JP2003288565A - Memory unit and mobile equipment using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a large-capacity memory unit which is usable without spoiling the compactness of mobile equipment. <P>SOLUTION: The memory unit comprises three parts which are an insertion part 1, a flank part 2 and a back part 3 and those parts are rigidly coupled together in a U shape by using a mold resin 4. The mold resin 4 includes a flexible substrate 5 which is bent in a U shape in conformity with the whole shape and arranged, a plurality of memory chips 6 which are arranged in plane on the flexible substrate 5 and mounted on a flip chip basis in a bare chip state, and a connector 7 which is mounted on the flexible substrate 5 so as to be located at the tip part of the insertion part 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a memory unit capable of storing a large amount of data and a portable device suitable for mounting the memory unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Compact flash (registered trademark) cards, SD cards are used as storage media for various portable devices.
There are memory units such as memory cards, multimedia cards, smart cards, and memory sticks. As such a memory unit, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-2001
There are those disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 251394 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-189943.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the configuration of a memory unit disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-251394. This memory unit is used by inserting it into a memory card slot 9 equipped in the mobile phone 12. This memory unit is configured such that a printed circuit board 18, a memory IC 19 mounted on the printed circuit board 18, a connector 7 mounted on the printed circuit board 18 and electrically connected to the mobile phone 12 are covered with a mold resin 4. It The memory IC 19 is a packaged semiconductor memory IC. One or two memory ICs 19 are mounted on the printed circuit board 18. Mold resin 4
Is formed in a flat plate shape that can be inserted into the memory card slot 9. A wiring pattern for electrically connecting the memory IC 19 and the connector 7 is formed on the printed circuit board 18. This conventional memory unit is used by being inserted into the memory card slot 9, but at this time, the entire memory unit is housed in the mobile phone 12.

The memory unit disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-189943 is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-251.
Similar to the one disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 394, it is used by being housed in a mobile phone.

[0005]

By the way, in recent years, data communication and data processing by mobile devices such as mobile phones have been widely performed. Therefore, the amount of various data to be stored in the mobile device tends to increase. Therefore, it is strongly desired to increase the capacity of a memory unit (storage device) used in such a portable device. However, since the memory unit that is widely used in the conventional portable device is housed and used entirely in the portable device, the size of the memory unit is limited and cannot be increased, and the number of mounted memory ICs is increased. I can't. Therefore, there is a problem that the capacity of the memory unit cannot be increased.

Further, since the conventional memory unit is used by being housed in a portable device as a whole, it is necessary to secure a space for housing the memory unit inside the portable device. Therefore, the conventional memory unit has a problem that it hinders miniaturization of the mobile device.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a large-capacity memory unit that can be used without impairing the compactness of a portable device. Especially. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a large-capacity memory unit that promotes miniaturization of mobile devices. Also,
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a portable device suitable for mounting such a memory unit.

[0008]

To achieve the above object, a memory unit according to the present invention and a portable device using the same have the following features.

A memory unit according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of memory chips, a flexible substrate on which the plurality of memory chips are arranged in a plane and flip-chip mounted in a bare chip state, and the plurality of memory chips And a thin casing that covers the flexible substrate with a thin thickness,
It is characterized by including.

A memory unit according to a second aspect of the present invention is the memory unit according to the first aspect, characterized in that the outer shape is U-shaped.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the memory unit according to the first or second aspect, the memory unit is used by inserting it into a portable device, and the thin-walled casing is provided with an insertion portion that can be inserted into the portable device and the An external part that is not inserted into the portable device, and has a shape in which the external part comes into close contact with the housing of the portable device when the insertion part is inserted into the portable device, and the portable part is provided at the tip part of the insertion part. It is characterized in that a connector for electrically connecting to a device is mounted.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the memory unit according to the third aspect, the insertion portion can be inserted into an insertion slot for a memory card equipped in the portable device. To do.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the memory unit according to the third aspect, the insertion portion can be inserted into an insertion slot for a connector provided in the portable device. It is a thing.

A memory unit according to a sixth aspect is the memory unit according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, characterized in that the insertion portion and the external portion are relatively movable. is there.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a memory unit according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, further comprising a holding means in addition to the insertion portion.

A portable device according to an eighth aspect is characterized by having a holding means for holding the memory unit according to any one of the first to seventh aspects.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a memory unit according to the first aspect, wherein the entire memory unit has a flat outer shape.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a portable device in which a portion for accommodating the memory unit according to the ninth aspect is provided below a portion for accommodating the battery.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the memory unit according to the first aspect, the thin casing constitutes a part of a casing of a portable device.

