US20070278004A1 - Comformal coverings for electronic devices - Google Patents
Comformal coverings for electronic devices Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20070278004A1 US20070278004A1 US11/678,761 US67876107A US2007278004A1 US 20070278004 A1 US20070278004 A1 US 20070278004A1 US 67876107 A US67876107 A US 67876107A US 2007278004 A1 US2007278004 A1 US 2007278004A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- covering
- electronic device
- template
- coating
- gun
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
- H01L21/48—Manufacture or treatment of parts, e.g. containers, prior to assembly of the devices, using processes not provided for in a single one of the subgroups H01L21/06 - H01L21/326
- H01L21/4814—Conductive parts
- H01L21/4817—Conductive parts for containers, e.g. caps
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C23—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
- C23C—COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
- C23C4/00—Coating by spraying the coating material in the molten state, e.g. by flame, plasma or electric discharge
- C23C4/18—After-treatment
- C23C4/185—Separation of the coating from the substrate
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L23/00—Details of semiconductor or other solid state devices
- H01L23/552—Protection against radiation, e.g. light or electromagnetic waves
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
- H01L2924/15—Details of package parts other than the semiconductor or other solid state devices to be connected
- H01L2924/161—Cap
- H01L2924/1615—Shape
- H01L2924/16152—Cap comprising a cavity for hosting the device, e.g. U-shaped cap
Definitions
- the present invention relates to conformal coverings for use with electronic devices.
- Such coverings can be used, for example, to protect electronic devices from the environment, block or help shield energy or radiation emitted from or received by electronic devices, and to help protect electronic devices from security breaches such as tampering and reverse engineering.
- Specialized coatings are often used with electronic devices, especially microelectronic devices. Such coatings are used to provide shielding or blocking functions with respect to potentially harmful energy or electromagnetic radiation, for example. Such shielding can be used to protect a device from external energy sources and/or help contain energy emitted by an internal source. Thus, these coatings are often referred to as radio-opaque. Coatings can also be used to protect against tampering or reverse engineering. In this regard, these coatings are usually designed to cover all or some portion of an electronic device. Moreover, these coatings are usually designed to conform to weight and size restrictions and to minimize the number and complexity of steps to form the coating.
- thermal spraying Various techniques can be used to provide coatings on electronic devices, one of which is known as thermal spraying.
- thermal spraying or coating processes include arc spraying, flame spraying, and plasma spraying.
- Thermal spraying generally refers to any process where metallic and/or non-metallic materials are deposited, in a molten or semi-molten condition, on a surface to form a coating of
- a thermal spraying nozzle provides a heated zone.
- the material to be deposited, in a powder or finely divided form, is passed through the heated zone of the spray nozzle under the force of a flowing gas or the like.
- the particles are then directed to the surface to be coated.
- the particles strike the surface where they flatten and form thin platelets that conform and adhere to the irregularities of the surface and to each other.
- As the sprayed particles impinge upon the surface they coalesce, cool, build-up, and form a coating.
- Exemplary thermal spraying systems and processes for coating electronic devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,762,711; 5,877,093; 6,110,537; 6,287,985; and 6,319,740 to Heffner et al., the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
- thermal spraying processes can be used to provide high quality functional coatings on surfaces of electronic devices without damaging such devices.
- thermal spraying processes have some shortcomings in some applications.
- Thermal spraying processes for certain electronic devices typically deposit such coatings at a deposition efficiency level less than about thirty percent.
- One reason for this is that many electronic devices are sensitive to heat and deposition efficiency decreases with deposition temperature.
- the deposition temperature for a thermal spraying process cannot be so high as to damage the electronic device being coated and deposition efficiency suffers from lower deposition temperatures.
- the density of the coating is also related to deposition temperature. Specifically, coating density decreases with decreasing temperature.
- many coatings for electronic devices, such as those that are desired to be radio-opaque would have improved shielding properties with higher density but practical restrictions on deposition temperature limit the density by which shield coatings can be formed on devices using thermal spraying.
- a covering in accordance with the present invention comprises a preformed structure, such as a stand-alone shell, for example, that can be bonded, adhered, or otherwise attached to an electronic device.
- such a covering can be made by thermally spraying a conformal coating on a template that substantially represents the shape of the electronic device to be covered.
- the template preferably comprises a copy or replica of the electronic device or may be a sacrificial electronic device.
- the coating can be separated from the template to form a distinct stand-alone covering for the electronic device. The separated covering can then be attached, mechanically or adhesively, for example, to the electronic device.
- Coating a template representative of the shape of an electronic device, rather than the actual device itself, provides many advantages.
- Potential damage to sensitive electronic devices can be avoided because the device itself is not exposed or subject to the coating process.
- coatings can be formed at higher temperatures and deposition efficiency can be increased. This also can provide coatings with improved properties such as increased density as compared to those formed at lower temperatures. Generally, denser materials are better at blocking harmful energy or electromagnetic radiation, for example.
- a method of making a conformal covering for an electronic device comprises the steps of
- a template representative of the shape of at least a portion of an electronic device, forming a radio-opaque coating on at least a portion of a surface of the template, and separating at least a portion of the coating from the template.
- a method of providing a protective covering on an electronic device comprises the steps of providing a template representative of the shape of at least a portion of an electronic device, forming a radio-opaque coating on at least a portion of a surface of the template, separating at least a portion of the coating from the template, and attaching the separated portion of the coating to an electronic device.
- an electronic assembly comprising an electronic device and a conformal covering attached to at least a portion of the electronic device.
- the conformal covering comprises a shell having a shape that substantially corresponds with the shape of the electronic device wherein the covering is capable of blocking reception and emission of electromagnetic radiation from a predetermined portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
- a method of making a conformal covering for an electronic device comprising the steps of, thermally spraying a radio-opaque composition onto a template to form a radio-opaque coating on the template wherein the template has a topography substantially corresponding with an electronic device, separating at least a portion of the coating from the template to form a covering for the electronic device, and attaching the covering to the electronic device.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electronic assembly comprising an electronic device and a covering in accordance with the present invention
- FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a template that is substantially representative of the outside shape of the electronic device of FIG. 1 ;
- FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the template of FIG. 2 having a coating formed on the template in accordance with the present invention
- FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a covering in accordance with the present invention formed by separating the coating from the template of FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 5 shows an illustrative apparatus for creating coverings in accordance with the present invention using thermal spray techniques
- FIG. 6 is a front view of the thermal spray gun used in FIG. 5 showing the nozzle configuration
- FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of an alternative apparatus for creating coverings in accordance with the present invention using thermal spray techniques.
- electronic assembly 10 of the present invention is schematically illustrated in cross-section and comprises covering 12 positioned on electronic device 14 .
- Electronic device 14 comprises packaged device 16 on substrate 18 .
- Packaged device 16 as shown, comprises body 20 , lid 22 , and electronic circuitry 24 enclosed therein.
- Electronic device 14 may be in the form of electronic devices such as microelectronic devices, semiconductor chips, micro-electro-mechanical-systems, medical devices, and the like.
- covering 12 is attached with adhesive layer 26 .
- Exemplary adhesives that can be used include epoxy, polyurethane, polyamide, polyester, inorganic cement, combinations of these, and the like.
- Covering 12 may also be attached by using mechanical fasteners or welding such as laser or ultrasonic welding, for example.
- a template 28 that can be used to form covering 12 in accordance with the present invention is schematically shown in cross-section.
