US4567545A — Integrated circuit module and method of making sa…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 190 words

An inetgrated circuit module adapted to connect an IC chip to a printed circuit board edge connector, comprising: a nonconductive substantially planar circuit board substrate having first and second surfaces and a contact edge for connection to the printed circuit board edge connector; a conductive lead frame having a first set of leads laminated to the first surface of the substrate and a second set of leads wrapped around an edge of the substrate and laminated to the second surface of the substrate, said first and second set of leads having inner tips for connection to the IC chip and outer contact ends for contacting the printed circuit board edge connector; wherein the contact ends of the first set of leads are laminated to the first surface of the substrate in spaced relation along the contact edge, and the contact ends of the second set of leads are laminated to the second surface of the substrate in spaced relation long the contact edge; and whereby the contact ends of the first and second set of leads are presented along the contact edge for contacting the printed circuit board edge connector.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 190 words

An inetgrated circuit module adapted to connect an IC chip to a printed circuit board edge connector, comprising: a nonconductive substantially planar circuit board substrate having first and second surfaces and a contact edge for connection to the printed circuit board edge connector; a conductive lead frame having a first set of leads laminated to the first surface of the substrate and a second set of leads wrapped around an edge of the substrate and laminated to the second surface of the substrate, said first and second set of leads having inner tips for connection to the IC chip and outer contact ends for contacting the printed circuit board edge connector; wherein the contact ends of the first set of leads are laminated to the first surface of the substrate in spaced relation along the contact edge, and the contact ends of the second set of leads are laminated to the second surface of the substrate in spaced relation long the contact edge; and whereby the contact ends of the first and second set of leads are presented along the contact edge for contacting the printed circuit board edge connector.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 38 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 1 wherein the lead frame further includes a shield means laminated to the second surface of the substrate and positioned beneath the inner tips of the leads for shielding the IC chip.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 34 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 1 wherein the contact ends of the leads are wider than the remaining portions of the leads thereby providing a larger contact surface for contacting the electrical connector.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 38 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 1 further including: an IC chip; means for electrically connecting the IC chip to the inner tips of the leads in the lead frame; and means for hermetically sealing the IC chip.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 52 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 4 wherein: the means for hermetically sealing the IC chip comprises an encapsulating medium surrounding the IC chip; and the first surface of the substrate includes a depression formed therein which receives the portion of the encapsulating medium which lies below the first set of leads.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 41 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 1 wherein: the first surface of the substrate contains a depression for holding the IC chip; and the inner tips of the leads are bent into the depression in the first surface of the substrate.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 45 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 6 further including: an IC chip mounted within the depression; means for electrically connecting the IC chip to the inner tips of the leads in the lead frame; and means for hermetically sealing the IC chip within the depression.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 33 words

The integrted circuit module of claim 7 wherein: the lead frame further includes an IC mounting base bent down into the depression; and the IC chip is mounted on the IC mounting base.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 61 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 7 wherein: the IC chip and the means for electrically connecting the IC chip lie entirely within the depression; and the means for hermetically sealing the IC chip comprises a sealing member positioned over the top of the depression and hermetically sealed to the first surface of the substrate around the perimeter of the depression.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 64 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 9 wherein the sealing member comprises: a conductive plate connected to a lead of the lead frame and hermetically sealed around the perimeter of the depression with a non conductive adhesive to prevent contact between the conductive plate and the remaining leads of the lead frame; and a nonconductive filling material, filling the depression below the conductive plate.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 59 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 9 wherein: the depression contains a first level and a second level; the inner tips of the leads are bent down into the depression and laminated to the first level; and the IC chip is mounted on the second level with its upper surface substantially coplanar with the inner tips of the leads.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 43 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 11 wherein: the lead frame further includes an IC mounting base bent down into the depression and mounted on the second level; and the IC chip is mounted on the IC mounting base with a conductive material.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 22 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 1 wherein the leads are laminated to the first surface of the substrate with an adhesive.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 37 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 1 wherein the conductive lead frame pattern is printed onto the surface of a nonconductive film with a conductive material, said film being laminated to the first surface of the substrate.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 185 words

A method of fabricating an integrated circuit module adapted to connect an IC chip to a printed circuit board edge connector comprising the steps of: (a) forming a nonconductive substantially planar circuit board substrate having first and second surfaces and a contact edge for connection to the printed circuit board edge connector; (b) positioning a conductive lead frame having first and second sets of leads with inner tips for connection to the IC chip and outer contact ends for contacting the printed circuit board edge connector on the first surface of the substrate with the contact ends of the first set of leads in spaced relation along the contact edge of the substrate; (c) laminating the first set of leads to the first surface of the substrate; (d) wrapping the second set of leads around a noncontact edge of the substrate; (e) positioning the second set of leads on the second surface with the contact ends of the second set in spaced relation along the contact edge of the substrate; and (f) laminating the second set of leads to the second surface of the substrate.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 185 words