[0020]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail below based on the illustrated embodiments.

(First Embodiment) A memory unit according to the present embodiment is a CompactFlash (registered trademark) card,
It is supposed to be used for a PDA (Personal Data Assistant) equipped with a memory card slot into which a commonly used memory card such as an SD memory card, a multimedia card, a smart card, and a memory stick is inserted.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the structure of a memory unit according to this embodiment. The memory unit of the present embodiment is composed of three parts, that is, the insertion part 1, the side surface part 2, and the back surface part 3, and these parts are joined to the rigid by the molding resin 4 to form a U-shape. . Inside the mold resin 4, a flexible substrate 5 arranged in a U-shape according to the overall shape, and a plurality of memory chips mounted on the flexible substrate 5 in a plane and flip-chip mounted in a bare chip state. 6 and a connector 7 mounted on the flexible substrate 5 so as to be positioned at the tip portion of the insertion portion 1.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of use of the memory unit of this embodiment, (a) is a front view and (b) is a side view. In the memory unit of this embodiment, the insertion portion 1 has the same shape as a conventional memory card. Therefore, the memory unit of the present embodiment can be used by inserting the insertion portion 1 into the conventional memory card slot 9 provided in the PDA 8. When the insertion section 1 is inserted into the memory card slot 9, the PDA 8 and the memory chip 6 can be electrically connected via the connector 7. Then, in the state where the insertion portion 1 is inserted into the memory card slot 9, the side surface portion 2 is in close contact with the side surface of the PDA 8 and the rear surface portion 3 is P
It comes into close contact with the back surface of the DA8.

The memory unit of this embodiment is used by inserting the insertion portion 1 into the memory card slot 9.
At this time, the PDA 8 is thickened by the thickness of the side surface portion 2 and the back surface portion 3. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a large-capacity memory unit that can be used without impairing the compactness of a mobile device. For this purpose, many memory chips 6 are built in, and then the side surface portion 2 and the rear surface portion 3 are included.
It is necessary to reduce the thickness of the.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, a plurality of memory chips 6 are arranged on the flexible substrate 5 in a plane and flip-chip mounted in a bare chip state, and these are mounted in the mold resin 4 according to the overall shape of the memory unit. It was arranged to be bent in a U shape. In addition, the flexible printed circuit board is a flexible printed circuit board on which a wiring pattern for electrically connecting the memory chips 6 to each other and the connector 7 is formed, and the flexible board 5 has two wiring layers and has a total thickness. Was 0.1 mm or less. As the memory chip 6, a so-called semiconductor memory device having an integrated circuit on its surface, which has a thickness of 0.1 mm or less in a bare chip state, was adopted. Thickness is 0.1m
When the memory chip 6 having a thickness of m or less is flip-chip mounted on the flexible substrate 5 having a thickness of 0.1 mm or less, the total thickness including the thickness of the bump for bonding is 0.3 mm or less. And even if this is covered with the mold resin 4 having a thickness of 0.4 mm each, the thickness of the side surface portion 2 and the back surface portion 3 can be 1 mm or less.

Since the memory unit of the present embodiment is configured as described above, the compactness of the PDA8 is not impaired even when it is used in the PDA8. Further, in the memory unit of the present embodiment, the same number of memory chips 6 as general memory cards can be mounted in the insertion portion 1, and many memory chips 6 can be mounted in the back surface portion 3, thus impairing compactness. Without increasing the capacity of the memory.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of use of a memory unit according to the present embodiment, (a) is a top view and (b) is a front view. The memory unit described in Embodiment 1 is intended to be used for a PDA, whereas the memory unit of this embodiment is intended to be used for a mobile phone. As shown in the figure, in the case of the mobile phone 12, the memory card slot 9 is often provided on the side surface. Therefore, in the memory unit according to the present embodiment, the insertion portion 1 has a shape to be inserted from the side surface of the mobile phone 12, and the back surface portion 3 is configured to expand in the direction along the back surface of the mobile phone 12 (vertical direction in the drawing). There is. The other configuration is the same as that of the memory unit of the first embodiment.

(Third Embodiment) FIGS. 4A and 4B are views showing the outer shape of a memory unit according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4A is a front view and FIG. 4B is a top view. 5A and 5B are views showing a usage example of the memory unit according to the present embodiment, where FIG. 5A is a front view and FIG. 5B is a top view.

