Three dimensionally interconnected module assembly

Claim 2

A three-dimensionally electrically interconnected circuit board module apparatus, comprising: a plurality of circuit boards coplanar in a plane defined by an x axis and a y axis, each of the circuit boards located along a z axis, each circuit board having a prefabricated conductor pattern, a plurality of unpackaged integrated circuit chips mounted to the conductor pattern of at least one circuit board, a plurality of power through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of each circuit board, and a plurality of logic through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of each circuit board; at least one power plate coplanar with and located along the z axis from said circuit boards and having a prefabricated conductor pattern for distributing electrical power, a plurality of through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of the power plate, at least two of the through-plated holes on the power plate located substantially in respective axial alignment along the z axis with said power through-plated holes on said coplanar circuit boards; at least one logic board coplanar with and located along the z axis from said circuit boards and having a prefabricated conductor pattern for communicating electrical signals therealong, a plurality of through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of the logic board, at least two of the through-plated holes on the logic board located substantially in respective axial alignment along the z axis with said logic through plated holes on said coplanar circuit boards; a plurality of electrically conductive z-axis power jumpers, each power jumper electrically connected to a through-plated hole on said power plate and an axially aligned power through-plated holes on said circuit boards; a plurality of electrically conductive z-axis logic jumpers, each logic jumper electrically connected to a through-plated hole on said logic board and to an axially aligned logic through-plated hole on said circuit boards; a power input means for applying electrical power to the conductor pattern of said power plate; and a spacer means for maintaining each of said circuit boards, said power plate and said logic board in a spaced, fixed, and coplanar relationship located along the z axis.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said power input means comprises at least one power blade dimensioned to fit into an electrical power-input connector, said power blade fixedly secured to said circuit board module apparatus and in electrical contact with each said power plate prefabricated conductor pattern.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said logic board contains at least one opening having at least one of said z-axis power jumpers passing through said opening.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said circuit boards contains at least one opening having at least one of said z-axis logic jumpers passing through said opening.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at last one of said z-axis logic jumpers electrically connects to a plurality of axially aligned logic through-plated holes of the circuit boards.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said circuit board contains at least one opening having at least one of said z-axis power jumpers passing through said opening.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said z-axis power jumpers electrically connects to a plurality of axially aligned power through-plated holes of the circuit boards.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein at least one jumper is a single elongated continuous deformable electrical conductor which connects to each axially aligned through-plated hole by mechanical deformation within the through-plated hole to establish an electrical and mechanical connection with the through-plated holes.

Claim 10

The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein all of the jumpers connect to each axially aligned through-plated hole by mechanical deformation.

Claim 11

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said deformed jumpers and said spacer means retain said circuit boards, said power plate and said logic board in said spaced, fixed, and coplanar relationship.

Claim 12

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the deformation of the jumpers is a compression of the length of the single elongated electrical connector.

Claim 13

The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein each integrated circuit chip includes a plurality of elongated leads attached thereto by which signals are applied to and received from said chip, and each chip is electrically and mechanically mounted to the conductor pattern by mechanical compression of the length of the leads within through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of a circuit board.

Claim 14

A circuit board module apparatus having electrical connections in the x, y, and z axis directions, comprising: an array of a plurality of circuit boards stacked in the z axis direction and coplanar in the x and y axis directions, each circuit board having a prefabricated conductor pattern, a plurality of unpackaged integrated circuit chips mounted to the conductor pattern of at least one circuit board, a plurality of power through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of each circuit board, and a plurality of logic through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of each circuit board; at least one power plate coplanar with and located along the z axis direction from said circuit boards and having a prefabricated conductor pattern for electrically distributing power, a plurality of through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of the power plate, at least two of the through-plated holes on the power plate located substantially in respective axial alignment in the z axis direction with said power through-plated holes on said coplanar circuit boards; at least one logic board coplanar with and located along the z axis direction from said circuit boards and having a prefabricated conductor pattern for communicating electrical logic signals, a plurality of through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of the logic board, at least two of the through-plated holes on the logic board located substantially in respective axial alignment in the z axis direction with said logic through-plated holes on said coplanar circuit boards; a plurality of electrically conductive z-axis power jumpers, each power jumper electrically connected to a through-plated hole on said power and an axially aligned power through-plated hole on said coplanar circuit boards; a plurality of electrically conductive z-axis logic jumpers, each logic jumper electrically connected to a through-plated hole on said logic boards and to an axially aligned logic through-plated hole on said coplanar circuit boards; a power input means for applying electrical power to the conductor pattern of said power plate; a spacer means for creating and maintaining a three dimensional circuit board module apparatus with said circuit board array, said power plate, and said logic board in a spaced, fixed, and superposed coplanar relationship; and said spacer means defining in conjunction with at least two of said boards or plates a fluid cooling channel for conducting non-electrically conducting liquid within said channel to remove heat from said circuit board module apparatus.

