US 6,586,684 B2 · Circuit housing clamp and method of manufacture therefor

Abstract

An electronic assembly includes one or more conductive clamps (302, 304, FIG. 3), which are used to supply current to an integrated circuit (IC) package (308). The conductive clamps are attached to a printed circuit (PC) board (312), which supplies the current to the IC package over one clamp, and receives returned current from the IC package over another clamp. Each clamp contacts a contact pad (330) on the surface of the PC board, and contacts another contact pad (334) on the top surface of the IC package. Vias (338, 339) and conductive planes (340, 342) within the package then carry current to and from an IC (e.g., IC 306) connected to the package. In another embodiment, the clamp (904, FIG. 9) holds a conductive structure (902) in place between the PC board contact pad (908) and the IC package contact pad (914), and current is carried primarily over the conductive structure, rather than over the clamp.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An electronic assembly comprising:

a first clamp, attached to a substrate, which extends upward from a top surface of the substrate and contacts a first portion of a top surface of a housing, wherein the first clamp enables current to be supplied from the substrate to the housing;
and
a second clamp, attached to the substrate, which extends upward from the top surface of the substrate and contacts a second portion of the top surface of the housing, wherein the second clamp enables the current to be returned from the housing to the substrate.

An integrated circuit package upon which an integrated circuit is connected, the integrated circuit package comprising:

one or more power planes, which electrically connect to the integrated circuit;
one or more first vias extending from the one or more power planes to a first portion of a top surface of the integrated circuit package;
a first contact pad on the top surface and electrically connected to the one or more first vias, which conducts current from a first clamp to the one or more first vias, wherein the first clamp contacts the first contact pad and attaches to a substrate, enabling current to be supplied from the substrate to the first contact pad;
one or more ground planes, which electrically connect to the integrated circuit;
one or more second vias extending from the one or more ground planes to a second portion of the top surface;
and
a second contact pad on the top surface and electrically connected to the one or more second vias, which conducts the current from the one or more second vias to a second clamp, wherein the second clamp contacts the second contact pad and attaches to the substrate, enabling the current to be returned from the second contact pad to the substrate.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

09/896,409Filed 29 Jun 2001

Published

US 2003/0000739 A12 Jan 2003

Granted

1 Jul 2003

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

H05K 1/0263
Electrical arrangements not otherwise provided for: high current adaptations, e.g. printed high current conductors or using auxiliary non-printed…
H05K 7/1092
Plug-in assemblages of components , e.g. IC sockets: with built-in components, e.g. intelligent sockets
H10W 90/701
Package configurations: characterised by the relative positions of pads or connectors relative to package parts
H05K 3/325
Electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits: by abutting or pinching; Mechanical auxiliary parts therefor

Circuit housing clamp and method of manufacture therefor

Life of this patent

Circuit housing clamp and method of manufacture therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17