Chip-integrated through-plating of multi-layer substrates

Abstract

A laminate and method for producing the laminate are provided for contacting at least one electronic component. An insulating layer is laminated between first and second metal layers electrically contacted to each other in at least one contact region. At least one recess in the contact region is generated with at least one embossing and/or bulging in the first metal layer. The distance between the two metal layers is reduced, such that dimensions of the embossing/bulging are sufficient for taking up the electronic component, which is inserted and connected into the embossing/bulging in a conductive manner therein. The electronic component is taken up in the embossing/bulging entirely with respect to its circumference and at least partly with respect to the height (H) of the electronic component. The laminate may be used as a circuit board, sensor, LED lamp, mobile phone component, control, or regulator.

Claims

1. A method for producing a laminate for contacting at least one electronic component, the method comprising: arranging an insulating layer between a first metal layer and a second metal layer, electrically contacting the metal layers to each other in at least one contact region, generating at least one recess in the at least one contact region in the insulating layer, generating at least one embossing or bulging in the at least one contact region at least in the first metal layer, wherein a distance between the metal layers in regions of the at least one embossing or bulging is reduced, and laminating the metal layers to the insulating layer, wherein dimensions of the at least one embossing or bulging are sufficient for taking up at least one electronic component, wherein at least one light emitting diode (LED) is inserted as the electronic component, and the at least one electronic component is inserted into the at least one embossing or bulging and is connected in conductive manner therein, such that the electronic component is taken up in the at least one embossing or bulging entirely with respect to a circumference of the electronic component and with respect to a height of the electronic component, wherein the embossing or bulging is formed such that an angle of a side wall with respect to the first metal layer is established, a surface of the at least one embossing or bulging is a reflective surface, produced by a stamp which is polished to be of optical quality, wherein the stamp produces a smooth surface of the embossing or bulging, and wherein the first metal layer and the second metal layer at least partially touch each other.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a cross-section of the at least one embossing or bulging is produced to be equal to or larger than dimensions of the at least one electronic component.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the cross-section of the at least one embossing or bulging is produced to be at least equal to a cross-section of the at least one electronic component perpendicular to the height.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the metal layers are connected to the insulating layer by punch-lamination which concurrently produces the at least one embossing or bulging.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one embossing or bulging in the first metal layer is positioned in at least one pre-existing recess in the insulating layer.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one embossing or bulging comprises at least one passage in the first metal layer or at least one passage is produced in the at least one embossing or bulging, wherein each passage breaks through a surface of the first metal layer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one embossing or bulging in the first metal layer is produced in a same step in which the electronic component is contacted to the first metal layer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the light from the at least one embossing or bulging is emitted in a direction perpendicular to a major plane of the first metal layer.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one region of the first metal layer is separated such that at least two regions of the first metal layer are arranged next to each other spaced from each other and electrically insulated from each other, and wherein the at least one electronic component is connected to at least two regions in a conductive manner.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one electronic component is connected to the at least two regions by at least one bonding wire such that applying a voltage between the two regions leads to an electrical current being conducted through the electronic component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a laminate according to an embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a second laminate according to another embodiment of the invention; and

(4) FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a laminate similar to FIG. 2, illustrating schematically the light emitted from an LED and reflected from the embossing or bulging in a direction perpendicular to a major plane of the first metal layer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a laminate 1 according to an embodiment of the invention or, as the case may be, a schematic cross-sectional view of a laminate 1 produced using a method according to an embodiment of the invention. Laminate 1 comprises a first metal layer 2, a second metal layer 3, and a plastic film 4 as an insulating layer between the two metal layers 2, 3. The metal layers 2, 3 are applied to the plastic film 4 by lamination technology. The first metal layer is subdivided into two regions 2a and 2b that are situated at a distance from each other and are electrically insulated from each other.

(6) An embossing produced by embossing, deep-drawing or any other forming technique in a previously planar first metal layer 2 is provided in the second region 2b of the first metal layer 2. The distance between the first region 2a and the second region 2b can also arise by the forming or can be punched out. Alternatively, a bulging may be provided that is produced during production of the first metal layer 2. Accordingly, a bulging can be produced alternatively by conferring a corresponding shape to the first metal layer 2 right away. For this purpose, the first metal layer 2 can be applied, for example, onto a corresponding mold or directly to the plastic film 4, for example by vapor deposition or casting.

(7) A recess is provided in the plastic film 4 in the region of the embossing or bulging. The recess can either be provided beforehand or can be produced during the forming and/or punching of the first metal layer 2. Preferably, producing the laminate 1, in particular connecting the metal layers 2, 3 to the plastic film 4, is implemented during the formation of the embossing or bulging in a single step. According to the invention, the application of a punch-lamination technology is particularly well-suited for this purpose.

