Rigid-flex module and manufacturing method
AssigneeGE Embedded Electronics Oy
InventorsAntti Iihola, Tuomas Waris
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Rigid-flex-type circuit-board structure and manufacturing method, in which a flexible membrane and a sacrificial-material piece are attached to an insulator membrane in the location of the flexible zone. An insulator layer, which encloses within itself a sacrificial-material piece is manufactured on the surface of the conductor membrane. The flexible zone is formed in such a way that an opening is made in the insulator layer, through which the sacrificial-material piece is removed. The flexible zone comprises at least part of the flexible membrane as well as conductors, which are manufactured by patterning the insulator membrane at a suitable stage in the method.
Claims8
A rigid-flex electronics, comprising:
- at least two rigid zones connected to each other by means of at least one flexible zone;
- the at least one flexible zone comprising a flexible membrane and conductors, which run over the flexible zone supported by the flexible membrane;
- the at least two rigid zones each comprising an insulator layer and a layer of conductors on a first surface of the insulator layer;
- at least one of the two rigid zones further comprising at least one component embedded in the insulator layer and having contact terminals facing towards the conductors on the first surface of the insulator layer, at least some of the contact terminals being electrically connected to said conductors via contact elements;
- wherein the at least one flexible zone is folded;
- and
- wherein the layers of conductors on the first surfaces of the insulator layers of the at least two rigid zones are electrically connected to each other through the conductors of the at least one flexible zone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.