Electrical interconnect with an electrical pathway including at least a first member overlain by a second member at a contact point

• US 8,018,059 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Wallace, Stanley John, Swift, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Thanh V
• Application Number:
  US11/094,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20060228140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,357 Days
• Field of Search: 257/734, 257/750, 257/758, 438/618, 438/622, 438/642, 428/903
• US Class Current: 257/758
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/80 Details relating to power supplies, circuits boards, electrical connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/903 Microfiber, less than 100 micron diameter

Abstract

An electrical interconnect includes an electrical pathway having a first member a second member, the first member being disposed at an oblique or perpendicular angle to the second member at a location adjacent to the second member, wherein at least one of the first member and the second member have a cross-sectional dimension of less than or equal to 10 micrometers.

Claims

1. An interconnect comprising,

an electrical pathway including a first member comprising a first plurality of substantially parallel members layered with a second member comprising a second plurality of substantially parallel members, the first member being disposed at an oblique or perpendicular angle to the second member, wherein

the first member is located in a first plane parallel to a second plane where the second member is located and a contact point between the first member and the second member is a point at which the first member is overlain by the second member,

the first member and the second member have a cross-sectional dimension of less than or equal to 100 micrometers,

at least one of the plurality of members of the first member is in contiguous contact with another of the plurality of members of the first member within the first plane,

at least one of the plurality of members of the second member is in contiguous contact with another of the plurality of members of the second member within the second plane,

at least one of the plurality of members of the first member is configured to perform a first function, another of the at least one of the plurality of members of the first member is configured to perform a second function, and the first function is different from the second function,

a non-conductive barrier is provided between the at least one of the plurality of members of the first member configured to perform the first function and the another of the at least one of the plurality of members of the first member configured to perform the second function, and

the first member and the second member are in contact with a substrate.

2. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the interconnect is formed using a method of forming an electrical interconnect comprising,

forming a sheet including a first layer of multiple, generally, parallel members of a material in a matrix of other material, the other material including a thermosetting polymer;

cutting an area of the first layer into an initial shape, the area having a first electrical contact point and a second electrical contact point;

at least one of heating or pressurizing the area;

allowing the thermosetting polymer to partially cross-link and cure;

mechanically deforming the area;

allowing the thermosetting polymer to further cross-link and cure; and

inserting the first point into an electrical interface and the second point into another electrical interface.

3. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first member or the second member is formed of a material that does not permanently deform until being subjected to an elongation of greater than approximately 2%.

4. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first member or the second member has an aspect ratio of at least 100, and the substantially parallel members of the first plurality and the substantially parallel members of the second plurality have non-uniform cross-sectional areas.

5. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the first member and the second member share multiple common electrical contact points, thereby having connection redundancy between at least a first point and a second point.

6. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the electrical pathway forms a structural support.

7. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the electrical pathway has a contact point for an electrical interface, and the contact point has a cross-sectional area less than or equal to approximately 7850 square micrometers.

8. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first member or second member are formed of carbon.

9. A xerographic device comprising the interconnect of claim 1.

10. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the electrical pathway is formed of a composition comprising a metallic element.

11. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the electrical pathway includes a matrix of other material.

12. The interconnect of claim 11, wherein the other material is a polymer resin and the polymer resin contains at least one of a clay, a silica or a titania material.

13. The interconnect of claim 11, wherein the other material is a polymer resin and the polymer resin contains a thermosetting polymer, the thermosetting polymer providing in-process handling and shaping of the interconnect prior to, generally, completely curing.

14. The interconnect of claim 11, wherein the other material is a polymer resin and the polymer resin contains conductive ceramic materials.

15. The interconnect of claim 11, wherein the other material is a polymer resin and the polymer resin contains a nanoelement.

16. The interconnect of claim 15, wherein the nanoelement is formed of at least one of nickel, titanium, tungsten, copper, boron, tin, lead or a noble metal.

17. The interconnect of claim 15, wherein the nanoelement is formed of carbon.

18. The interconnect of claim 1, wherein the first member and the second member have fibrillated ends.

19. The interconnect of claim 18, wherein the first member and the second member are each substantially covered by a host polymer and a reinforcing metal coating.

20. The interconnect of claim 18, wherein the first member and the second member are each substantially covered by a host polymer over areas excluding the fibrillated ends.