Electrical solder ball contact
AssigneeTeradyne, Inc.
InventorsEdward G. Marvin, David M. McNamara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical contact including a contact end having a gold-plated surface for receiving a solder ball and edge surfaces adjacent to the gold surface for containing the solder ball on the gold-plated surface. In one embodiment, the contact end is connected to a curved lead and a portion of the contact end adjacent to the curved lead is comprised a less solder-wettable material than gold. A method of fabricating the electrical contact includes plating a metal sheet with a gold stripe and stamping the sheet to provide the contact surface in the gold stripe. Also described is an electrical connector having a plurality of conductive contacts, each having a gold-coated surface for receiving a solder ball and less solder-wettable edge surfaces adjacent to the gold surface.
Claims15
An electrical contact comprising:
- an elongated portion;
- a contact end extending substantially orthogonally from said elongated portion, said contact end having a contact surface comprised of a relatively high solder wettability material and terminating at a sharp edge, said contact end further having edge surfaces adjacent to said contact surface and terminating at said sharp edge, wherein said edge surfaces are comprised of a lower solder wettability material;
- and
- a conductive sphere disposed on said contact surface.
An electrical contact comprising:
- a curved lead;
- a contact end extending substantially orthogonally from said curved lead, wherein said contact end has a surface comprising a first region of relatively high solder wettability and a second region of lower solder wettability adjacent to said curved lead;
- and
- a conductive sphere covering substantially the entire first region of said contact end surface.
The electrical contact of claim 10 wherein said first region is comprised of gold.
An electrical connector comprising:
- a plurality of contacts, each having an intermediate portion, a first contact end at a first end of said intermediate portion, and a second contact end at a second end of said intermediate portion, said first contact end extending substantially orthogonally from said intermediate portion and having a gold surface in only one plane on which a conductive sphere is disposed and an edge surface adjacent to said gold surface comprised of a material having less solder-wettability than gold;
- and
- an insulative housing supporting said plurality of contacts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.