Microelectronic packages and methods therefor

A microelectronic package comprising:

• a microelectronic element having faces and contacts, said microelectronic element having an outer perimeter;
• a flexible substrate overlying and spaced from a first face of said microelectronic element;
• a plurality of conductive posts exposed at a surface of said flexible substrate and being electrically interconnected with said microelectronic element, said conductive posts having flat tips that are substantially coplanar with one another, at least one of said conductive posts being located in an outer region of said flexible substrate that extends beyond the outer perimeter of said microelectronic element;
• a compliant layer disposed between the first face of said microelectronic element and said flexible substrate, wherein said compliant layer includes a section that overlies the at least one of said conductive posts located in the outer region of said flexible substrate, said compliant layer permitting movement of said conductive posts independently of each other in a direction relative to said microelectronic element;
• and
• a protective layer in contact with said microelectronic element and the section of said compliant layer that overlies the at least one of said conductive posts located in the outer region of said flexible substrate,
• such that pressing said plurality of conductive posts towards corresponding conductive elements of an external element establishes conductive contact between said tips of said plurality of conductive posts and said corresponding conductive elements by deforming said compliant layer to accommodate at least one of a difference in a height of said tips or a difference in a height of said corresponding conductive elements.

A microelectronic package comprising:

• a microelectronic element having faces and contacts, said microelectronic element having an outer perimeter;
• a flexible substrate overlying and spaced from a first face of said microelectronic element, wherein an outer region of said flexible substrate extends beyond the outer perimeter of said microelectronic element;
• a plurality of etched conductive posts having tips exposed at a surface of said flexible substrate and being electrically interconnected with said microelectronic element, wherein at least one of said conductive posts is disposed in the outer region of said flexible substrate;
• a compliant layer disposed between the first face of said microelectronic element and said flexible substrate, wherein said compliant layer overlies the at least one of said conductive posts that is disposed in the outer region of said flexible substrate, said compliant layer permitting movement of said conductive posts independently of each other in a direction relative to said microelectronic element;
• and
• an encapsulating mold material serving as a rigid protective layer in contact with and covering said microelectronic element and said compliant layer,
• wherein said flexible substrate extends beyond the outer edge of said compliant layer to define a gap, and said encapsulating mold material overlies the outer region of said flexible substrate and fills the gap,
• such that pressing said plurality of conductive posts towards corresponding conductive elements of an external element establishes conductive contact between said tips of said plurality of conductive posts and said corresponding conductive elements by deforming said compliant layer to accommodate at least one of a difference in a height of said tips or a difference in a height of said corresponding conductive elements.