- Template 28 is preferably designed so that covering 12 can be formed on template 28 such as by a thermal spray process as described in detail below.
- covering 12 is separated from the template 28 to form stand-alone covering 12 , as shown in FIG. 4 .
- Covering 12 can then be incorporated with the electronic device 14 as shown in FIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention.
- template 28 is designed to substantially represent the shape of the electronic device 14 and is preferably a copy or replica of at least a portion of electronic device 14 .
- a mold can be made from the electronic device 14 , which mold can be used to form the template 28 .
- a sacrificial electronic device otherwise identical to device 14 can be used as template 28 .
- template 28 comprises a base portion 32 and a raised portion 34 .
- the base portion 32 corresponds with the substrate 28 and the raised portion 34 corresponds with the packaged device 16 .
- the template 28 provides a replica or copy of the electronic device 14 and can be used to form covering 12 as a near net shape covering.
- Template 28 is preferably designed so that the template 28 can be separated from the covering 12 .
- a sacrificial device constitutes template 28
- certain areas or regions, such as voids or openings, of such a sacrificial electronic device are preferably filled in with a suitable material before forming a coating on the electronic device 14 .
- This preparation of template 28 makes it easier to remove covering 12 after covering 12 is formed.
- any known or future developed molding, die making, prototype making, model making, or forming techniques can be used to form the template 28 .
- template 28 can be made from a material that can be selectively etched away with respect to covering 12 or otherwise easily separated therefrom.
- One exemplary material that can be used for the template 28 comprises aluminum in as much as reagents can be used to selectively etch aluminum with respect to a typical covering material such as tungsten.
- a release layer can be provided on the template 28 that can allow easier separation of covering 12 from template 28 .
- template 28 is preferably designed in light of the temperature range it may be exposed to in a particular deposition process.
- Other considerations that may be used in selecting a material(s) for template 28 include cost, formability, and thermal expansion compatibility with a coating formed thereon.
- Template 28 may comprise a single replica of electronic device 14 , as illustrated, or may comprise plural replicas of electronic device 14 or any other electronic device(s).
- a template having plural replicas can be used for volume manufacturing and can take advantage of economies of scale with respect to a deposition process, for example. If a template having plural replicas of an electronic device is used, such template can be coated and the coating can be subsequently separated from the template as described below to form plural coverings in accordance with the present invention.
- Covering 12 can be provided by any thin-film deposition technique.
- Masking techniques can be used during the deposition process to separate individual covering from each other or such coverings can be separated by saw or laser cutting after being separated from the template.
- Preferred deposition techniques include thermal spraying, chemical vapor deposition and combustion chemical vapor deposition. A preferred thermal spraying process is described in detail below. Other thermal spraying processes that can be used are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,762,711; 5,877,093; 6,110,537; 6,287,985; and 6,319,740, the disclosures of which are fully incorporated herein for all purposes.
- Chemical vapor deposition is well known in the semiconductor processing arts and an example of a combustion chemical vapor deposition process can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,318 to Hunt et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
- Covering 12 may comprise any material capable of being coated on template 28 and subsequently separated from template 28 to form covering 12 in accordance with the present invention.
- Covering 12 may comprise a single layer of material, plural layers of the same material, or plural layers of different materials.
- Covering 12 may be formed from any material or combination of materials that help provide such a coating with radiation shielding characteristics.
- Radiation shielding relates to the use of a material(s) that can alter some characteristic of a source of particles and/or photons (such as spectrum, fluence, intensity, or the like) through physical interaction between the atomic structure of the atoms of the material and the incident photons or particles striking the material. The net reduction in such a characteristic of the incident particles or photons and any contribution by secondary radiation can be used to assess the shielding effectiveness of the material.
- preferred materials include refractory metals such as tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, and tantalum, for example.
- materials with radiation shielding characteristics include elements having an atomic number of 39 or greater, preferably 56 or greater, more preferably 72 or greater, compounds of such elements, alloys incorporating such elements, admixtures incorporating such elements, combinations of these and the like.
- Elements with low atomic numbers also have the capacity to shield radiation effectively. However, it typically takes more material to provide effective shielding.
- preferred elements include Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Tl, Pb, Bi, and Ba. Heavier elements and materials incorporating such heavier elements, such as W, are more preferred singly or in combination, as these tend to provide more shielding capability at a given coating thickness than lighter elements.
- Carbon-based materials such as polyethylene may also be used. Polyethylene, for instance, is a suitable shielding material inasmuch as polyethylene coatings are highly dense due to favorable packing density characteristics.
- materials may be polymeric or otherwise organic, inorganic, metals, metal alloys, intermetallic compositions, semiconductor materials, combinations of these and the like.
- One or more piezoelectric materials are preferred for such security applications.
- Materials that can be used for security applications are described in Applicant's copending U.S. provisional patent application entitled “Security Techniques for Electronic Devices,” filed on 15 Jul. 2005 in the name of William J. Dalzell, and having attorney docket number H0006637-1628 (HON0028/P1), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
- the thickness of covering 12 can vary over a wide range depending on the desired functionality for the covering 12 .
- thickness of covering 12 is preferably sufficient to block such radiation as desired for the particular application.
- covering 12 can have a thickness suitable to the radiation spectrum, fluence and intensity of the operational environment. Proton and particle radiation spectra can be attenuated and shifted as a function of the coating material, coating thickness, and coating density.
- tungsten metal can be applied to a thickness of 1 mil to 100 mils, more preferably 10 mils to 50 mils, even more preferably 20 mils to 30 mils.
- Such a coating preferably has a density of about 14 to 18 grams per cubic centimeter.
- thickness of covering 12 would be suitable for substantially shielding most spacecraft electronics from total dose in medium earth orbit natural space radiation environment.
- covering 12 is desired to provide security functions
- factors that can be used to determine thickness of covering 12 are described in Applicant's copending U.S. provisional patent application entitled “Security Techniques for Electronic Devices,” filed on 15 Jul. 2005 in the name of William J. Dalzell, and having attorney docket number H0006637-1628 (HON0028/P1), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
- the thickness of covering 12 is preferably uniform but may vary based on factors such as design, the nature of the item(s) on which the coating is formed, the deposition process used, and/or the like.
- covering 12 as formed on template 28 can have increased density as compared to directly coating electronic device 14 with a coating. This is because higher density can be achieved at higher temperatures.
- a template as an intermediary in accordance with the present invention instead of coating directly onto a device, it is possible to use higher coating temperatures without the risk of thermal damage to the device. This in turn enhances the density of the resultant covering 12 .
- the theoretical density of tungsten is about 19 grams per cubic centimeter.
- Coverings formed by directly coating an electronic device with tungsten have a density of about 14-15 grams per cubic centimeter. In accordance with the present invention, tungsten coverings with a density greater than 16 grams per cubic centimeter have been made.
- coverings of the present invention advantageously are formed on templates using thermal spray techniques.
- thermal spraying involves causing a substrate to be coated to pass through a plume of a spray comprising molten particles of the coating composition.
- a line of sight coating process uses heat energy to heat the coating material to a molten state.
- the molten material typically is caused to be atomized or otherwise converted into molten droplets.
- the molten material is carried to the substrate by a carrier gas or jet.
- the molten droplets are preferably finely sized.
- the substrate is preferably moved in and out of the hot spray to minimize thermal risk to the substrate.
- the desired coating thickness desirably is built up using multiple passes.
- the substrate optionally may be thermally coupled to a heat sink and/or chilling media during thermal spraying in order to help carry away thermal energy imparted to the substrate.
