JP2008306350A - Camera module and imaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a camera module and the like that achieves thinness while ensuring good imaging quality.
A camera module includes a lens unit that collects incident light, an image sensor that receives light emitted from the lens unit, converts the light into an electric signal, and outputs the electric signal, and a cylinder that holds the lens unit. The pedestal 3 having the portion 3a and the rectangular portion 3b for housing the image pickup device, the connection connector 14 for outputting an electric signal output from the image pickup device to the outside, and the pedestal 3 and the connection connector 14 are bonded to each other. A flexible printed circuit board 11 that relays an electrical signal output from the element to the connection connector 14; a first reinforcing plate 12 that is bonded to a surface of the flexible printed circuit board 11 opposite to the bonding surface of the base 3; And a second reinforcing plate 13 which is bonded to the first reinforcing plate 12 with a predetermined distance.
[Selection] Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a camera module mounted on, for example, a portable electronic device.

  In a portable electronic information terminal device such as a mobile phone device having an imaging function, a flexible printed wiring board to which a camera module is bonded is incorporated into the electronic information device from the viewpoint of assembling workability of the imaging device and the like. . In response to the recent demand for smaller and thinner electronic information equipment, various components mounted on the electronic information equipment are also required to be smaller and thinner.

Here, for example, there are documents described below as a technique disclosed in a publication relating to a camera module including a flexible printed wiring board.
The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 aims to improve the adhesive strength and improve the reliability of connection by soldering by arranging a part called a connection land part between the camera module and the flexible printed wiring board. Yes.
Further, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a flexible printed wiring board to which a camera module is bonded, and a presser having the same size as the bonding surface of the camera module on the surface opposite to the bonding surface to which the camera module is bonded. The board is bonded to ensure strength.

JP 2006-229534 A JP 2007-28069 A

By the way, if the flexible printed wiring board to which the camera module is bonded is made thin, the rigidity of the flexible printed board is reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to stabilize the adhesion state by suppressing the deformation of the flexible printed circuit board and securing and maintaining the adhesion strength of the adhesion surface. Further, as the flexible printed wiring board is made thinner, the amount of light that passes through the flexible printed circuit board from the rear surface of the imaging device increases, which may adversely affect imaging quality.
The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a camera module or the like that is thinned while ensuring good imaging quality.

  In order to solve the above problems, a camera module according to the present invention includes a lens that collects incident light, an image sensor that receives light emitted from the lens, converts the light into an electrical signal, and outputs the signal. A pedestal mount having a lens holding portion for indirectly holding the image pickup device and an image pickup device storage portion for storing the image pickup device; a connection connector for outputting an electrical signal output from the image pickup device; and a pedestal mount and a connection connector; Is bonded to the flexible printed circuit board that relays the electrical signal output from the image sensor to the connection connector, and the surface of the flexible printed circuit board that is opposite to the bonding surface of the pedestal mount. The first reinforcing plate that reinforces the bonding surface and the surface opposite to the bonding surface of the connection connector in the flexible printed circuit board Predetermined distance from the first reinforcing plate is apart from the adhesive, and having a second reinforcing plate for reinforcing the bonding surface of the connector in the flexible printed circuit board.

In the camera module, the second reinforcing plate is bonded to the first reinforcing plate at a distance of 2 mm or more.
In the camera module, at least one of the first reinforcing plate and the second reinforcing plate is made of the same material as the flexible printed board.
In the camera module, the flexible printed board is made of a polyimide material.
In the camera module, the first reinforcing plate has a light shielding property with respect to light having a wavelength that is converted into an electric signal by the imaging device.

  In order to solve the above problems, a camera module according to the present invention includes a lens that collects incident light, an image sensor that receives light emitted from the lens, converts the light into an electrical signal, and outputs the signal. A pedestal mount having a lens holding portion for indirectly holding the image pickup device and an image pickup device storage portion for storing the image pickup device; a connection connector for outputting an electrical signal output from the image pickup device; and a pedestal mount and a connection connector; A flexible printed circuit board that is bonded to the same surface and has an area that is weaker to bending than the area where the pedestal mount or connection connector is bonded, and relays the electrical signal output from the image sensor to the connection connector; Each of the pedestal mount and the connection connector is bonded to a region strong against bending in the flexible printed circuit board.

  In the camera module, the flexible printed circuit board has an area that is weak against bending between an area where the pedestal mount is bonded and an area where the connection connector is bonded in the flexible printed circuit board. .

