International Business Machines Corporation

Gerald M Vettel

Irving Memis

James M Rigotti

Lyle R Tufty

James V Ellerson

Jack M McCreary

Barry A Bonitz

Kishen N Kapur

An electronic package assembly wherein a low profile package is soldered to an organic (e.g., epoxy resin) substrate (e.g., printed circuit board), the projecting conductive leads of the package and the solder which substantially covers these leads (and respective conductors on the substrate) having been substantially covered with encapsulant material (e.g., polymer resin) to provide reinforcement for the solder-lead connections. The encapsulant material is dispensed about the solder and lead joints following solder reflow and solidification so as to substantially surround the solder and any portions of the leads not covered with solder. The invention has particular useful with thin, small outline package (TSOP) structures which occupy a minimum of height on the substrate surface.

Method of making an electronic package assembly with protective

A disk drive within the dimensional confines of a form factor can optimize volumetric density by using the full height dimension to house disks, but must thereafter utilize the remaining space for electrical components. The structure shown uses a stack of parallel cards with an interface card on the rear end wall to provide the principal drive control and data circuits exterior of the head-disk assembly (HDA). The motor driver circuitry is mounted on a flat flexible cable and is secured to the front wall at the opposite end of the drive in heat transfer relation. The heat generating motor drive circuits are physically isolated from the data/control circuits by the frame and HDA while some of the printed circuit cards are secured to the frame in a manner that enhances rigidity; the allocation of modules to the cards anticipates flow of data and control signals to minimize the number of connections and signal delays that impair performance.

Integrated electronic card-frame assembly for a rigid disk drive

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Pine Island, MN, United States of America

Gerald M Vettel