IP Library Patent Application 18238952
Patent Application
App. No. 18/238,952

INTERPOSER FOR TROUBLESHOOTING A BALL GRID ARRAY (BGA) DEVICE AND COUPLING THE BGA DEVICE TO A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD WITH LIMITED HEAT EXPOSURE

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
18/238,952
Abstract

Interposers for coupling a ball grid array (BGA) device to a printed circuit board (PCB) and related methods are provided. One such method involves aligning a first array of conductive rings on a flexible substrate of the interposer with ball pads of a BGA device, coupling the first conductive rings to the ball pads, aligning a second array of conductive rings on the flexible substrate with connectors of a first PCB including an array of connectors, and coupling the second conductive rings to the array of connectors of the first PCB. One such interposer assembly includes a flexible substrate, a first array of conductive rings on the flexible substrate, wherein the first conductive rings is attached to an array of ball pads of a BGA device, a second array of conductive rings on the flexible substrate, and conductive traces connecting the first and second conductive rings.

Claims (55)

1 . A method for connecting an interposer, comprising:

aligning a first array of conductive rings on a flexible substrate of the interposer with ball pads of a ball grid array device;

coupling the first array of conductive rings to the ball pads of the ball grid array device;

aligning a second array of conductive rings on the flexible substrate of the interposer with connectors of a first printed circuit board comprising an array of connectors for coupling to the ball grid array device; and

coupling the second array of conductive rings to the array of connectors of the first printed circuit board.

2 . The method for connecting an interposer of claim 1 , further comprising:

removing, before aligning the first array of conductive rings in the flexible substrate with the ball pads on the ball grid array device, the ball grid array device from a second printed circuit board;

removing, after removing the ball grid array device from the second printed circuit board and before aligning the first array of conductive rings in the flexible substrate with the ball pads on the ball grid array device, one or more of a plurality of solder balls on the ball pads; and

testing, responsive to the second array of conductive rings being coupled to the printed circuit board, the ball grid array device.

3 . The method for connecting an interposer of claim 2 :

wherein the removing the ball grid array device from the second printed circuit board comprises removing the ball grid array device from the second printed circuit board without using a machine that generates evenly dispersed heat; and

wherein the coupling the first array of conductive rings to the ball pads of the ball grid array device comprises coupling the first array of conductive rings to the ball pads of the ball grid array device without using a machine that generates evenly dispersed heat.

4 . The method for connecting an interposer of claim 1 , wherein the coupling the first array of conductive rings to the ball pads of the ball grid array device comprises coupling the first array of conductive rings to the ball pads of the ball grid array device using a soldering iron.

5 . The method for connecting an interposer of claim 1 :

wherein the coupling the first array of conductive rings to the ball pads of the ball grid array device further comprises:

applying solder paste and heat to at least one conductive ring in the first array of conductive rings to electrically bond the conductive rings to respective ball pad of the ball grid array device; and

wherein the coupling the second array of conductive rings to the connectors of the printed circuit board further comprises:

applying solder paste and heat to at least one conductive ring in the second array of conductive rings to electrically bond the second array of conductive rings to respective connectors of the first printed circuit board.

6 . The method for connecting an interposer of claim 1 , wherein a first pattern of the first array of conductive rings on the flexible substrate and a second pattern of the second array of conductive rings on the flexible substrate are substantially the same.

7 . The method for connecting an interposer of claim 1 , wherein each conductive ring in the first array of conductive rings and each conductive ring in the second array of conductive rings comprises:

a conductive material coated on walls formed by a bole through the flexible substrate, wherein the conductive material comprises a cylindrical hole and thereby forms the conductive ring at a surface of the flexible substrate.

8 . The method for connecting an interposer of claim 1 :

wherein coupling the first array of conductive rings to the ball pads of the ball grid array device further comprises attaching the ball grid array device to the flexible substrate using a solder paste; and

wherein coupling the second array of conductive rings to the connectors of the printed circuit board further comprises attaching the flexible substrate to the printed circuit board using the solder paste.

