertures in the interconnect component are created using a drilling process.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the conductive compound is deposited in the plurality of apertures using a jetting process.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the conductive compound is deposited in the plurality of apertures using a printing process.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising plating interior surfaces of the plurality of apertures in the interconnect component prior to depositing the conductive compound.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a substrate overlaid with circuitry, wherein a surface of the substrate includes a plurality of bonding pads;

an interconnect component having a first surface and a second surface on opposing sides of the interconnect component, the first surface including a plurality of bonding pads, wherein the second surface of the interconnect component is positioned adjacent to the surface of the substrate and the plurality of bonding pads on the substrate are aligned with the plurality of bonding pads on the first surface of the interconnect component;

a plurality of apertures in the interconnect component, wherein the plurality of apertures pass at least partially through the plurality of conductive bonding pads located on the first surface of the interconnect component; and

a conductive compound disposed within the plurality of apertures, wherein the conductive compound mechanically and electrically couples the interconnect component to the substrate.

9. The electronic device as recited in claim 8, further comprising an adhesive layer disposed between the second surface of the interconnect component and the surface of the substrate.

10. The electronic device as recited in claim 9, wherein the adhesive layer includes a plurality of openings aligned with the plurality of apertures in the interconnect component.

11. The electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board.

12. The electronic device as recited in claim 8, wherein the substrate is a glass layer functioning as a display for the electronic device.

13. The electronic device as recited in claim 12, wherein the interconnect component is a flex cable.

14. The electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the conductive compound is an anisotropic conductive paste.

15. The electronic device as recited in claim 13, wherein the conductive compound is solder.

16. The electronic device as recited in claim 14, wherein the plurality of apertures are cylindrical in shape.

17. The electronic device as recited in claim 14, wherein the plurality of apertures are notches disposed along a periphery of each of the plurality of bonding pads on the first surface of the interconnect component.

18. A system for mechanically and electrically coupling an interconnect component to a substrate, the system comprising:

a lower fixture configured to support the substrate, the lower fixture including one or more positioning features capable of moving the substrate into a pre-defined position;

an upper fixture configured to support the interconnect component, the upper fixture rotatably coupled to the lower fixture, wherein the upper fixture includes one or more positioning features capable of moving the interconnect component into a pre-defined position;

a nozzle configured to deposit a conductive compound through a plurality of apertures included in the interconnect component; and

a controller capable of automatically aligning the interconnect component and the substrate using the one or more positioning features and controlling the position and flow rate of the nozzle;

wherein the upper fixture rotates relative to the lower fixture after the interconnect component and substrate are aligned, allowing the nozzle to access the plurality of apertures on the interconnect component.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, further comprising one or more sensors capable of sensing a position of the substrate and interconnect component and transmitting position information to the controller, wherein the controller uses the position information to direct the positioning features.

20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the sensors are optical sensors.

21. The system as recited in claim 19, further comprising a heating element included in the lower fixture, wherein the heating element provides heat necessary to cure the conductive compound.

22. A non-transient computer readable medium for storing computer code executable by a processor in a computer aided manufacturing system for mechanically and electrically coupling an interconnect component to a substrate, the non-transient computer readable medium comprising:

computer code for creating a plurality of apertures in the interconnect component, wherein the plurality of apertures pass at least partially through a plurality of conductive bonding pads located on a first surface of the interconnect component;

computer code for placing a second surface of the interconnect component opposite the first surface in contact with a surface of the substrate;

computer code for aligning the interconnect component so that the plurality of conductive bonding pads located in the first surface of the interconnect component are positioned above a plurality of corresponding bonding pads located on the surface of the substrate; and

computer code for depositing a conductive compound along an outer surface of each of the plurality of conductive bonding pads located on the interconnect component, wherein the conductive compound is allowed to fill each of the plurality of apertures in the interconnect component, mechanically and electrically coupling the plurality of bonding pads located on the interconnect component to the plurality of bonding pads located on the substrate.

23. The non-transient computer readable medium as recited in claim 22, further comprising:

computer code for receiving data from one or more sensors capable of sensing a position of the substrate and interconnect component; and

computer code for using the position of the substrate and interconnect component to control positioning features configured to align the substrate with the interconnect component.

24. The non-transient computer readable medium as recited in claim 23, further comprising computer code for controlling a heating element embedded in a fixture holding the substrate, wherein the heating element provides heat necessary to cure the conductive compound.

25. The non-transient computer readable medium as recited in claim 24, further comprising computer code for rotating an upper fixture holding the interconnect component into a lower fixture holding the substrate after the interconnect component and substrate are aligned.