The memory unit according to the first embodiment has an insertion portion 1
While the whole is held only by itself, in the memory unit of the present embodiment, further holding means is provided in addition to the insertion section 1. That is, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the memory unit according to the present embodiment is the same as the memory unit according to the first embodiment, and holds the unit by sandwiching both side surfaces of the PDA on the back surface portion 3. A holding side plate 20 is provided. The holding side plate 20 wraps both side surfaces of the PDA from the back surface portion 3 so as to hold the memory unit,
The portions of the holding side plate 20 that contact both sides of the PDA are formed so as to match the curved shapes of both sides of the PDA. The other configuration is the same as that of the memory unit of the first embodiment.

With the configuration as described above, in the memory unit of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the entire unit is held by the insertion portion 1 and the holding side plate 20.
The holding strength can be further increased.

(Embodiment 4) FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the outer shape of a memory unit according to the present embodiment, (a) is a front view and (b) is a top view. 7A and 7B are views showing a usage example of the memory unit of the present embodiment, where FIG. 7A is a front view and FIG. 7B is a top view.

The present embodiment is a modification of the memory unit shown in the third embodiment. That is, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the memory unit according to the present embodiment is the same as the memory unit according to the third embodiment, except that the insertion protrusion 21 is further provided inside the front end portion of the holding side plate 20. Is. When using the memory unit of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, it is necessary to provide the insertion groove 22 for inserting the insertion protrusion 21 on both side surfaces of the PDA 8, but There is an advantage that the tip of the holding side surface 20 of the memory unit does not protrude to the front (operation surface) side. In addition, the memory unit according to the present embodiment includes the PD with the insertion portion 1, the holding side plate 20, and the insertion protrusion 21.
Since it is held at A8, the holding strength can be further improved.

(Fifth Embodiment) FIG. 8 is a top view of a PDA in which the memory unit of the present embodiment is mounted. 9A and 9B are views showing a usage example of the memory unit of the present embodiment, where FIG. 9A is a front view and FIG. 9B is a top view.

The memory unit of this embodiment is similar to that shown in the first embodiment. The difference from the first embodiment is that a holding member for holding the memory unit is provided on the PDA side. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, in the present embodiment, the hook portion 23 for inserting both ends of the back surface portion 3 of the memory unit is provided on the back surface of the PDA 8.
The hook portion 23 has a groove into which the back surface portion 3 of the memory unit is slid and inserted. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the insertion portion 1,
The memory unit is held by the groove formed in the hook 23. Therefore, it is necessary to provide the hook portion 23 on the PDA 8 side, but there is an advantage that the memory unit itself can have a simple shape.

(Sixth Embodiment) FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing the structure of a memory unit according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of use of the memory unit of the present embodiment, (a) is a front view and (b) is a side view. The memory unit according to the present embodiment is also composed of three parts: the insertion part 1, the side surface part 2, and the back surface part 3. However, in the memory of the first embodiment, the insertion portion 1 has the same shape as a general memory card, whereas in the memory unit of the present embodiment, the insertion portion 1 has a shape in which only the connector 7 is incorporated. Is different. Other than that is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the memory unit of the present embodiment, the insertion portion 1 can be formed more compact than that of the first embodiment. In order to deal with this, the PDA 8 is equipped with a connector slot 10 instead of the memory card slot 9.

In the memory unit of this embodiment, since the insertion portion 1 has a shape in which only the connector 7 is built in, the number of memory chips 6 that can be built in the unit is less than that in the first embodiment. ~ 2 decrease, but insert 1
Can be considerably smaller than that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the connector slot 10 equipped on the PDA 8 side on which the memory unit of this embodiment is mounted is also
Since it can be made smaller than the memory card slot 9, PDA
8 can be further miniaturized.

(Embodiment 7) FIG. 12 is a view showing an example of use of a memory unit of the present embodiment, (a) is a front view and (b) is a side view. In the memory unit shown in the first embodiment, the entire unit is configured as a rigid unit, whereas in the memory unit of the present embodiment, the insertion section 1 and the back section 3 are relatively movable by the hinge 11. Is different. Other than this, it is the same as that of the first embodiment. The memory unit of this embodiment is a PDA.
When the back part 3 is mounted on the PDA 8, when the back part 3 is positioned on the liquid crystal screen side of the PDA 8, the back part 3 can be opened with the insertion part 1 still inserted in the memory card slot 9 of the PDA 8. The part 3 can have a function as a cover of the liquid crystal screen of the PDA 8.