- thermal spray system 300 useful to carry out thermal spraying is illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 .
- Particles e.g., a fine powder, of a coating composition are supplied from a composition feedstock supply 302 to thermal spray gun 304 .
- the gun 304 is mounted on an X-Y positioning rack 306 .
- Thermal spray gun 304 may be of a variety of types, including a flame gun, plasma gun, electric arc, gun or the like.
- spray gun 304 is a flame-type gun.
- fuel and oxygen are supplied to the gun 304 from a fuel/oxidant supply 308 and air is supplied from an air supply 310 .
- the air is ejected through annular nozzle 312 , and a flame 316 is emitted from nozzles 314 located centrally inside annular nozzle 312 .
- the air carries entrained particles (not shown), which are melted by the flame 316 as the particles exit the gun 304 .
- the air acts not only as a carrier gas to help transport the molten particles to the substrate (not shown) to be coated, but the air also acts as a nozzle coolant.
- the molten particles are aimed at a pair of rotatable arms 318 .
- Arm ends 320 each receive one or more corresponding substrates to be coated.
- the substrates By rotating arms 318 , the substrates repeatedly move in an out of the spray plume. In this way, the thermal spray coating can be applied without excessively heating the substrates if desired.
- Each substrate generally may be planar and may be fixedly mounted to an arm end 320 . However, three dimensional substrates may also be coated. These would be mounted onto arms 318 so that the three dimensional substrate could be spun in several axis modes while the gun 304 sprays molten material onto the surfaces of the substrate in line of sight fashion.
- the arms 318 are rotated by an electric motor 322 .
- a coolant such as compressed air, is pumped into the arms 318 from a coolant supply 324 through a pipe or hose 326 that connects to a coolant slip ring 328 located generally at the central axis of rotation of arms 318 .
- the coolant flows from the slip ring to coolant passages (not shown) inside arms 318 .
- Those passages desirably extend radially along the interior of arms 318 and each arm end 320 .
- the arms 318 rotate at a suitable rate, sweeping the mounted substrates through the spray of molten particles.
- rotational rates within the range of 1 to 500 rpm, more desirably 300 to 350 rpm would be suitable.
- the coating builds up on the surface(s) of the substrate in line of sight coating fashion.
- the deposition of coating material tends to be a small swath along the substrate surfaces in the direction of rotation R, and as the arms 318 rotate.
- the gun 304 is indexed in the radial direction (X direction) with respect to the arms 318 so that the coating covers the entire surfaces to be coated.
- the speed of movement in the X direction optionally may be adjusted so that the deposition rate of material onto the substrate is constant. Otherwise, faster moving portions of the surfaces radially farther from the center of rotation may receive less material per unit time than those closer to the center of rotation.
- the distance from the gun 304 to the arms 318 also is adjustable in the Y direction.
- a desired distance can be one at which substrate heating is below a desired threshold, yet the composition is still molten when it impacts the substrate.
- gun 304 were to be too close to a substrate, the substrate might get too hot. If too far, the molten droplets might solidify too much before reaching the substrate surfaces, impairing the quality of the resultant coating.
- FIG. 7 schematically shows a thermal spray system 400 similar to system 300 of FIGS. 5 and 6 , except system 400 of FIG. 7 is adapted for automated processing of larger batches of substrates (not shown) in a protected environment 402 defined by housing 404 .
- Particles e.g., a fine powder, of a coating composition are supplied from a composition feedstock supply 406 to the thermal spray gun 408 .
- a carrier gas supply (not shown) and heat energy source (not shown) such as fuel, electricity, or the like, are also coupled to gun 408 .
- gun 408 is a plasma gun, facilitating thermal spraying of materials such as tungsten, which become molten at very high temperatures, e.g., temperatures above about 3400 C.
- Supply 406 preferably includes an automated powder feeder that is outside environment 402 to facilitate convenient loading of powder feedstock.
- Gun 408 is generally aimed toward rotatable substrate mounting platform 410 including a plurality of arms 412 extending from centrally positioned rotor 414 .
- Platform 410 rotates about central axis 416 .
- System 400 also includes an exhaust system 418 includes a powder particulate collection system 420 .
- the movement of both gun 408 and rotatable substrate mounting platform 410 are automated and controlled via computer 422 .
- An operator interfaces with the computer 422 and system 400 via console 424 .
- Rotor 414 desirably has at least a computer-controlled rotation rate and rotation direction.
- Gun 408 is mounted on robotic manipulation system 426 which can control the distance between gun 408 and arms 412 , the height of gun 408 relative to platform 410 , the position of gun 408 relative to central axis 416 , and the relative angle at which material is sprayed toward platform 410 .
- the supply 406 of material to gun 408 is also automated and may be held constant or varied during the course of a coating operation as desired.
- the desired coating material is loaded into automated powder feeder of supply 406 .
- One or more substrates (not shown) to be coated are positioned on one or more of arms 412 .
- the substrates are positioned in a balanced manner so that platform 410 rotates smoothly.
- pairs of substrates may be positioned in balanced fashion on opposed arms 412 symmetrically about central axis 416 . If an odd number of substrates is being processed, a dummy substrate may also be used for balance.
- arms 412 of system 400 can be designed to act as a heat sink to help draw thermal energy away from substrates being coated. Cooling media (not shown) may also be circulated through arms 412 to help cool the substrates if desired.
- the powder is supplied to gun 408 and is sprayed from gun 408 toward rotating platform 410 .
- platform 410 rotates at a suitable rotational speed, such as a speed in the range of 100 to 500 rpm.
- gun 408 may be indexed radially back and forth relative to platform 410 to help ensure full coverage of surfaces to be coated.
- the speed at which gun 408 is indexed may be adjusted based upon the position of gun 408 relative to central axis 416 so that coating coverage is uniform notwithstanding the changing relative speed between arms 412 and gun 408 as the radial position of gun 408 with respect to central axis 416 changes.
- the heat source in this case a plasma, provides enough heat energy to melt the sprayed particles.
- the heat source provides a suitable temperature in the range of 7000 C to about 20000 C.
- the carrier gas helps to transport the sprayed particles to the substrates.
- the carrier gas may be any gas such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, air, combinations of these, and the like.
- a preferred carrier gas comprises argon and optionally at least one other gas such as hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or the like.
- a gas such as argon is favored because argon heats quickly in the flame of the gun 408 .
- a typical supply pressure for the carrier gas is in the range of 30 psi.
- the preferred primary (argon) and secondary gas (hydrogen) pressures are 75 psi and 50 psi respectively.
- the molten particles impact on the substrates, where they coalesce and form a coating. Areas of the substrates may be masked if those areas are desired to be uncoated after treatment.
- a suitable process time may be in the range of a few seconds to 600 seconds or more.
- a satisfactory coating thickness generally would be in the range of 5 micrometers to about 400 micrometers. Excess spray material is exhausted through exhaust system 418 , where entrained particles in the exhaust are collected.
- the covering 12 After the covering 12 is separated from the template 28 , processes such as cleaning, trimming, and/or post-machining or the like can be performed, as needed or desired.
- the covering 12 may be polished to enhance gloss and surface finish as desired.
- the covering 12 may receive a protective overcoat (not shown) to protect the covering 12 from damage, oxidation, or the like.
- materials that would be suitable to form an overcoat include Al, W, Rh, reactive di-xylylene precursors applied by chemical vapor deposition, combinations of these, and the like.
Abstract
Stand-alone conformal coverings for electronic devices and methods of making and using such coverings.
