Method for manufacturing a memory device

• US 7,296,345 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Issued: 11/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Technology, Corporation
• Original Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Edward W., Ni, Jim, Wang, Kuang-Yu, Chiou, Ren-Kang
• Primary Examiner(s): Tugbang; A. Dexter
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAI V
• Application Number:
  US10/991,313
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 298/32, 298/41, 298/48, 298/55, 298/56, 298/76, 298/83, 298/40, 298/60, 439/676, 439/638, 439/946, 439/737, 439/79, 361/737, 361/752, 361/736, 264/453, 264/425, 264/463, 264/443, 257/679, 257/79
• US Class Current: 29/832
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/14852 incorporating articles with a data carrier, e.g. chips memory cards, chip cards B29L2017/006
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/1673 injecting the first layer, then feeding the insert, then injecting the second layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/2683 Plurality of independent mould cavities in a single mould
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0055 Shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14655 connected to or mounted on a carrier, e.g. lead frame
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1671 with an insert
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3061 Number plates
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3425 Printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/025 Portable cases
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/504 different pieces being moulded, cemented, welded, e.g. ultrasonic, or swaged together
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10159 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1316 Moulded encapsulation of mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0278 of USB type details relating to connectors H01R27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/065 sealed by encapsulation, e.g. waterproof resin forming an integral casing, injection moulding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49144 by metal fusion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49146 with encapsulating, e.g., potting, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49171 with encapsulating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49172 : by molding of insulating material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49179 : by metal fusion bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49208 : by assembling plural parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4922 : with molding of insulation

Abstract

A portable memory device includes a molded housing and a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) encased with the molded housing such that a plug connector extends from one end. A lower housing portion is produced by injection molding using a first apparatus, and then the lower housing portion is transferred to a second molding apparatus. The PCBA is mounted onto the lower housing such that the plug connector is received in a protected region. The second molding apparatus is then closed, and an upper housing portion is injected molded over the PBCA and exposed peripheral edges of the lower housing portion such that the upper housing portion becomes fused to the lower housing portion. Multiple lower housing portions connected together by plastic tethers to form a plastic strip, which facilitates efficient transfer to the second molding apparatus as a unit. The tethers are subsequently removed (e.g., singulated) to form individual memory devices.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a memory device incorporating a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) including a substrate, a metal plug connector mounted on a front edge of the substrate and one or more IC components mounted adjacent to a back edge of the substrate, and wherein the substrate includes a peripheral edge defined by the front and back edges, and by longitudinal side edges extending between the front and back edges, the method comprising:

molding a lower housing portion;

mounting the PCBA onto the lower housing portion such that a peripheral edge of the lower housing portion is exposed around the peripheral edge of the substrate; and

molding an upper housing portion by disposing molten thermoplastic material over the PCBA and the lower housing portion such that said molten thermoplastic material forming a peripheral edge of the upper housing portion fuses with the peripheral edge of the lower housing portion, and such that the plug connector protrudes from a front wall of a housing formed by the upper and lower housing portions.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein molding the lower housing portion comprises injecting thermoplastic material into a first molding apparatus, and wherein the method further comprises removing the lower housing portion from the first molding apparatus and inserting the lower housing portion into a second molding apparatus before mounting the PCBA.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first molding apparatus comprises a cavity network including a plurality of cavity sections, each cavity section communicating with an adjacent cavity section by way of an associated branch channels such that molding the lower housing portion comprises forming a plastic strip including a plurality of linked lower housing portions, each of the linked lower housing portions being connected to an adjacent linked lower housing portion by a plastic tether formed in an associated branch channel during injection of the thermoplastic material.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the second molding apparatus comprises a second cavity network including a plurality of second cavity sections, each second cavity section communicating with an adjacent second cavity section by way of an associated second branch channel, and wherein inserting the plastic strip into the second molding apparatus comprises inserting each of the plurality of linked lower housing portions into a corresponding second cavity section, and inserting each of the plastic tethers into an associated second branch channel.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein molding the upper housing portion further comprises injecting said molten thermoplastic material into the second cavity network such that an upper housing portion is formed on each of the plurality of linked lower housing portions, thereby forming a device strip including a plurality of said memory devices connected by associated tether structures.

6. The method according to claim 5,

wherein each cavity section of the second molding apparatus includes a plug receptacle region, and

wherein mounting the PCBA onto the lower housing portion comprises mounting an associated said PCBA onto each of the linked lower housing portions, and clamping each of said plug connectors in an associated plug receptacle region such that said thermoplastic material injected into the second cavity network is prevented from entering the plug connectors.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein each cavity section of the second molding apparatus is formed such that front edge portions, side edges and a back edge of each lower housing portion are exposed around the peripheral edge of each associated PCBA, whereby forming the upper housing portion comprises injecting said thermoplastic material over an upper surface of the associated PCBA and onto said exposed front edge portions, side edges and back edge of each lower housing portion.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising singulating the device strip by removing the tether structures, thereby providing a plurality of individual memory devices.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first molding apparatus comprises a plurality of cavities such that molding the lower housing portion comprises simultaneously forming a plurality of individual lower housing portions, wherein one of the plurality of lower housing portions is produced in each of the plurality of cavities.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the second molding apparatus comprises a plurality of second cavities, and wherein inserting the lower housing portion into the second molding apparatus comprises inserting each of the plurality of lower housing portions into a corresponding second cavity.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein molding the upper housing portion further comprises injecting said molten thermoplastic material into the plurality of second cavities such that an upper housing portion is formed on each of the plurality of lower housing portions, thereby forming a plurality of said memory devices.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of second cavities of the second molding apparatus includes a plug receptacle region, and wherein mounting the PCBA onto the lower housing portion comprises mounting an associated said PCBA onto each of the lower housing portions, and clamping each of said plug connectors in an associated plug receptacle region such that said thermoplastic material injected into the second cavities is prevented from entering the plug connectors.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein each cavity section of the second molding apparatus is formed such that front edge portions, side edges and a back edge of each lower housing portion are exposed around the peripheral edge of each associated PCBA, whereby forming the upper housing portion comprises injecting said thermoplastic material over an upper surface of the associated PCBA and onto said exposed front edge portions, side edges and back edge of each lower housing portion.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first molding apparatus and the second molding apparatus includes a pin-like structure that is positioned to produce a through-hole in at least one of the upper housing portion and the lower housing portion, and wherein the method further comprises providing a light emitting diode (LED) structure on said PCBA such that the LED structure is exposed through said through-hole.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising fabricating the substrate, and soldering the IC components and the metal plug connector to the substrate.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plug connector is a Universal Serial Bus (USE) plug connector.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the memory device is an Express Card-type memory device.

18. The method according to claim 1,

wherein the substrate of the PCBA defines alignment notches,

wherein molding the lower housing portion comprises forming alignment protrusions along the inside edge of the lower housing portion, and

mounting the PCBA onto the lower housing portion comprises mounting the alignment notches over the alignment protrusions such that the alignment notches secure the PCBA relative to the lower housing portion when the upper housing portion is molded onto the lower housing portion.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate of the PCBA includes at least one lower IC device mounted on a lower surface of the substrate,

wherein molding the lower housing portion comprises forming a lower wall defining at least one depression, and

mounting the PCBA onto the lower housing portion comprises mounting the lower IC device into the depression formed in the lower housing portion.