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a lens that collects incident light, an imaging element that receives light emitted from the lens, converts the light into an electrical signal, and outputs the signal directly or directly. Adhesive attachment of a pedestal mount having an indirectly holding lens holding portion and an image pickup device storage portion for storing an image pickup device, a connection connector for outputting an electric signal output from the image pickup device, and the mount mount A flexible printed circuit board that relays an electrical signal output from the image sensor to the connection connector, an image processing unit that is connected to the connection connector and performs image processing based on the electrical signal output from the connection connector, and a flexible A first reinforcing plate that is bonded to a surface of the printed circuit board opposite to the bonding surface of the base mount and reinforces the flexible printed circuit board; The adhesive surface of the connector in the cement substrate are bonded with a predetermined distance from the first reinforcing plate on the opposite side, and having a second reinforcing plate for reinforcing the flexible printed circuit board.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the camera module etc. which implement | achieved thickness reduction can be provided, ensuring favorable imaging quality.

The best mode (embodiment) for carrying out the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a camera module 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the camera module 1 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the camera module 1 includes a lens unit 2 that holds a lens (see FIG. 3) that collects incident light and focuses the incident light on a sensor 9 (see FIG. 3). And a pedestal 3 as an example of a pedestal mount for holding the lens unit 2. The camera module 1 has a pedestal 3 bonded on a flexible printed circuit board 11. Further, the camera module 1 is connected to a flexible printed circuit board 11 with a connection connector 14 and a peripheral component 15 such as a capacitor. Further, in the camera module 1, a first reinforcing plate 12 and a second reinforcing plate 13 are bonded to the back surface of the flexible printed board 11.

The first reinforcing plate 12 is bonded to the surface opposite to the bonding region of the pedestal 3, and the second reinforcing plate 13 is bonded to the surface opposite to the bonding region of the connection connector 14. The distance between the first reinforcing plate 12 and the second reinforcing plate 13 is, for example, 2 mm or more from the viewpoint of ensuring the flexibility of the flexible printed circuit board 11.
Here, the region of the flexible printed circuit board 11 to which the first reinforcing plate 12 or the second reinforcing plate 13 is bonded forms a region strong against bending. And the area | region between the 2 area | regions where the 1st reinforcement board 12 and the 2nd reinforcement board 13 in the flexible printed circuit board 11 were adhere | attached, the 1st reinforcement board 12 and the 2nd reinforcement board 13 adhere | attached Compared to the two regions formed, a region weak against bending is formed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pedestal 3 includes a cylindrical portion 3 a as an example of a lens holding portion to which the lens unit 2 is attached and holds the lens unit 2, and a rectangular glass cover 10 on which the sensor 9 is mounted. A rectangular portion 3b as an example of the image sensor housing portion to be housed and held is formed by integral molding.
1 and 2 illustrate an example in which the pedestal 3 and the connection connector 14 are bonded to the same surface of the flexible printed circuit board 11, but the present invention is not limited to this. The base 3 and the connection connector 14 may be bonded to the opposite surfaces of the flexible printed circuit board 11.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the camera module 1 at the position of the one-dot chain line XX ′ in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the lens unit 2 includes a barrel 2 a constituting the main body of the lens unit 2 and two lenses 4 and 6 held by the barrel 2 a. An opening 2b is formed on the end surface of the barrel 2a. An intermediate ring 5 is disposed between the two lenses 4 and 6.
The lens 6 is pressed by a lens presser 7. The barrel 2a has a male screw 2c formed on the outer peripheral surface. In the present embodiment, the lens unit 2 is composed of the two lenses 4 and 6, but the number of lenses may be one or three. The lenses 4 and 6 may be directly fixed to a cylindrical portion 3a (described later) of the pedestal 3 without the lens unit 2 interposed therebetween.

The pedestal 3 has a cylindrical portion 3a to which the lens unit 2 is attached and holds the lens unit 2, and a rectangular portion 3b that holds and holds the filter 8, the sensor 9, and the glass cover 10. A female screw 3c is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 3a. Then, the male screw 2 c formed on the outer peripheral surface of the barrel 2 a is screwed into the female screw 3 c, and the barrel 2 a is attached to the pedestal 3. The pedestal 3 has a flange portion 3d formed so as to extend from the inner surface and narrow the internal space. In the pedestal 3, the internal space of the cylindrical portion 3a and the internal space of the rectangular portion 3b are continuous through a hole formed in the flange portion 3d.
The barrel 2a and the pedestal 3 are made of, for example, a synthetic resin having a light shielding property such as a black liquid polymer (LCP), a polyphthalamide resin, or a PEEK (polyether ether ketone) resin. The barrel 2a and the pedestal 3 may be made of a light-shielding synthetic resin such as black polycarbonate resin or polybutylene terephthalate.

