Radiant energy – Photocells; circuits and apparatus – Photocell controlled circuit
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-09
2003-08-05
Pyo, Kevin (Department: 2612)
Radiant energy
Photocells; circuits and apparatus
Photocell controlled circuit
C250S239000, C257S672000, C349S199000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06603107
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image pickup devices for converting visual information to electrical signals and further reproducing the same as images, and portable telephones provided with such image pickup devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image pickup device and a portable telephone both downsized.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 18
shows a schematic configuration of a conventional image pickup device. Referring to
FIG. 18
, an image pickup element
102
is mounted on the surface of a circuit board
101
by die bonding. An input/output terminal
117
of the image pickup element and a land portion
119
being a terminal of an interconnection pattern on the circuit board are connected by a wire
118
by wire bonding. In this image pickup device, optical information from an imaging lens, not shown, passes through a transparent plate
103
and is received at a light receiving plate
102
a
provided in image pickup element
102
, and converted to an electrical signal. This electrical signal is sent from input/output terminal
117
, through wire
118
to land portion
119
, and to an interface portion (not shown). The transparent plate
103
is provided to seal light receiving plate
102
a
to prevent airborne dust from adhering thereto. Such a conventional image pickup device is too large in two dimensions and too thick to be mounted on a portable terminal device or the like.
An image pickup device reduced in planar dimension and thickness to improve light receiving efficiency is proposed (in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 9-199701), which has an image pickup element mounted on a mounting board with an opening and solely a light receiving area (an optical detection area) hermetically sealed. In this image pickup device, as shown in
FIGS. 19A and 19B
, the mounting board
101
is provided with an opening
101
a
that is formed so as not to interfere an optical path to light receiving plate
102
a
, and the image pickup element
102
is bonded face down. A terminal
119
of an interconnection pattern
101
c
of mounting board
101
and a bump
117
formed on a bonding pad of the image pickup element are aligned and bonded with each other. In this image pickup device, light receiving plate
102
a
is sealed by a transparent plate
103
and a sealing resin
121
. In addition, the opening
101
a
on the mounting board is made sufficiently large with respect to the light receiving plate of the image pickup element, taking processing accuracy into consideration, so as not to interfere the reception of the light. Compared to the configuration as describe above, this image pickup device provides for a compact structure with reduced thickness and planar dimension.
The connection applying wire bonding as described above, however, increases the circuit board area in all directions. Moreover, the interconnection pattern in the image pickup device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 9-199701 is placed to extend perpendicular to the edge of the opening, which hinders downsizing in the width direction. More specifically, as shown in
FIG. 19A
, the interconnection
101
c
of the circuit board is placed perpendicular to the edge of the opening
101
a
, and extends from the end portion
117
towards the outer shape of the image pickup element. Thus, the outer shape of the circuit board has a planar dimension greater than that of the image pickup element, thereby suppressing downsizing of the image pickup device.
Another image pickup device is disclosed (in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 5-260393), which has interconnections routed along the edges of the opening of the circuit board for the purposes of decreasing the planar dimension. In this device, however, the interconnection pattern is routed along the entire periphery of the opening. Thus, the effect to reduce the planar dimension was insufficient. To meet the stringent demands for downsized portable terminals of these days, a further decrease in planar dimension is required.
The configuration to mount an element on a circuit board face down, as described above, is well known in packaging of semiconductor elements, regardless of the type of the circuit board. As a circuit board for mounting the semiconductor elements therein, PCB (Print Circuit Board) of glass epoxy type, and FPC (Flexible Print Circuit) of a film shape, for example, are well known. However, an image pickup device that employs a film circuit board having an opening to let light pass therethrough as a circuit board for mounting an image pickup element face down thereon has not been known.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an image pickup device and a portable telephone that are decreased in planar dimension and thickness.
The image pickup device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: a circuit board provided with an opening portion and having an interconnection pattern formed of a plurality of interconnections and an interface region disposed therein; and an image pickup element placed on the circuit board and having a light receiving portion for receiving light from an imaging lens through the opening portion. The interconnection pattern is placed in an outer frame portion on a lateral side of the opening portion, together with a plurality of land portions being terminals of the respective interconnections, and extends to the interface region. At least one of the plurality of interconnections is placed between the land portions and the opening portion.
With the configuration as described above, it becomes possible to place the interconnection pattern in the outer frame portion surrounding the opening portion, not perpendicular to, but along the edge of the opening portion. Accordingly, the width of the outer frame portion of the opening portion can be reduced. Further, by disposing the interconnection pattern and the land portions (terminals of the interconnection pattern) that would take a relatively large space collectively in the outer frame portion on the same lateral side, the interconnection pattern can be placed compactly, without a need to route the same around the opening portion. The interconnection pattern may be placed exclusively between the land portions and the opening portion. Alternatively, a part of the interconnection pattern may be placed on the outer side of the land portions.
Herein, the “lateral side” of the opening portion refers to lateral or side portions thereof, when the circuit board is seen from its front surface side in an elevation view wherein the circuit board is arranged longer than is wide with an interface region being provided on an upper side or a lower side of the opening portion. The lateral side may include either or both of the left and right side portions. With the configuration as described above, it is possible to leave the outer frame portion on either upper or lower side of the opening portion, without placing the interconnection pattern therein. For example, in the configuration where the outer frame portion having such an empty space is to be provided on the upper side of the opening portion, a region for the interface portion is provided on the lower side of the opening portion. If the outer frame portion with an empty space is to be provided on the lower side of the opening portion, the interface region is provided on the upper side thereof. Thus, it becomes possible to minimize the frame width of the outer frame portion on either the upper or the lower side of the opening portion where the interconnection pattern is not being placed, and the interconnection pattern can be placed compactly. As a result, the region of the circuit board in which the image pickup element is to be mounted can be made small, thus enabling downsizing of the image pickup device. Throughout the specification, the “back side” refers to the side of the circuit board on which the image pickup device is being mounted, and the “front side” refers to the side of the circuit board on
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Pyo Kevin
Sohn Seung C.
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