Temperature-Triggered Fuse Device and Method of Production Thereof

• US 20180315564A1
• Filed: 04/27/2017
• Published: 11/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manufacturing Networks Incorporated (MNI)
• Original Assignee: Manufacturing Networks Incorporated (MNI)
• Inventors: Sherrima, Faraj
• Granted Patent: US 10,566,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/0412 specially adapted for being mounted on a printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2085/0414 Surface mounted fuses
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 37/761 with a fusible element forming part of the switched circuit H01H37/767 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 69/022 of printed circuit fuses
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/046 Fuses formed as printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 85/143 Electrical contacts; Fastening fusible members to such contacts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49107 Fuse making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A novel temperature-triggered fuse device is configured to be activated at a designer-specified ambient temperature by utilizing wetting force among a pair of wetting material bays and a solder bridge or a solder ball. The solder bridge or the solder ball is typically positioned on top of the pair of wetting material bays separated by an electrically-insulated gap. Preferably, the wetting material bays are at least partly made of gold, nickel, or other elements suitable for generating an increased wetting force to the solder bridge or the solder ball upon increases in ambient temperature. The novel temperature-triggered fuse device can be integrated into various types of integrated circuits (IC'"'"'s), or can function as a discrete fuse connected to one or more electronic components for robust protection from power surges and/or thermal runaway-related device malfunctions, meltdowns, or explosions. Various methods of producing the temperature-triggered fuse device are also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A temperature-triggered fuse device for protection against power surges and thermal runaways in an electronic circuit, the temperature-triggered fuse device comprising:

a base substrate;

a first metal pad and a second metal pad located on top of the base substrate or on a sputtered seed layer on top of the base substrate, wherein the first metal pad and the second metal pad are separated by an electrically-insulating material;

a first wetting material bay located on top of the first metal pad;

a second wetting material bay located on top of the second metal pad;

an electrically-insulated gap positioned above the electrically-insulating material; and

a solder bridge or a solder ball physically and electrically connecting the first wetting material bay and the second wetting material bay across the electrically-insulated gap, wherein the solder bridge or the solder ball is configured to break apart or melt due to a wetting force generated by the first wetting material bay and the second wetting material bay, when an ambient threshold temperature is reached in the temperature-triggered fuse device.

2. The temperature-triggered fuse device of claim 1, further comprising a first de-wetting material adjacent to the first wetting material bay, and a second de-wetting material adjacent to the second wetting material bay.

3. The temperature-triggered fuse device of claim 1, further comprising a first wire bonding pad connected to the first metal pad, and a second wire bonding pad connected to the second metal pad.

4. The temperature-triggered fuse device of claim 1, wherein the solder bridge or the solder ball provides an electrical connection among the first wetting material bay, the first metal pad, the second wetting material bay, and the second metal pad, when the solder bridge or the solder ball is structurally intact because the ambient threshold temperature is not yet reached.

5. The temperature-triggered fuse device of claim 1, wherein the solder bridge or the solder ball disconnects an electrical connection among the first wetting material bay, the first metal pad, the second wetting material bay, and the second metal pad, when the solder bridge or the solder ball is broken apart or melted due to an increase of the wetting force at or above the ambient threshold temperature.

6. The temperature-triggered fuse device of claim 1, wherein the first wetting material bay and the second wetting material bay are made of gold, nickel, copper, or a combination thereof.

7. The temperature-triggered fuse device of claim 1, wherein the first de-wetting material and the second de-wetting material are made of polymer films.

8. The temperature-triggered fuse device of claim 1, wherein the first metal pad and the second metal pad are made of aluminum or copper.

9. The temperature-triggered fuse device of claim 1, wherein the base substrate is silicon, silicon dioxide, or a printed circuit board.

10. The temperature-triggered fuse device of claim 1, wherein the electrically-insulated gap is an air gap.

11. A method for producing a temperature-triggered fuse device, the method comprising the steps of:

placing a first metal pad and a second metal pad on top of a base substrate, wherein the first metal pad and the second metal pad are separated by an electrically-insulating material;

depositing a first de-wetting material coating on a portion of the first metal pad and a second de-wetting material coating on a portion of the second metal pad;

depositing a first wetting material bay on a remaining portion of the first metal pad and a second wetting material bay on a remaining portion of the second metal pad; and

placing a solder bridge or a solder ball across the first wetting material bay and the second wetting material bay, wherein the solder bridge or the solder ball forms a gap with the electrically-insulating material that separates the first metal pad and the second metal pad.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first wetting material bay and the second wetting material bay are made of gold, nickel, copper, or a combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first de-wetting material coating and the second de-wetting material coating are made of polymer films.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first metal pad and the second metal pad are made of aluminum or copper.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the base substrate is silicon, silicon dioxide, or a printed circuit board.

16. A plating manufacturing method for producing a temperature-triggered fuse device, the plating manufacturing method comprising the steps of:

sputtering a base seed layer on top of a base substrate;

applying a photoresist on the base seed layer;

forming patterns on the photoresist by utilizing a photomask, wherein the patterns identify a first piece of the base seed layer and a second piece of the base seed layer, which are separated by a gap;

plating a first metal pad on the first piece of the base seed layer and a second metal pad on the second piece of the base seed layer;

etching areas covered by the photoresist to remove corresponding underlying portions of the base seed layer;

cleaning the areas and removing photoresist residues after etching;

depositing a de-wetting material coating on a topmost surface;

applying a passivation mask to identify metal exposure locations on the first metal pad and the second metal pad for removal of the de-wetting material coating;

etching the de-wetting material coating from the metal exposure locations;

cleaning the metal exposure locations;

depositing a wetting bay seed layer on the topmost surface;

applying a gap mask to identify the gap separating the first piece of the base seed layer and the second piece of the base seed layer for removal of a portion of the wetting bay seed layer above the gap;

etching the portion of the wetting bay seed layer above the gap;

applying a solder bridge mask to identify a solder bridge location;

plating solder to form the solder bridge at the solder bridge location across the gap, wherein the solder bridge connects separated pieces of the wetting bay seed layer; and

etching portions of the wetting bay seed layer above the de-wetting material coating.

17. The plating manufacturing method of claim 16, wherein the wetting bay seed layer is made of gold, nickel, copper, or a combination thereof.

18. The plating manufacturing method of claim 16, wherein the de-wetting material coating is made of polymer films.

19. The plating manufacturing method of claim 16, wherein the first metal pad and the second metal pad are made of aluminum or copper.

20. The plating manufacturing method of claim 16, wherein the base substrate is silicon, silicon dioxide, or a printed circuit board.