Modular surface mount component for an electrical device or LED's

Abstract

Processing techniques for various surface mount modular components provide various structures for single device components (10) and multiple device components (FIGS. 6 and 7) suitable as character displays. The technique beings with a slab of substrate material 12 patterned on both sides. Plated through holes (33, 43) connecting back side terminals (19, 20) to front side connective strips (22, 24) are formed. Devices (15, 16) are mounted to land areas (13, 34) and wire bonded to connecting pads (14). The front side is coated with epoxy to encapsulate the devices in a layer having an outer surface formed into optional lenses (262, 263). The slab is then separated to provide the modular components.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A modular surface mount component comprising: an electrically insulating generally planar substrate having two opposing major surfaces and at least two lateral edges forming two opposite ends of the substrate, the first of said two major surfaces including at least one land area and at least one connection pad, the second of said two major surfaces including at least two terminal pads each next to one of the two lateral edges, and at least two plated through grooves having semicircular crosssections and electrically connecting said land area and said connection pad to respective ones of the two terminal pads each plated through groove located in one of the two lateral edges;   at least one device having at least two terminals, one of said terminals being electrically and mechanically coupled to said land area and the second of said terminals being electrically connected to said connection pad;   at least one layer of insulative material on said first major surface, said insulative material encapsulating said device and said electrical connection between the second of said terminals and said connection pad; and   the two terminal pads physically displaced on the second of said two major surfaces for mechanically surface mounting the modular component when the modular component is electrically connected.   
     
     
       2. The modular component according to claim 1 wherein the second of said terminals and said connection pad are connected by a bonding wire. 
     
     
       3. The modular component according to claim 1 wherein solder is deposited on said terminal pads on said second major surface. 
     
     
       4. A modular surface mount component comprising: an electrically insulating generally planar substrate having two opposing major surfaces, the first of said two major surfaces including at least one land area and at least one connection pad, the second of said two major surfaces including at least two terminal pads, and the substrate having at least two opposite side edges each having a groove having a substantially semicircular cross-section and a conductive coating electrically connecting one land area and one connection pad to respective ones of the two terminal pads;   at least one light emitting diode having at least two terminals, one of said terminals being electrically and mechanically coupled to said land area and the second of said terminals being electrically connected to said connection pad;   at least one layer of insulative material on said first major surface, said insulative material being at least partially transparent to the light emitted by the light emitting diode and encapsulating said light emitting diode and said electrical connection between the second of said terminals and said connection pad; and   the two terminal pads being surface mount terminals for electrically connecting and mechanically mounting the modular component.   
     
     
       5. The modular component according to claim 4 wherein a plurality of light emitting diodes is arranged to form lines and columns on said first major surface. 
     
     
       6. The modular component according to claim 5 wherein the portion of the land areas corresponding to the light emitting diodes forming each line are interconnected together and to at least one of said plated through grooves. 
     
     
       7. The modular component according to claim 5 wherein said second terminals of the light emitting diodes corresponding to each column are connected to each other and to at least one of said plated through grooves by a bonding wire. 
     
     
       8. The modular component according to claim 4 wherein a plurality of light emitting diodes is arranged to form a multiple segment font on said first major surface, whereby each segment of said multiple segment font corresponds to a light emitting diode. 
     
     
       9. The modular component according to claim 8 wherein each of said second terminals of the light emitting diodes is connected to a corresponding connection pad by a bonding wire. 
     
     
       10. The modular component according to claim 4 wherein said terminal pads on said second major surface are .Iadd.each .Iaddend.coated with a .Iadd.corresponding .Iaddend.layer of solder. .Iadd. 
     
     
       11.  A modular surface mount component comprising: an electrically insulating generally planar substrate having two opposing major surfaces and at least two lateral edges forming two opposite ends of the substrate, the first of said two major surfaces including at least one land area and at least one connection pad, the second of said two major surfaces including at least two terminal pads each next to one of the two lateral edges, and at least two plated through grooves having semicircular cross-sections and electrically connecting said land area and said connection pad to respective ones of the two terminal pads each plated through groove located in one of the two lateral edges;   at least one device having at least two terminals, one of said terminals being electrically and mechanically coupled to said land area and the second of said terminals being electrically connected to said connection pad;   at least one layer of insulative material on said first major surface, said insulative material encapsulating said device and said electrical connection between the second of said terminals and said connection pad, said layer of insulative material being substantially flush with the two lateral edges of the planar substrate; and   the two terminal pads physically displaced on the second of said two major surfaces for mechanically surface mounting the modular component when the modular component is electrically connected. .Iaddend..Iadd.12. The modular component according to claim 11 wherein the second of said terminals and said connection pad are connected by a bonding wire. .Iaddend..Iadd.13. The modular component according to claim 11 wherein solder is deposited on said terminal pads on said second major surface. .Iaddend..Iadd.14. A modular surface mount component comprising:   an electrically insulating generally planar substrate having two opposing major surfaces, the first of said two major surfaces including at least one land area and at least one connection pad, the second of said two major surfaces including at least two terminal pads, and the substrate having at least two opposite side edges each having a groove having a substantially semicircular cross-section and a conductive coating electrically connecting one land area and one connection pad to respective ones of the two terminal pads;   at least one light emitting diode having at least two terminals, one of said terminals being electrically and mechanically coupled to said land area and the second of said terminals being electrically connected to said connection pad;   at least one layer of insulative material on said first major surface, said insulative material being at least partially transparent to the light emitted by the light emitting diode and encapsulating said light emitting diode and said electrical connection between the second of said terminals and said connection pad, said layer of insulative material being substantially flush with the side edges of the planar substrate; and   the two terminal pads being surface mount terminals for electrically connecting and mechanically mounting the modular component.   
     
     
        .Iaddend..Iadd.5.  The modular component according to claim 14 wherein a plurality of light emitting diode is arranged to form lines and columns on said first major surface. .Iaddend..Iadd.16. The modular component according to claim 15 wherein the portion of the land areas corresponding to the light emitting diodes forming each line are interconnected together and to at least one of said groove. .Iaddend..Iadd.17. The modular component according to claim 15 wherein said second terminals of the light emitting diodes corresponding to each column are connected to each other and to at least one of said grooves by a bonding wire. .Iaddend..Iadd.18. The modular component according to claim 14 wherein a plurality of light emitting diodes is arranged to form a multiple segment font on said first major surface, whereby each segment of said multiple segment font corresponds to a light emitting diode. .Iaddend..Iadd.19. The modular component according to claim 18 wherein each of said second terminals of the light emitting diodes is connected to a corresponding connection pad 
     
     
        by a bonding wire. .Iaddend..Iadd.20.  The modular component according to claim 14 wherein each of said terminal pads on said second major surface is coated with a corresponding layer of solder. .Iaddend.