Fine-pitch flexible connector, and method for making same
First Claim
1. A method for making an electrical connection structure comprising:
- providing a plurality of elongated metal conductors of an electrically-conductive metal;
placing the plurality of elongated metal conductors in generally parallel spaced-apart spatial relationship;
filling the spaces between the spaced apart elongated metal conductors with a molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive;
drying or B-staging the molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive;
whereby the plurality of elongated metal conductors are embedded in the dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive; and
cutting the dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive and the elongated metal conductors embedded therein in a direction transverse to the elongated direction of the elongated metal conductors.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A fine-pitch flexible electrical connector includes a plurality of generally parallel metal conductors in a matrix of a molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive, and may be made in various sizes and thicknesses so as to be utilized as a connector, jumper, test membrane, interposer or other electrical connection structure providing connection between two or more electronic devices and/or substrates. The connector is made by providing a number of metal conductors disposed in relation to the dielectric adhesive, such as by lamination or aggregation, and then separating individual connectors therefrom by cutting, slicing and/or otherwise separating transversely to the longitudinal direction of the conductors.
105 Citations
62 Claims
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1. A method for making an electrical connection structure comprising:
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providing a plurality of elongated metal conductors of an electrically-conductive metal;
placing the plurality of elongated metal conductors in generally parallel spaced-apart spatial relationship;
filling the spaces between the spaced apart elongated metal conductors with a molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive;
drying or B-staging the molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive;
whereby the plurality of elongated metal conductors are embedded in the dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive; and
cutting the dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive and the elongated metal conductors embedded therein in a direction transverse to the elongated direction of the elongated metal conductors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
wherein said placing the plurality of elongated metal conductors is generally parallel spaced apart relationship comprises providing a layer of molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive on the sheets of electrically conductive metal, and patterning the sheet of electrically conductive metal to form the elongated metal conductors. -
19. The method of claim 18 wherein said filling the spaces includes laminating the plurality of layers of molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive having patterned elongated metal conductors thereon.
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20. The method of claim 18 wherein said filling the spaces includes depositing molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive between the patterned elongated metal conductors on the layer of molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive.
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21. The method of claim 18 further comprising providing at least two guide holes in at least one of the layer of molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive and the sheets of electrically conductive metal, and placing a pin in the guide holes for aligning the at least one of the layer of molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive and the sheets of electrically conductive metal with at least one of the layers of molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive having patterned elongated metal conductors thereon and a stencil or mask.
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22. The method of claim 18 wherein the elongated metal conductors formed on different ones of the plurality of layers of molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive having patterned elongated metal conductors thereon have elongated metal conductors differing in at least one of width and thickness.
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23. The method of claim 1 wherein said providing a plurality of elongated metal conductors of an electrically-conductive metal includes providing a plurality of elongated metal wires having a length substantially greater than a diameter thereof, and wherein said filling the spaces between the spaced apart elongated metal conductors includes coating the elongated thin metal wires with a molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive.
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24. The method of claim 23 wherein the elongated metal wires include wires of at least one of copper, aluminum, brass, bronze, nickel, tin, indium, lead, zinc, silver, gold, and combinations and alloys thereof.
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25. The method of claim 23 wherein said placing the plurality of elongated metal conductors in generally parallel spaced-apart spatial relationship includes bundling the coated elongated metal wires.
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26. The method of claim 1 wherein said providing the plurality of elongated metal conductors comprises providing a sheet of electrically-conductive metal, and wire-bonding a plurality of electrically-conductive wires on one surface thereof in generally parallel spaced apart spatial relationship.
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27. The method of claim 26 wherein said providing a plurality of elongated metal conductors includes, after said filling the spaces, removing at least that part of the sheet of electrically-conductive metal to which the electrically-conductive wires are not wire-bonded.
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28. The method of claim 27 wherein said removing includes one of mechanical removal and chemical etching.
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29. The method of claim 27 further comprising applying a layer of oxidation-resistant electrically-conductive metal on ends of the electrically-conductive wires exposed by at least one of said cutting and said removing.
