Packaging electrical components

• US 5,526,234 A
• Filed: 10/26/1993
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VLT Incorporated (Vicor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: VLT Incorporated (Vicor Corporation)
• Inventors: Vinciarelli, Patrizio, Finnemore, Fred, Johnson, Brant T., Balog, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Gregory D.
• Application Number:
  US08/143,173
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 361/692, 361/704, 361/707, 361/728, 361/730, 361/732, 361/740, 361/752, 361/758, 361/759, 361/801, 174/50.5, 174/52.2, 174/52.3
• US Class Current: 361/740
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05553 being rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48464 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a ball bond, i.e. ball-to-ball
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49 of a plurality of wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/49 of a plurality of wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/072 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/162 the devices being mounted on two or more different substrates
• 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 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/09701 Low temperature co-fired ceramic [LTCC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1306 : Field-effect transistor [FET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0091 : Housing specially adapted for small components for resistors H01C; for capacitors H01G; for integrated circuits H01L23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20463 : Filling compound, e.g. potted resin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49126 : Assembling bases
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49144 : by metal fusion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49149 : by metal fusion bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49151 : by deforming or shaping

Abstract

A package for electrical components in which a circuit board holds the components. The package includes an enclosure having generally parallel, spaced apart upper and lower internal surfaces. The circuit board lies generally parallel to the lower internal surface with the electrical components held in an internal-space between the circuit board and the upper internal surface. Conductive terminal pins extend from outside the enclosure into the internal space. The terminal pins are connected to the circuit board by conductive links, each link having an end attached to the periphery of the circuit board and another end projecting into the internal space.

In other aspects, a resilient non-compressive encapsulant is used to fill a space within the package; an electronic component is mounted with a power-dissipating device sitting in the aperture of a circuit board, a power-dissipating surface in contact with a baseplate, and contact pads electrically connected to the circuit board; terminal pins are connected to a circuit board using a fence connected at the periphery of the circuit board, the fence extending substantially perpendicularly to the circuit board, the fence comprising at least two conductive links joined by a severable junction.

Claims

1. A package for electrical components, comprising

a base and a case which together define an internal chamber for the electrical components,

the case having two opposing side walls, the two side walls having respective teeth extending laterally in opposite directions and away from each other,

the base having two opposing detents extending laterally in opposite directions and toward each other, the detents being located and configured to permit the case to be snapped onto the base with the teeth held under the detents, and

a non-compressible resilient encapsulating material which completes a non-compressible span of encapsulating material and components extending between the teeth on the two side walls of the case.

2. The package of claim 1 wherein said span of encapsulating material and components includes a circuit board mounted within the package and between the teeth on the two side walls of the case.

3. The package of claim 1 wherein said side walls are resilient and biased to apply outward lateral forces to said teeth when said case is mounted on said base.