Stud bump socket
AssigneePalo Alto Research Center Incorporated
InventorsDavid K. Fork, Jurgen Daniel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A socket for solderless connection between a stud-bumped IC chip and a host PCB. The socket includes a three-dimensional (e.g., cylindrical or cubical) hollow metal frame that is either free-standing or supported by an underlying patterned template structure. The metal frame includes side walls that extend away from the host PCB, and a contact structure located at the upper (i.e., free) end of the side walls. The contact structure defines an opening through which a stud bump can be inserted into a central chamber of the metal frame. The side walls and/or the contact structure are formed such that when the tip end of the stud bump is inserted into the central chamber, at least one of the base structure and the sidewall of the stud bump abuts the contact structure at two or more contact points.
Claims16
A socket for electrically connecting a stud bump mounted thereon, the stud bump including a base section and an elongated body extending between the base section to a tip end, the socket comprising a metal frame including an inner side wall portion surrounding a central chamber, an outer side wall portion surrounding the inner side wall portion such that the inner side wall portion is separated from the outer side wall portion, and a contact structure located at an upper end of the inner side wall, the contact structure defining an opening that communicates with the central chamber, wherein when the tip end of the stud bump is inserted into the central chamber, at least one of the base section and the elongated body of the stud bump abut the contact structure at two or more contact points.
An assembly comprising:
- an electronic device including a stud bump, the stud bump including a base section attached to a surface of the electronic device, a tip end positioned away from the surface, and an elongated body extending between the base section and the tip end;
- and
- a host system including:
- a substrate;
- and
- a socket mounted on a surface of the substrate, the socket comprising a metal frame including:
- at least one side wall having a fixed end connected to the substrate surface and a free end positioned away from the substrate surface, the at least one side wall surrounding an elongated central chamber, and
- a contact structure located at the free end of the at least one side wall, the contact structure defining an opening that communicates with the central chamber,
- wherein the electronic device is connected to the host system such that the tip end of the stud bump is inserted through the opening into the central chamber of the socket, and such that the contact structure of the socket abuts at least one of the base section and the elongated body of the stud bump at two or more contact points.
A socket array for electrically connecting an electronic device including a plurality of stud bumps extending therefrom, the plurality of stud bumps being arranged in a predetermined pattern, each of the stud bumps including a base section and an elongated body extending between the base section to a tip end, the socket array comprising:
- a substrate;
- and
- a plurality of sockets arranged in the predetermined pattern on a surface of the substrate, each socket comprising a metal frame including:
- at least one side wall having a fixed end connected to the substrate surface and a free end positioned away from the substrate surface, the at least one side wall surrounding an elongated central chamber, and
- a contact structure located at the free end of the at least one side wall, the contact structure defining an opening that communicates with the central chamber,
- wherein each socket of the socket array is constructed such that when the tip end of a corresponding stud bump is inserted into its central chamber, at least one of the base section and the elongated body of said corresponding stud bump abuts the contact structure at two or more contact points.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.