US 5,842,881 AGranted

Substrate-embedded pluggable receptacles for connecting clustered electrical cables to a module

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsMario Enrique Ecker, Lawrence Jacobowitz, Casimer Maurice DeCusatis

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Abstract

A pluggable connector capable of connecting a large number of electrical transmission lines per connector, and small enough to enable a large number of connectors to be added to a multi-chip module. For example, 5 or 6 of these connectors can add over a hundred coaxial cables to a module. Improved I/O communications is added to a module by such coaxial cables, since they can communicate very high frequency signals in noise prone environments. The pluggable connector is embedded in a multilayer module (e.g. ceramic or glass) for conveying digital information to transmission lines internal or printed on the surface of a module. Each connector contains a receptacle 19 having a silicon contact structure embedded in an edge of a multi-chip module. The contact structure is formed with a plug-receiving angle for deflecting multiple cantilevered plug contacts 17 into engagement with corresponding receptacle contacts 22. The silicon connector parts 19 have a thermal coefficient of expansion which matches that of silicon semiconductor and glass ceramic module 4 to maintain alignment over large temperature variations.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of providing a pluggable receptacle in a module, comprising:

forming a notch in an edge of the module,
forming a printed-circuit receptacle from two adjacent parts made of semiconductor materials, combining the parts to form an acute angle at one end of the receptacle, and the other end of the receptacle having one of the parts overhanging the other of the parts, selecting semiconductor materials having a coefficient of expansion similar to a coefficient of expansion of the module,
depositing electrical contacts offset on the end of each part having the acute angle, and depositing electrically conducting wires on the adjacent parts to connect the electrical contacts to another end of the receptacle,
bonding the receptacle in the notch to the module,
connecting wires of the module to the electrically conducting wires at the overhanging end of the receptacle,
surrounding the module with a frame supporting the module at least along edges of the module, and positioning a gas-tight seal between the module and an adjacent internal side in the frame,
forming a plug opening in the frame in alignment with the receptacle to enable a plug to be inserted through the plug opening to mate electrical conductors of the plug with the electrical contacts of the receptacle, the plug supporting a cluster of electrical cables for engaging the electrical contacts in the receptacle, and
filling all openings between the notch and the receptacle to prevent entry to a surface of the module of foreign matter through a plug opening in the frame whether the plug is disengaged or engaged with the receptacle.

5 more elements

A pluggable receptacle for a module, comprising:

a ceramic module with at least one notch formed in an edge,
a printed-circuit receptacle formed with two adjacent parts made of semiconductor materials bonded together in the notch to fill the notch flush with a surface of the module, the semiconductor materials having a coefficient of expansion similar to a coefficient of expansion of the module,
a pluggable end of the receptacle formed with a projection for enabling the receptacle to receive an indentation in a mating plug to obtain an engagable alignment of electrical conductor pairs in the plug with contact pairs in the receptacle,
the electrical contact pairs being deposited in an offset layout in a V-shaped groove on the pluggable end of the receptacle for bending offset electrical conductor pairs in a plug toward the apex of the V-shaped groove without electrical shorting as the plug is engaged with the receptacle,
electrical connection means at another end of the receptacle for connecting the receptacle to wires of the module,
a frame positioned around the module formed with a plug opening for receiving the plug, and
a seal between an inner surface of the frame and a surface of the module to entirely seal a surface of the module from external contamination passing through the plug opening whether or not the plug is engaged with the receptacle.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.