Chip carrier with embedded engineering change lines with severable periodically spaced bridging connectors on the chip supporting surface

In a module for an array of integrated circuit chips, said module comprising a matrix of insulating material having an upper surface with a set of pads for connection of chips thereto with metallization beneath the surface for standard connections between pads connected to said chips, and fan-out chips, and fan-out metallization with fan-out pads surrounding the mounting area of each chip,

• said chips being arranged upon said module in a substantially orthogonal pattern upon said upper surface with engineering change pads deposited upon said upper surface adjacent to said fan-out areas, with parallel an orthogonal engineering change lines,
• the improvement comprising embedding of said engineering change lines aligned within said matrix of said module beneath said upper surface with each of said engineering change lines in a predetermined orientation including a plurality of periodically spaced breaks along the length thereof with connection vias extending upwardly to said surface in parallel from the ends of each of said breaks to an engineering change pad in the form of a link,
• whereby each of said links can be connected to one of said fan-out pads by means of fly-wires and said link can be severed into two separate segments to provide a flexible wiring system with minimal inductive coupling, and minimal crossovers in the module employed for engineering change purposes, connections being provided between an engineering change line in the x direction and an engineering change line in the y direction by means of a fly-wire, said fly-wire being short relative to said engineering change lines and on the order of less than one centimeter in length.

In a module for an array of integrated circuit chips, said module comprising a matrix of insulating material having an upper surface with a set of pads for connection of chips thereto with metallization beneath the surface for standard connections between pads connected to said chips, and fan-out chips, and fan-out metallization with fan-out pads surrounding the mounting area of each chip,

• said chips being arranged upon said module in a substantially orthogonal pattern upon said upper surface with engineering change pads deposited upon said upper surface adjacent to said fan-out areas, with parallel an orthogonal engineering change lines,
• the improvement comprising embedding of said engineering change lines aligned within said matrix of said module beneath said upper surface with each of said engineering change lines in a predetermined orientation including a plurality of periodically spaced breaks along the length thereof with connection vias extending upwardly to said surface in parallel from the ends of each of said breaks to an engineering change pad in the form of a link, whereby each of said links can be connected to one of said fan-out pads by means of fly-wires and said link can be severed into two separate segments to provide a flexible wiring system with minimal inductive coupling, and minimal crossovers in the module employed for engineering change purposes, connections being provided between an engineering change line in the x direction and an engineering change line in the y direction by means of a fly-wire, said fly-wire being short relative to said engineering change lines and on the order of less than one centimeter in length,
• connections being provided between a pair of chips on said module by means of engineering change lines and fan-out connections in a network formed by interconnection of an engineering change line in the x direction with an engineering change line in the y direction y means of a fly-wire plus interconnection of the ends of the combined x and y engineering change interconnections to fan-out pads for the chips with an additional one of said short fly-wires connected between the corresponding pads, since the x and y engineering change lines within the module are not connected to any chip at the time the module is fabricated whereby total flexibility is achieved by selecting which of said x or y lines will be connected to any particular chip by means of said short fly-wires.

A module for supporting electrical components including

• a plurality of chips on the surface of said module,
• a plurality of engineering change conductor lines buried within said module, said lines having relatively long lengths, and being buried in a dielectric material providing a characteristic impedance which minimizes reflections because of the matched characteristic impedance, said engineering change lines extending in at least two directions at corresponding levels within said module crossing over each other without intersecting,
• each of said engineering change lines including a plurality of sets of interruptions with a set of vias extending up to the top surface of said module adjacent to one of said chips at each of said vias, and a plurality of spaced very short bridging connectors providing link connections connecting each of said sets of vias on said top surface of said module,
• with fly-wires which are relatively short, on the order of less than 1 cm long, connected between adjacent pairs of said link connections, and
• said link connections connected to said fly-wires being severed to form an interconnection between any two sets of link connections down to the connected engineering change lines and up to adjacent link connections for use in making engineering change connections between such points to connect said chips together comprising an engineering change on said module added subsequent to manufacture of said module.