Thermally insulating and electrically conductive spacer
An example device includes a circuit board: an electronic component that is attached to the circuit board and generates heat during operation; an enclosure, at least a portion of the enclosure being electrically conductive; a spacer positioned between the circuit board and the enclosure, the spacer comprising a first surface in contact with the circuit board and a second surface in contact with the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure, wherein the spacer is formed of a dielectric material and includes one or more electrically conductive pathways between the first surface and the second surface; and a fastener coupling the circuit board to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure, the fastener passing through the spacer.
1 . A device comprising:
a circuit board;
an electronic component that is attached to the circuit board and generates heat during operation;
an enclosure, at least a portion of the enclosure being electrically conductive;
a spacer positioned between the circuit board and the enclosure, the spacer comprising a first surface in contact with the circuit board and a second surface in contact with the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure, wherein the spacer is formed of a dielectric material and includes one or more electrically conductive pathways between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the spacer comprises a central channel through which the fastener passes, and wherein the one or more electrically conductive pathways comprise a conductive plating of the central channel; and
a fastener coupling the circuit board to the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure, the fastener passing through the spacer.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material comprises a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate material.
3 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material comprises a halogen-free FR4 material.
4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrically conductive pathways are formed of an electrically conductive material, wherein the first surface and the second surface include a layer formed of the electrically conductive material, and wherein the dielectric material is disposed between the first surface and the second surface.
5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrically conductive pathways comprise one or more vias connected to the first surface and the second surface.
6 . The device of claim 5 , wherein the one or more vias comprise four vias.
7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the electronic component comprises one or more of:
a system on a chip (SoC); or
a wireless communication modem.
8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the spacer is greater than or equal to 0.2 mm.
9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the fastener is a screw, and wherein the electrically conductive portion of the enclosure comprises a boss that includes a threaded channel configured to receive the screw.
10 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a second spacer in contact with the circuit board and the enclosure, wherein the second spacer does not include any electrically conductive pathways.
11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a mobile computing device configured to be held in a hand of a user.
12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is a wearable computing device configured to be worn by a user.
13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure is an external housing configured to be held in a hand of a user, wherein the spacer provides thermal insulation between the electronic component and the enclosure.
14 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first surface and the second surface of the spacer are plated.
15 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first surface, the second surface, and the central channel are all formed in a common plating process.