Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings – Hermetic sealed envelope type
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-16
2004-05-18
Ngo, Hung V. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
Hermetic sealed envelope type
C257S686000, C257S675000, C257S676000, C257S692000, C257S738000, C257S713000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06737581
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a configuration of a plurality of circuit modules disposed essentially one above the other approximately in the form of a stack. A respective connecting device is provided for the external electrical bonding of the circuit modules. An electrical connection is at least partially provided between the connecting devices of the circuit modules, and an electrical connection of various connecting devices among one another is respectively formed by essentially direct mechanical and electrical contact of various connecting devices.
In circuit engineering, and, in particular, in semiconductor electronics, it has for some time been endeavored to construct circuit configurations that realize as high a number of components and/or circuit functions as possible in the smallest space. It is accordingly endeavored to keep reducing the size of the corresponding components and circuit functions within the bounds of physical possibilities. Because, in the endeavor, it is not possible to go below certain physical limits, it must be expected that, for each electronic component, there will be a minimum size, based on physical principles, but, under certain circumstances, the minimum size can only be realized in mass production with considerable expenditure in terms of cost.
Ways around the dilemma, ensuring the highest possible utilization of the surface area by corresponding wiring, have accordingly been sought. For instance, it has been proposed, in particular, in the case of semiconductor modules, to dispose chips, or quite generally in the case of circuit modules, to position a plurality of the necessary circuit modules such that they are disposed in layers one above the other in the vertical direction. The stacking, as it is known, of a plurality of circuit modules consequently departs from the two-dimensional plane and package and makes it possible to utilize the third dimension, in the vertical direction, by corresponding packing of a plurality of circuit modules one above the other.
It is often necessary for the circuit modules disposed one above the other to be interconnected. Thus, the connecting devices necessary in each case for the external electrical bonding of the respective circuit modules must also be at least partially electrically and electronically connected to one another by a plurality of connecting elements, i.e., the initially electrically isolated circuit modules must be interconnected by connecting devices that have to be provided. Various concepts for the interconnection have been proposed to interconnect the connecting devices of the respective circuit modules.
The prior art includes, for example, a positioning of circuit modules of various sizes one above the other so that a frustopyramidal structure of circuit modules decreasing in their base area in the vertical direction from the bottom upward is produced and is then disposed as a stack on a corresponding carrier. For interconnection, corresponding wire bonds are then individually led down from each circuit module onto the surface of the common carrier, where the actual electrical bonding with the outside and among the modules is then realized on a corresponding conductive substrate. One disadvantage of such a procedure is that circuit modules of different sizes, i.e., base areas, have to be configured, resulting in a problematical combination of identical modules. Another disadvantage is that respective individual wire bonds have to be formed and pulled, which, although it does not preclude automation of the bonding, makes such an automatic process difficult.
If, on the other hand, circuit modules of an identical size are stacked one above the other, the interconnection of the circuit modules lying at the top by corresponding wire bonds is necessary even if the circuit module disposed at the very bottom can be attached and bonded on the common carrier, for example, by flip-chip technology.
To circumvent such problems, other procedures have also been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,138 to Woodman discloses a configuration of a plurality of circuit modules in which the circuit modules are disposed essentially one above the other, for instance, in a stack. For the external bonding of the circuit modules, in each case a connecting device with a plurality of connecting elements is provided. In the prior art according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,138, the connecting device is realized by respectively disposing the individual chips on a separate carrier, on which the contacts of the chips are then led out through a printed-on circuit configuration to the margin of the carrier, to corresponding contact pins that are disposed in the edge region of the carrier. The respective entireties of contact pins are then electrically bonded and interconnected by a plurality of bonding and interconnecting plates reaching laterally around the stack.
A disadvantage of such a procedure is that each circuit module must, in turn, be placed on a carrier and that the interconnection of the various carriers necessitates the assembly of a multiplicity of individual components because an inherent interconnection of modules is not possible here on account of their natural construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a configuration of a plurality of circuit modules that overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and that interconnects the circuit modules disposed one above the other in a particularly reliable and, nevertheless, simple and low-cost way.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a circuit configuration, including a connection carrier, circuit modules disposed essentially one above another approximately in a stack, each of the circuit modules having a connecting device for externally and electrically bonding the circuit modules, the connecting device having at least one series configuration of connecting elements disposed essentially in a plane, the connecting elements disposed on the connection carrier, and the connecting device of at least one of the circuit modules at least partially electrically connected to another connecting device of at least one different one of the circuit modules in direct mechanical and electrical contact.
In the congeneric configuration of a plurality of circuit modules, the circuit modules are disposed essentially one above the other approximately in the form of a stack. For the external electrical bonding of the circuit modules, in each case a connecting device with a plurality of connecting elements is provided. An electrical connection is at least partially provided between the connecting devices of the circuit modules.
The configuration according to the invention of a plurality of circuit modules is characterized in that an electrical connection of various connecting devices among one another is respectively formed by essentially direct mechanical and electrical contact between connecting elements of various connecting devices.
It is consequently a basic idea of the invention to achieve an electrical contact, and, consequently, an interconnection, of the circuit modules in the configuration of a plurality of circuit modules by the connecting elements of the circuit modules, each of which in themselves form a corresponding connecting device of the circuit module for external electrical bonding. The connecting elements are connected essentially directly to one another and without further bonding devices being interposed or used. If, consequently, circuit modules disposed one above the other have to be interconnected, such interconnection takes place according to the invention by configuring the connecting elements that form the connecting devices of the respective circuit modules such that they can enter essentially directly into contact with one another. The directness is not precluded by a soldering or welding flux being provided for the electrical bond
Greenberg Laurence A.
Infineon - Technologies AG
Mayback Gregory L.
Ngo Hung V.
Stemer Werner H.
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