EP0213774B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Anisotropically electrically conductive article
Assignee: Raychem Ltd
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Filing: 1986-08-04
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Granted: 1991-10-23
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Expires: 2006-08-04
Abstract
Abstract Low tortuosity porous polymer sheets (25 to 2000 pores per square millimetre) with metal plated in the pores so as to project beyond sheet surfaces provide uniaxial electrical interconnects. A first "flash" layer of metal is electrolessly plated in the pores and the "flash" coating of metal is then removed from the sheet surface to isolate the pores electrically from one another. Further plating is then applied only to the already plated pore surfaces to fill the pores and/or project beyond the sheet surface. Solder may fill the plated pores. Polymer layers may be removed from the sheets to expose the metal in the pores. The articles are useful in making electrical connections to the contact pads of microcircuits during testing and assembly into electronic devices.
Inventors
- 👤 Leo Gulvad Svendsen
- 👤 Nigel Robert Bates
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 18:54
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R12/00; H01R12/70; H01R12/71; H01R12/712; H01R12/714; H01B; H01B1/00; H01B1/20; H01B1/22; H10; H10W; H10W70/00; H10W70/60; H10W70/62; H10W70/63; H10W70/635; H01R13/00; H01R13/02; H01R13/22; H01R13/24; H01R13/2407; H01R13/2414
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
110 words
A anisotropically electrically conductive article comprising porous electrically insulating sheet material of 8 to 800 micrometres thickness at least a selected portion of which has a plurality of substantially non-interconnected pores of 1 to 200 micrometres diameter formed therein by laser ablation, which pores individually contain a tubular formation of electrically conductive material which tubular formation, and/or further electrically conductive material at least partly positioned within the tubular formation, projects beyond at least one of the main surfaces of the sheet material and provides an electrically conductive path between the main surfaces of the sheet material and each such path is electrically separate from substantially all the other such paths.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
24 words
An article according to claim 1, having at least 4 of the said pores per square millimetre in the selected portion of its surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
An article according to claim 2, wherein the sheet material has 25 to 2000 pores per square millimetre in the selected portion of its surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
An article according to any preceding claim, wherein the conductive material in at least some of the said pores comprises a tubular first portion of electrically conductive material in contact with the pore interior surface, and a second portion of material in contact with the interior surface of the tube provided by the first portion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
An article according to claim 4, wherein the second portion of material is also tubular.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
An article according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the material of the said second portion is different from the electrically conductive material of the said first portion.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
An article according to any preceding claim, wherein electrically conductive metal, fusible alloy or solder is within the tube provided by the tubular electrically conductive material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
68 words
An article according to any preceding claim, wherein the conductive material in at least some of the said pores comprises a first portion of electrically conductive material in contact with the interior pore surface, and a second portion of electrically conductive material on at least one of the end surfaces of the first portion, at least the second portion projecting beyond at least one of the sheet surfaces.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
An article according to any preceding claim, wherein the said pores have a tortuosity less than 3, preferably less than 1.2.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
36 words
An article according to any preceding claim, wherein electrically insulating material has been removed from one or both main surfaces of the sheet material to expose portions of the electrically conductive material originally within the pores.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
30 words
An article according to any preceding claim, wherein the electrically insulating sheet material includes a closed cell porous structure in addition to the said pores containing the elecrically conductive material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
An article according to any preceding claim, wherein the said pores are 5 to 200, preferably 5 to 150, micrometres in diameter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
An article according to any preceding claim, wherein the said tubular formation is formed of metal, preferably plated metal.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
85 words
A method of making an article according to any of the preceding claims comprising: (a) applying a first portion of electrically conductive material to the interior surface of the pores in at least a selected portion of an appropriate porous electrically insulating sheet material, (b) removing any electrically conductive material from at least selected areas of the opposed main surfaces of the sheet material, and (c) applying a second portion of electrically conductive material to at least part of the surface of the first portion.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 14, comprising the additional step of removing electrically insulating material from one of both main surfaces of the sheet material so as to expose portions of the electrically conductive material originally within the pores.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 14 or 15, including the preliminary step of forming the said pores in the sheet material by laser ablation.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
41 words
An electrical device in which one or more temporary or permanent electrical connections are made by contact with the opposite ends of the electrically conductive material located in the pores of an article according to any of claims 1 to 13.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
55 words
A process for testing semiconductive integrated circuit chips, wherein testing circuitry is temporarily electrically connected to an unbonded chip by contact of connection sites of the testing circuitry and the chip respectively with opposite ends of the electrically conductive material located in the pores of an article according to any of claims 1 to 13.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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