Further, the memory unit of this embodiment is
Since the back surface portion 3 can be moved with respect to the insertion portion 1, as long as it has a member that can be connected to the connector built in the insertion portion 1, it can be used for devices other than PDAs (such as personal computers). Can also be used. Therefore, if the memory unit of the present embodiment is shared between the PDA and the personal computer, the data can be shared between the PDA and the personal computer.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing how the memory unit of this embodiment is mounted on a notebook computer.
The notebook computer 13 has a PCMCIA slot 14 into which a PCMCIA standard device is inserted. PCM
The CIA adapter 15 is a memory card etc.
It is converted so as to conform to the standard and is generally commercially available. When using the memory unit of the present embodiment, the insertion section 1 is inserted into the memory card slot 9 of the PCMCIA adapter 15, and the PCMCIA
Insert the adapter 15 into the PCMCIA slot 14 of the notebook computer 13. At this time, if the memory unit is U-shaped as in the case of the first embodiment, the back portion 3 is caught in the edge of the PCMCIA adapter 15 or the casing of the notebook computer 13 and cannot be used. However, in the memory unit according to the present embodiment, since the insertion portion 1 and the back surface portion 3 are relatively movable by the hinge 11, by opening the back surface portion 3, the edge of the PCMCIA adapter 15 or the laptop computer 13 can be opened. It is possible to avoid contact with the housing.

(Embodiment 8) FIGS. 14A and 14B are views showing an example of use of the memory unit according to the present embodiment, where FIG. 14A is a front view and FIG. 14B is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. It is a figure. While the memory unit shown in each of the above embodiments is premised on being mounted on the outside of a mobile device,
The memory unit according to the present embodiment is built in the housing 16 on the back side of the PDA 8. That is, the memory unit according to the present embodiment includes the flexible substrate 5 and the memory chip 6 mounted on the flexible substrate 5, and the PDA 8
It is used by being built in the housing 16 on the back side of the. In accordance with this, the PDA 8 is not provided with the memory card slot 9, and the electrical connection between the memory unit and the PDA 8 is P
Inside the DA 8, the flexible substrate 5 and the main substrate 17 inside the PDA 8 are connected by connectors or soldering. When the memory unit of this embodiment is used, the PDA
Since the memory card slot 9 can be omitted from 8, the size of the PDA 8 can be further reduced. Further, since the memory unit of this embodiment is built in the housing,
There is an advantage that the memory unit from 8 does not pop out at all.

(Ninth Embodiment) FIG. 15 is a sectional view showing the structure of a memory unit according to the present embodiment. The memory unit according to the present embodiment has a flat flexible substrate 5, a plurality of memory chips 6 arranged in a plane on the flexible substrate 5 and flip-chip mounted in a bare chip state, and located at the tip of the unit. And a connector 7 mounted on the flexible substrate 5,
The whole is covered with the molding resin 4.

16A and 16B are views showing an example of use of the memory unit of the present embodiment. FIG. 16A is a rear view and FIG. 16B is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. The memory unit of the present embodiment is intended to be housed below the battery housing section 24 housing the battery 26 of the PDA 8. Therefore, the memory unit is formed in a very thin flat plate shape. A memory unit storage portion 26 is provided below the battery storage portion 24 of the PDA 8 which stores this memory unit. The PDA 8 and the memory chip 6 of the memory unit are electrically connected by connecting the connector slot 10 provided in the PDA 8 and the connector 7 of the memory unit.

FIG. 17 is a schematic view showing a mounting method of the memory unit of this embodiment. The memory unit of the present embodiment is mounted by removing the battery 26 and exposing the PDA 8
This is performed by housing the memory unit in the memory unit housing section 25. After mounting the memory unit, the battery 26 is set on the upper side thereof.

Since the memory unit according to the present embodiment has an extremely thin structure, even if it is mounted below the battery 26,
It does not affect the size of PDA8. Since the connector slot 10 and the memory unit accommodating portion 25 are provided, this can be dealt with by slightly changing the structure of the PDA 8.
Further, although the number of mounted memory chips 6 decreases, the shape of the memory unit is flat and simple, so that the manufacturing cost of the memory unit can be reduced. Further, since the user can easily remove the battery 26 from the PDA 8, the user can easily attach / remove the memory unit of this embodiment housed under the battery 26. it can.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings. However, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the items shown in this embodiment, and changes and improvements thereof can be made based on the description of the claims.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention, the capacity of the memory unit can be increased without impairing the compactness of the portable device. Further, since a thin memory unit can be realized, it is possible to reduce the size of a mobile device equipped with the memory unit.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a memory unit according to a first embodiment.

