Modular surface mount component for an electrical device or LED's

Abstract

Processing techniques for various surface mount modular components provide various structures for single device components (10) and multiple device components (FIGS. 6 and 7) suitable as character displays. The technique beings with a slab of substrate material 12 patterned on both sides. Plated through holes (33, 43) connecting back side terminals (19, 20) to front side connective strips (22, 24) are formed. Devices (15, 16) are mounted to land areas (13, 34) and wire bonded to connecting pads (14). The front side is coated with epoxy to encapsulate the devices in a layer having an outer surface formed into optional lenses (262, 263). The slab is then separated to provide the modular components.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to electro-optical displays and other modular compact components. In particular, the invention relates to a method of manufacturing such components capable of being fully automated for producing low cost modular components also highly suitable for automated assembly in installations.Display devices are used extensively particularly in digital circuitry to provide information for the interface for the user. However, with the advances in integrated circuitry technology progressively providing increased processing power in smaller space at reduced costs, the cost of interface devices, such as displays, becomes a larger portion of the total cost and thus more significant. Also when the cost of displaying information is low, the additional cost of displaying more information when desirable is not a deterent leading to greater design freedom. In view of these economic or cost saving benefits, it is extremely desirable to have a fully autom...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved method of manufacturing modular components in which the manufacturing costs are considerably lower than those known from the prior art and in which at the same time the packaging features are at least the equal of those known from the prior art.

When the above method is employed the features of mounting a plurality of devices on a planar substrate and dividing the planar substrate into individual modular components renders the method highly suitable for fully automated and therefore low cost production.

Problems solved by technology

However, with the advances in integrated circuitry technology progressively providing increased processing power in smaller space at reduced costs, the cost of interface devices, such as displays, becomes a larger portion of the total cost and thus more significant.

Also when the cost of displaying information is low, the additional cost of displaying more information when desirable is not a deterent leading to greater design freedom.

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