Metal substrated printed circuit

• US 4,858,073 A
• Filed: 03/21/1988
• Issued: 08/15/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AKZO America Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AKZO America Incorporated
• Inventors: Gregory, Vernon C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US07/170,546
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 361/386, 361/387, 361/388, 361/398, 361/400, 361/403, 361/410, 361/411, 361/414, 174/68.5, 174/16 HS, 357/80, 357/81, 29/830, 29/831, 29/832, 29/846, 29/848, 29/849, 165/185
• US Class Current: 361/708
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/142 Metallic substrates having insulating layers
• 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 2924/13033 TRIAC - Triode for Alternating Current - A bidirectional switching device containing two thyristor structures with common gate contact
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/056 the metal substrate being covered by an organic insulating layer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/189 characterised by the use of a flexible or folded printed circuit H05K3/326 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0129 Thermoplastic polymer, e.g. auto-adhesive layer; Shaping of thermoplastic polymer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0154 Polyimide
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/066 Heatsink mounted on the surface of the PCB heatsink inserted in the PCB H05K2201/10416
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09018 Rigid curved substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1034 Edge terminals, i.e. separate pieces of metal attached to the edge of the PCB tab H05K2201/0397
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10689 Leaded Integrated Circuit [IC] package, e.g. dual-in-line [DIL]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1084 Notched leads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2036 Permanent spacer or stand-off in a printed circuit or printed circuit assembly pattern for applying drops or paste H05K2203/0545
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0369 Etching selective parts of a metal substrate through part of its thickness, e.g. using etch resist
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1115 Resistance heating, e.g. by current through the PCB conductors or through a metallic mask
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/175 Configurations of connections suitable for easy deletion, e.g. modifiable circuits or temporary conductors for electroplating; Processes for deleting connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/302 Bending a rigid substrate; Breaking rigid substrates by bending rigid circuit boards or rigid supports locally made bendable H05K1/0278
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0061 : onto a metallic substrate, e.g. a heat sink heat sinks for electric apparatus H05K7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3405 : Edge mounted components, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/341 : Surface mounted components

Abstract

A semiconductor fabrication having thermal characteristics comparable to hybrid ceramic packages comprises a flexible copper foil printed circuit on a thin polyimide film layer thermally laminated to a metal surface, such as aluminum, with a high temperature thermal plastic, such as polyetherimide. A semiconductor die is attached to a relatively thick metal heat spreader which in turn is attached to at least a portion of the copper foil. The resultant structure is a semiconductor package which has a thermal performance comparable to that of typical hybrid ceramic packages.

Claims

1. An electronic metal printed circuit board structure including in combination:

a metal substrate;

an electrical insulation layer of plastic film having first and second sides;

conductive foil means bonded to the first side of said plastic film, said conductive foil means having a first predetermined thickness;

a heat dissipating conductor plate having a thickness greater than said first predetermined thickness attached to at least a portion of said conductive foil means;

semiconductor means mounted in heat exchanging proximity to said conductor plate;

bonding means selected from the group consisting of polyetherimide, polysulphone and polyethersulphone bonding the second side of said plastic film to said metal substrate, the combined thickness of said plastic film and said bonding means being less than twenty microns, and substantially less than the thickness of said conductor plate and said metal substrate, to permit heat dissipation into said metal substrate from said foil means and said conductor plate while providing electrical insulation between said substrate and said conductive foil means.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said plastic film is polyimide plastic film.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said means bonding said second side of said insulation layer to said metal substrate comprises a fusible thermoplastic.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said fusible thermoplastic is polyetherimide.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein said metal substrate comprises a heat sink.

6. The combination according to claim 5 wherein said metal substrate is an aluminum heat sink.

7. The combination according to claim 6 wherein the thickness of said conductor plate is several times greater than the thickness of said conductive foil means.

8. The combination according to claim 7 wherein said semiconductor means comprises a silicon die.

9. The combination according to claim 8 wherein said silicon die is mounted on said conductor plate.

10. The combination according to claim 9 wherein said silicon die is soldered to said conductor plate, and said conductor plate is soldered to said conductive foil.

11. The combination according to claim 9 wherein said semiconductor means is attached in thermal heat exchanging relationship to said conductor plate.

12. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the surface of said metal substrate is non-planar and said plastic film and said conductive foil means are flexible and are contoured to said surface of said metal substrate.