Description
- This application is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No. 11/280,033, filed on Nov. 16, 2005 (pending), entitled “Conformal Covering for Electronic Devices,” which, in turn, claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 60/712,768, filed on Aug. 31, 2005, entitled “Conformal Coverings for Electronic Devices.” Both of the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
- The present invention relates to conformal coverings for use with electronic devices. Such coverings can be used, for example, to protect electronic devices from the environment, block or help shield energy or radiation emitted from or received by electronic devices, and to help protect electronic devices from security breaches such as tampering and reverse engineering.
- Specialized coatings are often used with electronic devices, especially microelectronic devices. Such coatings are used to provide shielding or blocking functions with respect to potentially harmful energy or electromagnetic radiation, for example. Such shielding can be used to protect a device from external energy sources and/or help contain energy emitted by an internal source. Thus, these coatings are often referred to as radio-opaque. Coatings can also be used to protect against tampering or reverse engineering. In this regard, these coatings are usually designed to cover all or some portion of an electronic device. Moreover, these coatings are usually designed to conform to weight and size restrictions and to minimize the number and complexity of steps to form the coating.
- Various techniques can be used to provide coatings on electronic devices, one of which is known as thermal spraying. Examples of thermal spraying or coating processes include arc spraying, flame spraying, and plasma spraying. Thermal spraying generally refers to any process where metallic and/or non-metallic materials are deposited, in a molten or semi-molten condition, on a surface to form a coating of
- the material with a desired thickness. In this process, a thermal spraying nozzle provides a heated zone. The material to be deposited, in a powder or finely divided form, is passed through the heated zone of the spray nozzle under the force of a flowing gas or the like. As the materials are heated, they change to a plastic or molten state and are accelerated by the flowing gas. The particles are then directed to the surface to be coated. The particles strike the surface where they flatten and form thin platelets that conform and adhere to the irregularities of the surface and to each other. As the sprayed particles impinge upon the surface they coalesce, cool, build-up, and form a coating. Exemplary thermal spraying systems and processes for coating electronic devices are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,762,711; 5,877,093; 6,110,537; 6,287,985; and 6,319,740 to Heffner et al., the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
- Well-known thermal spraying processes can be used to provide high quality functional coatings on surfaces of electronic devices without damaging such devices. However, such thermal spraying processes have some shortcomings in some applications. Thermal spraying processes for certain electronic devices typically deposit such coatings at a deposition efficiency level less than about thirty percent. One reason for this is that many electronic devices are sensitive to heat and deposition efficiency decreases with deposition temperature. Thus, the deposition temperature for a thermal spraying process cannot be so high as to damage the electronic device being coated and deposition efficiency suffers from lower deposition temperatures. Moreover, the density of the coating is also related to deposition temperature. Specifically, coating density decreases with decreasing temperature. Yet, many coatings for electronic devices, such as those that are desired to be radio-opaque, would have improved shielding properties with higher density but practical restrictions on deposition temperature limit the density by which shield coatings can be formed on devices using thermal spraying.
- The present invention provides conformal coverings, methods of forming such coverings, and methods of using such coverings with electronic devices. A covering in accordance with the present invention comprises a preformed structure, such as a stand-alone shell, for example, that can be bonded, adhered, or otherwise attached to an electronic device. In one aspect of the present invention, such a covering can be made by thermally spraying a conformal coating on a template that substantially represents the shape of the electronic device to be covered. The template preferably comprises a copy or replica of the electronic device or may be a sacrificial electronic device. The coating can be separated from the template to form a distinct stand-alone covering for the electronic device. The separated covering can then be attached, mechanically or adhesively, for example, to the electronic device.
- Coating a template representative of the shape of an electronic device, rather than the actual device itself, provides many advantages. First, potential damage to sensitive electronic devices can be avoided because the device itself is not exposed or subject to the coating process. In this respect, coatings can be formed at higher temperatures and deposition efficiency can be increased. This also can provide coatings with improved properties such as increased density as compared to those formed at lower temperatures. Generally, denser materials are better at blocking harmful energy or electromagnetic radiation, for example.
- In one aspect of the present invention a method of making a conformal covering for an electronic device is provided. The method comprises the steps of
- providing a template representative of the shape of at least a portion of an electronic device, forming a radio-opaque coating on at least a portion of a surface of the template, and separating at least a portion of the coating from the template.
- In another aspect of the present invention, a method of providing a protective covering on an electronic device is provided. The method comprises the steps of providing a template representative of the shape of at least a portion of an electronic device, forming a radio-opaque coating on at least a portion of a surface of the template, separating at least a portion of the coating from the template, and attaching the separated portion of the coating to an electronic device.
- In another aspect of the present invention, an electronic assembly comprising an electronic device and a conformal covering attached to at least a portion of the electronic device is provided. The conformal covering comprises a shell having a shape that substantially corresponds with the shape of the electronic device wherein the covering is capable of blocking reception and emission of electromagnetic radiation from a predetermined portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
- In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of making a conformal covering for an electronic device is provided. The method comprising the steps of, thermally spraying a radio-opaque composition onto a template to form a radio-opaque coating on the template wherein the template has a topography substantially corresponding with an electronic device, separating at least a portion of the coating from the template to form a covering for the electronic device, and attaching the covering to the electronic device.
