Abstract:
A novel flexible printed circuit substrate can be processed into a flexible printed circuit board having a high-accuracy connecting part which does not cause a connection failure when it is connected to a connector even if a pitch between two adjacent terminals is further reduced. The flexible printed circuit substrate has dummy patterns which are formed, simultaneously with the terminals, on the sides of the connecting part, in a shape corresponding to the outline of both sides of connecting part which are used for positioning the terminals when the connecting part is attached to the connector. The dummy patterns are used as masks when a base film is subjected to a laser process.
Abstract:
An electronic device having one or more integral connectors is disclosed. The connector includes an electromagnetically-shielded cavity defined by an outer shell integrally formed in the housing and having a cross-sectional profile of a plug to which the connector may mate. The connector also includes a tongue integrally formed in and extending from a component (such as a printed circuit board) of the electronic device and protruding into the cavity. The tongue may have one or more electrical contacts on one or both sides. The connector may also include one or more snap features for retaining a mated plug at a predetermined force. The connectors may conform to one or more connector standards, such as the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard and/or the IEEE 1394 (FireWirenull) standard. Devices incorporating such integral connectors may be smaller and manufactured less expensively than devices having conventional, non-integral, connectors.
Abstract:
A design for constructing an input circuit to receive and process an electrical signal, such as a voltage signal from a voltage source, where the input circuit has an extremely high resistance of at least 1011 ohms and is located on a printed circuit board. A first area of the printed circuit board carrying components of the input circuit is separated from a second area surrounding or contiguous to it by a channel-shaped recess to preserve the high resistance of the circuit even under operating conditions and at high relative humidity. The circuit is configured in such a way that the channel-shaped recess terminates in the interior of the printed circuit board and is extended in the direction of the thickness of the printed circuit board immediately up to a moisture-impermeable barrier layer which underlies the first area of the printed circuit board. The channel-shaped recess and the first area are filled and surrounded by a cohesive moisture-impermeable material.
Abstract:
Packaging for power circuitry. A circuit board and a power lead frame are packaged together in a module. In addition to providing electrical connections to power circuitry, the lead frame is employed to fix or partially fix the location of the circuit board in the package. For this purpose, one of the power lead frame and the circuit board includes a male portion and the other of the power lead frame and the circuit board includes a complementary female portion for mechanically coupling the circuit board and the lead frame.
Abstract:
A power semiconductor module achieves high isolation strength from a base through selectively positioning a plurality of metal coatings on first and second surfaces and positioning edges of the plurality to beneficially reduce the field strength tangentially to a selected position, especially in a defined critical region directly adjacent a metal coating edge on a first surface opposite the base. This design results in regions which beneficially allow field lines to extend without functional detriment. The beneficial position selection is is achieved by means of an optimization process in which the tangential components of the field strength beside the first or second metallization edge reach identical values.
Abstract:
An insulating substrate (1) has insulative ceramic layers (2, 3) laid one upon another, an intermediate layer (4) made of a material that is different from a material of the ceramic layers and arranged between adjacent ones of the ceramic layers to join the adjacent ceramic layers to each other, a first conductive layer (5) joined to the top surface of a top one of the ceramic layers, and a second conductive layer (6) joined to the bottom surface of a bottom one of the ceramic layers. Even if any one of the ceramic layers has strength lower than design strength and causes a breakage due to, for example, thermal stress, the remaining ceramic layers are sound to secure a specified breakdown voltage for the insulating substrate.
Abstract:
A printed circuit board includes a rectangular, insulating substrate and a conductive land formed on the substrate. The land is arranged near a selected one of the longitudinal edges of the substrate. An L-shaped terminal is mounted on the substrate, so that its longer horizontal portion overlaps the land, while its shorter bent portion is engaged with a positioning groove formed in the selected longitudinal edge of the substrate. The land is caused to protrude from the overlapping horizontal portion of the terminal toward the opposite longitudinal edge of the substrate.
Abstract:
A highly reliable copper circuit-joined board that, in mounting a semiconductor element, a lead frame or the like on a ceramic substrate, enables the semiconductor element, the lead frame or the like to be strongly joined to the substrate without breaking or deformation of the substrate found in conventional joining methods, such as brazing and joining using a copper/copper oxide eutectic crystal. Any one of an interposing layer comprising a brazing material layer comprising silver and/or copper as a main component and an active metal or an interposing layer having a two-layer structure comprising a first interposing layer comprising the brazing material layer or a high-melting metallizing layer and a second interposing layer, having a melting point of 1000° C. or below, comprising Ni, Fe, Cu as a main component in that order from the substrate side, is formed on a ceramic substrate, and a conductor layer, comprising copper as a main component, which, in both the lengthwise and widthwise directions, is at least 0.05 mm shorter than the interposing layer, is formed on the interposing layer to prepare a copper circuit-joined board. The copper circuit-joined board may comprise the base board having thereon an outer layer comprising Ni as a main component. A semiconductor element is mounted on the copper circuit-joined board to prepare a semiconductor device.
Abstract:
According to known methods, several circuit board pieces in a three-dimensional arrangement of an electronic module are connected together electrically by the film connectors and arranged around an operator control or actuator element in the three-dimensional form. The assembly of such modules is, however, very costly because the circuit boards must all be fastened mechanically. By using film connectors with greater stiffness, circuit board pieces can be held over these directly without additional mechanical securing devices and the three-dimensional circuit board arrangement can be secured by appropriate securing devices in the three-dimensional form. A preferred application is for electronic modules with operator control and/or actuator elements where the space available is very limited, in particular for modules fitted in motor vehicles.
Abstract:
A circuit board includes an insulating substrate having opposed first and second surfaces and a thickness; and first and second conductive layers disposed on the first and second surfaces of the insulating substrate, respectively, wherein the first conductive layer has an end surface projecting outwardly from the first conductive layer in a direction generally parallel to the first surface of the insulating substrate, and a contact surface in contact with the insulating substrate and joining the end surface at a junction, wherein the end surface is spaced from the first surface of the insulating substrate except at the junction.