13. The combination according to claim 12 wherein said conductive foil means and said conductor plate both are copper.

14. The combination according to claim 13 wherein said plastic film is polyimide plastic film.

15. The combination according to claim 14 wherein said means bonding said second side of said plastic film to said metal substrate comprises a fusible thermoplastic.

16. The combination according to claim 15 wherein said means bonding said second side of said plastic film to said metal substrate comprises a layer of thermoplastic film.

17. The combination according to claim 14 wherein the thickness of said conductor plate is several times greater than the thickness of said conductive foil means.

18. The combination according to claim 17 wherein said semiconductor means comprises a silicon die.

19. The combination according to claim 18 wherein said silicon die is mounted on said conductor plate.

20. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said metal substrate is a flat metal spring.

21. The combination according to claim 20 wherein said spring is made of beryllium-copper.

22. The combination according to claim 14 wherein said semiconductor means is attached in thermal heat exchanging relationship to said conductor plate.

23. The combination according to claim 22 wherein said silicon die is soldered to said conductor plate, and said conductor plate is soldered to said conductive foil.

24. The combination according to claim 23 wherein said plastic film is polyimide plastic film.

25. The combination according to claim 24 wherein said means bonding the second side of said plastic film to said metal substrate comprises a layer of thermoplastic film.

26. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the mass per unit area of said conductor plate is several times greater than the mass per unit area of said conductive foil means.

27. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said semiconductor means comprises a silicon die.

28. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said means bonding said second side of said plastic film to said metal substrate comprises a fusible thermoplastic.

29. The combination according to claim 28 wherein said fusible thermoplastic is polyetherimide.

30. The combination according to claim 29 wherein said plastic film is polyimide plastic film.

31. An electronic metal printed circuit board structure including in combination:

a metal substrate board;

a polyimide film having first and second sides;

a flexible, conductive foil printed circuit bonded to said first side of said polyimide film;

bonding means selected from the group consisting of polyetherimide, polysulphone and polyethersulphone bonding the second side of said polyimide film to the surface of said metal substrate board, the thickness of said polyimide film and said bonding means being less than twenty microns to permit substantial heat dissipation into said metal substrate board from said conductive foil printed circuit while providing electrical insulation between said foil printed circuit and said board.

32. The combination according to claim 31 wherein said bonding means comprises a thermoplastic layer;

wherein said thermoplastic layer thermally bonds said polyimide film to said surface of said metal substrate and the combined thickness of said film and said thermoplastic layer is less than twenty microns.

33. The combination according to claim 32 wherein said conductive foil is copper foil.

34. The combination according to claim 33 further including a metal heat dissipating plate electrically insulated from said metal surface and bonded to at least a portion of one of said flexible conductive foil printed circuit and said polyimide film.

35. The combination according to claim 34 wherein said metal plate is copper.

36. The combination according to claim 35 wherein said metal plate has a mass per unit of area substantially greater than the mass per unit area of said conductive foil.

37. The combination according to claim 31 further including a metal heat dissipating plate electrically insulated from the surface of said metal substrate by said polyimide film and bonded to at least a portion of one of said flexible conductive foil printed circuit and said polyimide film.

38. The combination according to claim 37 wherein said metal substrate has a mass per unit of area substantially greater than the mass per unit area of said conductive foil.

39. An electronic metal printed circuit board structure including in combination:

a carrier layer of electrically insulating plastic film having first and second sides;

a heat dissipating metal plate providing the structural rigidity for said structure, said plate having a thickness substantially greater than the thickness of said plastic film;

bonding means selected from the group consisting of polyetherimide, polysulphone and polyethersulphone bonding said first side of said plastic film to said heat dissipating metal plate, the combined thickness of said bonding means and said plastic film being less than twenty microns; and

at least one electrical conductor bonded to said second side of said plastic film opposite said metal plate, the thickness of said plastic film and said bonding means permitting substantial heat transfer therethrough from said second side thereof to said metal plate.

40. The combination according to claim 39 further including semiconductor means mounted in electrical connection with said conductor.

41. The combination according to claim 40 wherein said semiconductor means is mounted in heat exchanging proximity through said plastic film to said metal plate.

42. The combination according to claim 41 further including encapsulation means encapsulating said plastic film, said metal plate, at least the portion of said conductor bonded to said plastic film, and said semiconductor means in a component housing.

43. The combination according to claim 40 wherein said semiconductor means is mounted in heat exchanging proximity through said plastic film to said metal plate.

44. The combination according to claim 39 further including encapsulation means for encapsulating said plastic film, said metal plate and, at least the portion of said conductor bonded to said plastic film, in a component housing.