A method of fabricating an integrated circuit module adapted to connect an IC chip to a printed circuit board edge connector comprising the steps of: (a) forming a nonconductive substantially planar circuit board substrate having first and second surfaces and a contact edge for connection to the printed circuit board edge connector; (b) positioning a conductive lead frame having first and second sets of leads with inner tips for connection to the IC chip and outer contact ends for contacting the printed circuit board edge connector on the first surface of the substrate with the contact ends of the first set of leads in spaced relation along the contact edge of the substrate; (c) laminating the first set of leads to the first surface of the substrate; (d) wrapping the second set of leads around a noncontact edge of the substrate; (e) positioning the second set of leads on the second surface with the contact ends of the second set in spaced relation along the contact edge of the substrate; and (f) laminating the second set of leads to the second surface of the substrate.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 47 words

The method of claim 15 wherein step (b) includes providing a lead frame having a shield means; step (e) includes positioning the shield means on the second surface beneath the inner tips of the leads; and step (f) includes laminating the shield means to the second surface.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method of claim 15 wherein step (b) includes providing a lead frame with leads which have contact ends which are wider than the remaining portions of the lead.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 15 further including the steps of: (g) mounting an IC chip on the lead frame; (h) electrically connecting the IC chip to the inner tips of the leads in the lead frame; and (i) hermetically sealing the IC chip.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 62 words

The method of claim 18 wherein step (a) includes forming a depression in the first surface of the substrate; and (i) includes sealing the IC chip by surrounding it with an encapsulating medium, the portion of said encapsulating medium which lies below the leads of the lead frame being dimensioned to fit within the depression in the first surface of the substrate.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 15 wherein step (a) includes forming a depression in the first surface of the substrate for holding the IC chip; and the method further includes the step of: (j) bending the inner tips of the leads into the depression.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 20 further including the steps of: (k) mounting an IC chip within the depression; (l) electrically connecting the IC chip to the inner tips of the leads in the lead frame, and (m) hermetically sealing the IC chip within the depression.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 40 words

The method of claim 21 wherein step (b) includes providing a lead frame with an IC mounting base; step (j) includes bending the mounting base into the depression; and step (k) includes mounting the IC chip on the mounting base.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 38 words

The method of claim 21 wherein step (m) includes positioning a sealing member over the top of the depression and hermetically sealing the sealing member to the first surface of the substrate around the perimeter of the depression.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 71 words

The method of claim 23 wherein the sealing member of step (m) comprises a conductive plate; and the method further includes the steps of: (n) applying a nonconductive adhesive to the conductive plate prior to step (m) to hermetically seal the IC chip and prevent the conductive plate from contacting all of the leads around the perimeter of the depression; and (o) connecting the conductive plate to at least one lead.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 60 words

The method of claim 23 wherein step (a) includes forming a first and second level in the depression; step (c) includes laminating the inner tips of the leads to the first level of the depression; and step (k) includes mounting the IC chip on the second level with its upper surface substantially coplanar with the inner tips of the leads.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 48 words

The method of claim 25 wherein step (b) includes providing a lead frame with an IC mounting base; step (j) includes bending the mounting base into the second level of the depression; and step (k) includes mounting the IC chip on the mounting base with a conductive material.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 18 words

The method of claim 15 wherein step (c) includes laminating the leads to the substrate with an adhesive.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 104 words

An integrated circuit module adapted to connect an IC chip and at least one external electrical component to a printed circuit board edge connector, comprising: a nonconductive substantially planar printed circuit board substrate having a contact edge for connection to the printed circuit board edge connector; a conductive lead frame having a plurality of leads laminated to the substrate, said lead frame having leads with inner tips for connection to the IC chip and outer contact ends for contacting the printed circuit board edge connector, at least one of the leads of the lead frame having a means for mounting the external electrical component.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 104 words

An integrated circuit module adapted to connect an IC chip and at least one external electrical component to a printed circuit board edge connector, comprising: a nonconductive substantially planar printed circuit board substrate having a contact edge for connection to the printed circuit board edge connector; a conductive lead frame having a plurality of leads laminated to the substrate, said lead frame having leads with inner tips for connection to the IC chip and outer contact ends for contacting the printed circuit board edge connector, at least one of the leads of the lead frame having a means for mounting the external electrical component.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 54 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 28 wherein: the means for mounting the electrical component comprises a contact pad with a hole contained therein laminated to the substrate and the substrate contains a hole in alignment with the hole in the contact pad for the reception of a lead of the external electrical component.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 64 words

The integrated circuit module of claim 28 wherein the integrated circuit module is adapted to connect a plurality of external electrical components to the electrical connector, the lead frame includes a plurality of leads having a means for mounting the external electrical components, and the lead frame further comprises circuit wiring means laminated to the substrate for the interconnection of the external electrical components.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1989-01-27	1989-07-29	1990-01-28	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1993-01-27	1993-07-29	1994-01-28	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1997-01-27	1997-07-29	1998-01-28	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Integrated circuit module and method of making same

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