Coaxial dual pin sockets for high speed I/O applications

A grounding fence comprising:

• a plurality of electrically conductive wall members;
• and
• an interconnection structure coupled to one or more of the wall members, the interconnection structure enabling electrical contact between the grounding fence and a ground plane of an adjacent printed wiring board (PWB);
• said wall members having surfaces defining a plurality of contact apertures such that the contact apertures encompass a plurality of signal contacts.

A socket comprising:

• a plastic base;
• said base having surfaces defining a clearance aperture, the clearance aperture providing clearance space for capacitors coupled to an adjacent semiconductor package;
• a plurality of signal contacts disposed within the base;
• a plurality of electrically conductive wall members;
• a plurality of metal feet coupled to one or more of the wall members and extending from a board side of the wall members, the metal feet enabling electrical contact between the wall members and a ground plane of an adjacent printed wiring board (PWB);
• the metal feet having a spacing that is less than a quarter wavelength of a predetermined operating frequency of the semiconductor package;
• and
• one or more ground contacts disposed within the base, the ground contacts being electrically coupled to the wall members;
• said wall members having surfaces defining a plurality of contact apertures such that the contact apertures encompass the signal contacts.

A method of fabricating a socket, the method comprising:

• providing a base;
• disposing a plurality of signal contacts within the base;
• and
• disposing a grounding fence within the base such that the grounding fence laterally isolates the signal contacts from one another.