Circuit with flexible portion

• US 7,811,097 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netlist, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Netlist, Inc.
• Inventors: Bhakta, Jayesh R., Chen, Chi She, Flaig, Richard E., Yu, Enchao
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Phuong K
• Application Number:
  US12/237,162
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 439/70, 439/71, 361780-785, 361/803
• US Class Current: 439/71
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0401 Bonding areas specifically adapted for bump connectors, e.g. under bump metallisation [UBM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00011 Not relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• 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: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• 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 1/147 at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit H05K1/148 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10159 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1056 Metal over component, i.e. metal plate over component mounted on or embedded in PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1572 Processing both sides of a PCB by the same process; Providing a similar arrangement of components on both sides; Making interlayer connections from two sides
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4691 Rigid-flexible multilayer circuits comprising rigid and flexible layers, e.g. having in the bending regions only flexible layers

Abstract

A circuit includes a first plurality of contacts configured to be in electrical communication with a plurality of electronic devices. The circuit card further includes a flexible portion including a dielectric layer, a second plurality of contacts, and a plurality of electrical conduits extending across a region of the flexible portion and in electrical communication with one or more contacts of the first plurality of contacts and with the second plurality of contacts. The flexible portion further includes an electrically conductive layer extending across the region of the flexible portion. The electrically conductive layer is superposed with the plurality of electrical conduits with the dielectric layer therebetween. The electrically conductive layer does not overlay one or more portions of the dielectric layer in the region of the flexible portion.

Claims

1. A circuit comprising:

a first plurality of contacts; and

a flexible portion comprising;

a dielectric layer;

a second plurality of contacts;

a plurality of electrical conduits extending across a region of the flexible portion and in electrical communication with one or more contacts of the first plurality of contacts and with the second plurality of contacts; and

an electrically conductive layer extending across the region of the flexible portion, the electrically conductive layer superposed with the plurality of electrical conduits with the dielectric layer therebetween, wherein the electrically conductive layer does not overlay one or more portions of the dielectric layer in the region of the flexible portion.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the one or more portions of the dielectric layer not overlayed by the electrically conductive layer are between two adjacent electrical conduits of the plurality of electrical conduits.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a polymer material.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive layer comprises a plurality of metal lines in a cross-hatched pattern.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive layer comprises a plurality of metal traces that are superposed and generally parallel with the plurality of electrical conduits with the dielectric layer therebetween.

6. The circuit of claim 1, wherein each contact of the second plurality of contacts comprises a hole extending from a first side of the flexible portion to a second side of the flexible portion.

7. The circuit of claim 1, wherein each electrical conduit of the plurality of electrical conduits has a tapered section connected to a corresponding one of the contacts of the second plurality of contacts and an elongate section extending along the flexible portion and connected to the tapered section.

8. A module comprising:

a plurality of connectors configured to be in electrical communication with corresponding socket connectors of a computer system;

a plurality of contacts configured to be in electrical communication with a plurality of electrical components; and

a flexible portion comprising;

a dielectric layer;

a plurality of electrical conduits extending across a region of the flexible portion, the plurality of electrical conduits providing electrical conductivity between the plurality of connectors and the plurality of contacts; and

an electrically conductive layer extending across the region of the flexible portion, the electrically conductive layer superposed with the plurality of electrical conduits with the dielectric layer therebetween, wherein the electrically conductive layer does not overlay one or more portions of the dielectric layer in the region of the flexible portion.

9. The module of claim 8, wherein the flexible portion is bent by an angle greater than 90 degrees.

10. The module of claim 8, wherein the flexible portion is bent by an angle of about 180 degrees.

11. The module of claim 8, further comprising a second plurality of contacts configured to be in electrical communication with a second plurality of electrical components, the module further comprising a second flexible portion comprising:

a second dielectric layer;

a second plurality of electrical conduits extending across a region of the second flexible portion, the second plurality of electrical conduits providing electrical conductivity between the plurality of connectors and the second plurality of contacts; and

a second electrically conductive layer extending across the region of the second flexible portion, the second electrically conductive layer superposed with the second plurality of electrical conduits with the second dielectric layer therebetween, wherein the second electrically conductive layer does not overlay one or more portions of the second dielectric layer in the region of the second flexible portion.

12. A flexible connector comprising:

a dielectric layer;

a plurality of electrical conduits extending across a region of the flexible connector; and

an electrically conductive layer extending across the region of the flexible connector, the electrically conductive layer superposed with the plurality of electrical conduits with the dielectric layer therebetween, wherein the electrically conductive layer does not overlay one or more portions of the dielectric layer in the region of the flexible connector.

13. An electronic module for a computer system, the electronic module comprising:

a first printed-circuit board (PCB) having a first side and a second side;

a first plurality of electrical components mounted on the first side of the first PCB;

a second plurality of electrical components mounted on the second side of the first PCB;

a second PCB having a first side facing towards the first PCB and a second side facing away from the first PCB;

a third plurality of electrical components mounted on the first side of the second PCB;

a fourth plurality of electrical components mounted on the second side of the second PCB;

at least one electrical conduit electrically coupling the third plurality of electrical components to the first PCB and electrically coupling the fourth plurality of electrical components to the first PCB; and

a heat spreader comprising a thermally conductive material, the heat spreader comprising;

a first portion thermally coupled to the first plurality of electrical components;

a second portion thermally coupled to the second plurality of electrical components and to the third plurality of electrical components; and

a third portion thermally coupled to the fourth plurality of electrical components.

14. The electronic module of claim 13, wherein the electronic module is a memory module.

15. The electronic module of claim 14, wherein the first plurality of electrical components, the second plurality of electrical components, the third plurality of electrical components, and the fourth plurality of electrical components each comprise memory devices.

16. The electronic module of claim 13, further comprising a third PCB having a first side facing towards the first PCB and a second side facing away from the first PCB, a fifth plurality of electrical components mounted on the first side of the third PCB, and a sixth plurality of electrical components mounted on the second side of the third PCB, wherein the heat spreader further comprises a fourth portion, the first portion thermally coupled to the fifth plurality of electrical components, and the fourth portion is thermally coupled to the sixth plurality of electrical components.

17. The electronic module of claim 13, further comprising a thermally conductive layer between the portions of the heat spreader and the electrical components.

18. The electronic module of claim 13, wherein the electrical conduit comprises a flexible electrical conduit.

19. The electronic module of claim 13, wherein the electrical conduit comprises a spacer that supports the second PCB on the first PCB.

20. The electronic module of claim 13, wherein the heat spreader comprises a plurality of separable sections.