Conductive contamination reliability solution for assembling substrates

Abstract

A method and apparatus to eliminate conductive contamination reliability problems for assembled substrates, such as electrical arcing in power semiconductor leads. One embodiment of the invention involves a method for assembling an electrical component having leads on a substrate having conductive contacts, wherein an elastomer part encapsulates the leads of the electrical component. A second embodiment of the invention involves assembling an electrical component having leads to a substrate having conductive contacts, wherein an elastomer shape cut by a punch die encapsulates the leads of the electrical component. A third embodiment of the invention involves an assembled substrate including an electrical component having leads, and an elastomer surrounding the leads to encapsulate the leads.

1 - 8  (cancelled)  
     
     
         9 : A method for assembling an electrical component having a plurality of leads on a substrate having a plurality of conductive contacts, comprising: 
 installing an elastomer shape cut by a punch die on said plurality of leads on said electrical component to substantially encapsulate said plurality of leads;    pushing said plurality leads of said electrical component on said plurality of conductive contacts on said substrate substrate; and    bonding said plurality of leads of said electrical component to said plurality of conductive contacts to form a plurality of electrical connections between said plurality of leads and said plurality of conductive contacts.    
     
     
         10 : The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 punching an elastomer shape from a substantially flat sheet of an elastomer; and    punching a plurality of holes in said elastomer shape, wherein said punching of said elastomer shape and said punching of said plurality of holes in said elastomer shape occur in the same step.    
     
     
         11 : The method of  claim 9 , wherein said substrate is a printed circuit board (PCB).  
     
     
         12 : The method of  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of conductive contacts of said PCB comprise a plurality of through-holes.  
     
     
         13 : The method of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 attaching a heat dissipation device to said electrical component before pushing said plurality of leads of said electrical component on said plurality of conductive contacts on said substrate.    
     
     
         14 : The method of  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 bonding one or more tabs on said heat dissipation device to said substrate.    
     
     
         15 : The method of  claim 9 , wherein said electrical component is a power semiconductor.  
     
     
         16 : The method of  claim 9 , wherein said bonding of said plurality of leads of said electrical component to said plurality of conductive contacts includes re-flowing a solder compound to electrically connect said plurality of leads of said electrical component to said plurality of conductive contacts.  
     
     
         17 : An assembled substrate, comprising: 
 a substrate having a plurality of conductive contacts;    an electrical component having a plurality of leads;    an elastomer surrounding said plurality of leads on said electrical component to substantially encapsulate said plurality of leads; and    a bond between a corresponding lead of said plurality of leads of said electrical component and a corresponding conductive contact of said plurality of conductive contacts to form a plurality of electrical connections between said plurality of leads and said plurality of conductive contacts.    
     
     
         18 : The assembled substrate of  claim 17 , wherein said substrate is a printed circuit board (PCB).  
     
     
         19 : The assembled substrate of  claim 18 , wherein said plurality of conductive contacts of said PCB comprise a plurality of through-holes.  
     
     
         20 : The assembled substrate of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 a heat dissipation device attached to said electrical component.    
     
     
         21 : The assembled substrate of  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 a heat dissipation device having one or more tabs to bond said heat dissipation device to said substrate.    
     
     
         22 : The assembled substrate of  claim 17 , wherein said electrical component is a power semiconductor.  
     
     
         23 : The assembled substrate of  claim 17 , wherein said elastomer has a plurality of grooves and said plurality of leads are pushed into said plurality of grooves to substantially encapsulate said plurality of leads of said electrical component.  
     
     
         24 : The assembled substrate of  claim 17 , wherein said bond between a corresponding lead of said plurality of leads of said electrical component to a corresponding conductive contact of said plurality of conductive contacts includes a solder compound to electrically connect said corresponding lead to said corresponding conductive contact.  
     
     
         25 : An electrical component assembled onto a substrate in accordance with the method of  claim 9 .  
     
     
         26 : A method for assembling an electrical component onto a substrate, the method comprising: 
 inserting a plurality of leads of an electrical component into a corresponding plurality of grooves of a compliant elastomer, where a groove surrounds a lead after the lead is inserted into the groove;    placing the electrical component on the substrate;    pushing the plurality of leads onto a plurality of conductive contacts of the substrate; and    bonding the leads to the contacts of the substrate.    
     
     
         27 : An electrical component assembled onto a substrate in accordance with the method of  claim 26 .  
     
     
         28 : The method of  claim 26 , wherein said substrate is a printed circuit board (PCB).  
     
     
         29 : The method of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 attaching a heat dissipation device to the electrical component prior to placing the electrical component on the substrate.    
     
     
         30 : The method of  claim 26  further comprising: 
 bonding one or more tabs on the heat dissipation device to the substrate.  
 
     
     
         31 : The method of  claim 26 , wherein said electrical component is a power semiconductor.  
     
     
         32 : The method of  claim 26 , wherein the plurality of leads are pushed into the plurality of grooves to substantially encapsulate the plurality of leads before pushing the plurality of leads on the plurality of conductive contacts on the substrate.  
     
     
         33 : The method of  claim 26 , wherein the bonding of the plurality of leads of the electrical component to the plurality of conductive contacts includes re-flowing a solder compound to electrically connect the plurality of leads of the electrical component to the plurality of conductive contacts.  
     
     
         34 : The method of  claim 26 , wherein the grooves are designed to close at a top after the electrical component is placed into the compliant elastomer and after the electrical component and compliant elastomer are both placed on the substrate.