US2005013106A1PendingUtilityA1

Peripheral card with hidden test pins

40
Priority: Jul 17, 2003Filed: Jul 17, 2003Published: Jan 20, 2005
Est. expiryJul 17, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Hem Takiar
H10W 90/754H10W 90/734H10W 90/732H10W 74/10H10W 72/884H05K 1/0268G06K 19/077H05K 3/284G06K 19/07732G06K 19/07Y10T29/49179Y10T29/49004Y10T29/49169Y10T29/4913G06K 19/00
40
PatentIndex Score
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Cited by
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References
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Claims

Abstract

A peripheral card includes a circuit board, various circuit elements on the circuit board, a set of user terminals, a set of test terminals, and an enclosure that covers a portion of the circuit board and the circuit elements. The enclosure does not cover the user terminals and test terminals. After the peripheral card is tested, the test terminals are covered with a conformal contact coating in order to prevent access to the test terminals.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A method of making a memory card card, comprising the steps of: 
 adding circuit elements to a circuit board, said circuit board includes a set of test terminals;    testing one or more of said circuit elements using said test terminals; and    covering said test terminals with a conformal contact coating in order to prevent access to said test terminals.    
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said step of covering includes applying a liquid directly to a first surface of said circuit board.    
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said liquid includes a solder mask.    
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said liquid includes a photoresist.    
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said liquid includes a thermoplastic.    
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said liquid includes an epoxy.    
   
   
       7 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said liquid includes polyimide.    
   
   
       8 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said liquid is applied using a screen printing process.    
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said step of covering includes applying a film directly to a first surface of said circuit board.    
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein: 
 said film includes an adhesive on one surface.    
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein: 
 said film includes mylar.    
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein: 
 said film includes polyimide.    
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said step of adding circuit elements includes adding a flash memory array to said circuit board.    
   
   
       14 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said step of adding circuit elements includes mounting a first die on said circuit board and mounting a second die on said first die.    
   
   
       15 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 said first die includes a flash memory array and said second die includes a controller.    
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 14 , wherein: 
 said first die is wire bonded to said circuit board; and    said second die is wire bonded to said circuit board.    
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said circuit board includes a conductive layer and a first portion of said conductive layer forms said test terminals.    
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein: 
 a second portion of said conductive layer forms user terminals;    said user terminals are positioned on an outside surface of said memory card; and    said user terminals are in communication with at least a subset of said circuit elements.    
   
   
       19 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said step of adding circuit elements includes performing a transfer mold process to encapsulate said circuit elements without covering said test terminals.    
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said step of covering is performed after said circuit board is removed from a strip of circuit boards.    
   
   
       21 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said step of covering is performed before said circuit board is removed from a strip of circuit boards.    
   
   
       22 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said memory card is a flash memory card.    
   
   
       23 . A method according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 said step of covering includes applying a liquid directly to a first surface of said circuit board.    
   
   
       24 . A method according to  claim 22 , wherein: 
 said step of covering includes applying a film directly to a first surface of said circuit board.    
   
   
       25 . A method of making a peripheral card, comprising the steps of: 
 adding circuit elements to a plurality of circuit boards of a strip of circuit boards, each of said plurality of circuit boards includes a set of test terminals;    separating said connected circuit boards;    testing said circuit elements of said circuit boards using said test terminals; and    applying a conformal contact coating on a first surface of each of said circuit boards to cover said test terminals and prevent access to said test terminals such that a particular circuit board has its test terminals covered after said particular circuit board has been tested.    
   
   
       26 . A method according to  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said step of separating is performed after said step of applying.    
   
   
       27 . A method according to  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said step of separating is performed prior to said step of applying.    
   
   
       28 . A method according to  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said step of applying includes applying a liquid directly to a first surface of said circuit boards.    
   
   
       29 . A method according to  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said step of applying includes applying a film directly to a first surface of said circuit boards.    
   
   
       30 . A method according to  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said step of adding circuit elements includes mounting a first die on a first circuit board and mounting a second die on said first die;    said first die includes a flash memory array and said second die includes a controller;    said first die is wire bonded to said first circuit board; and    said second die is wire bonded to said first circuit board.    
   
