Electrical connections with shaped contacts
US5354205A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 23, 1993 |
| Grant date | Oct 11, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 23, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/49158
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Shaped contacts (40,42) for interconnecting circuits or for use in an integrated circuit test probe are electroplated as integral parts of circuit traces (34) upon a stainless steel mandrel (10). A shaped, hardened steel indentation tool (16,18,26,28) makes indentations (24a,24b) of predetermined shape in the surface of the mandrel (10), which is provided with a pattern of dielectric, such as Teflon (12), or photoresist. Areas of the steel mandrel, including the indentations (24a,24b), are electroplated with a pattern of conductive material (34,36,38), and a dielectric substrate (32) is laminated to the conductive material. The circuit features formed by the indentations define raised contacts of a conical (18) or pyramidal (28) shape, having free ends with a small area that allows higher pressures to be applied to a surface against which the contacts are pressed. This enables the contacts to penetrate foreign materials, such as oxides, that may form on the surface of the pads (56,58), to which the contacts are to be connected to ensure a good contact without any need for wiping action. The projecting contacts can also be pressed into plated holes (82,84) in a substrate, such as a …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.