- These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
-
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an electronic assembly comprising an electronic device and a covering in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a template that is substantially representative of the outside shape of the electronic device ofFIG. 1 ; -
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the template ofFIG. 2 having a coating formed on the template in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a covering in accordance with the present invention formed by separating the coating from the template ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 5 shows an illustrative apparatus for creating coverings in accordance with the present invention using thermal spray techniques; -
FIG. 6 is a front view of the thermal spray gun used inFIG. 5 showing the nozzle configuration; and -
FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of an alternative apparatus for creating coverings in accordance with the present invention using thermal spray techniques. - Referring to
FIG. 1 ,electronic assembly 10 of the present invention is schematically illustrated in cross-section and comprises covering 12 positioned onelectronic device 14.Electronic device 14 comprises packageddevice 16 onsubstrate 18. Packageddevice 16, as shown, comprisesbody 20,lid 22, andelectronic circuitry 24 enclosed therein.Electronic device 14 may be in the form of electronic devices such as microelectronic devices, semiconductor chips, micro-electro-mechanical-systems, medical devices, and the like. Preferably, as illustrated, covering 12 is attached withadhesive layer 26. Exemplary adhesives that can be used include epoxy, polyurethane, polyamide, polyester, inorganic cement, combinations of these, and the like. Covering 12 may also be attached by using mechanical fasteners or welding such as laser or ultrasonic welding, for example. - Referring to
FIG. 2 , atemplate 28 that can be used to form covering 12 in accordance with the present invention is schematically shown in cross-section.Template 28 is preferably designed so that covering 12 can be formed ontemplate 28 such as by a thermal spray process as described in detail below. After covering 12 is formed ontemplate 28, covering 12 is separated from thetemplate 28 to form stand-alone covering 12, as shown inFIG. 4 . Covering 12 can then be incorporated with theelectronic device 14 as shown inFIG. 1 in accordance with the present invention. - As illustrated,
template 28 is designed to substantially represent the shape of theelectronic device 14 and is preferably a copy or replica of at least a portion ofelectronic device 14. In one aspect of the present invention, a mold can be made from theelectronic device 14, which mold can be used to form thetemplate 28. In another aspect of the present invention, a sacrificial electronic device otherwise identical todevice 14 can be used astemplate 28. - As illustrated,
template 28 comprises abase portion 32 and a raisedportion 34. Thebase portion 32 corresponds with thesubstrate 28 and the raisedportion 34 corresponds with the packageddevice 16. In this way, thetemplate 28 provides a replica or copy of theelectronic device 14 and can be used to form covering 12 as a near net shape covering. -
Template 28 is preferably designed so that thetemplate 28 can be separated from the covering 12. In those instances in which a sacrificial device constitutestemplate 28, certain areas or regions, such as voids or openings, of such a sacrificial electronic device are preferably filled in with a suitable material before forming a coating on theelectronic device 14. This preparation oftemplate 28 makes it easier to remove covering 12 after covering 12 is formed. In any event, any known or future developed molding, die making, prototype making, model making, or forming techniques can be used to form thetemplate 28. In other representative modes of practice,template 28 can be made from a material that can be selectively etched away with respect to covering 12 or otherwise easily separated therefrom. One exemplary material that can be used for thetemplate 28 comprises aluminum in as much as reagents can be used to selectively etch aluminum with respect to a typical covering material such as tungsten. Optionally, a release layer can be provided on thetemplate 28 that can allow easier separation of covering 12 fromtemplate 28. - Any material(s) that are compatible with the particular deposition process used to form the covering 12 can be used to form the
template 28. In particular,template 28 is preferably designed in light of the temperature range it may be exposed to in a particular deposition process. Other considerations that may be used in selecting a material(s) fortemplate 28 include cost, formability, and thermal expansion compatibility with a coating formed thereon. -
Template 28 may comprise a single replica ofelectronic device 14, as illustrated, or may comprise plural replicas ofelectronic device 14 or any other electronic device(s). A template having plural replicas can be used for volume manufacturing and can take advantage of economies of scale with respect to a deposition process, for example. If a template having plural replicas of an electronic device is used, such template can be coated and the coating can be subsequently separated from the template as described below to form plural coverings in accordance with the present invention. - Covering 12 can be provided by any thin-film deposition technique. Masking techniques can be used during the deposition process to separate individual covering from each other or such coverings can be separated by saw or laser cutting after being separated from the template. Preferred deposition techniques include thermal spraying, chemical vapor deposition and combustion chemical vapor deposition. A preferred thermal spraying process is described in detail below. Other thermal spraying processes that can be used are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,762,711; 5,877,093; 6,110,537; 6,287,985; and 6,319,740, the disclosures of which are fully incorporated herein for all purposes. Chemical vapor deposition is well known in the semiconductor processing arts and an example of a combustion chemical vapor deposition process can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,318 to Hunt et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
- Covering 12 may comprise any material capable of being coated on
template 28 and subsequently separated fromtemplate 28 to form covering 12 in accordance with the present invention. Covering 12 may comprise a single layer of material, plural layers of the same material, or plural layers of different materials. - Covering 12 may be formed from any material or combination of materials that help provide such a coating with radiation shielding characteristics. Radiation shielding relates to the use of a material(s) that can alter some characteristic of a source of particles and/or photons (such as spectrum, fluence, intensity, or the like) through physical interaction between the atomic structure of the atoms of the material and the incident photons or particles striking the material. The net reduction in such a characteristic of the incident particles or photons and any contribution by secondary radiation can be used to assess the shielding effectiveness of the material. For applications related to shielding harmful energy and/or electromagnetic radiation, preferred materials include refractory metals such as tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, and tantalum, for example. Representative examples of materials with radiation shielding characteristics include elements having an atomic number of 39 or greater, preferably 56 or greater, more preferably 72 or greater, compounds of such elements, alloys incorporating such elements, admixtures incorporating such elements, combinations of these and the like. Elements with low atomic numbers (hydrogen and carbon, for example) also have the capacity to shield radiation effectively. However, it typically takes more material to provide effective shielding. Representative examples of preferred elements include Hf, Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, Tl, Pb, Bi, and Ba. Heavier elements and materials incorporating such heavier elements, such as W, are more preferred singly or in combination, as these tend to provide more shielding capability at a given coating thickness than lighter elements. Carbon-based materials such as polyethylene may also be used. Polyethylene, for instance, is a suitable shielding material inasmuch as polyethylene coatings are highly dense due to favorable packing density characteristics.
- For applications related to security, materials may be polymeric or otherwise organic, inorganic, metals, metal alloys, intermetallic compositions, semiconductor materials, combinations of these and the like. One or more piezoelectric materials are preferred for such security applications. Materials that can be used for security applications are described in Applicant's copending U.S. provisional patent application entitled “Security Techniques for Electronic Devices,” filed on 15 Jul. 2005 in the name of William J. Dalzell, and having attorney docket number H0006637-1628 (HON0028/P1), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
- The thickness of covering 12 can vary over a wide range depending on the desired functionality for the
covering 12. When used for applications related to shielding electromagnetic radiation, for example, thickness of covering 12 is preferably sufficient to block such radiation as desired for the particular application. Generally, covering 12 can have a thickness suitable to the radiation spectrum, fluence and intensity of the operational environment. Proton and particle radiation spectra can be attenuated and shifted as a function of the coating material, coating thickness, and coating density. In one example tungsten metal can be applied to a thickness of 1 mil to 100 mils, more preferably 10 mils to 50 mils, even more preferably 20 mils to 30 mils. Such a coating preferably has a density of about 14 to 18 grams per cubic centimeter. In one preferred aspect of the present invention, thickness of covering 12 would be suitable for substantially shielding most spacecraft electronics from total dose in medium earth orbit natural space radiation environment. - Where covering 12 is desired to provide security functions, factors that can be used to determine thickness of covering 12 are described in Applicant's copending U.S. provisional patent application entitled “Security Techniques for Electronic Devices,” filed on 15 Jul. 2005 in the name of William J. Dalzell, and having attorney docket number H0006637-1628 (HON0028/P1), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. In any event, the thickness of covering 12 is preferably uniform but may vary based on factors such as design, the nature of the item(s) on which the coating is formed, the deposition process used, and/or the like.
- In accordance with the present invention, covering 12 as formed on
template 28, can have increased density as compared to directly coatingelectronic device 14 with a coating. This is because higher density can be achieved at higher temperatures. By using a template as an intermediary in accordance with the present invention instead of coating directly onto a device, it is possible to use higher coating temperatures without the risk of thermal damage to the device. This in turn enhances the density of theresultant covering 12. For example, the theoretical density of tungsten is about 19 grams per cubic centimeter. Coverings formed by directly coating an electronic device with tungsten have a density of about 14-15 grams per cubic centimeter. In accordance with the present invention, tungsten coverings with a density greater than 16 grams per cubic centimeter have been made. - In preferred modes of practice, coverings of the present invention advantageously are formed on templates using thermal spray techniques. Generally, thermal spraying involves causing a substrate to be coated to pass through a plume of a spray comprising molten particles of the coating composition. In preferred modes of practice, a line of sight coating process uses heat energy to heat the coating material to a molten state. The molten material typically is caused to be atomized or otherwise converted into molten droplets. The molten material is carried to the substrate by a carrier gas or jet. The molten droplets are preferably finely sized. During coating, the substrate is preferably moved in and out of the hot spray to minimize thermal risk to the substrate. The desired coating thickness desirably is built up using multiple passes. The substrate optionally may be thermally coupled to a heat sink and/or chilling media during thermal spraying in order to help carry away thermal energy imparted to the substrate.
