Disclosure of Invention
The invention provides a method for forming a protective film on at least one electronic module, which can ensure that the performance and the quality of the protective film on the electronic module and/or a protective covering circuit board are good.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method for forming a protective film on at least one electronic module is provided, which includes the following steps. An electronic module and a protective material disposed on the electronic module are disposed within the cavity, wherein the protective material and the electronic module are in contact with each other. A first heating procedure is performed on the protective material in the cavity to soften the protective material disposed on the electronic module, and a depressurization procedure is performed on the cavity. And after the protective material is softened, performing a second heating procedure on the protective material in the cavity, and performing a boosting procedure on the cavity, wherein in the boosting procedure, the gas in the cavity directly pressurizes the protective material so as to ensure that the protective material covers the electronic module in a shape-preserving manner. And curing the protective material covering the electronic module to form a protective film covering the electronic module.
In a method of forming a protective film on at least one electronic module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic module includes a circuit board and a plurality of electronic components. The plurality of electronic components are arranged on the circuit board. In the step of placing the electronic module and the protective material placed on the electronic module in the cavity, the protective material and at least the plurality of electronic components are in contact with each other.
In the method for forming the protective film on the at least one electronic module according to the embodiment of the invention, the area of the electronic module is equal to or larger than the area of the protective material. In the step of placing the electronic module and the protective material placed on the electronic module in the cavity, the protective material does not cover the side walls of the electronic module.
In the method for forming a protective film on at least one electronic module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first heating process is heating the protective material to a first temperature, the first temperature is greater than or equal to a softening point of the protective material, and the first temperature is less than a curing point of the protective material. The second heating procedure is to heat the protective material to a second temperature, and the second temperature is higher than the curing point of the protective material.
In the method of forming a protective film on at least one electronic module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first temperature is greater than 50 ℃.
In an embodiment of the method for forming a protective film on at least one electronic module, the step of reducing the pressure is to reduce the pressure inside the cavity to a first ambient pressure, wherein the first ambient pressure is lower than the pressure outside the cavity. The boosting procedure is to boost the air pressure in the cavity to a second ambient air pressure, wherein the second ambient air pressure is higher than the air pressure outside the cavity.
In the method for forming a protective film on at least one electronic module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first heating process and the depressurization process are performed simultaneously.
In the method for forming a protective film on at least one electronic module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the second heating process and the boosting process are performed simultaneously.
In the method for forming a protective film on at least one electronic module according to the embodiment of the invention, the cavity, the boosting unit, the air exhausting unit and the heating unit form a device. The boosting unit and the air extracting unit are communicated with the cavity. The temperature raising unit is thermally coupled with the cavity.
In the method of forming a protective film on at least one electronic module according to an embodiment of the present invention, the at least one electronic module is a plurality of electronic modules, and at least two of the plurality of electronic modules overlap each other in the cavity.
In the process of forming the protective film by the protective material, the protective material is covered on the electronic module in a shape-retaining manner by pressurizing the high-pressure gas. Therefore, the protective film on the electronic module and/or the shape-retaining cover circuit board is less likely to be damaged, and the performance and quality of the protective film on the electronic module and/or the shape-retaining cover circuit board are good.
Detailed Description
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
Fig. 1 is a schematic view schematically illustrating an apparatus applied to form a protective film on at least one electronic module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.
Referring first to fig. 1, an apparatus 100 is illustratively provided that may be used to form a protective film 310 (shown in fig. 4D) on one or more electronic modules 200 (shown in fig. 4D). The apparatus 100 includes a chamber 110, a pressure increasing unit 120, a pumping unit 130, and a temperature increasing unit 140.
The cavity 110 may have a corresponding hatch (not shown) that may be opened to communicate the space inside the cavity 110 with the space outside the cavity 110, and closed to form a sealed space inside the cavity 110. The door is a component of the general chamber 110 and is not specifically shown in fig. 1.
The booster unit 120 may include, for example, a high pressure gas source 121, a line 122, and a valve 123. The high pressure gas source 121 may include, for example, a high pressure gas cylinder or a booster pump. The pipeline 122 is connected between the high pressure gas source 121 and the chamber 110. Valve 123 is located on line 122. If valve 123 is open, gas from pressurized gas source 121 can enter chamber 110 through line 122. The pressure inside the chamber 110 may be greater than the pressure outside the chamber 110 by the boosting unit 120. The pressure outside the chamber 110 is generally 1 atmosphere (1 atm).
