Mould, Moulding Apparatus and Method for Controlled Overmoulding of a Carrier with Electronic Components and Moulded Product

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mould for encapsulating a carrier with electronic components, comprising: at least two mould parts, one of which with at least one mould cavity recessed into a contact side for enclosing electronic components placed on a carrier, and a feed channel for moulding material recessed into the contact surface of the mould part provided with the mould cavity. The invention also relates to a moulding apparatus, a method for at least partially encapsulating a carrier with electronic components and a carrier with electronic components encapsulated with moulding material.

Claims

1. A mould for at least partially encapsulating a carrier with electronic components, comprising: at least two mould parts, at least one of which being provided with at least one mould cavity recessed into a contact side for enclosing electronic components placed on a carrier, the contact surface at least partially enclosing the mould cavity for medium-tight connection onto the carrier; and a feed channel for moulding material recessed into the contact surface of the mould part provided with the mould cavity; wherein in the mould part with the feed channel is provided with a displaceable barrier element connecting to the feed channel for regulating the size of an moulding material passage in the feed channel, which barrier element is displaceable in a direction substantially perpendicular to the contact surface.

2. The as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mould part with the feed channel and the displaceable barrier element is provided with a drive for controlling the relative position of the displaceable barrier element to the feed channel for moulding material.

3. The mould as claimed in claim 1, wherein the displaceable barrier element is resilient connected to the mould part.

4. The mould as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mould part is provided with a foil handling mechanism.

5. The mould as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mould part is provided with plural feed channels for moulding material, each connecting to a displaceable barrier element.

6. The mould as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mould part with the feed channel for moulding material is also provided with an outlet channel recessed into the contact surface and connecting to the mould cavity for discharge of gas from the mould cavity.

7. The mould as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mould part with a moulding cavity is provided with at least one sensor for detecting the pressures prevailing in the mould cavity and/or the feed channel for moulding material.

8. The mould as claimed in claim 1, wherein at a first mould part is provided with an additional clamping mould part, which additional clamping mould part is movable in respect to the first mould part to clamp at least one edge of a board to the first mould part, which clamping mould part in a closed position of the mould connects to the feed for moulding material.

9. A moulding apparatus for at least partially encapsulating a carrier with electronic components, comprising: a press including at least two mould carriers and a drive for relative movement of mould carriers; a mould as claimed in claim 1; and a feed for liquid moulding material connecting onto the feed channel for moulding material.

10. The moulding apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the feed for liquid moulding material comprises a plunger which is movable in a cylinder casing.

11. A method for at least partially encapsulating a carrier with electronic components, comprising the processing steps: A) placing a carrier with electronic components on a first mould part; B) moving the mould parts towards each other such that the carrier with electronic components is clamped between at least two mould parts and the electronic components to be encapsulated are enclosed by a mould cavity recessed into a contact side of a mould part; C) feeding a liquid moulding material via a feed for liquid encapsulation material recessed into a contact side of a mould part into the mould cavity; and D) moving apart the mould parts to remove the carrier with at least partially cured moulded electronic components from the mould parts; wherein during processing step C) a displaceable barrier element is moved in the feed for liquid encapsulation material to control the liquid moulding material flow, and wherein during processing step D) the displaceable barrier element is moved to push the at least partially cured moulding material out of the feed.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the displaceable barrier element is moved in a direction substantially perpendicular to a contact surface of the mould part wherein the feed for liquid encapsulation material is recessed.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein after a carrier with electronic components is placed on a first mould part according to processing step A) and before the mould parts are moved towards each other such that the carrier with electronic components is clamped between two mould parts according to processing step B) at least one edge of the board the board is clamped to the first mould part with an additional mould part which additional mould part also guides the liquid moulding material to the mould cavity during processing step C).

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, before feeding a liquid moulding material according processing step C) via a feed for liquid encapsulation material recessed into a contact side of a mould part into the mould cavity at least a part of the mould part is covered by a foil layer.

15. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the displaceable barrier element after finishing processing step C) is moved further in the feed for liquid encapsulation material to separate the mould cavity filled with liquid moulding material from the runners part faced away from the mould cavity and that the force that a closing force of the mould parts is varied to change the pressure on the moulding material in the moulding cavity.

16. A carrier with electronic components, which electronic components are at least partially encapsulated with moulding material according to the method as claimed in claim 11.

Description

[0019] The present invention will be further elucidated on the basis of the non-limitative exemplary embodiments shown in the following figures. Herein shows:

[0020] FIG. 1 a perspective view of a mould part of a mould according to the invention;

[0021] FIGS. 2A-2C three successive cross-sectional views of the method encapsulating a carrier with electronic components according to the invention;

[0022] FIG. 3A a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a mould according to the invention;

[0023] FIG. 3B a front view on a displaceable barrier element of the mould part shown in FIG. 3A; and

[0024] FIG. 4 a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a displaceable barrier element.

