IP Library Granted Patent US 7,240,313
Granted Patent B2
US 7,240,313 · App. 10/609,068 · Granted Jul 3, 2007

Method for analyzing material density variations on a multi-layer printed circuit board

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,240,313
App. No.
10/609,068
Granted
Jul 3, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for determining material density variations and prediction of defects on a multi-layer printed circuit board (PCB), in the X, Y, and Z axis, includes a virtual grid creation system and a set of rules for determining the material density in each grid element in the grid system.

Claims (33)

1. A method for determining the density variations of a material on a multi-layer printed circuit board, the method comprising:

forming a grid system on each layer in the multi-layer printed circuit board;

determining the area occupied by the material in each grid element, each grid element having unique grid system co-ordinates of the grid system, on each of the layers in the multi-layer printed circuit board;

computing a measure of the density from the area of the material, in grid elements, in at least two of the layers in the multi-layer printed circuit board;

adding the area occupied by the material in each grid element in neighbor layers having the same grid system co-ordinates to obtain a sum area; and

determining an average of the sum area over all grid elements.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the material includes copper (Cu).

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said each grid element is rectangular.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further including the step of dividing the sum area with the average of the sum area over all grid elements to compute the measure of the density of the material for said multi-layer printed circuit board.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further including the step of generating a contour map showing the variation in the measure of the density of the material on the multi-layer printed circuit board.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further including the step of predicting a defect in the multi-layer printed circuit board from the measure of the density of the material.

7. A method for predicting a defect on a multi-layer printed circuit board, the method comprising:

forming a grid system on each layer in the multi-layer printed circuit board;

determining the area occupied by the material in each grid element, of the grid system, on each of the layers in the multi-layer printed circuit board;

computing a measure of the density from the area of the material, in grid elements, in at least two of the layers in the multi-layer printed circuit board;

predicting a defect in the multi-layer printed circuit board from the measure of the density of the material;

adding the area occupied by the material in each grid element in neighbor layers having the same grid system co-ordinates to obtain a sum area; and

determining an average of the sum area over all grid elements.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further including the step of dividing the sum area with the average of the sum area over all grid elements to compute the measure of the density of the material for said multi-layered printed circuit board.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further including the step of generating a contour map showing the variation in the measure of the density of the material on the multi-layer printed circuit board.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the material includes copper (Cu).

11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said each grid element is rectangular.

12. A system for determining the density variations of a material on a multi-layer printed circuit board, the system comprising:

means for forming a grid system on each layer in the multi-layer printed circuit board;

means for determining the area occupied by the material in each grid element, of the grid system, on each of the layers in the multi-layer printed circuit board;

means for computing a measure of the density from the area of the material, in grid elements, in at least two layers of the multi-layer printed circuit board;

means for adding the area occupied by the material in the each grid element in neighbor layers having the same co-ordinates to obtain a sum area; and

means for determining an average of the sum area over all grid elements.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the material includes copper (Cu).

14. The system according to claim 12 , wherein said each grid element is rectangular.

15. The system according to claim 12 , further including means for dividing the sum area with the average of the sum area to compute the measure of the density of the material for said multi-layer printed circuit board.

16. The system according to claim 15 , further including means for generating a contour map showing the variation in the measure of the density of the material on the multi-layer printed circuit board.

17. The system according to claim 12 , further including means for predicting a defect in the multi-layer printed circuit board from the measure of the density of the material.

Assignments (15)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (063804/0702) Recorded Jun 2, 2026
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: TELEPHONICS CORPORATION; TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; TTM TECHNOLOGIES NORTH AMERICA, LLC
Reel/Frame 075679/0852 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (035858/0890) Recorded Jun 2, 2026
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. (FORMERLY KNOWN AS VIASYSTEMS GROUP, INC. AND VIASYSTEMS, INC.); TTM TECHNOLOGIES NORTH AMERICA, LLC (FORMERLY KNOWN AS VIASYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES CORP., L.L.C.)
Reel/Frame 075681/0922 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (TERM LOAN) Recorded May 30, 2023
From: TELEPHONICS CORPORATION; TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; TTM TECHNOLOGIES NORTH AMERICA, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 063804/0745 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (ABL) Recorded May 30, 2023
From: TELEPHONICS CORPORATION; TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; TTM TECHNOLOGIES NORTH AMERICA, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 063804/0702 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT-TERM Recorded Jun 8, 2015
From: TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; VIASYSTEMS, INC.; VIASYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES CORP., L.L.C.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 035851/0928 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT-ABL Recorded Jun 8, 2015
From: TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; VIASYSTEMS, INC.; VIASYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES CORP., L.L.C.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 035858/0890 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 21, 2008
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
To: TTM ADVANCED CIRCUITS, INC.
Reel/Frame 021266/0276 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 16, 2008
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
To: TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 021249/0944 →
FIRST SUPPLEMENT TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 8, 2008
From: TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 020773/0067 →
TERMINATION OF SECURITY INTERESTS IN PATENTS (RELEASES R/F: 016533-0061) Recorded Oct 27, 2006
From: WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 018448/0779 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 27, 2006
From: TTM ADVANCED CIRCUITS, INC.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
Reel/Frame 018442/0594 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2005
From: TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 016533/0061 →
MERGER Recorded Sep 1, 2005
From: TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC., A WASHINGTON CORPORATION
To: TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 016704/0547 →
MERGER Recorded Sep 1, 2005
From: TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC., A CORP. OF WASHINGTON
To: TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC., A CORP. OF DELAWARE
Reel/Frame 016709/0323 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 23, 2004
From: CAMERON, ANDREW JAMES
To: TTM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 014288/0541 →