- One embodiment of a
thermal spray system 300 useful to carry out thermal spraying is illustrated inFIGS. 5 and 6 . Particles, e.g., a fine powder, of a coating composition are supplied from acomposition feedstock supply 302 tothermal spray gun 304. Thegun 304 is mounted on anX-Y positioning rack 306.Thermal spray gun 304 may be of a variety of types, including a flame gun, plasma gun, electric arc, gun or the like. For purposes of illustration,spray gun 304 is a flame-type gun. In such an embodiment, fuel and oxygen are supplied to thegun 304 from a fuel/oxidant supply 308 and air is supplied from anair supply 310. The air is ejected throughannular nozzle 312, and aflame 316 is emitted fromnozzles 314 located centrally insideannular nozzle 312. The air carries entrained particles (not shown), which are melted by theflame 316 as the particles exit thegun 304. The air acts not only as a carrier gas to help transport the molten particles to the substrate (not shown) to be coated, but the air also acts as a nozzle coolant. - The molten particles are aimed at a pair of
rotatable arms 318. Arm ends 320 each receive one or more corresponding substrates to be coated. By rotatingarms 318, the substrates repeatedly move in an out of the spray plume. In this way, the thermal spray coating can be applied without excessively heating the substrates if desired. Each substrate generally may be planar and may be fixedly mounted to anarm end 320. However, three dimensional substrates may also be coated. These would be mounted ontoarms 318 so that the three dimensional substrate could be spun in several axis modes while thegun 304 sprays molten material onto the surfaces of the substrate in line of sight fashion. - The
arms 318 are rotated by anelectric motor 322. A coolant, such as compressed air, is pumped into thearms 318 from acoolant supply 324 through a pipe orhose 326 that connects to acoolant slip ring 328 located generally at the central axis of rotation ofarms 318. The coolant flows from the slip ring to coolant passages (not shown) insidearms 318. Those passages desirably extend radially along the interior ofarms 318 and eacharm end 320. - The
arms 318 rotate at a suitable rate, sweeping the mounted substrates through the spray of molten particles. As general guidelines, rotational rates within the range of 1 to 500 rpm, more desirably 300 to 350 rpm would be suitable. With each pass, the coating builds up on the surface(s) of the substrate in line of sight coating fashion. As a practical matter, the deposition of coating material tends to be a small swath along the substrate surfaces in the direction of rotation R, and as thearms 318 rotate. Accordingly, thegun 304 is indexed in the radial direction (X direction) with respect to thearms 318 so that the coating covers the entire surfaces to be coated. The speed of movement in the X direction optionally may be adjusted so that the deposition rate of material onto the substrate is constant. Otherwise, faster moving portions of the surfaces radially farther from the center of rotation may receive less material per unit time than those closer to the center of rotation. - The distance from the
gun 304 to thearms 318 also is adjustable in the Y direction. A desired distance can be one at which substrate heating is below a desired threshold, yet the composition is still molten when it impacts the substrate. Thus, ifgun 304 were to be too close to a substrate, the substrate might get too hot. If too far, the molten droplets might solidify too much before reaching the substrate surfaces, impairing the quality of the resultant coating. -
FIG. 7 schematically shows athermal spray system 400 similar tosystem 300 ofFIGS. 5 and 6 , exceptsystem 400 ofFIG. 7 is adapted for automated processing of larger batches of substrates (not shown) in a protectedenvironment 402 defined byhousing 404. Particles, e.g., a fine powder, of a coating composition are supplied from acomposition feedstock supply 406 to thethermal spray gun 408. A carrier gas supply (not shown) and heat energy source (not shown) such as fuel, electricity, or the like, are also coupled togun 408. As shown,gun 408 is a plasma gun, facilitating thermal spraying of materials such as tungsten, which become molten at very high temperatures, e.g., temperatures above about 3400C. Supply 406 preferably includes an automated powder feeder that isoutside environment 402 to facilitate convenient loading of powder feedstock.Gun 408 is generally aimed toward rotatablesubstrate mounting platform 410 including a plurality ofarms 412 extending from centrally positionedrotor 414.Platform 410 rotates aboutcentral axis 416.System 400 also includes anexhaust system 418 includes a powderparticulate collection system 420. - The movement of both
gun 408 and rotatablesubstrate mounting platform 410 are automated and controlled viacomputer 422. An operator interfaces with thecomputer 422 andsystem 400 viaconsole 424.Rotor 414 desirably has at least a computer-controlled rotation rate and rotation direction.Gun 408 is mounted onrobotic manipulation system 426 which can control the distance betweengun 408 andarms 412, the height ofgun 408 relative toplatform 410, the position ofgun 408 relative tocentral axis 416, and the relative angle at which material is sprayed towardplatform 410. Thesupply 406 of material togun 408 is also automated and may be held constant or varied during the course of a coating operation as desired. - In a typical coating operation, the desired coating material is loaded into automated powder feeder of
supply 406. One or more substrates (not shown) to be coated are positioned on one or more ofarms 412. Desirably, the substrates are positioned in a balanced manner so thatplatform 410 rotates smoothly. Thus, pairs of substrates may be positioned in balanced fashion on opposedarms 412 symmetrically aboutcentral axis 416. If an odd number of substrates is being processed, a dummy substrate may also be used for balance. As is the case witharms 318 ofapparatus 300 ofFIGS. 5 and 6 ,arms 412 ofsystem 400 can be designed to act as a heat sink to help draw thermal energy away from substrates being coated. Cooling media (not shown) may also be circulated througharms 412 to help cool the substrates if desired. - The powder is supplied to
gun 408 and is sprayed fromgun 408 towardrotating platform 410. During spraying,platform 410 rotates at a suitable rotational speed, such as a speed in the range of 100 to 500 rpm. Typically,gun 408 may be indexed radially back and forth relative toplatform 410 to help ensure full coverage of surfaces to be coated. The speed at whichgun 408 is indexed may be adjusted based upon the position ofgun 408 relative tocentral axis 416 so that coating coverage is uniform notwithstanding the changing relative speed betweenarms 412 andgun 408 as the radial position ofgun 408 with respect tocentral axis 416 changes. The heat source, in this case a plasma, provides enough heat energy to melt the sprayed particles. Typically, the heat source provides a suitable temperature in the range of 7000 C to about 20000 C. The carrier gas helps to transport the sprayed particles to the substrates. The carrier gas may be any gas such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon, air, combinations of these, and the like. A preferred carrier gas comprises argon and optionally at least one other gas such as hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or the like. A gas such as argon is favored because argon heats quickly in the flame of thegun 408. - A typical supply pressure for the carrier gas is in the range of 30 psi. The preferred primary (argon) and secondary gas (hydrogen) pressures are 75 psi and 50 psi respectively. The molten particles impact on the substrates, where they coalesce and form a coating. Areas of the substrates may be masked if those areas are desired to be uncoated after treatment. A suitable process time may be in the range of a few seconds to 600 seconds or more. A satisfactory coating thickness generally would be in the range of 5 micrometers to about 400 micrometers. Excess spray material is exhausted through
exhaust system 418, where entrained particles in the exhaust are collected. - Methods and equipment used to carry out thermal spraying suitable in the practice of the present invention also have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,762,711; 5,877,093; 6,110,537; 6,287,985; and 6,319,740. Each of these patent documents is incorporated herein by reference.
