# US 5,506,514 A · Electrical interconnect using particle enhanced joining of metal surfaces

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- Number: US 5,506,514 A
- Document ID: US5506514A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/422,546
- Filed: 1995-04-12
- Granted: 1996-04-09
- Earliest claimed: 1990-02-14
- Assignees: Particle Interconnect, Inc.
- Inventors: Louis Difrancesco
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5506514A

## CPC

- B23K 35/02: characterised by mechanical features, e.g. shape
- B23K 20/16: with interposition of special material to facilitate connection of the parts, e.g. material for absorbing or producing gas
- H05K 3/325: by abutting or pinching; Mechanical auxiliary parts therefor
- H01H 1/06: characterised by the shape or structure of the contact-making surface, e.g. grooved
- H05K 3/328: by welding
- H05K 3/4007: {Surface contacts, e.g. bumps (H05K3/4092 takes precedence; deposition of finish layers on pads H05K3/24; forming solder bumps H05K3/3465)}
- H10W 72/536: {the connected ends being ball-shaped}
- H10W 72/5363: {the connected ends being wedge-shaped}
- H10W 90/754: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL}
- Y10S 428/929: Electrical contact feature
- Y10T 29/49117: Conductor or circuit manufacturing
- Y10T 29/49126: Assembling bases
- Y10T 428/12486: Laterally noncoextensive components [e.g., embedded, etc.]
- Y10T 428/24999: Inorganic
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00)
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A method and apparatus for electrically interconnecting various electronic elements, including circuit components, assemblies, and subassemblies. A particle enhanced material metal contact layer, having a surface, formed on the electronic elements, includes particles of greater hardness disposed on and/or within the metal contact layer, which particles form protuberances that concentrate stress when said contact surface is brought into contact with an opposing surface under pressure, to thereby penetrate the opposing surface and form a metal matrix between the two surfaces. The invention includes preferred and alternative embodiments incorporating particle enhanced material that provide a semiconductor test array which may be patterned as desired to receive an integrated circuit die and/or packaged components to facilitate integrated circuit and packaged electronic component testing; a probing device for testing integrated circuit die in situ on a semiconductor wafer; connectors for coupling discontinuous circuit element substrates; an interposer for interconnecting conventional components, circuit boards, and assemblies; and connectors for single and multiple layer circuit boards.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for testing at least one integrated circuit in situ on a silicon wafer, comprising:
a probe array having individual interconnect elements for contacting corresponding terminal pads on said integrated circuit, each interconnect element of said probe array having a metal contact layer, including associated particles having a hardness greater than that of said metal; and
means for applying compressive force normal to said probe array and said integrated circuit;
whereby a conductive metal matrix is formed between each of said probe array interconnect elements and a corresponding terminal pad when said particles pierce a terminal pad surface.