Methods of removably mounting electronic components to a circuit board, and sockets formed by the methods
First Claim
1. Method of removably connecting an electronic component to a circuit board, said circuit board having a plurality of contact areas on a surface thereof, said electronic component having a plurality of terminals on a surface thereof, comprising:
- disposing a support substrate between the electronic component and the circuit board, the support substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface;
mounting a plurality of resilient contact structures to the top surface of the support substrate;
mounting a plurality of contact structures to the bottom surface of the support substrate;
mounting the support substrate to the circuit board so as to make permanent electrical connections between the contact structures and the contact areas;
urging the electronic component against the resilient contact structures so that removable connections are made between the plurality of terminals and the resilient contact structures; and
within the support substrate, interconnecting selected ones of the resilient contact structures with selected ones of the contact structures.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Surface-mount, solder-down sockets are described which permit electronic components such as semiconductor packages to be releasably mounted to a circuit board. Generally, the socket includes resilient contact structures extending from a top surface of a support substrate, and solder-ball (or other suitable) contact structures disposed on a bottom surface of the support substrate. Composite interconnection elements are described for use as the resilient contact structures disposed atop the support substrate. In use, the support substrate is soldered down onto the circuit board, the contact structures on the bottom surface of the support substrate contacting corresponding contact areas on the circuit board. In any suitable manner, selected ones of the resilient contact structures atop the support substrate are connected, via the support substrate, to corresponding ones of the contact structures on the bottom surface of the support substrate. For example, the support substrate is suitably a printed circuit board having plated through holes. In an embodiment intended to receive a LGA-type semiconductor package, pressure contact is made between the resilient contact structures and external connection points of the semiconductor package with a contact force which is generally normal to the top surface of the support substrate. In an embodiment intended to receive a BGA-type semiconductor package, pressure contact is made between the resilient contact structures and external connection points of the semiconductor package with a contact force which is generally parallel to the top surface of the support substrate. Variations of these two basic embodiments are described, including limiting wiping motion of the resilient contact structures across a terminal of an electronic component, and moving the resilient contact structures rather than the electronic component to effect pressure connections therebetween.
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Citations
61 Claims
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1. Method of removably connecting an electronic component to a circuit board, said circuit board having a plurality of contact areas on a surface thereof, said electronic component having a plurality of terminals on a surface thereof, comprising:
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disposing a support substrate between the electronic component and the circuit board, the support substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface;
mounting a plurality of resilient contact structures to the top surface of the support substrate;
mounting a plurality of contact structures to the bottom surface of the support substrate;
mounting the support substrate to the circuit board so as to make permanent electrical connections between the contact structures and the contact areas;
urging the electronic component against the resilient contact structures so that removable connections are made between the plurality of terminals and the resilient contact structures; and
within the support substrate, interconnecting selected ones of the resilient contact structures with selected ones of the contact structures. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. Solder-down socket, comprising:
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a support substrate;
a plurality of resilient contact structures extending upward from a top surface of the support substrate; and
a plurality of solderable raised contact structures disposed on a bottom surface of the substrate, said solderable raised contact structures being electrically connected to the resilient contact structures. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. Socket for releasably connecting an electronic component to a circuit board, comprising:
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resilient contact structures extending upward from a top surface of a support substrate contact structures disposed on a bottom surface of the support substrate and connected through the support substrate to the resilient contact structures. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. Solder-down socket, for making pressure connections to terminals of an electronic component, comprising:
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a support substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;
a plurality of resilient contact structures extending from the top surface of the support substrate, each resilient contact structure having a tip at a free end thereof; and
means for effecting a pressure connection between the tips of the resilient contact structures and the terminals of the electronic component. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. Solder-down socket, comprising:
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a support substrate having a plurality of holes extending therethrough;
a plurality of pre-fabricated resilient contact structures, each having a base portion and a tip;
the resilient contact structures being supported within the holes in a prescribed spatial relationship with one another by the support substrate; and
a solderable raised contact structure disposed on the base portion of each resilient contact structure. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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47. Solder-down socket, comprising:
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a support substrate having a top surface, a bottom surface and a plurality of holes extending therethrough;
a plurality of metallic pads, each pad having a top surface and a bottom surface, each pad disposed on the bottom surface of the support substrate in alignment with a hole;
a plurality of pre-fabricated resilient contact structures, each having a base portion and a tip;
the base portions of the resilient contact structures being supported in a prescribed spatial relationship with one another by the top surfaces of the metallic pads; and
a solderable raised contact structure disposed on the bottom surface of each metallic pad. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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49. Interconnection structure for making contact to first terminals of an electronic component, comprising:
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a support substrate having a top surface and second terminals disposed on the top surface of the substrate; and
a plurality of resilient contact structures extending generally parallel to one another from each second terminal, the resilient contact structures extending from each second terminal acting in concert with one another to make a pressure connection to a selected one of the first terminals of the electronic component. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51)
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52. Interconnection element for making contact to terminals of an electronic component, comprising:
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a support substrate having a top surface; and
a plurality of resilient contact structures extending from the top surface of the support substrate, each resilient contact structure having two ends, both ends of each resilient contact structure being attached to the support substrate, a midportion of each resilient contact structure shaped to receive a one of the terminals of the electronic component by pressure contact therewith in a direction which is generally parallel to the top surface of the support substrate. - View Dependent Claims (53)
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54. Interconnection element for making contact to terminals of an electronic component, comprising:
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a support substrate having a top surface; and
a plurality of resilient contact structures extending from the top surface of the support substrate, each resilient contact structure having a one end attached to the support substrate and an other end extending above the support substrate, an end portion at the other end of the resilient contact structure shaped in an arcuate manner to receive a terminal of the electronic component by pressure contact therewith in a direction which is generally normal to the top surface of the support substrate. - View Dependent Claims (55)
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56. Solder-down socket, comprising:
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a circuit board substrate having a plurality of plated through holes extending through the substrate from a top surface to a bottom surface thereof, each through hole having a top contact area exposed on the top surface of the substrate and a bottom contact area exposed on the bottom surface of the substrate;
a plurality of resilient contact structures mounted to the top contact areas and extending from the top surface of the substrate; and
a plurality of solder balls mounted to the bottom contact areas of the plated through holes.
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57. Solder-down socket, comprising:
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a support substrate having a plurality of plated through holes extending through the substrate from a top surface to a bottom surface thereof, each through hole having a bottom contact area exposed on the bottom surface of the substrate;
a plurality of resilient contact structures mounted into the plated through holes and extending from the top surface of the substrate; and
a plurality of solder balls mounted to the bottom contact areas of the plated through holes.
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58. Solder-down socket, comprising:
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a support substrate having a plurality of holes extending through the substrate from a top surface to a bottom surface thereof;
a plurality of resilient contact structures having bottom ends mounted in the holes and top ends extending from the top surface of the substrate; and
a plurality of solder balls mounted to the bottom ends of the resilient contact structures. - View Dependent Claims (59)
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60. Solder-down socket, comprising:
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a support substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;
a plurality of compliant contact structures extending from the top surface of the support substrate; and
a plurality of solder balls mounted to the bottom surface of the support substrate and connected to the compliant contact structures.
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61. Surface-mount socket, comprising:
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a support substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface;
a plurality of compliant contact structures extending from the top surface of the support substrate; and
a plurality of solder balls mounted to the bottom surface of the support substrate and connected to the compliant contact structures.
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Specification