Flex circuit apparatus and method for adding capacitance while conserving circuit board surface area

• US 7,576,995 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tamiras Per Pte Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Entorian Technologies
• Inventors: Thomas, John, Rapport, Russell, Washburn, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Reichard, Dean A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOA CAO
• Application Number:
  US11/267,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20070103877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 361/760, 361/306.3, 361/763, 361/793, 361/749, 361/301.1, 361/301.4, 361/697, 361/709, 361/711, 361/712, 361748-751, 361/761, 361/762, 174260-266, 174/548
• US Class Current: 361/760
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/232 electrically connecting two or more layers of a stacked or rolled capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/30 Stacked capacitors H01G4/33 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 4/38 Multiple capacitors, i.e. structural combinations of fixed capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/50 for integrated circuit devices, e.g. power bus, number of leadsH01L23/482 - H01L23/498 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5387 Flexible insulating substrates H01L23/5388 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0231 Capacitors or dielectric substances
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/112 directly combined with via connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/141 One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/162 incorporating printed capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/049 PCB for one component, e.g. for mounting onto mother PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10734 Ball grid array [BGA]; Bump grid array
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for adding capacitance while conserving circuit board surface area. An apparatus for adding capacitance while conserving circuit board surface area includes a flex capacitor circuit with an upper surface and a lower surface and a plurality of conductive layers and an integrated-circuit (IC) device mounted on to the upper surface of the flex capacitor circuit and electrically connected to the flex capacitor circuit. The flex capacitor circuit is configured to provide bypass capacitance and, therefore, adds capacitance to the IC device when the IC device is mounted on the flex capacitor circuit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for adding capacitance while conserving circuit board surface area, comprising:

a flex capacitor circuit with an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the flex capacitor circuit includes;

a plurality of conductive layers, wherein each conductive layer is a solid plane except for openings for vias defined by the conductive layer;

one or more dielectric layers, wherein the one or more dielectric layers separate the conductive layers, wherein the plurality of conductive layers and the one or more dielectric layers form first and second capacitor layers having a common conductive layer; and

a plurality of vias extending through openings in the conductive layers, wherein the vias provide electrical connections to the conductive layers and electrical connections for communicating a signal through the flex capacitor circuit;

an integrated-circuit (IC) device mounted on to the upper surface of the flex capacitor circuit and electrically connected to the vias in the flex capacitor circuit;

the flex capacitor circuit including a folded portion that folds around and encloses the IC device;

a slug mounted on the folded portion of the flex capacitor circuit, wherein the slug dissipates heat from the IC device; and

the folded portion defines a cutout window and the slug is mounted to the IC device through the cutout window.

2. An apparatus for adding capacitance while conserving circuit board surface area, comprising:

a flex capacitor circuit with an upper surface and a lower surface and a plurality of conductive layers, wherein the flex capacitor circuit is configured to provide bypass capacitance, wherein the plurality of conductive layers and one or more dielectric layers form first and second capacitor layers having a common conductive layer; and

an integrated-circuit (IC) device mounted on to the upper surface of the flex capacitor circuit and electrically connected to the flex capacitor circuit, wherein the flex capacitor circuit adds capacitance to the IC device;

the flexible capacitor circuit includes one or more heat dissipating slugs mounted on the flexible capacitor circuit in close proximity to the IC device; and

the flexible capacitor circuit defines a cutout window and the slug is mounted to the IC device through the cutout window.

3. An apparatus for adding capacitance while conserving circuit board surface area, comprising:

a flex capacitor circuit comprising;

a plurality of conductive layers, wherein each conductive layer is a solid plane except for openings for vias defined by the conductive layer;

one or more dielectric layers, wherein the one or more dielectric layers separate the conductive layers;

a plurality of vias extending through openings in the conductive layers, wherein the vias provide electrical connections to the conductive layers and electrical connections for communicating a signal through the flex capacitor circuit;

an integrated-circuit (IC) device mounted on to the upper surface of the flex capacitor circuit and electrically connected to the vias in the flex capacitor circuit;

a folded portion that encloses the IC device and that has a slug mounted thereto to dissipate heat from the IC device, wherein the folded portion defines a cutout window and the slug is mounted to the IC device through the cutout window.