Die package for connection to a substrate

1. A die package comprising:

a housing for holding a microelectronic die;

a plurality of electrically conductive leads held in said housing, each of said leads including a flexible, external portion projecting externally from said housing; and

a shroud attached to said housing over said leads, said shroud having at least one opening which provides access to said leads, said shroud having a slot for receiving a substrate such that, when the substrate is received in said slot, the external portions of said leads flexibly contact the substrate, said leads being flexible in a plane orthogonal to the substrate to bring at least one conductive element on the surface of the substrate in an electrical contact with said lead, to form an electrical connection between said plurality of leads and the substrate, said shroud concealing said leads, the electrical connection, and a portion of the substrate received by said shroud.

2. A die package according to claim 1 , wherein said electrically conductive leads are held in said housing in two vertically-spaced rows.

3. A die package according to claim 1 , further comprising a microelectronic die housed in said housing, said microelectronic die comprising a microdisplay die, said microdisplay die being electrically coupled to an interior portion of said electrically conductive leads disposed within said housing.

4. A die package according to claim 1 , wherein said leads are mechanically held in a sidewall of said housing.

5. A die package according to claim 4 , wherein said slot is disposed to receive the substrate such that an edge of the substrate received in said slot faces a sidewall of said housing.

6. A die package according to claim 1 , wherein each said external lead portion includes a contact portion for establishing an electrical contact to the substrate.

7. A die package according to claim 6 , wherein said shroud further includes an opening transverse to said slot and opposite said contact portions of said leads, wherein when the substrate is received in said slot, the substrate is held between said contact portions and said opening.

8. A die package according to claim 6 , wherein said slot intersects said contact portions of said leads.

9. A die package according to claim 8 , wherein each said contact portion includes an angled surface facing an opening of said slot which first receives the substrate, wherein the angled surface angles away from the opening so that, when the substrate is received in said slot, an edge of the substrate abuts the angled surface, flexes the external portion of said lead away from said slot, and slides past said angled surface.

10. A die package according to claim 1 , wherein said shroud is detachable from said housing.

11. A die package according to claim 1 , wherein said housing includes a plurality of arms for receiving said shroud, said arms extending from a sidewall of said housing.

12. A die package according to claim 11 , wherein each of said arms include a groove, and said shroud includes tongues for insertion into said grooves.

13. A die package according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a printed circuit board.

14. A die package according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a flexible circuit board.

15. A die package according to claim 14 , wherein the flexible circuit board includes a stiffener.

16. A die package according to claim 1 , wherein said housing holds a plurality of microelectronic dies.

17. A die package according to claim 1 , further comprising a microelectronic die, wherein said microelectronic die comprises a light-producing display die.

18. A die package according to claim 1 , further comprising a microelectronic die, wherein said microelectronic die comprises a data collection device die that collects data based on light sensitivity.

19. A die package according to claim 1 , wherein the shroud is sized in relation to the substrate to provide a low insertion force to insert the substrate into the shroud.

20. A die package according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one projection on the shroud, the at least one projection snapping into at least one notch in the housing.

21. A die package according to claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprising at least one dam.

22. A die package according to claim 1 , further comprising, at least one hole in a ledge on a plate on the die package.

23. A die package according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one voltage plane.

24. A die package comprising:

a housing for holding a microelectronic die, said housing having at least one first retention element;

a plurality of electrically conductive leads held in said housing, each of said plurality of leads including a flexible, external portion projecting externally from said housing;

a shroud attached to said housing over said plurality of leads, said shroud having at least one second retention element;

said first and second retention elements being cooperative to retain said shroud on said housing in position over said plurality of leads; and

said shroud having a slot for receiving a substrate such that, when the substrate is received in said slot, the external portions of said plurality of leads flexibly contact the substrate, said plurality of leads being flexible in a plane orthogonal to the substrate to bring at least one conductive element on the surface of the substrate in an electrical contact with one of said plurality of leads, to form an electrical connection between said plurality of leads and the substrate, said shroud concealing said plurality of leads, the electrical connection, and a portion of the substrate received by said shroud.

25. The die package of claim 24 wherein said shroud further includes at least one opening which provides access to said leads.