Methods for producing ceramic substrates and module components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11019727-B2
Application number	US-201916255902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2019
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

In a method for manufacturing ceramic substrates and module components, an unfired mother ceramic substrate is cut at predetermined positions for division into separate unfired ceramic substrates. The cut unfired mother ceramic substrate is pressed such that pressure is applied parallel or substantially parallel to its main surfaces so that the cross-sectional end surfaces created in the cutting step are joined. The unfired mother ceramic substrate including end surface junctions, resulting from joining of the cross-sectional end surfaces, is fired. The fired mother ceramic substrate is broken along the end surface junctions to divide it into separate ceramic substrates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing module components that are produced by dividing a mother ceramic substrate with surface mount devices thereon at a predetermined position into a plurality of separate ceramic substrates, the method comprising:
cutting an unfired mother ceramic substrate that has yet to be fired at a predetermined position from one main surface through to the other main surface to divide the unfired mother ceramic substrate into separate unfired ceramic substrates;
pressing the cut unfired mother ceramic substrate divided into the separate unfired ceramic substrates to apply pressure in a direction parallel or substantially parallel to the main surfaces thereof so that cross-sectional end surfaces created in the cutting are joined, combining the separate unfired ceramic substrates into a single unit;
firing the pressed unfired mother ceramic substrate including an end surface junction, which is an area resulting from joining the cross-sectional end surfaces, to form a fired mother ceramic substrate;
mounting one of the surface mount devices to each of the separate fired ceramic substrates in the fired mother ceramic substrate; and
dividing the fired mother ceramic substrate, with a respective one of the surface mount devices on each of the separated fired ceramic substrates, by breaking the fired mother ceramic substrate along the end surface junction to divide the mother ceramic substrate into separate module components each including a respective one of the separate ceramic substrates and the surface mount device thereon.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the unfired mother ceramic substrate has a multilayer structure formed by stacking a plurality of ceramic green sheets, and the ceramic substrates as a structural element of the module components obtained by dividing the fired mother ceramic substrate in the dividing are multilayer ceramic substrates.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the plurality of ceramic green sheets includes at least one of a surface conductor, an inner conductor pattern, and a via conductor.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the unfired mother ceramic substrate contains a conductor pattern made of a material that becomes a metallic conductor through firing so that the cutting, pressing, firing, mounting, and dividing provide separate module components each including a ceramic substrate including a metallic conductor and the surface mount device on the ceramic substrate.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mother ceramic substrate is formed of a magnetic ceramic material.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a stack of the unfired mother ceramic substrates with a resin layer therebetween that burns away in the firing goes through the cutting and pressing and the firing, in which the resin layer burns away, and then each of the fired mother ceramic substrates is subjected to the mounting and dividing.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional end surfaces created in the cutting are perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the main surfaces of the unfired mother ceramic substrate.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during the cutting, the unfired mother ceramic substrate is stuck on an adhesive holding sheet.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in the pressing, the cut unfired mother ceramic substrate is pressed to apply pressure in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the main surfaces thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface mount devices include at least one of IC chips, multilayer ceramic capacitors, chip inductors and chip resistors.

Assignees

• Murata Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Matsubara Masashi

Classifications

• H10W72/0198

  batch processes · CPC title

• H05K3/4644

  by building the multilayer layer by layer, i.e. build-up multilayer circuits (making via holes in the insulating layers H05K3/0011; special circuit boards as base or core whereon the multilayer is built H05K3/4602) · CPC title

• C04B2237/68

  Forming laminates or joining articles wherein at least one substrate contains at least two different parts of macro-size, e.g. one ceramic substrate layer containing an embedded conductor or electrode · CPC title

• B28B11/14

  for dividing shaped articles by cutting · CPC title

• H05K1/115

  Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections (H05K1/112 takes precedence) · CPC title