(8) The two metal layers 2, 3 are subjected to welding in the region of the embossing or bulging. A laser beam welding technique, for example, is well-suited for this purpose. However, any other connecting techniques can be used as well to produce a conductive connection, for example soldering, gluing with a conductive adhesive, or sintering with a conductive sintering compound (for example a silver sintering compound). The two metal layers 2, 3 are therefore connected to each other in conductive manner by conductive first connection 5.

(9) The embossing or bulging has an electronic component 6 inserted into it, which is connected in a conductive manner on its floor-side by second connection 7 to the first metal layer 2 in its region 2b. As before, solders, conductive adhesives, and conductive sintering compounds are suitable conceivable second connection 7. The electronic component 6 can be a chip, an LED, an integrated circuit or a sensor. Conceivable sensors are, for example, photodiodes, phototransistors or stress-strain sensors. Due to the depression formed jointly by the embossing or bulging and the recess, the electronic component 6 is situated in laminate 1 such as to be protected. However, the height H of the electronic component 6 is slightly larger than the depth of the embossing or bulging. Accordingly, the electronic component 6 protrudes slightly.

(10) Aside from the floor-side contacting by second connection 7, the electronic component 6 is also connected on its top to a contacting 8 and a bonding wire 9. The bonding wire 9 connects the top of the electronic component 6 to the first region 2a of the first metal layer 2. The structure of the electronic component 6 is such that it has contacts for supplying voltage to the electronic component 6 situated on its top and underside. Applying a voltage between the first region 2a and the second region 2b of the first metal layer 2, the current can flow through the electronic component 6. This operates the electronic component 6.

(11) The embossing or bulging can be made in the first metal layer 2 while the electronic component 6 is being inserted and connected.

(12) FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a laminate 11 according to a second embodiment of the invention or, as the case may be, of another laminate 11 built-up using a method according to another embodiment of the invention. The structure of laminate 11 resembles that of laminate 1 illustrated based on FIG. 1. As before, a first metal layer 12 and a second metal layer 13 are separated from each other by an insulating layer 14. The insulating layer 14 can be made, for example, of plastic material, for example PET, glass or a glass fiber-epoxy compound material. The first metal layer 12 is subdivided into two regions 12a and 12b that are insulated from each other. A passage is arranged in the second region 12b of the first metal layer 12 and breaks through the surface of the first metal layer 12.

(13) An electronic component 16 is arranged above the break-through and is connected on its floor-side in conductive manner both to the second region 12b of the first metal layer 12 and to the second metal layer 13 by connection 17, which fills the break-through. On its top, the electronic component 16 is connected by a contacting 18 to a bonding wire 19 connecting the electronic component 16 to the first region 12a of the first metal layer 12.

(14) Provided the electronic component 6, 16 is an LED, the walls of the embossing or bulging formed by the first metal layer 2, 12 act as reflectors for the light emitted by the LED. Producing the embossing or bulging with a suitable tool allows the reflection properties of the embossing or bulging to be influenced specifically and thus allows them to be optimized. For example, the angles of the side walls of the embossing or bulging can be established suitably such that the light emitted by the LED is directed in a certain direction, for example perpendicular to the first metal layer 2, 12, as illustrated schematically by the arrows in FIG. 3. The same principle can be applied in reverse as well provided the electronic component 6, 16 is a light sensor or a photosensor. The light or the electromagnetic radiation, as the case may be, is then reflected onto the sensor by the walls of the embossing or bulging. If an embossing stamp is used for embossing and the stamp is polished to be of optical quality, the stamp can produce a particularly smooth surface of the embossing such that undesired scattering of the incident or emergent light is minimized.

(15) The laminates 1, 11 having an integrated electronic component 6, 16, explained based on the two figures, can easily be extended to laminates 1, 11 having multiple embossings and/or bulgings, for example by arranging any number of the structures shown in the figures next to each other or in sequence (relative to the image plane of FIGS. 1 and 2). In this case, equal or different electronic components 6, 16 are arranged in the different embossings and/or bulgings. The different regions 2a, 2b, 12a, 12b of the first metal layers 2, 12 can be contacted to each other or are separated from each other by different means. Accordingly, the electronic components 6, 16 can be circuited in series or parallel.

(16) For improved dissipation of heat, the second metal layer 3, 13 situated underneath can be designed to be thicker. Likewise, active cooling of the second metal layer 3, 13, for example by Peltier elements, air cooling or liquid cooling, is conceivable just as well.

(17) The features of the invention disclosed in the preceding description and in the claims, figures, and exemplary embodiments, can be essential for the implementation of the various embodiments of the invention both alone and in any combination.

(18) It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.