IP Library Granted Patent US 10,709,018
Granted Patent B2
US 10,709,018 · App. 16/426,443 · Granted Jul 7, 2020

System-in-package including opposing circuit boards

Inventors: Yanfeng Chen (San Ramon, CA); Shankar Pennathur (San Jose, CA); Mandar Painaik (Cupertino, CA); Lan Hoang (Los Gatos, CA); Meng Chi Lee (Los Altos, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H05K1/144H01L24/97H01L25/117H05K1/181H05K3/0097H05K3/284H05K3/4611
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,709,018
App. No.
16/426,443
Granted
Jul 7, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

System-in-package structures and methods of assembly are described. In an embodiment, a system-in-package includes opposing circuit boards, each including mounted components overlapping the mounted components of the opposing circuit board. A gap between the opposing circuit boards may be filled with a molding material, that additionally encapsulates the overlapping mounted components. In some embodiments, the opposing circuit boards are stacked on one another using one or more interposers that may provide mechanical or electrical connection.

Claims (41)

1. A system-in-package comprising:

a first circuit board having a first side and a second side opposite the first side;

one or more second side components mounted on at least the second side of the first circuit board;

a second circuit board having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the first side of the second circuit board faces the second side of the first circuit board, and wherein one or more first side components are mounted on at least the first side of the second circuit board; and

a plurality of interposers extending between and electrically connecting the first circuit board to the second circuit board, wherein the plurality of interposers includes a first group of interposers dispersed between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, and a second group of interposers that laterally surrounds a subsystem of the one or more second side components or the one or more first side components to provide electromechanical interference (EMI) shielding for the subsystem.

2. The system-in-package of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of interposers includes a plurality of embedded passive components.

3. The system-in-package of claim 2 , further comprising a gap between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, wherein the gap is filled with a molding material that laterally surrounds the one or more first and second side components and the plurality of interposers.

4. The system-in-package of claim 1 , wherein the first group of interposers includes a periphery group of interposers arranged adjacent a periphery of at least one of the first and second circuit boards, and the second group of interposers is arranged laterally inside the periphery group of interposers.

5. The system-in-package of claim 1 , wherein the second group of interposers is more densely arranged than the first group of interposers.

6. The system-in-package of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality second group of interposers includes an exterior side and a metallic shielding layer on the exterior side.

7. The system-in-package of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of interposers extending between and electrically connecting the first circuit board to the second circuit board comprises a first side of interposers bonded to the first circuit board and a second side of interposers bonded to the second circuit board, wherein the first and second sides of interposers are bonded to each other.

8. The system-in package of claim 7 , wherein a first interposer of the first side of interposers is bonded to a second interposer of the second side of interposers, and each of the first interposer and the second interposer includes an embedded passive device.

9. The system-in package of claim 8 , wherein the passive device is selected from the group consisting of a resistor and capacitor.

10. The system-in-package of claim 8 , wherein the first and second sides of interposers are bonded to each other with a plurality of solder bumps.

11. The system-in-package of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of interposers are solder bonded to the first and second circuit boards.

12. The system-in-package of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of interposers comprises an insulating material, and a plurality of metal traces extending from a bottom side to a top side of the interposer.

13. The system-in-package of claim 1 , further comprising;

a gap between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, wherein the gap is filled with a molding material that laterally surrounds the one or more first and second side components and the plurality of interposers; and

singulated edges spanning sides of the first circuit board, sides of the second circuit board, and sides of the molding material.

14. The system-in-package of claim 1 , wherein:

the first circuit board comprises a first rigid substrate and first conductive traces that electrically connect the one or more second side components mounted on at least the second side of the first circuit board; and

the second circuit board comprises a second rigid substrate and second conductive traces that electrically connect the one or more first side components mounted on at least the first side of the second circuit board.

15. The system-in-package of claim 14 , wherein the one or more second side components overlap the one or more first side components.

16. The system-in-package of claim 1 , further comprising:

a gap between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, wherein the gap is filled with a molding material that laterally surrounds the one or more first and second side components and the plurality of interposers; and

an additional component bonded to the first side of the second circuit board outside of the molding material.

17. The system-in-package of claim 16 , wherein the first circuit board is not directly over the additional component.

18. The system-in-package of claim 17 :

further comprising a gap between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, wherein the gap is filled with a molding material that laterally surrounds the one or more first and second side components and the plurality of interposers;

wherein the additional component is taller than the gap.

19. A system-in-package formed by a method of assembly, comprising:

stacking a first circuit board on a second circuit board to form a circuit board stack, wherein the first circuit board includes one or more bottom side components mounted and a first plurality of interposers on a bottom side of the first circuit board, and the second circuit board comprises one or more top side components and a second plurality of interposers mounted on a top side of the second circuit board;

wherein stacking the first circuit board on the second circuit board comprises bonding the first plurality of interposers to the second plurality of interposers such that the first circuit board is electrically connected to the second circuit board with the bonded first and second pluralities of interposers;

wherein the first and second pluralities of interposers includes a first group of interposers dispersed between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, and a second group of interposers that laterally surrounds a subsystem of the one or more bottom side components or the one or more top side components to provide electromechanical interference (EMI) shielding for the subsystem;

placing the circuit board stack onto a carrier substrate; and

singulating the circuit board stack.

20. The system-in-package of claim 19 :

further comprising molding the circuit board stack to fill a gap between the first circuit board and the second circuit board;

wherein singulating the circuit board stack comprises cutting through the first circuit board, the second circuit board, and a molding material in the gap between the first circuit board and the second circuit board.

21. The system-in-package of claim 19 :

wherein the plurality of interposers includes a plurality of embedded passive components.

Continuity (2)
Continuation 15939097 · Mar 28, 2018
Related Publication 20190306979A1 · Oct 3, 2019