HIGH SPEED BACKPLANE CONNECTOR
A backplane connector including a substrate and a backplane connector set attached to the substrate. The backplane connector set includes a plurality of interconnect elements each having a conductive trace, a first contact member, and a second contact members matched to the first contact member. The first and second contact members extend beyond perimeter edges of the substrate. A plurality of conductive tie bars retain the interconnect elements in a fixed relationship prior to attachment to the substrate. Additive printing processes can be used to form the conductive traces.
1 . A backplane connector comprising:
a substrate; and
a backplane connector set attached to the substrate, the backplane connector set comprising a plurality of interconnect elements each having a conductive trace, a first contact member; and a second contact members matched to the first contact member, the first and second contact members extending beyond perimeter edges of the substrate, and a plurality of conductive tie bars retaining the interconnect elements in a fixed relationship prior to attachment to the substrate.
2 . The backplane connector of claim 1 wherein a plurality of the first contact members comprises bifurcated beams.
3 . The backplane connector of claim 2 wherein each beam comprises a separate circuit path.
4 . The backplane connector of claim 1 wherein a plurality of the first contact members comprise a plurality of conductive layers.
5 . The backplane connector of claim 4 wherein the plurality of conductive layers are separated by a dielectric layer.
6 . The backplane connector of claim 1 comprising:
a pair of opposing surfaces at distal ends of a plurality of the first contact members; and
solder balls captured between the opposing surfaces.
7 . The backplane connector of claim 1 comprising one or more of a dielectric layer and a shielding layer laminated to at least the conductive traces.
8 . The backplane connector of claim 1 comprising at least one electrical device printed on the substrate and electrically coupled to at least one conductive trace.
9 . A backplane connector assembly comprising:
the backplane connector of claim 1 ;
a first printed circuit board electrically coupled to the first contact members; and
a second printed circuit board electrically coupled to the second contact members.
10 . The backplane connector assembly of claim 9 wherein the first contact members extend into vias in the first printed circuit board.
11 . The backplane connector assembly of claim 9 wherein the second contact members are electrically coupled with blades on an intermediate connector attached to the second printed circuit board.
12 . The backplane connector comprising:
a plurality of recesses in the substrate corresponding to a circuit geometry;
a conductive material deposited in at least a portion of the recesses comprising conductive traces;
a first contact member and a second contact members matched to the first contact member electrically coupled to each conductive trace, the first and second contact members extending beyond perimeter edges of the substrate; and
at least one dielectric covering layer extending over at least the conductive traces.
13 . The backplane connector of claim 12 wherein the conductive material comprises one of sintered conductive particles or a conductive ink.
14 . The backplane connector of claim 12 comprising at least one printed electrical device electrically coupled to at least a portion of the circuit geometry.
15 . The backplane connector of claim 12 wherein the first and second contact members are preformed before being electrically coupled to the circuit traces.
16 . The backplane connector of claim 12 wherein conductive traces in the circuit geometry comprise substantially rectangular cross-sectional shapes.
17 . A method of making a backplane connector comprising the step of:
forming a backplane connector set comprising a plurality of interconnect elements each having a conductive trace, a first contact member; and a second contact member matched to the first contact member, and a plurality of conductive tie bars retaining the interconnect elements in a fixed relationship prior to attachment to the substrate;
attaching the backplane connector set to a substrate so that the first and second contact members extending beyond perimeter edges of the substrate; and
removing the tie bars.
18 . The method of claim 17 comprising the steps of:
forming the first contact members as bifurcated beams; and
displacing the bifurcated beams outward during engagement with blade contacts on a printed circuit board.
19 . The method of claim 18 wherein each beam comprises a separate circuit path.
20 . The method of claim 17 comprising forming the first contact members as a multi-layered structure.
21 . The method of claim 17 comprising capturing a solder ball between a pair of opposing surfaces at distal ends of the first contact members.
22 . The method of claim 17 comprising printing at least one electrical device electrically coupled to at least one conductive trace.
23 . A method of making a backplane connector comprising the steps of:
forming a plurality of recesses in a substrate corresponding to target conductive traces;
printing a conductive material in at least a portion of the recesses comprising a conductive traces;
attaching matched pairs of first and second contact members to each conductive trace such that the first and second contact members extend beyond perimeter edges of the substrate; and
printing at least one dielectric covering layer over at least the conductive traces.