Apparatus and method for establishing an electrically conductive and mechanical connection

Abstract

An apparatus includes a main body having an electrode and a contact element. The contact element is directly mechanically and electrically conductively connected to the electrode in order to form an electrical connection between the main body and the contact element. The electrical and mechanical connection between the electrode and the contact element is free of melting regions of the materials of the electrode and of the contact element that are involved in the connection. Furthermore, the connection is realized in a manner free of connection material, for example, in a manner free of solder material.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising: a main body having an electrode; and a contact element that is a wire comprising a connection region that is directly mechanically and electrically conductively connected to the electrode in order to electrically conductively and mechanically connect the main body and the contact element so that an electrical and mechanical connection between the electrode and the contact element is free of melting regions of materials of the electrode and of the contact element that are involved in the connection, wherein the connection is realized in a manner free of solder material, wherein the contact element is flattened in a region in which the connection is formed, and wherein the contact element has a larger width in the connection region than in a region other than the connection region; wherein the connection has a plurality of local connection regions delimited from one another between the electrode and the contact element; wherein the connection region forms a continuous region where the local connection regions are arranged; wherein each local connection region of the plurality of local connection regions comprises a cohesive diffusion connection of the materials of the electrode and a material of the contact element; and wherein the cohesive diffusion connection is formed by application of mechanical force and heat.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection is realized in a manner free of any connection material.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connection is formed by a cohesive diffusion connection between a material of the electrode and a material of the contact element.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the contact element that faces the electrode has a noble metal surface region in a connecting region in which the connection is formed.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body comprises a ceramic body or a semiconductor body.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the main body comprises an NTC ceramic.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an encapsulation around the connection, wherein the encapsulation is arranged in such a way that it protects the connection from external forces.

8. A method for producing an electrically conductive and mechanical connection between a main body having an electrode and a contact element, wherein the contact element is a wire, the method comprising: directly mechanically contacting the electrode and the contact element in a contact region; and applying a mechanical force and heat to the contact region, such that the electrically conductive and mechanical connection between the electrode and the contact element is formed in the contact region, wherein the contact element is flattened in a region in which the connection is formed, and wherein the contact element has a larger width in the connection region than in a region other than the connection region; wherein the connection has a plurality of local connection regions delimited from one another between the electrode and the contact element; wherein the connection region forms a continuous region where the local connection regions are arranged; wherein each local connection region of the plurality of local connection regions comprises a cohesive diffusion connection of an electrode material and a material of the contact element; and wherein the cohesive diffusion connection is formed by application of mechanical force and heat.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein exclusively the mechanical force and heat are applied to the contact region to form the connection.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein a temperature of the heat and the mechanical force are chosen so that a diffusion of material takes place, and wherein the contact element is mechanically stably and electrically conductively connected to the electrode.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein a temperature of the heat is below a melting point of an electrode material.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein a temperature of the heat is below a melting point of a material of the contact element that is offered for the connection.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the mechanical force is between 5 N and 10 N and the heat is applied at a temperature of between 350 C. and 550 C.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising encapsulating the connection after the connection is formed.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the connection is encapsulated with a shaped body for mechanically stabilizing the contact element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages, advantageous configurations and expediences of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the exemplary embodiments in association with the figures.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an apparatus.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of the apparatus.

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of the apparatus.

(5) Elements that are identical, of identical type and act identically are provided with identical reference signs in the figures. The figures and the size relationships of the elements illustrated in the figures among one another should not be regarded as to scale. Rather, individual elements may be illustrated with an exaggerated size in order to enable better illustration and/or in order to afford a better understanding.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIG. 1 shows an apparatus 100 comprising a main body 1. The main body 1 can be, for example, a sensor head, an, in particular sintered and pressed, NTC ceramic in the form of a plate, a semiconductor body or the main body of one of these elements. In this case, the semiconductor body can be round or angular. The apparatus can be part of an electronic component (not explicitly illustrated in the figures). Preferably, the electronic component is the apparatus.

(7) The main body 1 has an electrode 11. The electrode 11 is preferably applied as an electrode layer on the main body 1. The apparatus 100 furthermore comprises a contact element 2, which is directly mechanically and electrically conductively connected to the electrode 11 in order to form a connection 3 between the main body 1 and the contact element 2.

