Liquid crystal cells – elements and systems – Particular structure – Having significant detail of cell structure only
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-03
2003-06-10
Dudek, James (Department: 2871)
Liquid crystal cells, elements and systems
Particular structure
Having significant detail of cell structure only
C349S150000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06577370
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a narrow-pitch connector for connecting terminals with each other, a pitch converter, a micro-machine, a piezoelectric actuator, an electrostatic actuator, an ink et head, an ink jet printer, a liquid crystal device electronic equipment.
BACKGROUND ART
Recently, electronic equipment has been developed remarkably, and the degree of integration per unit area has been enhanced as the electronic equipment has been made smaller in size, lighter in weight and larger in capacity. In the present circumstances, however, the technical advance of peripheral portions of the electronic equipment lags behind relatively, and there is no proposal particularly to make terminal electrodes of a connection portion finer.
Connecting subjects such as printer heads (hereinafter referred to as “printer engine portions”) having piezoelectric elements for blasting ink by the vibration of the piezoelectric elements, LCD cells of liquid crystal devices, or the like, have been made finer year by year, so that the interval between terminal electrodes has become narrower correspondingly. To connect a driving circuit to such a connecting subject, a tape carrier package is hitherto attached to convert the pitch of a wiring pattern so as to make a connection with the driving circuit.
This connection will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 17
is a main portion enlarged view of a connecting subject and a tape carrier package. As shown in
FIG. 17
, in a connecting subject
1
such as a printer engine portion, an LCD cell of a liquid crystal device, or the like, a plurality of wirings
2
connected with elements are drawn around on the surface of the connecting subject
1
, and terminal electrodes
3
are formed in end portions of the connecting subject
1
.
On the other hand, a tape carrier package
4
for making a connection with the connecting subject
1
is formed of a flexible substrate the material of which is composed of polyimide. Terminal electrodes
5
which can be put on the terminal electrodes
3
respectively formed in the end portions of the connecting subject
1
are formed at one end of this substrate while terminal electrodes
6
which are wider than the terminal electrodes
5
and which are disposed at larger intervals than the terminal electrodes
5
are formed in the end portion opposite to the terminal electrodes
5
. A semiconductor device
6
A for driving the connecting subject
1
is provided between the terminal electrodes
5
and the terminal electrodes
6
. This semiconductor device
6
A is received in a hole portion (device hole) which is provided in a substantially central portion of the tape carrier package
4
. The other end portions of wirings constituting the terminal electrodes
5
and the terminal electrodes
6
are made to project from the hole portion so as to form inner leads. The inner leads are connected with terminals provided in the semiconductor device
6
A so that the terminal electrodes
5
and the terminal electrodes
6
are made electrically conductive with the semiconductor device
6
A.
FIG. 18
is an explanatory view showing the process of connecting the connecting subject
1
with the tape carrier package
4
. As shown in
FIG. 18
, in the case where the aforementioned connecting subject
1
and the aforementioned tape carrier package
4
are connected with each other, the connecting subject
1
is first disposed on a bonding stage
7
so that the terminal electrodes
3
are located on the upper surface side. Next, positioning is performed between the terminal electrodes
5
provided on the tape carrier package
4
and the aforementioned terminal electrodes
3
so that both the terminal electrodes are put on top of each other. Incidentally, a bonding agent containing electrically conductive particles are applied between the terminal electrodes
3
and the terminal electrodes
5
so that both the terminal electrodes are made electrically conductive with each other through the electrically conductive particles.
Here, a bonding tool
8
which can move up and down is provided above the position where both the electrodes are put on top of each other, that is, above the terminal electrodes
5
in the tape carrier package
4
. Incidentally, the bonding tool
8
includes a heater
9
so that a front end portion of the bonding tool
8
can be heated by operating this heater
9
.
By moving down the bonding tool
8
configured thus, both the electrodes are connected with each other while not only is it intended to bring both the electrodes into close contact with the electrically conductive particles but also it is intended to shorten the time to dry the bonding agent by heating. Incidentally, when both the electrodes are connected with each other, the bonding agent containing electrically conductive particles is not always required. Both the electrodes may be welded or metal-bonded by applying pressure and heat to the electrodes which are put on top of each other without using any bonding agent.
Incidentally, although a printer head (printer engine portion) using a piezoelectric element or an LCD cell of a liquid crystal device was described here by way of example, bonding may be performed by a similar technique also in a micro-machine in which a fine moving mechanism portion is formed on a substrate and a wiring for transferring energy (for applying a voltage) to this moving mechanism portion is extracted, a piezoelectric actuator using a piezoelectric element, an electrostatic actuator using an electrostatic vibrator, a printer head using an electrostatic actuator, a printer using such actuators, and electronic equipment mounted with such apparatus.
However, in the tape carrier package or the terminal electrode connecting method described above, there have been technical problems as follows.
FIGS.
19
(
a
) and (
b
) show sectional views respectively taken on line C—C in
FIG. 18
, in which an interval
10
between the terminal electrodes
3
is made narrower correspondingly to the fact that the connecting subject
1
such as a printer engine portion, an LCD cell of a liquid crystal device, or the like, has been made finer year by year as described above. As a result, if the material composing the connecting subject
1
(mainly silicon) and the material composing the tape carrier package
4
(mainly polyimide) are different in thermal expansion coefficient, the thermal expansion of the tape carrier package
4
becomes larger due to the influence of the heater
9
included in the bonding tool
8
when the bonding tool
8
is made close to the connecting subject
1
and the tape carrier package
4
in order to bond them. As a result, as shown in FIG.
19
(
b
), the terminal electrodes
5
are displaced relatively to the terminal electrodes
3
respectively. Thus, there has been a fear that there arises a problem such as increase in resistance value or failure in bonding between both the terminals, or short-circuit with adjacent terminals. Incidentally, according to various investigations made by the present inventor, it was confirmed that there was a limit of a wiring pitch near 60 &mgr;m in a tape carrier package made of polyimide material.
Incidentally, the semiconductor device
6
A provided in the inside of the tape carrier package
4
is not in tight contact with the tape carrier package
4
. Therefore, there has been a problem that the semiconductor device
6
A has no effect of heat transfer to the tape carrier package
4
, so that the heat radiation from the semiconductor device
6
A is not performed effectively. In addition, the inner leads which will be wiring end portions project from the device hole, and are connected with the terminals of the semiconductor device
6
A so as to make an electric connection with the semiconductor device
6
A. However, the inner leads also have a function to mechanically hold the semiconductor device in the device hole. Therefore, if the semiconductor device
6
A moves in the device hole (due to external force or the like), there has been a fear that the inn
Dudek James
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Seiko Epson Corporation
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