Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-12
2001-10-23
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S620040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305987
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated module that includes a pluggable connector for interfacing with a signal source and a semiconductor die package.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor die or chip is an electrical component on which a microcircuit is built. The microcircuits can be interconnected together on a printed circuit board to form larger electrical circuits for use in computers, televisions, routers and various appliances, to name just a few. To permit the aforementioned devices to communicate with other devices, a signal received from a remote location is generally transmitted through an interface to the printed circuit board on which one or more semiconductor chips containing active components, such as transistors, are mounted. With computers and other data processing equipment, increases in speed lead to expanded capabilities in graphics, communications, and database applications, to name just a few.
In conventional electronic systems, the length of the wiring path between the interface or connector at which a remote signal is received and the active components within the microcircuit contained on the semiconductor chip contributes to signal noise and a reduction in the operation speed of the electronic system. As the operation speeds of IC dies increase, the propagation delay of signals passing between an interface at which the signals are received from a remote source and the IC dies in the electronic system becomes significant.
The assembly of conventional electronic systems including one or more connectors and semiconductor chips is complex and requires great precision in the placement of connectors providing the interface with incoming signals relative to the printed circuit board or substrate on which the connector is mounted. A standard modular jack-type connector may have 4, 8 or another number of internal electrically-conductive pins that extend through the connector and must be precisely positioned on pads at the ends of wire paths on a printed circuit board. One or more semiconductor chips may also be electrically connected to the printed circuit board.
Multi-chip modules, which are sometimes referred to as multi-chip carriers, have been proposed as a way to miniaturize electronic systems. Multi-chip modules are semiconductor die carriers that house multiple semiconductor IC dies. The multi-chip modules generally include an insulative housing that protects and supports the IC dies and a plurality of leads that extend from the housing to couple electrical signals to and from the IC dies.
The semiconductor die package includes a housing that holds the semiconductor die and conductive leads or pins that extend from the bottom or sides of the housing. The conductive leads are electrically connected to the semiconductor die within the housing. The outside ends of the leads are soldered to conductive paths on the printed circuit board. This secures the semiconductor die package to the printed circuit board and permits electrical signals to pass between the semiconductor die and other components on the printed circuit board.
In a conventional semiconductor die package, the housing encases the semiconductor die to prevent damage to the semiconductor die from exposure to the environment. The housing may be hermetically sealed, encased in plastic, or otherwise sealed against the environment.
A standard interface or connector for sending and receiving a signal from a remote source, receiving power, and transmitting the signal and the power to a printed circuit board includes modular jacks such as a RJ-45 type modular jack. In a typical application, such a standard modular jack is mounted on a printed circuit board and electrically connected through wire leads formed by conventional processes on the printed circuit board to a semiconductor chip that is wire bonded to pads on the printed circuit board at the ends of the wire leads. In addition to the detrimental effect on operation speed caused by the length of the wire path between the modularjack and the semiconductor chip, the manufacture of such conventional electronic systems is also complex and costly because of the requirement to position the standard modular jack and the semiconductor chips in the exact right position relative to the wire leads formed on the printed circuit board and as a result of the multiple components.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has as an object to provide a simple and economical means of bringing the computing power of an integrated circuit or semiconductor chip close to an interface or detachable connector in an easily manufactured integrated module.
A further object of the present invention is to combine a housing for a semiconductor chip with a standard modular type connector in a manner that ensures the proper positioning of the modular connector and the semiconductor chip relative to each other for proper electrical connection therebetween.
Yet another object of the invention is to improve the signal quality received by an integrated circuit while minimizing signal distortion resulting from the length of electrical path between the connector or interface and the integrated circuit.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention comprises an integrated module having a connector for detachable connection to a signal source and a housing defining a cavity for holding at least one semiconductor die. The connector includes internal electrically conductive pins. The housing includes a plurality of insulative side walls and an end plate joined to the side walls. A plurality of electrically conductive leads extend through at least one of the side walls, with each of the leads including an internal lead section extending within the cavity of the housing and an external lead section extending externally of the cavity through the at least one side wall.
The invention further includes one of the side walls of the housing being connected with a portion of the connector, either as one unitary molded component or as two separate components that are joined by ultrasonic welding or other similar processes.
Some or all of the internal lead sections can be electrically connected to at least one semiconductor die or integrated circuit die mounted on the end plate within the housing.
In one preferred embodiment, the cavity in the housing on the integrated module is further defined between the insulated side walls, the end plate and an upper printed circuit board extending in substantially parallel, spaced relationship to the end plate, and supported on pegs protruding upwardly from at least one of the side walls and the end plate. In this embodiment, electrically conductive pins of the connector can be electrically connected to a first portion of the upper printed circuit board, with a group of the electrically conductive leads that extend through one of the side walls of the housing being electrically connected to a second portion of the upper printed circuit board.
In another preferred embodiment, the end plate can be formed from a heat sink material, such as copper. An electromagnetic shielding material can be provided around the outer periphery of the connector and the housing. The electromagnetic shielding material can be connected with the end plate in order to act as a heat spreader for heat generated by operation of electrical components on the at least one semiconductor die contained within the housing.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5071363 (1991-12-01), Reylek et al.
patent: 5081563 (1992-01-01), Feng et al.
patent: 5330372 (1994-07-01), Pope et al.
patent: 5376825 (1994-12-01), Tukamoto et al.
patent: 5403784 (1995-04-01), Hashemi et al.
patent: 5406450 (1995-04-01), Shieh
pa
Crane, Jr. Stanford W.
Dutta Arindum
Krishnapura Lakshminarasimha
Hyeon Hae Moon
Morgan & Lewis & Bockius, LLP
Silicon Bandwidth Inc.
Sircus Brian
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