(8) The contact element 2 is preferably a wire. The contact element 2 furthermore has a flattened portion 7 at an end facing the main body 1. The flattened portion 7 can be embodied in a tapelike fashion. The flattened portion 7 preferably extends over a region in which the contact element 2 is electrically conductively connected to the electrode 11 or in which the connection 3 is formed.

(9) Alternatively, the contact element can be configured without a flattened portion. The contact element can furthermore be provided with an insulation (not explicitly illustrated in the figures).

(10) The insulation can be arranged in regions of the contact element in which the contact element has no flattened portion.

(11) The contact element 2 is furthermore electrically conductively and mechanically directly connected to the electrode 11 in a connecting region 6. Preferably, the abovementioned flattened portion 7 is arranged in the connecting region 6. The insulation is expediently arranged outside the connecting region 6.

(12) Preferably, a surface of the contact element 2 that faces the electrode 11 has a noble metal surface region in the connecting region 6. The contact element 2 can be coated with a noble metal in the connecting region 6. The contact element 2 can furthermore be coated with a seminoble metal in the connecting region 6.

(13) Although this is not explicitly illustrated in the figures, the apparatus can comprise one or a plurality of further contact elements. In this case, the main body can have one or a plurality of further electrodes, each of which is electrically conductively and directly mechanically connected to one of the further contact elements in order to form further connections.

(14) Preferably, the connection 3 is formed in the connecting region. The connection 3 is preferably formed by a cohesive diffusion connection between the electrode material of the electrode 11 and the material of the contact element 2. The connection 3 is preferably free of melting regions of the materials of the electrode 11 and of the contact element 2 which are involved in the connection 3. The connection 3 is likewise preferably realized in a manner free of connection materials, for example, free of solder materials. In FIG. 1, the contact element 2 is illustrated as a wire. Furthermore, FIG. 1 illustrates an encapsulation 8 which encapsulates and preferably mechanically stabilizes the main body 1 and a part of the contact element 2.

(15) FIG. 2 shows, in addition to FIG. 1, local connection regions 5 delimited from one another, which preferably produce the connection between the electrode and the contact element. The local connection regions 5 preferably produce the direct mechanical and electrically conductive connection between the contact element and the electrode 11. In this case, the local connection regions 5 are produced by a cohesive diffusion connection of electrode material and the material of the contact element 2. The local connection regions 5 are furthermore spatially separated from one another or arranged spatially non-continuously.

(16) In contrast to the illustration shown in FIG. 2, there can also exist just one continuous connection region that produces the direct mechanical and electrically conductive connection between the contact element and the electrode.

(17) FIG. 3 shows a side view of the apparatus 100. A contact region 10 is shown, in which, for producing the connection 3, a mechanical force indicated by the arrow 9 is applied for producing the connection 3 in the contact region 10 while the contact region has the force applied to it. Preferably, the connection 3 is formed in the contact region 10. When the mechanical force is applied, the force 9 preferably has a relative action between the main body 1 having the electrode 11 and the contact element 2. In this case, the main body can be fixed or secured, the force 9 being applied directly to the contact element, or vice versa. The mechanical force can be between 5 N and 10 N. The contact region 10 preferably overlaps the connecting region 6.

(18) Furthermore, the contact region 10 has heat applied to it or is treated with heat. This can be carried out at temperatures of between 350 C. and 550 C., for example, at 450 C.

(19) Preferably, exclusively the mechanical force and heat are applied to the contact region 10 for the purpose of forming the connection. The temperature of the application of heat and the mechanical force are preferably chosen in such a way that a diffusion of material (electrode material and material of the contact element) takes place, as a result of which the contact element is mechanically stably connected to the electrode.

(20) The method mentioned makes it possible to keep the process temperature for producing the connection significantly below the melting point of the materials or metals involved.

(21) The connection is preferably electrically of low resistance. The expression of low resistance can relate to electrical resistances of between one or a plurality of microohms () and one or a plurality of milliohms (m).

(22) The invention is not restricted by the description on the basis of the exemplary embodiments. Rather, the invention encompasses any novel feature and also any combination of features, which in particular includes any combination of features in the patent claims, even if this feature or this combination itself is not explicitly specified in the patent claims or exemplary embodiments.