2A and 2B are diagrams showing a usage example of the memory unit according to the first embodiment, in which FIG. 2A is a front view and FIG. 2B is a side view.

3A and 3B are diagrams showing a usage example of the memory unit according to the second embodiment, in which FIG. 3A is a top view and FIG. 3B is a front view.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outer shape of a memory unit according to a third embodiment, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a top view.

5A and 5B are diagrams showing a usage example of a memory unit according to a third embodiment, in which FIG. 5A is a front view and FIG. 5B is a top view.

6A and 6B are diagrams showing an outer shape of a memory unit according to a fourth embodiment, where FIG. 6A is a front view and FIG. 6B is a top view.

7A and 7B are diagrams showing a usage example of the memory unit according to the fourth embodiment, in which FIG. 7A is a front view and FIG. 7B is a top view.

FIG. 8 is a PD in which the memory unit according to the fifth embodiment is mounted.
It is a top view of A.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a usage example of a memory unit according to a fifth embodiment, (a) is a front view and (b) is a top view.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a configuration of a memory unit according to a sixth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a usage example of the memory unit according to the sixth embodiment, in which (a) is a front view and (b) is a side view.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of use of a memory unit according to a seventh embodiment, where (a) is a front view and (b) is a side view.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing how the memory unit according to the seventh embodiment is attached to a notebook computer.

14A and 14B are diagrams showing a usage example of a memory unit according to an eighth embodiment, in which FIG. 14A is a front view and FIG.
It is sectional drawing which follows the line.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a memory unit according to a ninth embodiment.

16A and 16B are diagrams showing a usage example of the memory unit according to the ninth embodiment, in which FIG. 16A is a rear view and FIG.
It is sectional drawing which follows the line.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing a method of mounting the memory unit according to the ninth embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional memory unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Insert 2 sides 3 back 4 Mold resin 5 Flexible substrate 6 memory chips 7 connector 8 PDAs 9 memory card slot 10 connector slots 11 hinges 12 mobile phones 13 laptop 14 PCMCIA slots 15 PCMCIA adapter 16 cases 17 Main board 18 Printed circuit board 19 memory IC 20 Holding side plate 21 Insertion protrusion 22 Insertion groove 23 Hook 24 Battery compartment 25 Memory unit storage 26 batteries

Continued front page    (72) Inventor Ikushi Morisaki             5-7 Shiba 5-1, Minato-ku, Tokyo NEC Corporation             Inside the company F term (reference) 5B035 AA01 BA01 BA03 BB09 CA01                       CA08                 5B058 CA02 CA13 CA22 KA12 KA24

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of memory chips, a flexible substrate on which the plurality of memory chips are arranged in a plane and flip-chip mounted in a bare chip state, and a thin wall of the plurality of memory chips and the flexible substrate. A thin-walled casing that covers with a thickness, and a memory unit. 2. The memory unit according to claim 1, wherein the outer shape is a U-shape. 3. A memory unit to be inserted into a portable device for use, wherein the thin-walled housing has an insert portion insertable into the portable device and an external portion not inserted into the portable device. Has a shape in which the external portion is in close contact with the housing of the portable device when the connector is inserted into the portable device, and a connector for electrically connecting to the portable device is mounted on the tip portion of the insertion portion. Claim 1 characterized by the above.
Alternatively, the memory unit described in 2. 4. The memory unit according to claim 3, wherein the insertion section can be inserted into an insertion slot for a memory card provided in the portable device. 5. The memory unit according to claim 3, wherein the insertion portion can be inserted into an insertion slot for a connector provided in the mobile device. 6. The memory unit according to claim 3, wherein the insertion portion and the outer portion are relatively movable. 7. The memory unit according to claim 1, further comprising a holding means in addition to the insertion portion. 8. A portable device comprising a holding means for holding the memory unit according to claim 1. Description: 9. The memory unit according to claim 1, wherein the memory unit has a flat outer shape as a whole. 10. A portable device, wherein a portion for accommodating the memory unit according to claim 9 is provided below a portion for accommodating a battery. 11. The memory unit according to claim 1, wherein the thin casing forms a part of a casing of a mobile device.