Electronic module having a three dimensional array of carrier-mounted integrated circuit packages

1. A package carrier comprising:

a dielectric body having upper and lower parallel major planar surfaces;

a first mounting pad array affixed to said upper major planar surface, said first mounting pad array sized to receive the leads of a first integrated circuit package;

a second mounting pad array affixed to said lower major planar surface, each pad of said second array coupled to a pad of said first array by means of an internally plated aperture which extends between said upper major planar surface and said lower major surface;

a set of carrier leads, each carrier lead conductively bonded to a pad of said second array, said set of carrier leads spaced and configured for surface mounting on a printed circuit board; and

wherein laminar extensions of said carrier leads serve as a heat sink for a second integrated circuit package which mounts between said printed circuit board and said lower major planar surface.

2. The package carrier of claim 1 , wherein each carrier lead includes a laminar extension which is parallel to and contiguous with said lower major planar surface.

3. The package carrier of claim 1 , wherein only those carrier leads which are designed to be at either ground potential or at supply voltage potential during operation of the first integrated circuit package have laminar extensions which function as heat sinks.

4. The package carrier of claim 1 , wherein said dielectric body is formed from fiberglass-reinforced plastic material.

5. The package carrier of claim 1 , which further comprises at least one pair of capacitor mounting pads on said upper major planar surface, each pair sized and spaced to receive a decoupling capacitor.

6. An electronic circuit module comprising:

a printed circuit board having at least one interconnection pad array affixed thereto;

at least one IC package unit, each having

a package carrier having a dielectric carrier body with upper and lower parallel major planar surfaces, a first mounting pad array affixed to said lower major planar surface, each pad of said second mounting pad array coupled to a pad of said first array by means of an internally plated aperture which extends between said upper and lower major planar surfaces, and a set of carrier leads, each carrier leads conductively bonded to a pad of said second mounting pad array, said set of carrier leads spaced and configured for surface mounting to an interconnection pad array on said printed circuit board;

first and second IC packages, each package having a dielectric package body containing an integrated circuit chip and a plurality of package leads coupled to said chip and extending outwardly from said body, the leads of said first package being conductively bonded to said first mounting pad array, the leads of said second package being conductively bonded to said interconnection pad array; and

wherein unique signals are fed to corresponding leads of said first and second packages by routing at least one of the signals to an unused lead position on the first package, and then rerouting the signal within the carrier body to the appropriate lead on the second package.

7. The electronic circuit module of claim 6 , wherein said carrier body is formed from a semi-rigid polymeric material.

8. The electronic circuit module of claim 6 , wherein laminar extensions of said carrier leads serve as a heat sink for a second integrated circuit package which mounts between said printed circuit board and lower major planar surface.

9. The electronic circuit module of claim 6 , wherein each carrier lead includes a laminar extension which is parallel to and contiguous with said lower major planar surface.

10. The electronic circuit module of claim 6 , wherein only those carrier leads which are designated to be at either ground potential or a supply voltage potential during operation of the first integrated circuit package have laminar extensions which function as head sinks.

11. The electronic circuit module of claim 6 , wherein said carrier leads are C-shaped.

12. The electronic circuit module of claim 6 , wherein said package carrier further comprises at least one pair of capacitor mounting pads on said upper major planar surface, each pair sized and spaced to receive a decoupling capacitor.

13. The electronic circuit module of claim 6 , wherein said dielectric carrier body is formed from fiberglass-reinforced plastic material.

14. The electronic circuit module of claim 6 , wherein at least one pad of said interconnection array is split so that corresponding leads of said first and second packages may receive unique signals.

15. The electronic circuit module of claim 6 , wherein said first and second packages are of the same size and functionally identical.

16. An electronic circuit module comprising:

a printed circuit board having at least one interconnection pad array affixed thereto;

multiple IC package units, each unit having

a package carrier having a dielectric carrier body with upper and lower parallel major planar surfaces, a first mounting pad array affixed to said upper major planar surface, a second mounting pad array affixed to said lower major planar surface, each pad of said second mounting pad array coupled to a pad of said first array by means of an internally plated aperture which extends between said upper and lower major planar surfaces, and a set of carrier leads, each carrier lead conductively bonded to a pad of said second mounting pad array, said set of carrier leads spaced and configured for surface mounting to an interconnection pad array on said printed circuit board;

first and second integrated circuit chips, said first chip being electrically coupled to said first mounting pad array, said second chip being electrically coupled to said interconnection pad; and

wherein said package carrier further comprises at least one pair of capacitor mounting pads on said upper major planar surface, each pair sized and spaced to receive a decoupling capacitor.

17. The electronic circuit module of claim 16 , wherein each integrated circuit chip is encapsulated within a package having a plurality of external leads, and said first chip is coupled to said first mounting pad array via the leads of its encapsulating package, and said second chip is coupled to said interconnection pad array via the leads of its encapsulating package.

18. The electric circuit module of claim 17 , wherein laminar extensions of said carrier leads serve as a heat sink for a second integrated circuit package which mounts between said printed circuit board and said lower major planar surface.

19. The electronic circuit module of claim 17 , wherein only those carrier leads which are designed to be at either the ground potential or at supply voltage potential during operation of the first integrated circuit package have laminar extensions which function as heat sinks.

20. The electronic circuit module of claim 17 , wherein at least one pad of said interconnection array is split so that corresponding leads of said first and second packages may receive unique signals.

21. The electronic circuit module of claim 17 , wherein unique signals are fed to corresponding leads of said first and second packages by routing at least one of the signals to an unused lead position on the first package, and then rerouting the signal within the carrier body to the appropriate lead on the second package.

22. The electronic circuit module of claim 16 , wherein said carrier body is formed from a semi-rigid polymeric material.

23. The electronic circuit module of claim 16 , wherein said carrier lead includes a laminar extension which is parallel to and contiguous with said lower major planar surface.

24. The electronic circuit module of claim 16 , wherein said carrier leads are C-shaped.

25. The electronic circuit module of claim 16 , wherein said dielectric carrier body is formed from fiberglass-reinforced plastic material.