The lenses 4 and 6 are optical elements that transmit incident light incident from the outside and form an image on an imaging region (light receiving area) of a sensor 9 (described later). That is, a predetermined optical system is formed so that external light incident from the opening 2 b is imaged by the lenses 4 and 6 and enters the imaging region of the sensor 9. Since the lenses 4 and 6 are required to be optically transparent, it is desirable that the lenses 4 and 6 be made of, for example, a polycarbonate resin, an olefin material, a rigid resin such as a silicon resin, or glass.
The intermediate ring 5 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin film such as stretched polyester (PET) kneaded with carbon black, or a thin plate such as SUS304 baked with black paint. The intermediate ring 5 has a diaphragm function that keeps the distance between the surfaces of the two lenses 4 and 6 constant depending on the thickness and restricts the amount of light passing through a hole formed in the center. That is, the intermediate ring 5 is used as an optical diaphragm that determines the aperture diameter of the optical system, or as a light-shielding diaphragm that blocks unnecessary light such as ghosts and flares.

The lens holder 7 is made of, for example, a mixture of polycarbonate resin, glass fiber, and black pigment such as carbon black. The lens retainer 7 is bonded to the inner surface of the barrel 2a to hold the lens 6 at a predetermined position in the barrel 2a.
The filter 8 is a film-like member that removes a specific wavelength component of external light, and in this embodiment, an infrared ray removal filter (IRCF: Infrared Cut Filter) is used. The filter 8 is bonded to a mounting surface formed on the flange portion 3d. When the filter 8 is bonded, the internal space of the base 3 is divided into two. This filter 8 is disposed in the vicinity of the sensor 9, thereby suppressing the influence of irregular reflection.

The sensor 9 is an image sensor (image sensor) such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). In the present embodiment, a sensor having a CSP (Chip Scale Package) structure is used. The sensor 9 generates and outputs an electrical signal according to the light incident on the imaging region via the lens unit 2.
The glass cover 10 is disposed between the filter 8 and the sensor 9. A sensor 9 is attached to the glass cover 10 with the imaging side surface facing the glass cover 10. As a result, dust or the like is prevented from directly falling on the imaging region of the sensor 9.
The glass cover 10 is provided with a wiring pattern (not shown) in advance on the emission surface (lower surface in FIG. 3) side. A plurality of solder bumps 16 are positioned so as to connect the electrodes of the wiring pattern and the sensor 9. As described above, the sensor 9 is fixed to the glass cover 10 and electrically connected to the electrodes of the glass cover 10 by the solder bumps 16 attached to the positions of the electrodes.

Here, the distance between the sensor 9 and the glass cover 10 is determined by the size of the solder bump 16. Since it is easy to control the size of the solder bump 16, it is possible to accurately manage the separation distance between the sensor 9 and the glass cover 10.
Solder bumps 17 are arranged at other positions of the electrode on the emission surface side of the glass cover 10. The solder bumps 17 ensure electrical connection between the glass cover 10 and the flexible printed board 11. The solder bump 17 is also used as a spacer for separating the sensor 9 fixed to the glass cover 10 and the flexible printed board 11 from each other. The sensor 9 may be directly fixed to a circuit board (not shown) without using the glass cover 10.

The flexible printed board 11 is, for example, a circuit board formed by forming a conductive foil such as copper on an insulating thin film such as polyimide and then covering it with an insulator. The flexible printed circuit board 11 can be repeatedly deformed with a small force, and maintains its electrical characteristics even when deformed. The flexible printed circuit board 11 used in this embodiment has a thickness of about 0.1 mm.
The first reinforcing plate 12 is made of, for example, a thin film material such as polyimide and has a thickness of about 0.1 mm. The second reinforcing plate 13 (see FIG. 2) is also made of the same material as the first reinforcing plate 12.

Here, the effects of the camera module 1 according to the present embodiment compared to the conventional camera module 101 will be described below.
4 and 5 are diagrams showing a conventional camera module 101. FIG. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the camera module 101, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the camera module 101.
As shown in FIG. 4, the camera module 101 includes a lens unit 102 that holds a lens that collects incident light and focuses the incident light on a sensor, and a pedestal 103 that holds the lens unit 102. I was prepared. The pedestal 103 had a cylindrical portion 103 a that holds the lens unit 102 and a rectangular portion 103 b that accommodates and holds the glass cover 110.
In the camera module 101, the glass cover 110 on which the sensor is mounted is solder-mounted on the mounting substrate 120. The mounting substrate 120 is made of a glass epoxy material or the like.