The pumping unit 130 may include, for example, a pump 131, a line 132, and a valve 133. The conduit 132 communicates between the pump 131 and the chamber 110. Valve 133 is located on line 132. If the valve 133 and the pump 131 are opened, the gas in the chamber 110 can be pumped out of the chamber 110 through the pipe 132 and the pump 131. The air pressure inside the chamber 110 may be less than the air pressure outside the chamber 110 by the pumping unit 130.
The temperature increasing unit 140 may include, for example, a heating resistor 144 and an electric fan 145. The heating resistor 144 may heat the object in the chamber 110 by means of heat radiation. Alternatively, the object in the chamber 110 may be heated by convection of the gas in the chamber 110, or by circulating the gas in the chamber 110 by the electric fan 145. The temperature inside the chamber 110 may be made higher than the temperature outside the chamber 110 by the temperature increasing unit 140.
In this embodiment, the apparatus 100 includes not only the chamber 110, the pressure increasing unit 120, the air pumping unit 130 and the temperature increasing unit 140, but also the exhaust unit 150 and/or the temperature decreasing unit 160.
Exhaust unit 150 may include a conduit 152 and a valve 153. The pipe 152 communicates between a space outside the chamber 110 and a space inside the chamber 110. Valve 153 is located on line 152. When the gas pressure in the chamber 110 is higher than the gas pressure outside the chamber 110, the gas in the chamber 110 can be directly discharged out of the chamber 110 through the open valve 153 and the pipe 152 by the gas discharging unit 150. In other embodiments, if the apparatus 100 does not have the exhaust unit 150, the gas in the chamber 110 can be exhausted through the pumping unit 130.
The desuperheating unit 160 may include a line 162 containing a cooling fluid. The coolant is, for example, water including an antifreeze, or a refrigerant, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, a portion of the cooling unit 160 may be located in the cavity 110 to cool the object in the cavity 110 by heat radiation or by gas convection or gas circulation in case that the cavity 110 has gas therein. In other embodiments, the apparatus 100 may be cooled to room temperature in a natural state without the cooling unit 160. The temperature inside the chamber 110 may be lower than the temperature outside the chamber 110 by the cooling unit 160. Alternatively, when the temperature inside the chamber 110 is higher than the temperature outside the chamber 110, the temperature inside the chamber 110 may be rapidly decreased to a temperature close to the temperature outside the chamber 110. Alternatively, the temperature inside the chamber 110 may be lower than the temperature outside the chamber 110.
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically illustrating a method of forming a protective film on an electronic module via a device, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 is a flow chart schematically illustrating steps of a method of forming a protective film on at least one electronic module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4A to 4C are schematic cross-sectional views schematically illustrating steps of a method of forming a protective film on an electronic module according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Moreover, for clarity, some components of the apparatus 100 (such as the boosting unit 120, the pumping unit 130, and the warming unit 140) or some components of the electronic module 200 (such as the plurality of electronic components 220) are omitted from FIG. 2.
Referring to fig. 2, in the present embodiment, an electronic module 200 and a protective material 300 disposed on the electronic module 200 may be disposed in a cavity 110, so as to form a protective film 310 on the electronic module 200 through the apparatus 100. As shown in fig. 2, a partition frame 400 may be disposed in the cavity 110, and a plurality of electronic modules 200 may be disposed in the cavity 110, and at least two of the plurality of electronic modules 200 may overlap each other in the cavity 110 by the partition frame 400 and may not contact in a vertical direction (i.e., in a gravity direction).
Please refer to fig. 1 to fig. 3 and fig. 4A simultaneously. First, in step S1, the electronic module 200 and the protective material 300 placed on the electronic module 200 are placed in the cavity 110, wherein the protective material 300 and the electronic module 200 are in contact with each other.
In the present embodiment, the electronic module 200 includes a circuit board 210 and a plurality of electronic components 220. The electronic component 220 is disposed on the circuit board 210. The electronic components 220 may be identical to or different from each other in size or function, and are not limited in the present invention. The electronic component 220 may be electrically connected with the circuit board 210. For example, the electronic module 200 may include a motherboard, and the plurality of electronic components 220 may include active components (e.g., chips) and/or passive components (e.g., capacitors or inductors) disposed on the circuit board 210.