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30. The method of claim 1 further comprising placing the cut dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive having the elongated metal conductors therein against an electronic device having plural contacts thereon with ones of the elongated metal conductors in electrical contact with ones of the plural contacts.
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31. The method of claim 30 further comprising providing bumps of one of solder and an electrically-conductive adhesive on at least one of the elongated metal conductors and the plural contacts for making electrical connection therebetween.
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32. The method of claim 30 wherein said electronic device includes one of a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor die, a flip-chip, an electronic component, an integrated circuit, an electronic substrate, a ceramic substrate, a circuit board, and a printed wiring circuit board.
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33. The method of claim 30 wherein the cut dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive having the elongated metal conductors therein is utilized as one of an electrical jumper, an electrical interposer, an electrical test membrane an electrical connector, an anisotropically electrically-conductive structure and a Z-axis electrically conductive structure.
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34. The electrical connection structure made in accordance with claim 1 wherein the elongated metal conductors have a thickness and a width of less than 250 μ
- m.
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35. The electrical connection structure made in accordance with claim 34 wherein the elongated metal conductors have a length that is at least two times the thickness or width thereof.
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36. The electrical connection structure made in accordance with claim 1 wherein the elongated metal conductors have one of a thickness and a width of less than 25 μ
- m.
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37. The electrical connection structure made in accordance with claim 36 wherein the elongated metal conductors have a length that is at least two times the thickness or width thereof.
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38. A method for making an electrical connection structure comprising:
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providing a plurality of sheets of an electrically-conductive metal;
providing a plurality of layers of molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive;
drying or B-staging the molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive;
interleaving alternating layers of the sheets of electrically-conductive metal and of the layers of molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive, laminating the interleaved alternating layers of the sheets of electrically-conductive metal and the layers of molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive together, whereby the plurality of sheets of electrically-conductive metal are embedded in the dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive;
cutting from the laminated interleaved alternating layers of the sheets of electrically-conductive metal and of the molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive at least two thin slices in a direction transverse to the sheets of electrically-conductive metal;
stacking the at least two thin slices with the cut sheets of electrically-conductive metal disposed in generally parallel relationship and with an elongated direction of the cut sheets of electrically-conductive metal generally aligned; and
cutting the dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive and the cut sheets of electrically-conductive metal embedded therein in a direction transverse to the elongated direction of the cut sheets of an electrically-conductive metal. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method for making an electrical connection structure comprising:
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providing a plurality of sheets of electrically conductive metal;
providing a layer of molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive on the sheets of electrically conductive metal;
drying or B-staging the molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive;
patterning the sheet of electrically conductive metal to form a plurality of generally parallel elongated metal conductors;
stacking and laminating the plurality of layers of molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive having patterned elongated metal conductors thereon together;
whereby the plurality of elongated metal conductors are embedded in the dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive; and
cutting the dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive and the elongated metal conductors embedded therein in a direction transverse to the elongated direction of the elongated metal conductors. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A method for making an electrical connection structure comprising:
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providing a plurality of electrically conductive elongated metal wires having a length substantially greater than a diameter thereof;
coating the elongated thin metal wires with a molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive;
drying or B-staging the molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive;
bundling the coated elongated metal wires in generally parallel spatial relationship under suitable heat and pressure;
whereby the plurality of elongated metal wires are embedded in the dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive; and
cutting the dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive and the elongated metal wires embedded therein in a direction transverse to the elongated direction of the elongated metal wires. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59)
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60. A method for making an electrical connection structure comprising:
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providing a sheet of electrically-conductive metal;
wire-bonding a plurality of electrically-conductive wires on one surface of the sheet of electrically-conductive metal in generally parallel spaced apart spatial relationship;
filling the spaces between the spaced apart electrically-conductive wires with a molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive;
drying or B-staging the molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive;
removing at least that part of the sheet of electrically-conductive metal to which the electrically-conductive wires are not wire-bonded;
whereby the plurality of electrically-conductive wires are embedded in the dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive; and
cutting the dried or B-staged molecularly flexible dielectric adhesive and the electrically-conductive wires embedded therein in a direction transverse to the elongated direction of the electrically-conductive wires. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62)
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Specification