As shown in FIG. 5, the pedestal 103 is stored and held in the glass cover 110 and bonded to the mounting substrate 120. The mounting board 120 is connected to the flexible printed board 111. On the flexible printed circuit board 111, a connection connector 114 and a peripheral component 115 such as a capacitor are arranged and connected. Further, the camera module 101 has a reinforcing plate 113 bonded to the back surface of the flexible printed circuit board 111.
The conventional camera module 101 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 has a mounting board 120 and no reinforcing plate on the surface of the flexible printed circuit board 111 opposite to the mounting board 120. Thus, it is different from the camera module 1 according to the present embodiment shown in FIG.
The height of the camera module 101 is determined by adding the height (thickness) of the mounting substrate 120 and the thickness of the flexible printed circuit board 111 to the height of the base 103. For example, when the thickness of the mounting board 120 is about 0.5 mm and the thickness of the flexible printed board 111 is about 0.2 mm, the total value of about 0.7 mm is the thickness (height) of the base 103. To be the height of the camera module 101.

  The description returns to the camera module 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, according to the present embodiment, when the base 3 is connected to the flexible printed circuit board 11, the camera module 1 includes the mounting board 120 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. Instead, the first reinforcing plate 12 is provided on the surface opposite to the bonding surface of the base 3. Therefore, the height of the camera module 1 is about 0.1 mm as compared to the camera module 101 because the first reinforcing plate 12 having a thickness of about 0.1 mm is bonded instead of the mounting substrate 120 having a thickness of about 0.5 mm. The thickness can be reduced by 0.4 mm.

According to the present embodiment, the first reinforcing plate 12 and the second reinforcing plate 13 are separated from each other, and the separation distance is 2 mm or more. Using the flexibility of the polyimide material, the flexible printed circuit board 11 can be bent at this separated portion.
In the camera module 1, the first reinforcing plate 12 or the second reinforcing plate is provided in a region that requires a certain degree of rigidity, such as a bonding portion with the base 3, a mounting portion of the peripheral component 15, and a bonding portion with the connection connector 14. 13 is bonded and a separation region is provided between the first reinforcing plate 12 and the second reinforcing plate 13, so that when the flexible printed board 11 is bent, the first reinforcing plate 12 or the second reinforcing plate The spaced portion is bent, not the region where 13 is adhered. Therefore, the pedestal 3, the peripheral component 15, and the connection connector 14 are not peeled off from the flexible printed board 11 due to the bending of the flexible printed board 11.

  The first reinforcing plate 12 is bonded from the back surface of the flexible printed circuit board 11 in the region where the rectangular portion 3b in which the sensor 9 is accommodated is bonded. Therefore, stray light that passes through the flexible printed circuit board 11 and enters the first reinforcing plate 12 is blocked. Thereby, the thickness of the flexible printed circuit board 11 can be changed from about 0.2 mm thickness of the conventional example to, for example, about 0.1 mm thickness. Therefore, the height of the camera module 1 can be further reduced while maintaining good imaging quality by preventing reflection of stray light from the back surface.

(Imaging device)
Next, the imaging device 30 equipped with the camera module 1 will be described. The camera module 1 can be applied to, for example, a mobile phone, a personal computer, a camera mounted on a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a camera mounted on an automobile, or a surveillance camera in addition to the imaging device 30. Is possible.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the imaging device 30.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the imaging device 30 includes an image processor 201 as an example of an image processing unit that performs image processing on an image signal from the camera module 1, and an MPU (Micro that performs various controls in the imaging device 30. Processing Unit) 202 and an input key 203 for giving an instruction from the user to the MPU 202. In addition, the imaging apparatus 30 includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) 204 that displays a subject photographed by the camera module 1. The imaging device 30 also includes a memory 205 that stores various types of information for controlling the imaging device 30 and a memory card 206 that records image data.
In the imaging device 30, when the digital camera use mode is selected with the input key 203, the MPU 202 starts communication with the camera module 1. Then, the MPU 202 transmits a control signal to the camera module 1. Light from the subject is converted into an electrical signal by the sensor 9 of the camera module 1 and subjected to signal processing by the image processor 201. The image signal processed by the image processor 201 is temporarily stored in the memory 205 of the imaging device 30 and displayed on the LCD 204 as a through image.

The subject is photographed with the shutter button on the input key 203. When the shutter button is pressed, the MPU 202 stores the image data processed by the image processor 201 in the memory 205. The MPU 202 includes a compression / decompression circuit using a technique such as JPEG or MPEG. The image data stored in the memory 205 is compressed by the MPU 202 and recorded on the memory card 206. Further, the image data recorded on the memory card 206 can be decompressed by the MPU 202, read into the memory 205, and displayed again on the LCD 204.
Note that the MPU 202 can select a shooting mode and set white balance, exposure, sensitivity, and the like by an operation from the input key 203. Further, when the image data processed by the image processor 201 is stored in the memory 205, digital zoom processing can be performed.

