Hybrid ground grid for printed circuit board

• US 7,411,134 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Steinfeld, Robert, Lam, Cheung-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOA CAO
• Application Number:
  US11/681,149
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 174/255, 174/250, 174/262, 174/261, 361/805, 361/800, 361/795, 361/793, 361/794
• US Class Current: 174/255
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0219 Printed shielding conductors for shielding around or between signal conductors, e.g. coplanar or coaxial printed shielding conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0289 having a matrix lay-out, i.e. having selectively interconnectable sets of X-conductors and Y-conductors in different planes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0298 Multilayer circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09236 Parallel layout layout of balanced signal pairs H05K1/0245; superposed layout H05K2201/09672
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/09972 Partitioned, e.g. portions of a PCB dedicated to different functions; Boundary lines therefore; Portions of a PCB being processed separately or differently
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

Electrical mounting boards and methods for their fabrication and use are disclosed herein. In particular, such mounting boards embodiments utilize hybrid ground lines interconnected through a substrate core to form multilayer ground grids. Such hybrid ground lines include groups of substantially parallel ground lines configured such that the groups of ground lines are positioned in transverse arrangement with other groups of ground lines formed on the same level. Such implementations have many uses, including, but not limited to, the ability to more efficiently route signal lines and connect electrical components on a circuit board.

Claims

1. An electrical mounting board comprising:

a substrate having a plurality layers configured such that a substrate core lies between the layers including a first layer and a second layer arranged so that the first layer lies over the second layer;

the first layer having a first surface block and a second surface block arranged adjacent to one another and having formed thereon a plurality of electrical ground traces configured in at least two groups arranged in a hybrid configuration so that a first group of electrical ground traces is arranged in a substantially parallel configuration on the first surface block of the first layer, a second group of substantially parallel electrical ground traces is arranged adjacent to the first group of traces on the second surface block of the first layer wherein the first and second groups of traces are not parallel to each other;

the second layer having a third surface block and a fourth surface block arranged adjacent to one another and arranged so that the third surface block lies under the first surface block and so that the fourth surface block lies under the second surface block and having formed thereon a plurality of electrical ground traces configured in at least two groups, including a third and fourth group of ground traces arranged in a hybrid configuration so that;

the third group of substantially parallel electrical ground traces is arranged on the third surface block underneath the first group of ground traces so that the first group of ground traces criss-crosses over the underlying third group of ground traces; and

the fourth group of substantially parallel electrical ground traces is arranged on the fourth surface block underneath the second group of ground traces so that the second group of ground traces criss-crosses over the underlying fourth group of ground traces; and

a set of electrically conductive interconnects that pass through the substrate core to electrically connect electrical ground traces of the first layer with electrical ground traces of the second layer to form a multi-layer ground grid having a plurality of ringlets.

2. The board of claim 1 wherein the first layer includes a fifth surface block arranged adjacent to at least one of the first and second block and wherein the second layer includes a sixth surface block arranged under the fifth block;

the first layer is further configured to include a further fifth group comprising a plurality of substantially parallel electrical ground traces formed on the fifth surface block so that the ground traces are configured in at least three groups arranged in a hybrid configuration, wherein the first, second, and fifth groups are arranged so that each of said groups is in a transverse relationship with any adjacent group on the same layer; and

wherein the second layer is configured in at least three groups arranged in a hybrid configuration so that the third group and the fourth group include a further sixth group comprising a plurality of substantially parallel electrical ground traces arranged on the sixth surface block underneath the fifth group of ground traces so that the fifth group of ground traces criss-crosses over the underlying sixth group of ground traces and wherein the third, fourth, and sixth groups are arranged so that each of said groups is in a transverse relationship with any adjacent group on the same layer.

3. An electrical mounting board as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the second group of substantially parallel electrical ground traces is arranged to have an end trace adjacent to the first surface block and second group of electrical ground traces; and

a plurality of ground traces of the first group make electrical contact with the end trace of the second group without contacting any other traces of the second group.

4. An electrical mounting board as recited in claim 1 wherein:

a plurality of the second group of substantially parallel electrical ground traces is arranged to electrically interconnect with an adjacent plurality of ground traces of the first group of electrical ground traces to enable electrical connection between the two groups of non-parallel ground traces.

5. The board of claim 1 wherein the electrical mounting board includes an electrical component mounted thereon;

and

includes a source line providing signal to the component, the source line being arranged so that it is close to one of said ringlets.

6. An electrical mounting board comprising:

a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface with a core formed in between;

a first electrical contact layer formed on the top surface, the first electrical contact layer including at least two sets of electrical traces comprising at least a first set of electrical traces comprising a plurality of substantially parallel electrical traces and a second set of electrical traces, the sets arranged so that the traces of the first set are transversely oriented with respect to the traces of the second set;

a second electrical contact layer formed on the bottom surface, the second electrical contact layer including at least two sets of electrical traces comprising at least a third set of electrical traces comprising a plurality of substantially parallel electrical traces and a fourth set of electrical traces, the sets arranged so that the traces of the third set are transversely oriented with respect to the traces of the fourth set;

the electrical traces of the first layer and the second layer further arranged so that the first and third set of electrical traces create a first criss-crossed pattern establishing a two-layer electrical grid and the second and fourth set of electrical traces create a second criss-crossed pattern of the two-layer electrical grid; and

a set of electrically conductive interconnects that pass through the substrate core to electrically connect the first electrical contact layer with the second electrical contact layer to form a multi-layer electrical grid.