Electronics module and method for manufacturing the same
View Patent ↗This publication discloses an electronics module and a method for manufacturing it. The electronic module includes at least one first embedded component ( 6 ), the contact terminals ( 7 ) of which face essentially towards the first surface of the insulating-material layer ( 1 ) and which is connected electrically by its contact terminals ( 7 ) to the conductor structures contained in the electronic module. According to the invention, a second embedded component ( 6 ′), the contact terminals ( 7 ′) of which face essentially towards the second surface of the insulating-material layer and which is connected electrically by its contact terminals ( 7 ′) to the conductor structures contained in the electronic module, is attached by means of glue or two-sided tape to the first component ( 6 ), and the contact terminals ( 7, 7 ′) are connected to the conductor structures with the aid of a conductive material, which is arranged in the insulating-material layer in holes ( 17 ) at the locations of the contact terminals ( 7, 7 ′). By means of the invention, it is possible to achieve a simple module construction comprising two component layers, which permits the manufacture of smaller electronic devices than previously.
1. An electronics module, comprising:
an insulating material layer having two opposite surfaces,
embedded in the insulating material layer, at least one first embedded component having first contact terminals which face essentially towards the first surface of the insulating material layer and being connected electrically from its contact terminals to first conductor structures contained on the first surface of the insulating material layer,
embedded in the insulating material layer, a second embedded component essentially aligned with the first embedded component and having second contact terminals which face essentially towards the second surface of the insulating material layer and being connected electrically from its contact terminals to second conductor structures contained on second surface of the insulating material layer,
wherein
the insulating material layer is a unified layer consisting of essentially the same material between said first and second conductor structures,
the first and second contact terminals are connected to the first and second conductor structures through first microvias manufactured to the insulating material layer, the depth of the microvias being less than their diameter,
the first and second conductor structures are connected to each other through second microvias manufactured through the insulating material layer,
the first and second microvias and the conductor structures comprise a unitary metal structure electrically connecting the first and second conductor structures to each other and to the components,
said unitary metal structure extends from at least one of the first microvias connected to at least one of the first contact terminals, through the first conductor structure, at least one of the second microvias and the second conductor structure, to at least one of the first microvias connected to at least one of the second contact terminals, and
the first component and the second component are directly attached to each other by means of a local adhesive layer or two-sided tape applied between the components.
2. The electronics module according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive or two-sided tape is electrically insulating.
3. The electronics module according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating material layer is formed by hardening from at least one unhardened and/or pre-hardened polymer-containing material layer.
4. The electronics module according to claim 1 , wherein several second components are attached to the at least one first component.
5. The electronics module according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second conductor structures are connected electrically to each other through vias, in order to form an operational totality.
6. The electronics module according to claim 5 , wherein the first and second conductor structures consist of one or more patterned conductor layers arranged on top of each other on the surface of the insulating material layer.
7. The electronics module according to claim 1 , wherein metallizations fill the microvias in the insulating material layer at the locations of the contact terminals essentially entirely.
8. The electronics module according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the adhesive or two-sided tape is 1-100 μm.
9. The electronics module according to claim 8 , wherein the thickness of the adhesive or two-sided tape is 5-30 μm.
10. The electronics module according to claim 1 , wherein the depth of the microvias is less than 50 μm.
11. A method for manufacturing an electronics module, comprising:
providing a unified insulating material layer consisting of essentially the same material and comprising two opposite surfaces,
embedding at least one first component having first contact terminals to the insulating material layer, the first contact terminals facing towards the first surface of the insulating material layer,
attaching a second component to said first component using a local glue layer or two-sided tape applied between the first and second components, the second component having second contact terminals facing towards the second surface of the insulating material layer,
providing a first conductor structure on the first surface of the insulating material layer,
providing second conductor structures on the second surface of the insulating material layer,
manufacturing contacts for connecting the first component electrically from the first contact terminals to the first conductor structures and for connecting the second component electrically from the second contact terminals to the second conductor structures,
wherein said contacts are manufactured by:
making first microvias to the insulating material layer at the locations of the first and second contact terminals, the depth of the microvias being less than their diameter,
making second microvias through the insulating material layer,
depositing a layer of chemical metal into the first and second microvias, and
electrochemically growing the same metal onto the insulating material layer and into the chemical metal-deposited first and second microvias in order to form a unitary metallization to the microvias and to the conductor structures, said unitary metal structure extending from at least one of the first microvias connected to one of the first contact terminals, through the first conductor structure, at least one of the second microvias and the second conductor structure, to at least one of the first microvias connected to at least one of the second contact terminals.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein at least part of the insulating material layer is brought to the electronic modules after the attaching the first component and the second component together.
13. The method according to claim 11 or 12 , wherein the insulating material layer is formed of at least two separate material sheets, which are pressed to form a single unified insulating material layer.
14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein several second components are attached to the at least one first component.
15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the microvias are manufactured by making holes through the first and second conductor structures arranged on the first and second surfaces of the insulating material layer, respectively, to the level of the surface of the first and second contact terminals, respectively, and by filling the holes essentially entirely with metal.
16. The method according to claim 11 , comprising:
providing a first conductor layer,
providing a first component, which has a contacting surface having the first contact terminals, and a surface opposite to the contacting surface,
the first component is attached using adhesive from its contacting surface to a first surface of the conductor layer,
providing a second component, which has a contacting surface having the second contact terminals, and a surface opposite to the contacting surface,
the second component is attached using adhesive on top of the first component, in such a way that their surfaces opposite to the contacting surfaces are facing each other,
providing an insulating material layer surrounding the first and second components on the first surface of the first conductor layer and a second conductor layer is provided on a free surface of the insulating material layer,
microvias for connecting the first contact terminals of the first component electrically to the first conductor layer and for connecting the second contact terminals of the second component electrically to the second conductor layer are formed, as well as a necessary number of vias for connecting the conductor layers electrically to each other, and
making conductor patterns from the conductor layers.
17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein adhesive or two-sided tape having the thickness of 1-100 μm is used.
18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein adhesive or two-sided tape having the thickness of 5-30 μm is used.
19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein adhesive is used for attaching the components, the adhesive being applied by brushing, dipping or spraying.
20. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the depth of the microvias is less than 50 μm.
21. The method according to claim 11 , wherein metal is grown simultaneously to the microvias and to the first or second conductor structures, whereby the microvias are filled with metal and the thickness of the conductor structures is increased.