In the present embodiment, the protective material 300 naturally covers the upper side of the electronic module 200 by gravity (the "upper side" herein means in a specific state of gravity). Of course, after the protective material 300 is naturally covered on the upper surface of the electronic module 200 by gravity, the protective material 300 and the electronic module 200 are attached to each other only by van der waals force or electrostatic force. Therefore, if desired, the protective material 300 may be removed from the electronic module 200 without applying a large peeling force.
In the embodiment, the electronic component 220 is disposed on the circuit board 210. Therefore, after the protective material 300 is placed on the electronic module 200, the protective material 300 and at least a portion of the electronic components 220 are in contact with each other. In addition, in the embodiment, the protection material 300 may contact with not only a portion of the electronic component 220 but also a portion of the circuit board 210, and the invention is not limited thereto.
In a plan view, the area of the electronic module 200 is equal to or larger than the area of the protective material 300. That is, after the protective material 300 is placed on the electronic module 200, the protective material 300 may not cover the sidewall 210a or the lower face 210b of the circuit board 210.
In the present embodiment, the material of the protection material 300 is a thermosetting polymer, and is not limited in the invention. Examples of the thermosetting polymer include Bulk Molding Compound (BMC), Diallyl Phthalate (DAP) resin, Urea Formaldehyde (UF) resin, phenolic resin, etc., and the present invention is not limited thereto.
In the embodiment, the protection material 300 may be first placed on the electronic module 200 outside the cavity 110, and then the electronic module 200 and the protection material 300 placed on the electronic module 200 are placed in the cavity 110 together, but the invention is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the electronic module 200 may be placed in the cavity 110, and then the protective material 300 may be placed on the corresponding electronic module 200 placed in the cavity 110.
In addition, after one or more electronic modules 200 covered with the protective material 300 are placed in the cavity 110 of the device 100, a closed space may be formed in the cavity 110. At this time, the air pressure inside the chamber 110 is substantially equal to the ambient air pressure outside the chamber 110, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, if the apparatus 100 has a purge gas (purge gas) pipeline connected to the chamber 110, the pressure inside the chamber 110 may be slightly higher than the ambient pressure outside the chamber 110 after a closed space is formed inside the chamber 110.
In the present embodiment, the protection material 300 is directly coated on the electronic module 200, and the protection material 300 is a flexible mold layer at room temperature. Therefore, there may be some gas gaps 10 between the protective material 300 and the electronic module 200.
Please refer to fig. 1 to fig. 3 and fig. 4B simultaneously. In step S2, a first heating process is performed on the protection material 300 in the cavity 110 to soften the protection material 300 disposed on the electronic module 200, and a pressure reduction process is performed on the cavity 110.
In the present embodiment, the first heating process may be performed by the temperature increasing unit 140 of the apparatus 100. The first heating process is to heat the protection material 300 coated on the electronic module 200 to a first temperature. The first temperature is equal to or higher than the softening point of the protective material 300, and the first temperature is lower than the curing point of the protective material 300. Accordingly, the protective material 300 coated on the electronic module 200 may be softened, but may not be cured.
In this embodiment, the timing for performing the first heating process and the timing for performing the voltage-reducing process at least partially overlap. In some embodiments, the first heating procedure may be performed simultaneously with the depressurization procedure performed by the pumping unit 130 of the apparatus 100. The pressure reduction procedure is to reduce the pressure in the chamber 110 to a first ambient pressure, wherein the first ambient pressure is lower than the pressure outside the chamber 110. Since the protective material 300 and the electronic module 200 are attached to each other only by van der waals force or electrostatic force, the pressure-reducing process can gradually discharge the gas in the gas gap 20 between the protective material 300 and the electronic module 200. Also, since the protective material 300 coated on the electronic module 200 is softened by being heated. In this way, the protection material 300 can be further attached to the electronic module 200.
Generally, the first temperature may be adjusted according to the softening point of the protective material 300. In some embodiments, the first temperature is not only equal to or greater than the softening point of the protective material 300 but also greater than 50 ℃. Thus, if there are fine droplets in the cavity 110, on the electronic module 200 and/or on the protective material 300, the fine droplets can also form water vapor at the first temperature higher than 50 ℃ under the first ambient pressure, and further can be exhausted from the cavity 110 through the air exhaust unit 130 of the apparatus 100.
