Encapsulant method and apparatus

Abstract

An electronic device (12, 13) is substantially enclosed by a fluid encapsulant (17). The fluid encapsulant consists essentially of a silicone resin and a catalyst selected from the group consisting of platinum and tin. The silicone resin is selected from the group consisting of polydimethylsiloxane, polymethylphenylsiloxane, polydimethyldiphenylsiloxane, and mixtures thereof. Such silicone resins comprise molecules terminating in vinyl components and hydride components. The ratio of vinyl components to hydride components is maintained within the range of five to twenty. As will be explained more fully later, this ratio of vinyl components to hydride components assures that the resin will remain substantially a liquid even after cure, due to limited cross-linking or polymerization during the cure. The electronic device is contained within a container (16) having a sealed cover (18) for containing the liquid encapsulant during the operation of the electronic device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.