- After the covering 12 is separated from the
template 28, processes such as cleaning, trimming, and/or post-machining or the like can be performed, as needed or desired. For example, the covering 12 may be polished to enhance gloss and surface finish as desired. In other modes of practice, the covering 12 may receive a protective overcoat (not shown) to protect the covering 12 from damage, oxidation, or the like. Examples of materials that would be suitable to form an overcoat include Al, W, Rh, reactive di-xylylene precursors applied by chemical vapor deposition, combinations of these, and the like. - The present invention has now been described with reference to several embodiments thereof. The entire disclosure of any patent or patent application identified herein is hereby incorporated by reference. The foregoing detailed description and examples have been given for clarity of understanding only. No unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes can be made in the embodiments described without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the structures described herein, but only by the structures described by the language of the claims and the equivalents of those structures.
Claims (11)
1. A conformal radio-opaque covering for an electronic device, the covering comprising a shell having predetermined wall thickness and an inside surface that substantially corresponds with the shape of the electronic device.
2. The covering of claim 1 , wherein the covering comprises a metallic material.
3. The covering of claim 1 , wherein shell comprises a thickness sufficient to function as an electromagnetic radiation shield.
4. The covering of claim 1 , wherein the covering has a density of about 10 grams per cubic centimeter to about 23 grams per cubic centimeter.
5. The covering of claim 1 in combination with an electronic device.
6. The combination of claim 5 , wherein the electronic device comprises a medical device.
7. The combination of claim 5 , wherein the covering is attached to the electronic device.
8. The combination of claim 7 , wherein the covering is attached to the electronic device with an adhesive.
9. An electronic assembly comprising an electronic device and a conformal covering attached to at least a portion of the electronic device, the conformal covering comprising a shell having a shape that substantially corresponds with the shape of the electronic device wherein the covering is capable of blocking reception and emission of electromagnetic radiation from a predetermined portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
10. The electronic assembly of claim 9 , wherein the near net shape conformal covering comprises at least one of tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, and niobium.
11. The electronic assembly of claim 9 , wherein the covering has a density of about 10 grams per cubic centimeter to about 23 grams per cubic centimeter.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/678,761 US20070278004A1 (en) | 2005-08-31 | 2007-02-26 | Comformal coverings for electronic devices |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US71276805P | 2005-08-31 | 2005-08-31 | |
US11/280,033 US7189335B1 (en) | 2005-08-31 | 2005-11-16 | Conformal coverings for electronic devices |
US11/678,761 US20070278004A1 (en) | 2005-08-31 | 2007-02-26 | Comformal coverings for electronic devices |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/280,033 Division US7189335B1 (en) | 2005-08-31 | 2005-11-16 | Conformal coverings for electronic devices |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20070278004A1 true US20070278004A1 (en) | 2007-12-06 |
Family
ID=37663369
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/280,033 Expired - Fee Related US7189335B1 (en) | 2005-08-31 | 2005-11-16 | Conformal coverings for electronic devices |
US11/678,761 Abandoned US20070278004A1 (en) | 2005-08-31 | 2007-02-26 | Comformal coverings for electronic devices |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US11/280,033 Expired - Fee Related US7189335B1 (en) | 2005-08-31 | 2005-11-16 | Conformal coverings for electronic devices |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US7189335B1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP1938368A2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2007027726A2 (en) |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050224280A1 (en) * | 2001-02-15 | 2005-10-13 | Integral Technologies, Inc. | Low cost vehicle electrical and electronic components and systems manufactured from conductive loaded resin-based materials |
US9199185B2 (en) | 2009-05-15 | 2015-12-01 | Cummins Filtration Ip, Inc. | Surface coalescers |
US10391434B2 (en) | 2012-10-22 | 2019-08-27 | Cummins Filtration Ip, Inc. | Composite filter media utilizing bicomponent fibers |
US11247143B2 (en) | 2016-07-19 | 2022-02-15 | Cummins Filtration Ip, Inc. | Perforated layer coalescer |
Families Citing this family (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP4513915B2 (en) * | 2008-09-05 | 2010-07-28 | コニカミノルタビジネステクノロジーズ株式会社 | Sheet metal part joining structure and image forming apparatus |
JP2023131433A (en) * | 2022-03-09 | 2023-09-22 | 日本発條株式会社 | Thermal spray apparatus and thermal spray control method |
JP2023145172A (en) * | 2022-03-28 | 2023-10-11 | 日本発條株式会社 | Rotation device and flame spray apparatus |
Citations (20)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4947235A (en) * | 1989-02-21 | 1990-08-07 | Delco Electronics Corporation | Integrated circuit shield |
US5718863A (en) * | 1992-11-30 | 1998-02-17 | Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company | Spray forming process for producing molds, dies and related tooling |
US5762711A (en) * | 1996-11-15 | 1998-06-09 | Honeywell Inc. | Coating delicate circuits |
US5783259A (en) * | 1994-12-05 | 1998-07-21 | Metallamics, Inc. | Method of manufacturing molds, dies or forming tools having a cavity formed by thermal spraying |
US5877093A (en) * | 1995-10-27 | 1999-03-02 | Honeywell Inc. | Process for coating an integrated circuit device with a molten spray |
US6013318A (en) * | 1993-03-24 | 2000-01-11 | Georgia Tech Research Corporation | Method for the combustion chemical vapor deposition of films and coatings |
US6180045B1 (en) * | 1998-05-20 | 2001-01-30 | Delco Electronics Corporation | Method of forming an overmolded electronic assembly |
US6287985B1 (en) * | 1995-10-27 | 2001-09-11 | Honeywell International Inc. | Process for applying a molten droplet coating for integrated circuits |
US6319740B1 (en) * | 1995-10-27 | 2001-11-20 | Honeywell International Inc. | Multilayer protective coating for integrated circuits and multichip modules and method of applying same |
US20020117315A1 (en) * | 1994-06-06 | 2002-08-29 | Gabower John F. | Electromagnetic interference shield for electronic devices |
US6549426B1 (en) * | 2002-05-31 | 2003-04-15 | Delphi Tecnologies, Inc | Electronic enclosure with improved EMC performance |
US20030138991A1 (en) * | 2002-01-22 | 2003-07-24 | Moriss Kung | Method for forming a metal layer on an IC package |
US20040020673A1 (en) * | 2001-03-19 | 2004-02-05 | Mazurkiewicz Paul H. | Board-level conformal EMI shield having an electrically-conductive polymer coating over a thermally-conductive dielectric coating |
US20040087053A1 (en) * | 2002-10-31 | 2004-05-06 | Motorola Inc. | Low cost fabrication and assembly of lid for semiconductor devices |
US6807731B2 (en) * | 2002-04-02 | 2004-10-26 | Delphi Technologies, Inc. | Method for forming an electronic assembly |
US20050039935A1 (en) * | 2002-02-19 | 2005-02-24 | Kolb Lowell E. | Interference signal decoupling on a printed circuit board |
