Packaging structure and component installation method for oscillator
Disclosed are a packaging structure of an oscillator and a method for installing components in the packaging structure. Fluid capillarity and surface tension are utilized so that both the dimension of the oscillator can be reduced and the contamination of the piezoelectric components of the oscillator can be avoided at the same time. The packaging structure includes a platform having a top surface and a bottom surface, a number of side rims on the circumstance of the top surface extending upward for a distance and forming a top-open space with the top surface that can receive at least a piezoelectric component; a top cover sealing the top-open space into a closed and airtight space; a circuit placed beneath the bottom surface that can attach at least an electronic component, a number of pillars of a same length positioned on the circuit; a bottom cover having an adhesive injection aperture and joining the pillars to form a partially open space, and a malleable material filling the partially open space through the aperture.
The present invention generally relates to the frequency control devices and, more specifically, to the packaging structure and the method of component installation for an oscillator.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONTemperature compensated crystal oscillators (TCXO) are commonly used for frequency control in electronic devices. As a stable and reliable frequency output device, a typical TCXO includes a piezoelectric component, usually a quartz crystal, and a temperature compensation circuit. A TCXO is especially applicable to high-frequency mobile electronic devices such as mobile handsets, pagers, and wireless modems. Because these mobile electronic devices are getting more and more compact and light-weighted, a packaging structure for the TCXO has to be adapted to this trend as well.
A characteristic of the piezoelectric component is that, when a stress is applied on the piezoelectric component, an electric charge is produced on the surface of the piezoelectric component and, thereby, a potential difference is developed. On the other hand, when the piezoelectric component is placed within an electric field, a deformation of the piezoelectric component is developed and the piezoelectric component, thereby, generates a radio frequency.
Accordingly, when a voltage is applied on the piezoelectric component 101, the piezoelectric component 101 generates a resonance frequency. The resonance frequency, however, will suffer a slight drift in frequency when the temperature within the casing 105 varies. A temperature compensation device, usually in the form of a temperature compensation IC, is hence placed inside the casing 105 to adjust the voltage applied to the piezoelectric component in response to the environmental temperature.
The temperature compensation IC 102 and other electronic components are usually coated with a layer of epoxy resin for protection sake. However, because the piezoelectric component 101 is also housed in the same closed space inside the casing 105, the epoxy resin would contaminate the piezoelectric component 101 and further result in a deviation of the resonance frequency of the piezoelectric component 101.
Another packaging structure of a TCXO solving the epoxy resin contamination problem according to a prior art is shown in
However the foregoing structure would encounter limitations and difficulties when attempting to reduce the dimension and volume of the TCXO 200.
In summary, the packaging structures of a TCXO according to prior arts cannot allow the reduction of the dimension of a TCXO and the avoidance of the contamination of the piezoelectric component at the same time. The present invention therefore provides a packaging structure of an oscillator and a method for installing components in the packaging structure so that the dilemma between dimension reduction and contamination avoidance of a TCXO can both be resolved satisfactorily. The structure and method can be further applied to the packages of other types of oscillators or similar semiconducting devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention provides a packaging structure of an oscillator and a method for installing components in the packaging structure of the oscillator. The present invention utilizes the theories of fluid capillarity and surface tension so that the dimension of an oscillator can be reduced and the contamination of the piezoelectric component can be avoided as well. The packaging structure of the present invention includes a platform having a top surface and a bottom surface; a plurality of side rims on the circumstance of the top surface extending outward for a distance perpendicularly to the top surface and forming a top-open space with the top surface that can receive at least a piezoelectric component; a top cover sealing the top-open space into a closed space; a circuit placed beneath the bottom surface that can be installed with at least an electronic component; a plurality of pillars of a same length positioned on the circuit; a bottom cover having an adhesive injection aperture and joining the pillars to form a partially open space; and a malleable material filling the partially open space through the adhesive injection aperture.
The method of installing components in the packaging structure of the present invention includes the steps of providing a packaging structure having a top-open space and a bottom surface beneath the top-open space, sealing a piezoelectric component in the top-open space, attaching a plurality of electronic components to the bottom surface, preparing a plurality of pillars beneath the bottom surface, joining a cover having an adhesive injection aperture with the pillars to form a partially open space, filling a malleable material into the partially open space through the adhesive injection aperture, and adjusting the frequency of the piezoelectric component.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood from a careful reading of a detailed description provided herein below with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention is depicted from FIGS. 3 to 7.
The platform 301 is made of a ceramic material and further comprises a top surface 302, a bottom surface 307 (not shown in
The top cover 320 is placed on the top-open space formed by the platform 301 and the side rims 303. After putting the assembly formed by the top cover 320 and the platform 301 through a high temperature, the top cove 320 and the soldering pads 309 on top of the side rims 303 are jointed together, and the top-open space is thereby sealed into a closed and airtight space that can receives the piezoelectric component 310 completely. The top cover 320 comprises a metal.
The foregoing packaging structure of an oscillator and the method for installing its components provided by the present invention can be applied to temperature compensated crystal oscillators, other types of oscillators, or even semiconducting devices.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment, it will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the details described thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Claims
1. A packaging structure for an oscillator comprising:
- a platform having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- a plurality of side rims on a circumference of said top surface extending outward for a distance perpendicularly to said top surface, and jointly forming a top-open space along with said top surface, wherein said top-open space receives at least a piezoelectric component;
- a top cover sealing said top-open space into a closed space;
- a circuit beneath said bottom surface comprising at least an electronic component;
- a plurality of pillars of a same length dispersed on said circuit;
- a bottom cover attaching to said pillars and jointly forming a partially open space along with said bottom surface, wherein bottom cover has an adhesive injection aperture; and
- a malleable material filling said partially open space.
2. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said platform further comprises a plurality of side surfaces each having a plurality of electrodes for electrically connecting said circuit on said bottom surface to an external circuit.
3. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said platform is made of a ceramic material.
4. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of side rims have a plurality of soldering pads on top of said side rims for attaching to said top cover.
5. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of soldering pads are made of a metal with a specific thickness or a metal-plated film.
6. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said piezoelectric component is an AT-CUT quartz crystal.
7. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said at least an electronic component is an integrated circuit.
8. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said at least an electronic component comprises an integrated circuit and at least a capacitor.
9. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said top cover comprises a metal.
10. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of pillars comprise a conducting material.
11. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said bottom cover is made of a ceramic material.
12. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said bottom cover is made of a material for making printed circuit boards.
13. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said bottom cover further comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, each having a plurality of soldering pads for electrically connecting said plurality of pillars to an external circuit.
14. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said malleable material is epoxy resin.
15. The packaging structure for an oscillator according to claim 1, wherein said malleable material is confined by a capillarity and surface tension of said malleable material within said partially open space formed by said bottom cover, said pillars, and said bottom surface.
16. A method for installing components in a packaging structure of an oscillator comprising the steps of:
- providing a packaging structure having a top-open space and a bottom surface;
- attaching and sealing a piezoelectric component in said partially open space;
- attaching a plurality of electronic components on said bottom surface of said packaging structure;
- providing a plurality of pillars beneath said bottom surface of said packaging structure;
- attaching a bottom cover to said pillars to form a partially open space, said bottom cover having an adhesive injection aperture;
- filling a malleable material in said partially open space through said adhesive injection aperture; and
- adjusting an output frequency and functionality of said oscillator.
Type: Application
Filed: May 7, 2004
Publication Date: Aug 11, 2005
Inventor: Chien-Wei Chiang (Pa-Te City)
Application Number: 10/840,284