   
       31 . A method according to  claim 25 , wherein: 
 said peripheral card is a memory card.    
   
   
       32 . A peripheral card manufactured according to a process comprising the steps of: 
 adding circuit elements to a circuit board, said circuit board includes a set of test terminals;    testing one or more of said circuit elements using said test terminals; and    applying a conformal contact coating on a first surface of said circuit board to cover said test terminals and prevent access to said test terminals.    
   
   
       33 . A peripheral card according to  claim 32 , wherein: 
 said step of applying includes applying a liquid directly to a first surface of said circuit board.    
   
   
       34 . A peripheral card according to  claim 32 , wherein: 
 said step of applying includes applying a film directly to a first surface of said circuit board.    
   
   
       35 . A peripheral card according to  claim 32 , wherein: 
 said circuit board includes a first die mounted on said circuit board and a second die mounted on said first die;    said first die includes a flash memory array and said second die includes a controller;    said first die is wire bonded to said circuit board; and    said second die is wire bonded to said circuit board.    
   
   
       36 . A peripheral card according to  claim 32 , wherein: 
 said circuit board includes a conductive layer;    a first portion of said conductive layer forms said test terminals;    a second portion of said conductive layer forms user terminals;    said user terminals are positioned on an outside surface of said peripheral card; and    said circuit elements are encapsulated by a transfer mold process without covering said test terminals.    
   
   
       37 . A peripheral card according to  claim 32 , wherein: 
 said peripheral card is a memory card.    
   
   
       38 . A peripheral card, comprising: 
 a circuit board;    circuit elements on said circuit board;    a set of user terminals on said circuit board, said user terminals are in communication with at least a subset of said circuit elements;    a set of test terminals on said circuit board, said test terminals are in communication with one or more of said circuit elements;    an enclosure that covers a portion of said circuit board and said circuit elements without covering said set of user terminals and said set of test terminals; and    a conformal contact coating on a first surface of said circuit board covering said test terminals and preventing access to said test terminals.    
   
   
       39 . A peripheral card according to  claim 38 , wherein: 
 said conformal contact coating is applied as a liquid directly to said first surface of said circuit board.    
   
   
       40 . A peripheral card according to  claim 38 , wherein: 
 said conformal contact coating includes a film that is applied directly to said first surface of said circuit board.    
   
   
       41 . A peripheral card according to  claim 38 , wherein: 
 said circuit elements board include a first die mounted on said circuit board and a second die mounted on said first die.    
   
   
       42 . A peripheral card according to  claim 41 , wherein: 
 said first die is wire bonded to said circuit board; and    said second die is wire bonded to said circuit board.    
   
   
       43 . A peripheral card according to  claim 42 , wherein: 
 said first die includes a flash memory array and said second die includes a controller.    
   
   
       44 . A peripheral card according to  claim 41 , wherein: 
 said first die includes a flash memory array and said second die includes a controller.    
   
   
       45 . A peripheral card according to  claim 38 , wherein: 
 said circuit board includes a conductive layer;    a first portion of said conductive layer forms said test terminals;    a second portion of said conductive layer forms said user terminals; and    said user terminals are positioned on an outside surface of said peripheral card.    
   
   
       46 . A peripheral card according to  claim 38 , wherein: 
 said peripheral card is a memory card.    
   
   
       47 . A method performed for a peripheral card, comprising the steps of: 
 testing one or more circuit elements of a first peripheral card using one or more test terminals of said first peripheral card; and    covering said test terminals with a conformal contact coating in order to prevent access to said test terminals.    
   
   
       48 . A method according to  claim 47 , wherein: 
 said step of covering includes applying a liquid directly to said first peripheral card.    
   
   
       49 . A method according to  claim 47 , wherein: 
 said step of covering includes applying a film directly to said first peripheral card.    
   
   
       50 . A method according to  claim 47 , wherein: 
 said circuit elements include a flash memory array.    
   
   
       51 . A method according to  claim 47 , wherein: 
 said first peripheral card is a memory card.

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