US6866908B2 (en) * | 2000-11-20 | 2005-03-15 | Parker-Hannifin Corporation | Interference mitigation through conductive thermoplastic composite materials |
US7109410B2 (en) * | 2003-04-15 | 2006-09-19 | Wavezero, Inc. | EMI shielding for electronic component packaging |
US20070013538A1 (en) * | 2005-07-15 | 2007-01-18 | Honeywell International, Inc. | Security techniques for electronic devices |
US7259969B2 (en) * | 2003-02-26 | 2007-08-21 | Wavezero, Inc. | Methods and devices for connecting and grounding an EMI shield to a printed circuit board |
Family Cites Families (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6180145B1 (en) * | 1998-04-13 | 2001-01-30 | T & M Potato, Llc | Process for preparing baked potato product |
US7163752B2 (en) * | 2002-12-19 | 2007-01-16 | The Boeing Company | Shielded system with a housing having a high atomic number metal coating applied by thermal spray technique |
-
2005
- 2005-11-16 US US11/280,033 patent/US7189335B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2006
- 2006-08-29 WO PCT/US2006/033788 patent/WO2007027726A2/en active Application Filing
- 2006-08-29 EP EP06813933A patent/EP1938368A2/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2007
- 2007-02-26 US US11/678,761 patent/US20070278004A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (22)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4947235A (en) * | 1989-02-21 | 1990-08-07 | Delco Electronics Corporation | Integrated circuit shield |
US5718863A (en) * | 1992-11-30 | 1998-02-17 | Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company | Spray forming process for producing molds, dies and related tooling |
US6013318A (en) * | 1993-03-24 | 2000-01-11 | Georgia Tech Research Corporation | Method for the combustion chemical vapor deposition of films and coatings |
US20020117315A1 (en) * | 1994-06-06 | 2002-08-29 | Gabower John F. | Electromagnetic interference shield for electronic devices |
US5783259A (en) * | 1994-12-05 | 1998-07-21 | Metallamics, Inc. | Method of manufacturing molds, dies or forming tools having a cavity formed by thermal spraying |
US6319740B1 (en) * | 1995-10-27 | 2001-11-20 | Honeywell International Inc. | Multilayer protective coating for integrated circuits and multichip modules and method of applying same |
US6287985B1 (en) * | 1995-10-27 | 2001-09-11 | Honeywell International Inc. | Process for applying a molten droplet coating for integrated circuits |
US5877093A (en) * | 1995-10-27 | 1999-03-02 | Honeywell Inc. | Process for coating an integrated circuit device with a molten spray |
US6110537A (en) * | 1996-11-15 | 2000-08-29 | Honeywell Inc. | Coating integrated circuits using thermal spray |
US5762711A (en) * | 1996-11-15 | 1998-06-09 | Honeywell Inc. | Coating delicate circuits |
US6180045B1 (en) * | 1998-05-20 | 2001-01-30 | Delco Electronics Corporation | Method of forming an overmolded electronic assembly |
US6285551B1 (en) * | 1998-05-20 | 2001-09-04 | Delphi Technologies, Inc. | Overmolded electronic assembly |
US6866908B2 (en) * | 2000-11-20 | 2005-03-15 | Parker-Hannifin Corporation | Interference mitigation through conductive thermoplastic composite materials |
US20040020673A1 (en) * | 2001-03-19 | 2004-02-05 | Mazurkiewicz Paul H. | Board-level conformal EMI shield having an electrically-conductive polymer coating over a thermally-conductive dielectric coating |
US20030138991A1 (en) * | 2002-01-22 | 2003-07-24 | Moriss Kung | Method for forming a metal layer on an IC package |
US20050039935A1 (en) * | 2002-02-19 | 2005-02-24 | Kolb Lowell E. | Interference signal decoupling on a printed circuit board |
US6807731B2 (en) * | 2002-04-02 | 2004-10-26 | Delphi Technologies, Inc. | Method for forming an electronic assembly |
US6549426B1 (en) * | 2002-05-31 | 2003-04-15 | Delphi Tecnologies, Inc | Electronic enclosure with improved EMC performance |
US20040087053A1 (en) * | 2002-10-31 | 2004-05-06 | Motorola Inc. | Low cost fabrication and assembly of lid for semiconductor devices |
US7259969B2 (en) * | 2003-02-26 | 2007-08-21 | Wavezero, Inc. | Methods and devices for connecting and grounding an EMI shield to a printed circuit board |
US7109410B2 (en) * | 2003-04-15 | 2006-09-19 | Wavezero, Inc. | EMI shielding for electronic component packaging |
US20070013538A1 (en) * | 2005-07-15 | 2007-01-18 | Honeywell International, Inc. | Security techniques for electronic devices |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050224280A1 (en) * | 2001-02-15 | 2005-10-13 | Integral Technologies, Inc. | Low cost vehicle electrical and electronic components and systems manufactured from conductive loaded resin-based materials |
US7726440B2 (en) * | 2001-02-15 | 2010-06-01 | Integral Technologies, Inc. | Low cost vehicle electrical and electronic components and systems manufactured from conductive loaded resin-based materials |
US9199185B2 (en) | 2009-05-15 | 2015-12-01 | Cummins Filtration Ip, Inc. | Surface coalescers |
US10391434B2 (en) | 2012-10-22 | 2019-08-27 | Cummins Filtration Ip, Inc. | Composite filter media utilizing bicomponent fibers |
US11247143B2 (en) | 2016-07-19 | 2022-02-15 | Cummins Filtration Ip, Inc. | Perforated layer coalescer |
US11857894B2 (en) | 2016-07-19 | 2024-01-02 | Cummins Filtration Ip, Inc. | Perforated layer coalescer |
US11911714B2 (en) | 2016-07-19 | 2024-02-27 | Cummins Filtration Ip, Inc. | Perforated layer coalescer |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20070045001A1 (en) | 2007-03-01 |
EP1938368A2 (en) | 2008-07-02 |
WO2007027726A2 (en) | 2007-03-08 |
US7189335B1 (en) | 2007-03-13 |
WO2007027726A3 (en) | 2007-04-19 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US7189335B1 (en) | Conformal coverings for electronic devices | |
US7178744B2 (en) | System and process for solid-state deposition and consolidation of high velocity powder particles using thermal plastic deformation | |
Irissou et al. | Review on cold spray process and technology: part I—intellectual property | |
US6074135A (en) | Coating or ablation applicator with debris recovery attachment | |
JP5377319B2 (en) | Substrate coating method and coated product | |
US5795626A (en) | Coating or ablation applicator with a debris recovery attachment | |
JP4637819B2 (en) | Method and apparatus for manufacturing a sputtering target | |
EP3746581A1 (en) | Cold spray metallic coating and methods | |
JP2006183135A (en) | Cold gas dynamic spraying of high strength copper | |
JPS6117904B2 (en) | ||
EP2576138B2 (en) | Method for removal of ceramic coatings by solid co² blasting | |
US4704298A (en) | Coating spherical objects | |
US6635101B2 (en) | Rapid surface cooling of solder droplets by flash evaporation | |
JPS61501397A (en) | The use of this treatment to improve the surface treatment of parts and, in particular, the adhesion of coatings subsequently deposited onto the part by thermal spraying. | |
US20040065432A1 (en) | High performance thermal stack for electrical components | |
US6761937B2 (en) | Process for the manufacturing of ceramic-matrix composite layers | |
US5176964A (en) | Diffuse black plasma sprayed coatings | |
EP3431630A1 (en) | Hydrogen based cold spray nozzle and method | |
Klecka et al. | Optimization of RF-ICP tungsten deposits for plasma facing components | |
WO2008048235A2 (en) | Radio-opaque coatings used as shielding for radiation sources | |
US20120193126A1 (en) | Method of forming sensors and circuits on components | |
US11629412B2 (en) | Cold spray deposited masking layer | |
JPS6241285B2 (en) | ||
JPH0288755A (en) | Production of foil like titanium alloy |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC., NEW JERSEY Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:DALZELL, WILLIAM J.;HEFFNER, KENNETH H.;REEL/FRAME:018931/0354 Effective date: 20051115 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |