Lead bonding of chips to circuit boards and circuit boards to circuit boards

A method of electrically and mechanically attaching at least one integrated circuit chip having two opposite generally planar surfaces and at least one bonding pad formed on a first one of the planar surfaces to a circuit board, the circuit board having a first planar side and a second planar side and at least one through-plated hole extending between the first and second sides, comprising the steps of:

• (a) bonding a soft gold wire to a bonding pad of each integrated circuit chip and extending each resulting bonded wire substantially straight and perpendicular to the first planar surface of the integrated circuit chip;
• (b) inserting each substantially straight and perpendicular bonded wire into a corresponding through-plated hole from the first side of the circuit board and protruding an end of the inserted bonded wire from the through-plated hole at the second side of the circuit board;
• and
• (c) compressing each bonded wire within the corresponding through-plated hole of the circuit board and deforming the soft gold wire enough to contact the plated hole and establish the electrical and mechanical attachment.

A method of attaching an integrated circuit chip to a circuit board, the integrated circuit chip having two opposite generally planar surfaces and a plurality of bonding pads formed and arranged in a bonding pad pattern on a first one of the planar surfaces, comprising the steps of:

• (a) ball-bonding a soft gold wire to each bonding pad of the integrated circuit chip;
• (b) stretching each soft gold wire to a substantially perpendicular position with respect to the first planar surface of the integrated circuit chip;
• (c) manufacturing the circuit board with a first planar side and a second planar side and a plurality of plated holes extending between the first and second sides having a hole pattern substantially matching the bonding pad pattern of the integrated circuit chip;
• (d) positioning the integrated circuit chip in relation to the first side of the circuit board to align each bonded gold wire of the integrated circuit with a corresponding plated hole of the circuit board;
• (e) pressing the integrated circuit chip against the circuit board to insert each bonded wire of the integrated circuit chip into the aligned corresponding plated hole of the circuit board;
• (f) positioning a first caul plate to the second planar surface of the integrated circuit chip and positioning a second caul plate to the second planar side of the circuit board;
• and
• (g) pressing the caul plates together to compress each soft gold wire of the integrated circuit chip into the corresponding plated hole of the circuit board, and to form a rigid electrical and mechanical attachment.

A method of electrically interconnecting a first and a second electronic circuit assembly, the first assembly having a first planar surface and a second planar surface and at least one conductive lead connected to the first planar surface, the second electronic assembly having a first planar side and a second planar side and at least one plated hole extending between the first and second sides, each plated hole located in a position corresponding to the position of a conductive lead of the first assembly, comprising the steps of:

• (a) inserting each conductive lead from the first assembly into the corresponding plated hole of the second assembly;
• and
• (b) compressing each lead within the corresponding plated hole to contact the lead with an interior surface of the plated hole and to form an electrical connection from the first assembly to the second assembly;
• and wherein the compressing step (b) further comprises the substeps of:
• (b)(i) mounting the second assembly o a first caul plate;
• (b)(ii) restraining the second assembly against motion during the compressing process;
• (b)(iii) positioning a second caul plate in contact with the second surface of the first assembly;
• and
• (b)(iv) applying force to the second caul plate to move the first assembly toward the second assembly and apply buckling force to each lead of the first assembly to buckle the lead into contact with the corresponding plated hole of the second assembly.

A method of electrically interconnecting a first and a second electronic circuit assembly, the first assembly having a first planar surface and a second planar surface and at least one conductive lead connected to the first planar surface, the second electronic assembly having a first planar side and a second planar side and at least one plated hole extending between the first and second sides, each plated hole located in a position corresponding to the position of a conductive lead of the first assembly, comprising the steps of:

• (a) inserting each conductive lead from the first assembly into the corresponding plated hole of the second assembly;
• and
• (b) compressing each lead within the corresponding plated hole to contact the lead with an interior surface of the plated hole and to form an electrical connection from the first assembly to the second assembly;
• and wherein the compressing step (b) further comprises the substeps of:
• (b)(i) mounting the second assembly on a vacuum caul plate;
• (b)(ii) restraining the second assembly on the caul plate with at least one guide pin to prevent assembly motion during the compressing process;
• (b)(iii) positioning a second caul plate in contact with the second surface of the first assembly;
• and
• (b)(iv) placing the assemblies and caul plates in a press and applying force to the second caul plate to move the first assembly toward the second assembly to apply buckling force to each lead of the first assembly and buckle the lead into contact with the corresponding plated hole of the second assembly.

A method of electrically interconnecting a first and a second electronic circuit assembly, the first assembly having a first planar surface and a second planar surface and at least one conductive lead connected to the first planar surface, the second electronic assembly having a first planar side and a second planar side and at least one plated hole extending between the first and second sides, each plated hole located in a position corresponding to the position of a conductive lead of the first assembly, comprising the steps of:

• (a) inserting each conductive lead from the first assembly into the corresponding plated hole of the second assembly and projecting the inserted lead completely through the second assembly to extend the lead beyond the second assembly;
• and
• (b) compressing the lead within the plated hole to contact the lead with an interior surface of the plated hole and to form an electrical connection from the first assembly to the second assembly;
• and wherein the compressing step (b) further comprises the substeps of:
• (b)(i) mounting the second assembly on a first caul plate;
• (b)(ii) restraining the second assembly against motion during the compressing process;
• (b)(iii) positioning a second caul plate in contact with the second surface of the first assembly;
• and
• (b)(iv) applying force to the first caul plate to apply buckling force to each lead of the first assembly to buckle the lead into contact with the corresponding plated hole of the second assembly.

A method of electrically interconnecting at least two circuit boards, comprising the steps of:

• (a) manufacturing each of the circuit boards to comprise a pair of generally planar sides and a plurality of through-plated holes extending between the sides, the hole patterns of the circuit boards substantially matching when the holes of each one of the circuit boards are axially aligned with holes of each other circuit board;
• (b) positioning the circuit boards in a stack with their first planar sides substantially parallel and adjacent one another;
• (c) inserting a soft gold wire into and within some of the axially aligned through-plated holes of the parallel positioned circuit boards;
• (d) positioning a first caul plate against the planar side of one of the outside circuit boards in the stack;
• (e) positioning a second caul plate against the outside planar side of the other one of of the outside circuit boards in the stack;
• and
• (f) pressing the caul plates together to compress the soft gold wires into and substantially throughout and along the aligned plated holes of the circuit boards to form an electrical connection between the plated holes of the circuit boards in the stack.