# US 9,520,645 B2 · Electronic device with electromagnetic shielding structures

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- Number: US 9,520,645 B2
- Document ID: US9520645B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/262,574
- Filed: 2014-04-25
- Published: 2015-03-12
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2013-09-09
- Assignees: Apple Inc.
- Applicants: Apple Inc.
- Inventors: Derek J. Walters; Michael Eng; Brian S. Tryon; Connor R. Duke; Kieran Poulain; Nicholas J. Kunst; Shaohai Chen; Shaoqing Xiang; Sung Woo Yoo; Chun Cheng Teo; Paul Nangeroni; Eric Steven Jol
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520645B2

## CPC

- H01Q 1/526: {Electromagnetic shields}
- H01Q 1/243: {with built-in antennas}
- H04B 15/00: Suppression or limitation of noise or interference (by means associated with receiver H04B1/10)
- H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72)
- H04B: TRANSMISSION

## Abstract

A wireless electronic device may be provided with components such as electrical and structural components. During transmission of radio-frequency signals, antennas and wireless communications circuitry of the wireless electronic device may produce associated time-varying magnetic fields. One or more components may be covered with magnetic-resistant shield structures that protect the components from the time-varying magnetic fields by preventing magnetic-induced vibrations. The magnetic-resistant shield structures may include a conductive base layer such a layer of brass. A magnetic-resistant layer may be plated onto the conductive base layer. The magnetic-resistant layer may be formed from an amorphous nickel-phosphorous alloy. The amorphous nickel-phosphorous alloy may be produced by controlling the manufacturing temperature and proportion of phosphorous in the alloy while performing the plating operations within a length of time that ensures non-equilibrium conditions during the plating operations.

## Claims

### Claim 1

Apparatus, comprising:
a component; and
a magnetic-resistant shield structure that covers the component, wherein the magnetic resistant shield structure includes a conductive layer of amorphous material, wherein the conductive layer of amorphous material comprises amorphous nickel-phosphorous, wherein the magnetic-resistant shield structure comprises a base layer of brass that covers the component, wherein the conductive layer of amorphous material is interposed between the base layer of brass and a layer of gold, and wherein the conductive layer of amorphous material forms a diffusion barrier between the base layer of brass and the layer of gold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus defined in claim 1 further comprising:
a printed circuit board, wherein the component comprises an electronic component that is mounted to the printed circuit board.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein the electronic component comprises a microphone.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus defined in claim 3 further comprising:
an antenna that transmits wireless signals, wherein the magnetic-resistant shield structure prevents magnetic-induced vibrations associated with the wireless signals.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus defined in claim 4 further comprising:
wireless communications circuitry that generates the wireless signals based on a time division multiplexing communications protocol in which the wireless signals are transmitted during time slots that are separated by a time period and wherein the time period is associated with an audible frequency.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the amorphous nickel-phosphorous is greater than eleven percent phosphorous.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus defined in claim 6 wherein the amorphous nickel phosphorous is less than fifteen percent phosphorous.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein the amorphous nickel phosphorous is less than thirteen percent phosphorous.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein the component is a screw.

### Claim 10

A method of manufacturing a magnetic-resistant component module, the method comprising:
receiving a component; and
performing plating operations that cover the component with an amorphous nickel-phosphorous layer, wherein performing the plating operations that cover the component with the amorphous nickel-phosphorous layer comprises:
performing the plating operations that cover the component with the amorphous nickel-phosphorous layer within a predetermined length of time that ensures non-equilibrium conditions during the plating operations.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method defined in claim 10 further comprising:
maintaining a manufacturing temperature below a predefined threshold that allows formation of the amorphous nickel-phosphorous layer during the plating operations.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method defined in claim 11 wherein the amorphous nickel-phosphorous layer is between eleven and thirteen percent phosphorous and wherein the predefined threshold is 300 degrees Celsius.