Abstract:
A system for packaging integrated circuit components including a ball grid array substrate with a plurality of solder balls coupled to the substrate. A semiconductor device is mounted on the substrate and electrically coupled to the solder balls. One or more terminals are coupled to the substrate and electrically coupled to said semiconductor device. A detachable module contains auxiliary component. The module comprises a body portion for containing the component and one or more electrical connectors for mating with respective terminals to hold the module to the substrate and to electrically couple the component with the semiconductor device. The terminals may also be connected to the solder balls such that a component may be optionally provided either on the circuit board or in the detachable module.
Abstract:
An electrical connector assembly (10) is mounted on a printed circuit board (18) and includes a flexible etched circuit (FEC) (15) with electrical traces thereon. The FEC (15) is part of an electrical circuit which includes electrical components (22,24), electrical contacts (23), a ground path (12, 12a), and an electrical connection (90). The FEC can include various electrical components (22,24), for example, in order to filter the electrical circuit.
Abstract:
A conductive component for carrying electrical signals constructed from a molded polymer substrate and a conductive coating adhered to the substrate, the coating defining a continuous electrical pathway between at least two terminals. Preferably, molded plastic such as liquid crystal polymer is formed to make circuits having conductive ink adhered thereto in order to provide inexpensive and versatile printed circuit boards for carrying electrical traces and other components and to provide printed formed contacts. The conductive solderable inks can be adhered to the substrate, for example, via screen printing, brush, spraying, dipping, masking, vacuum plating or vacuum deposition with subsequent oven drying, reflowing in a vapor phase, post curing or plating.
Abstract:
An electronic component is mounted on one major surface of a dual side wiring substrate. A terminal is press-fitted into a mounting hole in the dual side wiring substrate from the one major surface side to be temporarily fixed in the substrate, and an electronic component is mounted on the other major surface of the dual side wiring substrate after soldering paste is applied. A frame having a plurality of bent pieces extending inwardly is mounted onto the dual face wiring substrate from a position above the substrate so that the bent pieces abut against the pattern of the dual side wiring substrate. The terminal press-fitted from the one major surface side, the electronic component mounted on the other major surface, and the frame are soldered simultaneously by a reflow method.
Abstract:
An electrical component mounting system includes a substantially rigid substrate supporting a flexible circuit having a contact terminal with at least one aperture to receive a connecting pin from an electrical component. The aperture has a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the component conductor pin, such that extending the pin through the aperture in the flexible circuit deforms the contact terminal into an aligned larger diameter aperture in the substrate to provide a secure electrical connection between the pin and the terminal of the flexible circuit. In one embodiment of the invention, the conductive pin includes a locking groove for lockably engaging the rigid substrate.
Abstract:
This invention relates to three dimensional packaging of integrated circuit chips into stacks to form cuboid structures. Between adjacent chips in the stack, there is disposed an electrical interconnection means which is a first substrate having a plurality of conductors one end of which is electrically connected to chip contact locations and the other end of which extends to one side of the chip stack to form a plurality of pin-like electrical interconnection assemblies. The pin-like structures can be formed from projections of the first substrate having an electrical conductor on at least one side thereof extending from this side. Alternatively, the pin-like structures can be formed from conductors which cantilever from both sides of an edge of the first substrate and within which corresponding conductors from both sides are aligned and spaced apart by the first substrate thickness. The spaces contain solder and form solder loaded pin-like structures. The pin-like structures can be directly solder bonded to conductors on a second substrate surface or the pin-like structures can be adapted for insertion into apertures in a second substrate. The second substrate provides a means for electrically inter-connecting a plurality of these cuboids. Preferably, the first and second substrates are circuitized flexible polymeric films. The second substrate is disposed on a third substrate, such as a PC board, with a resilient material therebetween which permits a heat sink to be pressed into intimate contact with an opposite side of the cuboid structures.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for interconnecting electronic circuits using nearly pure soft annealed gold mechanically compressed within through-plated holes. The invention has its application in attaching integrated circuit dice directly to circuit boards by ball bonding gold wires to the bonding pads of the integrated circuit dice in a substantially perpendicular relationship to the surfaces of the dice and inserting the gold leads into through-plated holes of circuit boards which provide an electrical and a mechanical connection once the leads are compressed within the through-plated holes. The present invention also finds its application in the interconnection of sandwiched circuit board assemblies where soft gold lead wires are inserted into axially aligned through-plated holes of the circuit boards and compressed so that the gold lead wires compress and buckle within the through-plated holes, forming an electrical connection between the circuit boards.
Abstract:
A circuit board for automatically interconnecting electrical components mounted on the circuit board, comprising of a nonconducting emulsion layer sandwiched between two nonconducting outer layers. Electrical leads from electronic components are inserted through holes in one outer layer. Dispersed within the emulsion layer are conducting particles with an elongated length. The emulsion layer's melting temperature is lower than the outer layers allowing movement of the conducting particles when the temperature of the emulsion layer is above the melting temperature, and prevents movement when the temperature is below. Included with the circuit board is an electromagnetic and infrared (EIR) assembly positioned near the outer layer opposite the layer with the electronic components. The EIR assembly has an infrared source and two magnetic field generating devices. One produces a magnetic field parallel to the emulsion layer forcing the conducting particles to line up parallel to the emulsion layer. The elongated length is sufficient so each parallel positioned conducting particle comes into contact with any neighboring parallel positioned particle, thus forming a conducting path. The other produces a magnetic field perpendicular to the emulsion layer forcing the conducting particles to line up perpendicular, electrically isolating the conducting particles from any neighboring particles. Moving the EIR assembly across the circuit board generating the parallel magnetic field forms a conducting path, or generating the perpendicular magnetic field erases any conducting paths. The infrared source is used to raise the temperature of the emulsion layer.
Abstract:
Z-axis connectors for interconnecting stacked printed circuit boards are formed from resilient material and have contact sections larger than cooperating through-plated holes formed in the boards. The connectors are drawn through the through-plated holes in the stacked circuit board, causing the contact section of the connector to frictionally engage the through-plated holes on at least two boards.
Abstract:
A method for mounting electronic components, such as capacitors and the like, to a flat flexible insulating substrate having conductive material thereon. In one form of the invention, an electronic component is attached to a given area of the substrate with one conductive side of the electronic component in electrical connection with the conductive material on the substrate. A slot is formed in the substrate substantially about the electronic component but less than 360.degree. thereabout to define a tongue, including the electronic component, and an integral hinge portion of the substrate. The tongue is bent about the integral hinge portion to move the tongue out of the plane of the substrate and thereby move the electronic component therewith into a desired position for connection of an opposite conductive side of the electronic component to an appropriate terminal. In another form of the invention, a closed or 360.degree. slot is formed in the substrate. One conductive side of the electronic component is in electrical connection with the conductive material on the substrate within the closed slot, and the other conductive side of the electronic component is in electrical connection with the conductive material on the substrate outside the closed slot. A terminal is electrically connected to the conductive material on the substrate inside the closed slot.