Method and structure for a 3D wire block
View Patent ↗The present invention provides for a structure and a mechanism by which by utilizing additive manufacturing processes electrical connections are created that connect the top and bottom of a block in a customizable pattern. Specifically connection points can be created on the surface of the block and route them to alternate locations transforming the original pattern to a smaller, larger, or alternate pattern.
1. A method for forming an electrical interconnect mechanism, the steps comprising:
depositing metal to form a plane having a programmed shape through a process that adds material rather than removes it to form a metal plane by a 3D forming;
extending wires of programmed geometries from said formed metal plane and extending said wires to programmed locations in three dimensional space, and
adding a dielectric to fill on top of said metal plane encompassing all of said metal wires and curing said dielectric to form one or more substrates, removing said metal plane from said one or more substrates by a secondary process thereby producing a finished block having separate isolated paths that provides one or more electrical connections to different spots on said one or more substrates.
2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said process that adds material rather than removes it for forming said metal plane is by laser sintering.
3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said dielectric is an epoxy material added to fill in the gaps in said metal.
4. The method according to claim 3 wherein said dielectric can include air gaps added to said substrates by not allowing said dielectric to fill certain areas.
5. The method according to claim 1 where once the dielectric material is filled in and said metal plane is removed by a secondary process of one of grinding, etching, laser cutting, or milling.
6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of providing a simple straight wire that can be arranged at any angle for a point to point connection.
7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising shaping a wire with curves to aid in routing the wires within the block.
8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising making multiple stair-step elevation changes in the wire to route within the block.
9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising merging separate wires into joined larger wires to reduce resistivity, modify inductance, modify capacitance, or simplify construction.
10. The method according to claim 1 further comprising providing coaxial transmission line structures waveguide, or other impedance controlled structures.
11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising providing additional mechanical structures for providing support can be built into said electrical interconnect mechanism by providing holes for a lid of said structure and a latching mechanism for said lid thereby reducing steps in construction of said structure compared with traditional processes.
12. The method according to claim 1 further comprising using a socket to scale in a larger pitch pad pattern into a finer package size wherein by adding an interconnect material an integrated circuits chip can be socketed to a board or other interconnect device.
13. The method according to claim 12 wherein said interconnect material can be either a sheet of conductive elastomeric columns, spring pins, or other compliance interconnect device.
14. The method according to claim 1 wherein said structure has an internal frame having an alignment within a tolerance accuracy to the wires within the block so that mechanical connection features such as screw holes or clips increases strength of the overall block, improving the strength of the solid dielectric and permitting modification of the temperature expansion properties of the block.
15. The method according to claim 1 wherein an elastomeric column connects the 3D wire block to a PCB and the socket holds spring pins which provide compliance to electrically connect the DUT ( 8 ) to the wire block thereby permitting the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) to be manufactured at a larger via pitch when compared to the Device Under Test (DUT) pitch so that it provides a quick and easy manufacturing of said Printed Circuit Board (PCB).
16. A method for forming an electrical interconnect mechanism, the steps comprising:
depositing metal to form a plane; programmed shape through a process that adds material rather than removes it to form a metal plane by a 3 D forming;
extending wires of programmed geometries from said formed metal plane and extending said wires to programmed locations in three dimensional space, and
adding a dielectric; to fill on top of said metal plane encompassing all of said metal wires and curing said dielectric to form one or more substrates, removing said metal plane from said one or more substrates by a secondary process thereby producing a finished block having separate isolated paths that provides one or more electrical connections to different spots on said one or more substrates.
17. The method according to claim 16 wherein said metal plane is formed by said 3 D formatting by one of either a 3 D printer, material jetting, binder jetting, material extrusion, powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, or sheet lamination.
18. An electrical interconnect apparatus formed by the process comprising the steps of:
depositing metal to form a plane, programmed shape through a process that adds material rather than removes it to form a metal plane by a 3 D forming;
extending wires of programmed geometries from said formed metal plane and extending said wires to programmed locations in three dimensional space, and
adding a dielectric, to fill on top of said metal plane encompassing all of said metal wires and curing said dielectric to form one or more substrates, removing said metal plane from said one or more substrates by a secondary process thereby producing a finished block having separate isolated paths that provides one or more electrical connections to different spots on said one or more substrates.
19. The apparatus according to claim 18 further comprising:
said extended wires are simple straight wires that can be arranged at any angle for a point to point connection.
20. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said extended wires are shaped with curves to aid in routing the wires within the block.
21. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said wires are shaped with multiple stair-step elevation patterns as said wires are routed within the block.
22. The apparatus according to claim 18 further comprising said wires include separate wires merged into joined larger wires to reduce resistivity, modify inductance, modify capacitance, or simplify construction.
23. The apparatus according to claim 18 further comprising coaxial transmission line structures waveguide, or other impedance controlled structures.
24. The apparatus according to claim 18 further comprising additional mechanical structures that support and are built into said electrical interconnect apparatus including a structure having a lid having a hole and a latching mechanism for said lid thereby reducing steps in construction of said structure compared with traditional processes.
25. The apparatus according to claim 18 further comprising a socket, said socket scaling a larger pitch pad pattern into a finer package size thereby permitting an integrated circuits chip to be socketed to a board or other interconnect device by adding an interconnect material.
26. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said interconnect material can be either a sheet of conductive elastomeric columns, spring pins, or other compliance interconnect device.
27. The apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said structure has an internal frame having an alignment within a tolerance accuracy to said wires within said block so that mechanical connection features including screw holes or clips increase strength of said block, improving the strength of the solid dielectric and permitting modification of the temperature expansion properties of the block.
28. The apparatus according to claim 18 further comprising:
an elastomeric column connected between said block and a PCB, and
said socket includes spring pins, held therein, that provide compliance for an electrically connection from said DUT to said block thereby permitting the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) to be manufactured at a larger via pitch when compared to the Device Under Test (DUT) pitch so that it provides a quick and easy manufacturing of said the Printed Circuit Board (PCB).