  As described above, the imaging device 30 according to the present embodiment employs the camera module 1. Therefore, the imaging device 30 can be thinned. Further, even if a light source such as a strobe is arranged on the back surface of the camera module 1, stray light to the sensor 9 is blocked, so that good imaging quality can be secured.

It is an external appearance perspective view of the camera module concerning this Embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the camera module shown in FIG. 1. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the camera module in the position of the dashed-dotted line shown in FIG. It is an external appearance perspective view of the conventional camera module. It is a disassembled perspective view of the camera module shown in FIG. It is a block diagram of the imaging device which employ | adopted the camera module shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Camera module (camera module), 2 ... Lens unit, 3 ... Base (pedestal mount), 3a ... Cylindrical part (lens holding | maintenance part), 3b ... Rectangular part (imaging element storage part), 4, 6 ... Lens, 9 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Sensor (imaging element) 10 ... Glass cover (transmission member), 11 ... Flexible printed circuit board, 12 ... 1st reinforcement board, 13 ... 2nd reinforcement board, 14 ... Connection connector, 30 ... Imaging apparatus, 201 ... Image processor (image processor)

Claims (8)

A lens that collects the incident light;
An image sensor that receives light emitted from the lens, converts the light into an electrical signal, and outputs the electrical signal;
A pedestal mount comprising a lens holding part for directly or indirectly holding the lens, and an image sensor housing part for housing the image sensor;
A connector for outputting an electrical signal output from the image sensor to the outside;
The pedestal mount and the connection connector are bonded, and a flexible printed circuit board that relays an electrical signal output from the imaging device to the connection connector;
A first reinforcing plate that is bonded to a surface opposite to the bonding surface of the pedestal mount in the flexible printed circuit board and reinforces the bonding surface of the pedestal mounting in the flexible printed circuit board;
The flexible printed circuit board is bonded to a surface opposite to the bonding surface of the connection connector on the flexible printed circuit board by a predetermined distance from the first reinforcing plate and reinforces the bonding surface of the connection connector of the flexible printed circuit board. 2. A camera module comprising: 2 reinforcing plates.   The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the second reinforcing plate is bonded to the first reinforcing plate with a distance of 2 mm or more.   The camera module according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first reinforcing plate and the second reinforcing plate is made of the same material as the flexible printed board.   The camera module according to claim 3, wherein the flexible printed board is made of a polyimide material.   The camera module according to claim 1, wherein the first reinforcing plate has a light shielding property with respect to light having a wavelength that is converted into an electric signal by the imaging element. A lens that collects the incident light;
An image sensor that receives light emitted from the lens, converts the light into an electrical signal, and outputs the electrical signal;
A pedestal mount comprising a lens holding part for directly or indirectly holding the lens, and an image sensor housing part for housing the image sensor;
A connector for outputting an electrical signal output from the image sensor to the outside;
The pedestal mount and the connection connector are bonded to the same surface, and have an area that is weaker to bending than an area where the pedestal mount or the connection connector is bonded, and are output by the imaging device. A flexible printed circuit board that relays the signal to the connector,
The pedestal mount and the connection connector are both bonded to a region strong against bending in the flexible printed circuit board.   The flexible printed circuit board has a region that is weak against the bending between the region where the pedestal mount is bonded to the flexible printed circuit board and the region where the connection connector is bonded. The camera module according to claim 6. A lens that collects the incident light;
An image sensor that receives light emitted from the lens, converts the light into an electrical signal, and outputs the electrical signal;
A pedestal mount comprising a lens holding part for directly or indirectly holding the lens, and an image sensor housing part for housing the image sensor;
A connector for outputting an electrical signal output from the image sensor;
The pedestal mount and the connection connector are bonded, and a flexible printed circuit board that relays an electrical signal output from the imaging device to the connection connector;
An image processing unit connected to the connection connector and performing image processing based on an electrical signal output from the connection connector;
A first reinforcing plate that is bonded to a surface of the flexible printed board opposite to the bonding surface of the pedestal mount and reinforces the flexible printed board;
A second reinforcing plate that is bonded to the surface of the flexible printed circuit board opposite to the bonding surface of the connection connector, spaced apart from the first reinforcing plate by a predetermined distance, and reinforces the flexible printed circuit board. An imaging apparatus characterized by the above.

Images