Electronic Circuit and Substrate with Identification Pattern for Separate Electronic Circuits and Method for Producing Thereof
AssigneeC-MAC Electromag bvba
InventorWim Degraeve
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to an improved electronic circuit, as well as an improved substrate with electronic circuits, with an identification pattern. The invention makes it possible to make them identifiable and amongst other things to retrace the circuit(s) in this way through the production process. Furthermore, the invention relates to an improved production method for circuits and substrates according to the invention.
Claims19
Electronic circuit, preferably a directly bonded copper (DBC) ceramic substrate circuit for use in power electronics, comprising:
- a. a substantially flat, ceramic support layer;
- b. a metal layer at at least one side, preferably at both sides, of the ceramic support layer;
- in which at least one metal layer is provided with one or more dimples in the metal layer along at least one edge of the metal layer, in which the dimples are adapted for at least partially reducing tensile forces in the metal layer;
- wherein said one or more dimples form an identification pattern, preferably in which the identification pattern distinguishes the electronic circuit from at least other electronic circuits in a same substrate as the electronic circuit.
Substrate, preferably for use in power electronics, comprising:
- a. a substantially flat, ceramic support layer comprising at least two separate electronic circuits that are connected along a weakened break line;
- b. a metal layer on the separate electronic circuits at at least one side, preferably at both sides, of the ceramic support layer, in which the metal layer of the separate electronic circuits are separated along the break lines;
- in which one metal layer of at least one, preferably each, of the electronic circuits of the substrate is provided with one or more dimples in the metal layer along at least one edge of the metal layer, in which the dimples are adapted for at least partially reducing tensile forces in the metal layer;
- wherein the one or more dimples per electronic circuit form an identification pattern, in which the identification pattern distinguishes the electronic circuit from at least the other electronic circuits of the substrate.
Use of one or more dimples as identification pattern for an electronic circuit, in which the electronic circuit comprises a substantial flat, ceramic support layer, and a metal layer at at least one side, preferably at both sides, of the ceramic support layer, in which at least one metal layer is provided with the dimples in the metal layer along at least one edge of the metal layer, and in which the dimples are adapted for at least partially reducing the tensile stresses in the metal layer;
- preferably in which the identification pattern distinguishes the electronic circuit from at least other electronic circuits in a same substrate as the electronic circuit, and more preferably in which the electronic circuit concerns a directly bonded copper (DBC) ceramic substrate circuit for use in power electronics.
Method for applying tensile stress-reducing identification patterns on a metal layer of a substrate, in which the substrate comprises a multitude of electronic circuits, comprising the following steps:
- a. providing the substrate, in which the electronic circuits comprise a metal layer at at least one side of a ceramic flat support layer;
- b. applying one or more dimples in the metal layer along at least one edge of the metal layer, in which the dimples are adapted for at least partially reducing tensile forces in the metal layer;
- wherein one or more dimples are applied in an identification pattern, preferably in which the identification pattern distinguishes the electronic circuit at least in a unique way from the other electronic circuits of the substrate;
- c. coupling the electronic circuits to the applied identification pattern in a central server.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.