Housing for electronic component, and method of producing...

Details Housing for electronic component, and method of producing... Housing for electronic component, and method of producing...

1999-12-02

2001-08-07

Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)

Electricity: conductors and insulators

Covers or face plates

C174S067000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06271471

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a housing for an electric component, such as a Gunn element, which is formed so as to surround electronic component.
For a distance radar in motor vehicles (ACC-adaptive cruise control) radar waves are used with frequencies about 50 gigahertz. For producing of these radar waves Gunn elements are utilized. They are composed of III-V-semiconductor material, such as GaAs or InP and produce a high frequency electromagnetic wave when a direct current is applied. The Gunn element has for example a diameter of 70 &mgr;m and a thickness of 10 &mgr;m and is contacted on its upper and lower side.
The typical construction of a Gunn oscillator is schematically shown in
FIG. 5. A
Gunn element accommodated in a housing
12
is arranged on an oscillator block
16
with integrated rectangular hollow conductors, and contacts with a direct current conductor
17
with HF choke and resonator disks. A frequency tuning pin
18
serves for the frequency tuning, while the power control is performed through a hollow conductor-short circuit slider
19
.
The Gunn element is shown in
FIG. 6
a
. The housing
12
of the Gunn element is located on a socket
9
of copper, which serves for the heat withdrawal and contacting of the contacts of the Gunn element. The housing
12
has a centering disk
11
of a conductive material, and the Gunn element abuts on it by means of a gold disk
2
. A ceramic ring
4
is arranged around the centering disk
11
and isolates the socket
9
from the metallic cove
6
. As mentioned, the element
1
contacts at the upper and lower side. While the lower side directly abuts on the gold disk
2
and is in contact with it, the connection to the conductive cover
6
is formed by a cross-shaped gold foil (Maltese cross
15
). The gold foil is bonded in the center to the back contact of the component and at the edge of the upper metalization of the ceramic ring
4
which is in contact with the cover
6
. By soldering of the cover
6
of metalized ceramics, a component
1
is hermetically closed in the housing
12
.
Because of an intense heating, the Gunn element is subjected to a strong thermal expansion, for example shrinkage. This leads to a relative movement between the back side of the Gunn element
11
shown above in FIG.
6
and the cover
6
. During a long term operation, this can lead to loosening of the bond contact, which is especially undesirable in components which operate for the vehicle safety.
Furthermore, the manufacture of the housing is expensive and complicated, in particular because of the bond process.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a housing for an electronic component, which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of present invention resides, briefly stated, in a housing for an electronic component which has a bottom part, a wall part, and a cover part surrounding the electronic component, wherein on the cover part a contact spring for producing an electrical connection with a terminal of the component is applied, and the cover part and the contact spring are formed of one piece with one another.
The contact spring compensates for thermal movements between the contact surface of the diode and the cover part, which occur during the operation of the electronic component, and provide a reliable contacting of the electronic component. Since the contact spring and the cover part are formed as a one-piece element, the contact during applying of the cover part for closing of the housing is self adjusted. The bonding process is therefore dispensed with, and the manufacturing process is simplified.
In accordance with a preferable embodiment of the present invention, the cover part and the contact spring are formed by a galvanic metal deposition. This process makes possible smaller dimensions of the contact spring, which because of the small dimensions of the electronic component provide a great spring path.
Preferably, the contact spring at the side facing the component is provided with a contact seal, for example of gold. This makes possible a reliable contact with the component.
The contact spring preferably has at least two elastic spring arms. Therefore, the shape of a torsion spring can be formed.
In accordance with a preferable embodiment, the spring force of the contact spring is dimensioned so that a reliable contacting of the electronic component is guaranteed over its whole service life. For this purpose the contact spring can be formed so that a one-time plastic deformation, for example during the mounting of the housing, is possible. The contact spring is composed of an elastic material, for example nickel or nickel alloy. Alternatively, the cover part of the contact spring can be composed completely of nickel or a nickel alloy, and provided with an oxidation protection in form of a gold layer having a thickness of approximately 2 &mgr;m.
The contact spring is arranged preferably on the cover part so that during closing of the housing by the cover part, the electronic component is automatically contacted.
In accordance with another embodiment, the housing can be also formed so that the electronic component is hermetically closed.
The bottom part of the housing can be arranged on a copper socket which serves for the electrical contacting and the heat withdrawal. The electronic component can be arranged on the bottom part with interposition of a spacer of gold.
In accordance with a further preferable variant of the invention, the wall part of the housing is formed as a ceramic ring. The wall part and the cover part can be formed of a material with corresponding thermal expansion coefficients.
The contact springs can be mounted on the cover part by galvanically deposited columns, which also can be connected with the cover part through a socket.
The invention provides further a method of producing a contact plate for electronic component, with a contact spring for producing an electrical connection with a terminal of the component, wherein the contact plate and the contact spring are galvanically deposited one after the other in a process by means of a photo-lithographic structuring.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5751101 (1998-05-01), Takanobu et al.
patent: 6057797 (2000-05-01), Wagner
patent: 6091037 (2000-07-01), Bachschmid

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