Abstract:
An electronic assembly comprising an electronic substrate and a plurality of conductive interconnection elements. The substrate has a first side having a plurality of terminals. Each interconnection element has a base secured to a respective one of the terminals, a contact region distant from the electronic substrate, and an elongate freestanding section which can bend when pressure is applied to the contact region.
Abstract:
An interposer for interconnection between microelectronic circuit panels has contacts at its surfaces. Each contact extends from a central conductor, and has a peripheral portion adapted to contract radially inwardly toward the central conductor response to a force applied by a contact pad defining a central hole on the engaged circuit panel. Thus, when the circuit panels are compressed with the interposers, the contacts contract radially inwardly and wipe across the pads. The wiping action facilitates bonding of the contacts to the pads, as by friction welding, or by a conductive bonding material carried on the contacts themselves.
Abstract:
A probe card assembly includes a probe card, a space transformer having resilient contact structures (probe elements) mounted directly thereto (i.e., without the need for additional connecting wires or the like) and extending from terminals on a surface thereof, and an interposer disposed between the space transformer and the probe card. The space transformer and interposer are “stacked up” so that the orientation of the space transformer, hence the orientation of the tips of the probe elements, can be adjusted without changing the orientation of the probe card. Suitable mechanisms for adjusting the orientation of the space transformer, and for determining what adjustments to make, are disclosed. The interposer has resilient contact structures extending from both the top and bottom surfaces thereof, and ensures that electrical connections are maintained between the space transformer and the probe card throughout the space transformer's range of adjustment, by virtue of the interposer's inherent compliance. Multiple die sites on a semiconductor wafer are readily probed using the disclosed techniques, and the probe elements can be arranged to optimize probing of an entire wafer. Composite interconnection elements having a relatively soft core overcoated by a relatively hard shell, as the resilient contact structures are described.
Abstract:
An electronic assembly. The electronic assembly includes a first substrate which has a first set of contact pads and a second substrate which has a second set of contact pads. A plurality of elongate, springable interconnection elements are located between the first substrate and the second substrate. Each of the plurality of elongate, springable interconnect elements is free standing and has a portion permanently attached to a respective contact pad of the first set of contact pads and has a second portion contacting a respective contact pad of the second set of contact pads. The first and the second substrates are brought into a fixed relationship relative to one another.
Abstract:
An interconnection contact structure assembly including an electronic component having a surface and a conductive contact carried by the electronic component and accessible at the surface. The contact structure includes an internal flexible elongate member having first and second ends and with the first end forming a first intimate bond to the surface of said conductive contact terminal without the use of a separate bonding material. An electrically conductive shell is provided and is formed of at least one layer of a conductive material enveloping the elongate member and forming a second intimate bond with at least a portion of the conductive contact terminal immediately adjacent the first intimate bond.
Abstract:
According to one aspect of the invention, a plating system is provided which includes a tank for containing a plating solution, a substrate holder, and a temperature control device. The substrate holder is configured to support a substrate in position so that at least a first face of the substrate is exposed to the plating solution in the tank. The temperature control device provides selective control of temperature in various regions of the substrate during plating so as to control plating over the first face of the substrate.
Abstract:
Interconnection elements for electronic components, exhibiting desirable mechanical characteristics (such as resiliency, for making pressure contacts) are formed by shaping an elongate element (core) of a soft material (such as gold) to have a springable shape (including cantilever beam, S-shape, U-shape), and overcoating the shaped elongate element with a hard material (such as nickel and its alloys), to impart a desired spring (resilient) characteristic to the resulting composite interconnection element. A final overcoat of a material having superior electrical qualities (e.g., electrical conductivity and/or solderability) may be applied to the composite interconnection element. The elongate element may be formed from a wire, or from a sheet (e.g., metal foil). The resulting interconnection elements may be mounted to a variety of electronic components, including directly to semiconductor dies and wafers (in which case the overcoat material anchors the composite interconnection element to a terminal (or the like) on the electronic component), may be mounted to support substrates for use as interposers and may be mounted to substrates for use as probe cards or probe card inserts. In one embodiment, a hybrid composite interconnection element is formed by mounting a core to an end of an flat elongate element formed from a sheet, and overcoating at least the core, the flat elongate element providing a "floating" support for the overcoated core, capable of absorbing non-planarities (tolerances) of an electronic component. Methods of fabricating interconnection elements on sacrificial substrates are described. Methods of fabricating tip structures and contact tips at the end of interconnection elements are described.
Abstract:
According to known methods, several circuit board pieces in a three-dimensional arrangement of an electronic module are connected together electrically by the film connectors and arranged around an operator control or actuator element in the three-dimensional form. The assembly of such modules is, however, very costly because the circuit boards must all be fastened mechanically. By using film connectors with greater stiffness, circuit board pieces can be held over these directly without additional mechanical securing devices and the three-dimensional circuit board arrangement can be secured by appropriate securing devices in the three-dimensional form. A preferred application is for electronic modules with operator control and/or actuator elements where the space available is very limited, in particular for modules fitted in motor vehicles.
Abstract:
Microelectronic contacts, such as flexible, tab-like, cantilever contacts, are provided with asperities disposed in a regular pattern. Each asperity has a sharp feature at its tip remote from the surface of the contact. As mating microelectronic elements are engaged with the contacts, a wiping action causes the sharp features of the asperities to scrape the mating element, so as to provide effective electrical interconnection and, optionally, effective metallurgical bonding between the contact and the mating element upon activation of a bonding material.
Abstract:
A method of mounting an electronic power component to a cooling element includes finishing at least a bonding area of the cooling element with a finish for use during soldering, forming an indentation in the bonding area of the cooling element, placing adhesive in the indentation, attaching the power component to the cooling element using the adhesive, and thereafter soldering the power component to the cooling element. The finishing melts during soldering and the adhesive prevents shifting of the power component on the cooling element during soldering. Alternatively, the power component is attached to a printed circuit board by adhesive bonding prior to soldering.