Method for manufacturing an electronic or electrical system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electronic or electrical system, the method comprising the layer-free production of at least one physical structure (101, 102) which is designed to guide electromagnetic waves, using at least one additively operating apparatus, wherein the layer-free production of the spatial, layer-free structure comprises the simultaneous or sequential application and/or removal of one or more materials in the spatial arrangement, as a result of which the electronic or electrical system is partially or completely formed. The invention further relates to a system which is manufactured in accordance with the method.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an electronic or electrical system, characterized in that the method comprises the layer-free production of at least one layer-free spatial structure that is configured to conduct electromagnetic waves using at least one additively working apparatus, wherein the layer-free production of the spatial layer-free structure comprises the simultaneous or sequential application and/or removal of one or more materials in a spatial arrangement, whereby the electronic or electrical system is partially or completely configured, wherein the spatial layer-free structure comprises one or more signal lines that are built up and have a flat bell shape in cross-section.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the additively working apparatus works with a printing process.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the method comprises the simultaneous or sequential application and/or removal of one or more magnetic and/or non-magnetic materials and/or electrically conductive and/or electrically non-conductive, or other materials and/or material mixtures; and/or in that the electronic or electrical system comprises an interconnect device.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the one or more signal lines comprises one or more signal lines of correct characteristic impedance and/or tracks and/or passive elements, wherein the one or more signal lines of correct characteristic impedance and/or tracks and/or passive elements are set up with provision being made that dielectric and electrically conductive regions are set up in a changing or other sequence.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the method comprises the provision or production of at least one carrier and the layer-free production of the at least one spatial structure on the carrier.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, characterized in that the carrier has one or more electrical and/or mechanical and/or thermal functions.

7. The method in accordance with claim 5, characterized in that the carrier is set up as electrically non-conductive, electrically conductive, or in a hybrid manner with respect to the electrical conductivity and/or comprises an interconnect device or an MID (molded interconnect device).

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more signal lines comprises a cross-section maintaining line and manufacturing the cross-section maintaining line comprises: first manufacturing or providing an electrically conductive region, applying a dielectric region to the electrically conductive region; producing one or more tracks on the electrically conductive region, applying a further dielectric region so that the one or more tracks are surrounded by a dielectric jacket, and subsequently applying a further jacket that is at least partially metalized and/or consists of a dielectric.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that the dielectric jacket is applied in a width that corresponds to the total width of the cross-section maintaining line and/or that the dielectric jacket is applied such that its spacing from the electrically conductive region reduces toward the margins of the cross-section maintaining line.

10. The method in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that the at least partially metalized further jacket is connected to the electrically conductive region so that a conductive sheath is formed that is completely closed in a cross-sectional view.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more signal lines comprises a line that maintains the cross-section and manufacturing the line that maintains the cross-section comprises: manufacturing a dielectric region in which no track or at least one track is located, and applying a jacket that surrounds the dielectric region, wherein the jacket is at least partially metallized, and/or consists of a dielectric, with the aforesaid steps being carried out in part or also simultaneously or after one another.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, characterized in that the at least one track is connected to the jacket.

13. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the one or more signal lines comprises a plurality of signal lines and the plurality of signal lines are laid crossed so that one signal line is above the other signal line in the crossing region.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13, characterized in that a region below a signal line at the top of the plurality of signal lines is partially filled by a dielectric material; and/or in that a space is present in a region below the top signal line that is filled with an electrically conductive material and/or with a thermally conductive material.

15. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that gaps are filled by a dielectric material; or in that ramps or other elevated portions are formed by means of the dielectric material to compensate vertical differences.

16. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the one or more signal lines are geodetically produced between two or more than two points.

17. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that electrical integration of components of any kind only takes place by the additive process and not by an additional process step.

18. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical integration of components of any kind takes place by a fastening to a carrier, by embedding into a dielectric material before its hardening, by the overprinting of the components, or by covering with the one or more signal lines.

19. A method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that electrical connection of a signal line of the one or more signal lines to a component takes place by contacting of a metallic jacket of the signal line to a housing of the component or to a ground of the component and of a track or tracks to one or more signal connectors of the component.

20. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that passive elements and/or waveguides are manufactured.

21. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a location-dependent conductivity and/or material property are established by the additive process and/or by a sintering process.

22. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that exactly one additive process is used; or in that a plurality of different additive processes are used that produce different application thicknesses of the applied material; and/or in that one or more ablative processes are used.

23. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the entire method takes place in exactly one production machine.

24. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the method is carried out at least partially sequentially; and in that at least one function test takes place at least one element of the electronic system during the method.

25. The method in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that connection of a signal line of the one or more signal lines to a component takes place by the same steps as the manufacture of the signal line itself.

Description

(1) Further details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing. There are shown:

(2) FIG. 1: a schematic cross-sectional view through a signal line manufactured in accordance with the invention;

(3) FIG. 2: a schematic sectional view through two crossed-over signal lines manufactured in accordance with the invention and their perspective view in the crossing region;

(4) FIG. 3: a schematic sectional representation of crossed signal lines with additionally filled in intermediate spaces;

(5) FIG. 4: schematic sectional views of integrated components with a dielectric to compensate the vertical differences and a perspective view of the connection of the line to element connectors; and

(6) FIG. 5: a schematic perspective view of a printed circuit board in accordance with the prior art.

