Electronic package with compliant electrically-conductive ball interconnect
View Patent ↗An electronic device comprises a device substrate, a plurality of compliant electrically-conductive balls, and a plurality of solder joints that couple the compliant electrically-conductive balls to the device substrate by a reflow process.
1. An electronic device comprising:
a device substrate;
a plurality of compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls comprising balls formed from an elastomer matrix embedded with electrically-conductive metal particles the compliant elastomeric electrically conductive balls constructed from an elastomer with embedded conductive metal and enclosed in conductive metal plating; and
a plurality of solder joints reflow-coupling the compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls to the device substrate.
2. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a plurality of conductive pads coupled to the device substrate and coupling the plurality of compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls to the device substrate in combination with the solder joint plurality.
3. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a device die coupled to the device substrate; and
a cap coupled to the device substrate enclosing the device die in position abutting the device substrate.
4. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a printed circuit board; and
a plurality of solder joints coupling the plurality of compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls to the printed circuit board.
5. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a printed circuit board; and
a plurality of conductive pads coupled to the printed circuit board and configured to electrically couple to the plurality of compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls on application of a compressive force compressing the device substrate against the printed circuit board.
6. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a plurality of conductive pads coupled to the device substrate; and
a plurality of solder joints permanently coupling the plurality of compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls to the plurality of conductive pads on the device substrate, the plurality of solder joints being formed by pre-applying solder paste on the conductive pads, placing the compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls on the solder paste and reflowing at a high temperature to melt the solder paste.
7. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising:
a metal layer coated onto the compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls.
8. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising:
the compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls have shapes selected from among a group of shapes consisting of spheroid, ellipsoid, ovoid, discoid, tubular, and cylindrical shapes.
9. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising:
the compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls have mutually uniform shapes selected from among a group of shapes consisting of spheroid, ellipsoid, ovoid, discoid, tubular, and cylindrical shapes.
10. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising:
the compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls constructed from conductive material.
11. An electronic system comprising:
a housing;
a printed circuit board mounted in the housing;
at least one integrated circuit mounted in the housing comprising:
an integrated circuit substrate;
a plurality of conductive pads coupled to the integrated circuit substrate;
a plurality of compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls comprising balls formed from an elastomer matrix embedded with electrically-conductive metal particles the compliant elastomeric electrically conductive balls constructed from an elastomer with embedded conductive metal and enclosed in conductive metal plating;
a plurality of solder joints reflow-coupling the compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls to the conductive pads on the electronic circuit substrate; and
an integrated circuit die coupled to the integrated circuit substrate.
12. The electronic system according to claim 11 further comprising:
a connection adapted to electrically couple the at least one integrated circuit to the printed circuit board, the connection optionally selected from:
a plurality of solder joints coupling the plurality of compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls to the printed circuit board; and
a clamp configured to compress at least one integrated circuit against the printed circuit board whereby the plurality of compliant elastomeric electrically-conductive balls are electrically coupled to the printed circuit board.