SHIELDING STRUCTURES FOR SYSTEM-IN-PACKAGE ASSEMBLIES IN PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20150271959A1
• Filed: 06/18/2014
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Yanfeng, Pennathur, Shankar S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,913,412 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1815 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0215 Grounding of printed circuits by connection to external grounding means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0218 by printed shielding conductors, ground planes or power plane H05K1/0236 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0715 provided by an outer layer of PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/0723 provided by an inner layer of PCB
• 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: H05K 2201/1056 Metal over component, i.e. metal plate over component mounted on or embedded in PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0024 Shield cases mounted on a PCB, e.g. cans or caps or conformal shields
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 9/0039 Galvanic coupling of ground layer on printed circuit board [PCB] to conductive casing printed shielding conductors, ground planes or power planes for reduction of cross-talk or noise in printed circuits H05K1/0218

Abstract

A portable electronic device packaged into a System-in-Package assembly is disclosed. The portable electronic device can include a substrate and a plurality of components mounted on the substrate and included in one or more subsystems. Interference between subsystems or from external sources can be reduced or eliminated by disposing an insulating layer over the components, forming narrow trenches between subsystems, and conformally coating the insulating layer and trenches with a metal shielding layer. In some examples, trenches between subsystems can be formed using a laser source. In some examples, trenches between subsystems can have angled walls. In some examples, the metal shielding layer can be formed using at least one of electroplating, electroless plating, chemical vapor deposition, and physical vapor deposition.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a substrate; and

a system in package assembly including

a plurality of components mounted on the substrate,

one or more subsystems, each subsystem including one or more of the plurality of components, and

a first shielding disposed between the one or more subsystems.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises:

one or more metal traces; and

a ground plane, wherein the one or more metal traces are electrically connected to the ground plane and the first shielding.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a spacing between one or more subsystems is between 10-100 microns.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

an insulator disposed between the plurality of components and the first shielding.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising:

a plurality of trenches formed in the insulator; and

a second shielding disposed in the trenches, wherein the second shielding is a material different than the first shielding.

6. The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising:

a plurality of trenches formed in the insulator; and

a second shielding disposed in the trenches, wherein the second shielding substantially fills the plurality of trenches.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

an insulator disposed between the plurality of components and the first shielding; and

a plurality of trenches formed in the insulator, the plurality of trenches having one or more angled walls.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

an insulator disposed between the plurality of components and the first shielding; and

a plurality of trenches formed in the insulator, the plurality of trenches having

one or more angled walls, and

a first width and a second width, wherein the first width is located closer to the surface of the substrate than the second width.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the first width is between 10-100 microns and the second width is between 100-1000 microns.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first shielding is a plating film comprising at least one of Copper, Nickel, and Aluminum.

11. A method of forming an electronic device, comprising:

forming a substrate;

forming a system in package assembly, comprising;

mounting a plurality of components on the substrate;

forming a first shielding disposed between one or more subsystems, the plurality of components included in the one or more subsystems.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the one or more subsystems comprises

forming an insulator between the plurality of components and

forming a plurality of trenches in the insulator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a width of the plurality of trenches is between 10-100 microns.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of trenches are formed using a laser source.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein forming the first shielding comprises:

depositing a second shielding in the plurality of trenches;

removing an excess of the second shielding; and

depositing a third shielding on the insulator.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the first shielding includes substantially filling the plurality of trenches.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the one or more subsystems comprises:

forming an insulator between the plurality of components; and

forming a plurality of trenches in the insulator with one or more angled walls,

the one or more angled walls having a first width and a second width, wherein the first width is located closer to the surface of the substrate than the second width.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first width is between 10-100 microns and the second width is between 100-1000 microns.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the first shielding includes using at least one of electroless plating, electroplating, chemical vapor deposition, and physical vapor deposition.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein forming the first shielding includes conformally covering one or more sides of the assembly.