(7) FIG. 1 shows an electrically conductive film by the reference numeral 1 that corresponds to the width of the signal line 100 and forms its base surface. A dielectric layer 2 is applied to this film and, depending on the line type, no, or one or more tracks 3 can be produced on it. A further dielectric jacket 4, that together with the film 2 completely surrounds the track or tracks, follows over the total width of the signal line shown on a dashed carrier 200 in FIG. 1. The structure manufactured in this manner is provided with a jacket 5 that consists of metal overall or is metalized at least on one of its inner side or outer side and that is electrically conductively connected to the film 1. A completely peripheral conductive sheath, i.e. peripheral in the cross-sectional direction, is thus obtained. It can consist of metal or can be metalized or can consist of any other electrically conductive material or can be coated therewith.

(8) The width of the dielectric decreases from top to bottom so that the signal line 100 has a flat bell shape in cross-section.

(9) FIG. 2 shows two of these signal lines 100, 101 that run crossed as a sectional representation (FIG. 2a)) and as a perspective representation (FIG. 2b)). The flat construction shape of the signal lines 100, 101 makes this embodiment without support structures possible. The cross-sectional geometry of each signal line 100, 101 remains unchanged in the crossing region so that no interference points occur, i.e. no reflections in the signal path.

(10) FIG. 3 shows an embodiment with three signal lines of which the signal line 102 at the top crosses the two signal lines 100, 101 at the bottom.

(11) A conductor is marked by reference numeral 2 that extends in the direction of the covered signal lines 100, 101 and that has a greater cross-sectional area than the electrically conductive elements of the signal lines. This conductor 2 can thus be used as a line having a high ampacity for the power supply, etc.

(12) Reference numeral 1 marks the dielectric material that fills the gaps below the top signal line 102.

(13) The contacting beyond component boundaries can be seen from FIG. 4. A gap toward the component B has to be overcome in FIG. 4, left representation. It is filled by a dielectric material 1. A signal line 100 is produced on it. The component B is in an elevated position in FIG. 4, right representation, so that a ramp on which the signal line 100 is laid is produced by means of the dielectric material.

(14) FIG. 4, lower representation, shows the connection of the line 100 manufactured in accordance with the invention to the component connectors, with the inner conductor 107 being conducted to a signal connector S and with the surrounding outer conductor 108 being conducted to a ground M and with simultaneously a screening toward other signals taking place.

(15) The total setup (with or without carrier) in accordance with FIGS. 1 to 4 is implemented by an additive method in accordance with the invention.

(16) The system manufactured in accordance with the present invention or the circuit arrangement is advantageously used in radio frequency technology.

(17) Conceivable uses that do not, however, restrict the invention are: interposers or space transformers are used to connect signal lines to one another over a short path for very high data rates of a plurality of ICs or connector structures of different distance patterns. Interposers without vias and bonding wires can be implemented using the method in accordance with the invention and the greatest interference points can thus be eliminated, which has the result of higher data rates. Test adapters (device interfaces) that connect all the connectors of the components to be tested to the test device are required for the test of ICs. A plurality of signal lines for high data rates and/or high frequencies having the same signal run times have to be disentangled from a very small footprint of the IC for this purpose. This can be achieved using the described method with minimal crosstalk between the individual lines and the low-reflection signal paths, which has the result that components can be tested at their later application data rate or application frequency and very steep signal flanks can be applied to the test object. A plurality of ICs are increasingly combined into packages to provide a specific function. Further components such as capacitors, resistors, etc. are usually additionally required. A high integration density can be achieved by the new method, with the components not only being able to be ideally placed in accordance with electrical aspects. In addition untested dies can be used, which substantially reduces the overall costs of the packages. MIDs can be used as carriers so that e.g. a radar frontend can be set up on a carrier that contains antennas and serves mechanically as e.g. a housing or vehicle bumpers. ICs can be applied to this carrier and connection lines of the correct characteristic impedance are applied between ICs and antennas. Finally, electronic systems that are installed in long-life products (control devices in motor vehicles, heating units, aircraft, etc.) can be subsequently produced in quantities tailored to requirements at any time, that is, also toward the end of the production life cycle, whereby storage costs for spare parts stocking are dispensed with (obsolescence avoidance). Conventional interconnect devices of radio frequency technology in which a plurality of ICs are connected to signal lines of a predefined line characteristic impedance can be replaced with this setup technique and connection technique. Higher data rates can be achieved by the low-reflection connection. Highly integrated radio modules comprising a transceiver and at least one antenna can be produced in that the transceiver and the antenna are connected to a predefined line characteristic impedance over the shortest path. The antennas can also be produced in that the jacket of the connection lines is expanded in a similar manner to a horn radiator so that an adaptation to the free space characteristic impedance takes place that is as good as possible. For optical connection lines between optically operating components, waveguides can be produced by this setup technique and connection technique that have no crosstalk between one another by a metallic jacket of the individual waveguide.