[0025] FIG. 1 shows schematic perspective view on a mould part 1 of a mould for encapsulating carriers for electronic components. Into the mould part 1 a mould cavity 2 and a moulding material feed channel 3 are recessed while a contact surface 4 except for the feed channel—surrounds the mould cavity 2. For moulding a carrier (not shown in this figure) is placed against a contact surface 4 such that the electronic components to be moulded (also not shown here) are located in the mould cavity 2. Though the feed channel 3 (also referred to as “runner”) subsequently a liquid moulding material is fed to the mould cavity 2. To regulate the flow of moulding material in the feed channel 3, and thus also to regulate the moulding material flow into the mould cavity 2, a displaceable barrier element 5 is moveable in the feed channel 3 according arrow Pi. The direction of movement of the displaceable barrier element 5 substantially perpendicular to the contact surface 4. When the displaceable barrier element 5 is moved more into the feed channel 3 the displaceable barrier element 5 will more obstruct the feed channel 3 and thus, as a result, during moulding the flow of liquid moulding material into the mould cavity 2 will be limited. By moving the displaceable barrier element 5 more out of the feed channel 3 the feed channel will be less obstructed and thus the flow of liquid moulding material into the mould cavity 2 will increase.

[0026] In FIG. 2A a cross-sectional view of a mould part 10 and a carrier 11 with electronic component 12 showing a processing step before moulding material is fed to a moulding cavity 13. In the mould part 10 a feed channel 14 for moulding material is recessed into a contact surface 15. The figure also shows a displaceable barrier element 16 connecting to the feed channel 14 for regulating the size of an moulding material passage in the feed channel 14. The displaceable barrier element 16 is shown in a position where it partially obstructs the feed channel 14. For the displacement of the barrier element 16 in the mould part 10 a drive 17 is incorporated which is able to move the barrier element 16 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the contact surface 15 of the mould part 10. For control of the drive 17—and thus for control of the position of the displaceable barrier element 16 a power and control line 18 is connected to the drive, which will be connected with an intelligent control system (which is not shown in this figure). Also depicted in this figure is a foil layer 21 which covers the mould part 10, at least the wall forming the feed channel 14 and the wall forming the moulding cavity 13, from the volume of the feed channel 14 and the moulding cavity 13 to be filled with moulding material (see FIG. 2B). The foil layer 21 keeps the barrier element 16 free of contact with moulding material (and thus prevents it to become polluted with remaining moulding material) and assists an easy release of moulded products from the mould part 10.

[0027] In FIG. 2B a cross-sectional view of the mould part 10 from FIG. 2A is shown again, however now in the situation wherein a moulding material 19 is fed through the feed channel 14 which also fills the moulding cavity 13. For control of the filling of the moulding cavity 13 in this specific situation the barrier element 16 is moved more away (in this situation upward) from the feed channel 14 compared to the position of the barrier element 16 shown in FIG. 2A. The foil layer 21 keeps mould part 10 free from contact with the moulding material 19.

[0028] Also in FIG. 2C a cross-sectional view of the mould part 10 from FIGS. 2A and 2B is shown however this figure shows the situation after the moulding material 19 in the feed channel 14 and the moulding cavity 13 is at least partially cured. The barrier element 16 is in this situation used as a pusher (“ejector”) to make the moulded carrier 11 with electronic component 12 free from the mould part 10. During the release of the cured moulding material 19 the foil layer 21 keeps attached to the moulding material 19. For instance the detachment of moulded product 20 may be further supported with a gas pressure system (which not shown here).

[0029] In FIG. 3A a cross-sectional view of a part of a complete mould 30 is shown as well as a feed 31 for liquid moulding material. Moulding material 32 is supplied by a plunger 33 which is movable in a cylinder casing 34. The mould 30 is provided with an upper mould part 35 and a lower mould part 36. Both mould parts 35, 36 can be moved apart for the purpose of placing a carrier 37 for encapsulating or removing an encapsulated carrier 38. The moulding material 32 is transferred by the plunger 33 through a feed channel 39 and subsequently into a moulding cavity 40. In this figure also an additional mould part 41 is provided that clamps an edge part of the carrier 37 against the lower mould part 36. The additional mould part 41 in this embodiment is combined with the cylinder casing 34. The moulding material 32 thus flows through the feed channel 39, over a part of the additional mould part 41 to the moulding cavity 40. In the upper mould part 35 a displaceable barrier element 42 is incorporated connecting to the feed channel 39, which displaceable barrier element 42 may be driven by a spring package 43. For a further explanation of the working of the drive by the spring package 43 see also FIG. 3B wherein the displaceable barrier element 42 is shown in a side view (compared to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 3A). The displaceable barrier element 42 is provided with protruding parts 44 that in a closed situation of the mould 30 rests on the lower mould part 36. When the upper and lower mould parts 35, 36 are moved apart the protruding parts 44 of the displaceable barrier element 42 are not supported anymore by the lower mould part and thus the pressure exerted by the springs 43 may push the displaceable barrier element 42 downwards so that the displaceable barrier element 42 acts as a ejector.

[0030] In FIG. 4 an alternative embodiment of a displaceable barrier element 50 is shown. Dependent on the shape of a feed channel the barrier element 50 is cooperating with the shape may be adapted. In the illustrated embodiment the contact part 51 of the displaceable barrier element 50 is curved. Also different compared to the embodiments shown in the previous figures here the drive 52 is embodied as two cylinders.

[0031] It will be apparent that the measures discussed in the different embodiments may be combined with each other.