Circuit with flexible portion

• US 8,033,836 B1
• Filed: 09/02/2010
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netlist, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Netlist, Inc.
• Inventors: Flaig, Richard E., Bhakta, Jayesh R., Chen, Chi She, Yu, Enchao
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, PHUONG K
• Application Number:
  US12/874,900
• Time in Patent Office: 404 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 method of assembling an electronic module for a computer system, the method comprising:

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

providing a circuit comprising;

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 and in electrical communication with at least some contacts of 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 between the electrically conductive layer and the plurality of electrical conduits, wherein the electrically conductive layer does not overlay one or more portions of the dielectric layer in the region of the flexible portion; and

operatively coupling the at least some contacts of the plurality of contacts with at least some connectors of the plurality of connectors, wherein said operatively coupling comprises bending the flexible portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein bending the flexible portion comprises bending the flexible portion by an angle greater than 90 degrees.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein bending the flexible portion comprises bending the flexible portion by about 180 degrees.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein bending the flexible portion comprises bending the flexible portion to have multiple bends.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein operatively coupling the at least some contacts of the plurality of contacts with at least some connectors of the plurality of connectors further comprising soldering the at least some contacts of the plurality of contacts to a second plurality of contacts in electrical communication with the plurality of conduits.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

providing a second flexible portion comprising;

a second dielectric layer;

a second plurality of electrical conduits extending across a second region of the second flexible portion and in electrical communication with at least some contacts of a second plurality of contacts; and

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

operatively coupling the at least some contacts of the second plurality of contacts with at least some connectors of the plurality of connectors, wherein said operatively coupling the at least some contacts of the second plurality of contacts with at least some connectors of the plurality of connectors comprises bending the second flexible portion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic module is a memory module.

8. A method of assembling an electronic module for a computer system, the method comprising:

providing a circuit comprising;

a first rigid portion having a first side configured to have electrical components mounted thereon and a second side;

a second rigid portion having a first side configured to have electrical components mounted thereon and a second side; and

at least one flexible portion in electrical communication with the first rigid portion and with the second rigid portion; and

bending the at least one flexible portion such that the first side of the second rigid portion is facing towards the first rigid portion and the second side of the second rigid portion is facing away from the first rigid portion.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the circuit further comprises:

a first plurality of electrical components mounted on the first side of the first rigid portion and in electrical communication with the first rigid portion; and

a second plurality of electrical components mounted on the first side of the second rigid portion and in electrical communication with the second rigid portion.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the circuit further comprises:

a third plurality of electrical components mounted on the second side of the first rigid portion and in electrical communication with the first rigid portion; and

a fourth plurality of electrical components mounted on the second side of the second rigid portion and in electrical communication with the second rigid portion.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one flexible portion mechanically couples an edge of the first rigid portion to an edge of the second rigid portion.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein bending the at least one flexible portion comprises bending a flexible portion of the at least one flexible portion by an angle greater than 90 degrees.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein bending the at least one flexible portion comprises bending a flexible portion of the at least one flexible portion by about 180 degrees.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first rigid portion comprises a first printed-circuit board and the second rigid portion comprises a second printed-circuit board.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein bending the at least one flexible portion comprises bending a flexible portion of the at least one flexible portion to have multiple bends.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic module is a memory module.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one flexible portion comprises:

a dielectric layer;

a plurality of electrical conduits extending across a region of the at least one flexible portion; and

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

18. A circuit comprising:

a rigid portion 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 one or more contacts of 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 between the electrically conductive layer and the plurality of electrical conduits, wherein the rigid portion comprises a portion of the dielectric layer, a portion of the plurality of electrical conduits, and a portion of the electrically conductive layer.

19. The circuit of claim 18, wherein the rigid portion comprises two printed circuit boards and wherein the portion of the dielectric layer, the portion of the plurality of electrical conduits, and the portion of the electrically conductive layer are sandwiched between the two printed circuit boards.