9 . An interposer assembly, comprising:

a flexible substrate;

a first array of conductive rings formed in a first pattern on the flexible substrate, wherein the first array of conductive rings is attached to an array of ball pads of a ball grid array device such that at least one conductive ring of the first array of conductive rings is attached to one ball pad of the array of ball pads;

a second array of conductive rings formed in a second pattern on the flexible substrate; and

a plurality of conductive traces connecting conductive rings of the first array to conductive rings of the second array.

10 . The interposer assembly of claim 9 , wherein the interposer does not include a planar conductive pad that extends along a surface of the interposer and is configured to couple to a connector of a ball grid array device.

11 . The interposer assembly of claim 9 , wherein the array of ball pads does not include solder balls.

12 . The interposer assembly of claim 9 , wherein the ball grid array device is a solid-state device comprising a non-volatile memory.

13 . The interposer assembly of claim 9 :

wherein the first pattern on the flexible substrate and the second pattern on the flexible substrate are substantially the same; and

wherein the first pattern on the flexible substrate is selected to match a ball pattern of the ball grid array device.

14 . The interposer assembly of claim 9 :

wherein the second array of conductive rings is configured to couple to connectors of a printed circuit board; and

wherein the second array of conductive rings formed in the second pattern on the flexible substrate is selected to match a connection pattern of the connectors of the printed circuit board.

15 . The interposer assembly of claim 9 , wherein each conductive ring in the first array of conductive rings and each conductive ring in the second array of conductive rings comprises:

a conductive material coated on walls formed by a hole through the flexible substrate, wherein the conductive material comprises a cylindrical hole and thereby forms the conductive ring at a surface of the flexible substrate.

16 . The interposer assembly of claim 15 , wherein each cylindrical hole of the conductive material is configured to receive and facilitate spread of solder paste.

17 . The interposer assembly of claim 9 , wherein each conductive ring of the first array of conductive rings is attached to a corresponding ball pad of the array of ball pads of the ball grid array.

18 . The interposer assembly of claim 17 , wherein a center of each conductive ring of the first array of conductive rings is substantially aligned with a center of the corresponding ball pad of the array of ball pads of the ball grid array.

19 . A method for connecting an interposer comprising a flexible substrate comprising first and second arrays of conductive rings, the method comprising:

aligning the second array of conductive rings on the flexible substrate of the interposer with connectors of a first printed circuit board comprising an array of connectors for coupling to a ball grid array device;

coupling the second array of conductive rings to the array of connectors of the first printed circuit board;

aligning the first array of conductive rings on the flexible substrate of the interposer with ball pads of a ball grid array device; and

coupling the first array of conductive rings to the ball pads of the ball grid array device.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

removing, before aligning the first array of conductive rings on the flexible substrate of the interposer with ball pads on the ball grid array device, the ball grid array device from a second printed circuit board;

removing, after removing the ball grid array device from the second printed circuit board and before aligning the first array of conductive rings in the flexible substrate with the ball pads on the ball grid array device, one or more of a plurality of solder balls on the ball pads; and

testing, responsive to the first array of conductive rings being coupled to the ball grid array device, the ball grid array device.

21 . The method of claim 20 :

wherein the removing the ball grid array device from the second printed circuit board comprises removing the ball grid array device from the second printed circuit board without using a machine that generates evenly dispersed heat; and

wherein the coupling the first array of conductive rings to the ball pads of the ball grid array device comprises coupling the first array of conductive rings to the ball pads of the ball grid array device without using a machine that generates evenly dispersed heat.

Assignments (8)
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTERESTS Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 071382/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071050/0001 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 23, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS THE AGENT
Reel/Frame 068762/0494 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 27, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 067982/0032 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 29, 2024
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 067567/0682 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - DDTL Recorded Nov 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 065657/0158 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT- A&R Recorded Nov 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 065656/0649 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2023
From: TSUR, NADAV; AKERMAN, IGOR; SOMMER, YAIR; SHANI, AVI ZEEV
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 064733/0137 →