Please refer to fig. 1 to fig. 3 and fig. 4C simultaneously. In step S3, after the protective material 300 is softened, a second heating process is performed on the protective material 300 in the cavity 110, and a pressure boosting process is performed on the cavity 110, wherein in the pressure boosting process, the gas in the cavity 110 directly pressurizes the protective material 300, so that the protective material 300 is covered on the electronic module 200 in a shape-retaining manner.
In the present embodiment, the second heating process may be performed by the temperature increasing unit 140 of the apparatus 100. The second heating process is to heat the protective material 300 coated on the electronic module 200 to a second temperature. The second temperature is greater than the curing point of the protective material 300. Accordingly, the protective material 300 coated on the electronic module 200 is cured accordingly.
In this embodiment, the timing for performing the second heating process and the timing for performing the boosting process at least partially overlap. In some embodiments, the boosting procedure may be performed by the boosting unit 120 of the apparatus 100 while the second heating procedure is performed. The boosting procedure is to boost the air pressure in the chamber 110 to a second ambient air pressure, wherein the second ambient air pressure is higher than the air pressure outside the chamber 110. Since the protective material 300 coated on the electronic module 200 has been heated to be softened, there is almost no gas between the protective material 300 and the electronic module 200. Therefore, the pressure boosting procedure can directly pressurize the softened protective material 300 coated on the electronic module 200 by the gas in the cavity 110, so that the softened protective material 300 coated on the electronic module 200 can be conformally (conformally) covered on the electronic module 200. Naturally, it is quite difficult to achieve a completely gas-free state in a natural state (even in the outer space), and therefore, even if a fine gas gap is formed between the protective material 300 and the electronic module 200, which is not visible or is hardly visible to the naked eye, the range of equality of "almost no gas is present between the protective material 300 and the electronic module 200" described above is included.
In some embodiments, the second ambient air pressure may be greater than or equal to 0.8 megapascals (MPa) by the boosting unit 120 of the apparatus 100, but the invention is not limited thereto.
Compared with the mold pressurization or other similar mechanical pressurization methods, the protective material 300 is shape-preserving covered on the electronic module 200 by the pressurization method of high-pressure gas, so even if the electronic module 200 comprises a plurality of electronic components 220 with different sizes, the softened protective material 300 can still be shape-preserving covered on the electronic components 220 on the circuit board 210. In addition, since the present invention is pressurized by high-pressure gas, the protection material 300 on the electronic module 200 or the shape-retaining cover circuit board 210 is not damaged.
Please refer to fig. 1 to fig. 3 and fig. 4D simultaneously. In step S4, the protective material 300 for conformal coating on the electronic module 200 is cured to form the protective film 310 for conformal coating on the electronic module 200.
In the present embodiment, the second heating process is to heat the protection material 300 coated on the electronic module 200 to a second temperature greater than the curing point of the protection material 300. Therefore, the protective material 300 on the conformal cover circuit board 210 may be cured to form the protective film 310 on the conformal cover electronic module 200.
After the steps S1 to S4, the method for forming the protective film 310 on the at least one electronic module 200 of the present embodiment is substantially completed.
Of course, the circuit board 210 having the protective film 310 thereon is removed to cover the circuit board. The circuit board 210 covered with the protective film 310 may be removed after the temperature of the circuit board is reduced by the temperature reduction unit 160 of the device 100 or the temperature of the circuit board is reduced by natural cooling and the pressure inside the cavity 110 is reduced to be substantially the same as the pressure outside the cavity 110 by the exhaust unit 150 of the device 100.
The sidewall 210a or the lower surface 210b of the circuit board 210 may not be covered due to the protective material 300 forming the protective film 310. Therefore, the insulating protective film 310 can protect the electronic components 220 on the circuit board 210, and the portions (e.g., the sidewall 210a or the lower surface 210b of the circuit board 210) not covered by the protective film 310 can still be electrically connected to other electronic components 220.
In the process of forming the protective film by the protective material, the protective material is covered on the electronic module in a shape-retaining manner by pressurizing the high-pressure gas. Therefore, the protective film on the electronic module and/or the shape-retaining cover circuit board is less likely to be damaged, and the performance and quality of the protective film on the electronic module and/or the shape-retaining cover circuit board are good.
Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention, and not to limit the same; while the invention has been described in detail and with reference to the foregoing embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that: the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may still be modified, or some or all of the technical features may be equivalently replaced; and the modifications or the substitutions do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions depart from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.