Electronic Component Protection Device Panel

Abstract

Devices capable of protecting electronic components during the occurrence of a disturbance event using printed circuit board manufacturing techniques. A layered structure is formed comprising a polymer-based formulation sandwiched between two electrode layers. The devices can be manufactured in panel form providing high quantities of devices which can be removed from the panel and applied directly to the component to be protected. Desired patterns can be formed on either one of the electrode layers by photo-etch techniques thereby providing a process that can be tailored to a large number of applications.

1 . A method comprising:
 coating a first electrode layer comprising a multiplicity of first electrode portions with a liquid polymer formulation;   aligning the first electrode layer with second electrode layer comprising a multiplicity of second electrode portions such that the liquid polymer formulation forms a layer between the first and second electrode layers;   bonding the first and second electrode layers to each other by curing the liquid polymer formulation to form a panel laminate comprising a layer of cured liquid polymer between the first and second electrode layers; and   forming a multiplicity of electrically conductive pathways from the first electrode layer to the second electrode layer through the cured liquid polymer layer of the panel laminate, thereby configuring the panel laminate to yield a multiplicity of polymer-based protection devices.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein coating the first electrode layer with the liquid polymer formulation is preceded by forming a pattern on the first electrode layer, the pattern corresponding to the multiplicity of the polymer-based protection devices. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming a pattern on the panel laminate, the pattern corresponding to the multiplicity of the polymer-based protection devices. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the pattern is formed using printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing processes. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the pattern is formed by:
 depositing a layer of photo-resist to either one of the first electrode layer or the second electrode layer;   applying a photo image layer on top of the layer of photo-resist, the photo image layer containing the pattern for the plurality of polymer-based protection devices; and   imaging, developing, and photo etching the pattern to create an outline of the multiplicity of the polymer-based protection devices on the panel laminate.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising removing remaining photo-resist from the electrode layer on which it was deposited. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer formulation comprises at least one of: a thermoset epoxy, a liquid crystal material, and an acrylate material. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the liquid polymer formulation comprises at least one of an electrically conductive material, an electrically insulating material, and an antioxidant material. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein coating the first electrode layer with the liquid polymer formulation comprises forming a layer of liquid polymer formulation having substantially uniform thickness across the first electrode layer. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein coating the first electrode layer with the liquid polymer formulation comprises forming a single continuous layer of the liquid polymer formulation over the first electrode layer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the coating of the liquid polymer formulation on the first electrode layer is selected to achieve a desired threshold to trigger performance of the multiplicity of polymer-based protection devices during a disturbance event. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming the multiplicity of electrically conductive pathways from the first electrode layer to the second electrode layer through the cured liquid polymer layer comprises forming through-holes in the panel laminate. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising plating the surface of the through-holes with an electrically conductive material or at least partially filling the through-holes with an electrically conductive material. 
     
     
         14 . A panel laminate formed by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         15 . A multiplicity of polymer-based protection devices formed from panel laminate of  claim 14 . 
     
     
         16 . A panel comprising a multiplicity of polymer-based protection devices, each polymer-based protection device comprising:
 a first electrode layer;   a second electrode layer bonded to the first electrode layer with a layer of polymer-based disturbance reacting material; and   an electrically conductive pathway from the first electrode to the second electrode through the layer of polymer-based disturbance reacting material,   wherein the polymer-based disturbance reacting material is electrically insulating in the absence of a disturbance event.   
     
     
         17 . The panel of  claim 16 , wherein the electrically conductive pathway comprises a through-hole plated or at least partially filled with a conductive material. 
     
     
         18 . The panel of  claim 16 , wherein during a disturbance event, a second electrically conductive pathway is formed between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer through the layer of the polymer-based disturbance reacting material. 
     
     
         19 . The panel of  claim 16 , wherein a thickness of the layer of the polymer-based disturbance reacting material on the first electrode layer is selected to achieve a desired threshold breakdown during a disturbance event. 
     
     
         20 . The panel of  claim 16 , wherein the first electrode layer comprises a first electrode portion, the second electrode layer comprises a second electrode portion, and the first electrode portion partially overlaps the second electrode portion.