Claim 15

A circuit board module apparatus having electrical connections in the x, y, and z axis directions, comprising: an array of a plurality of circuit boards stacked in the z axis direction and coplanar in the x and y axis directions, each circuit board having a prefabricated conductor pattern, a plurality of unpackaged integrated circuit chips mounted to the conductor pattern of at least one circuit board, a plurality of power through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of each circuit board, and a plurality of logic through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of each circuit board; at least one power plate coplanar with and located along the z axis direction from said circuit boards and having a prefabricated conductor pattern for electrically distributing power, a plurality of through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of the power plate, at least two of the through-plated holes on the power plate located substantially in respective axial alignment in the z axis direction with said power through-plated holes on said coplanar circuit boards; at least one logic board coplanar with and located along the z axis direction from said circuit boards and having a prefabricated conductor pattern for communicating electrical logic signals, a plurality of through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of the logic board, at least two of the through-plated holes on the logic board located substantially in respective axial alignment in the z axis direction with said logic through-plated holes on said coplanar circuit boards; a plurality of electrically conductive z-axis power jumpers, each power jumper electrically connected to a through-plated hole on said power and an axially aligned power through-plated hole on said coplanar circuit boards; a plurality of electrically conductive z-axis logic jumpers, each logic jumper electrically connected to a through-plated hole on said logic boards and to an axially aligned logic through-plated hole on said coplanar circuit boards; a power input means for applying electrical power to the conductor pattern of said power plate; a spacer means for creating and maintaining a three dimensional circuit board module apparatus with said circuit board array, said power plate, and said logic board in a spaced, fixed, and superposed coplanar relationship; and said spacer means defining in conjunction with at least two of said boards or plates a fluid cooling channel for conducting non-electrically conducting liquid within said channel to remove heat from said circuit board module apparatus.

Claim 16

The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said power input means comprises at least one power blade dimensioned to fit into an electrical power-input connector, said power blade fixedly secured to said circuit board module apparatus and in electrical contact with each said power plate prefabricated conductor pattern.

Claim 17

The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein at least one of said z-axis logic jumpers extends into the cooling channel to conduct heat from a circuit board to the fluid in the channel.

Claim 18

The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said logic board contains at least one opening having at least one of said z-axis power jumpers passing through said opening.

Claim 19

The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein at least one of said circuit boards contains at least one opening having at least one of said z-axis logic jumpers passing through said opening.

Claim 20

The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein at least one of said z-axis logic jumpers electrically connects to a plurality of axially aligned power through-plated holes of the circuit boards.

Claim 21

The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein at least one of said circuit boards contains at least one opening having at least one of said z-axis power jumpers passing through said opening.

Claim 22

The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein at least one of said z-axis power jumpers electrically connects to a plurality of axially aligned power through-plated holes of the circuit boards.

Claim 23

The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein at least one jumper is a single elongated continuous deformable electrical conductor which connects to each axially aligned through-plated hole by mechanical deformation within each through-plated hole to establish an electrical and mechanical connection with the through-plated holes.

Claim 24

The apparatus according to claim 21 wherein all of the jumpers connect to each axially aligned through-plated hole by mechanical deformation.

Claim 25

The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said deformed jumpers and said spacer means retain said circuit boards, said power plate and said logic board in said spaced fixed, and coplanar relationship.

Claim 26

The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the deformation of the jumpers is a compression of the length of the single elongated electrical connector.

Claim 27

The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein each integrated circuit chip includes a plurality of elongated leads attached thereto by which signals are applied to and received from said chip, and each chip is electrically and mechanically mounted to the conductor pattern by mechanical compression of the length of the leads within through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of a circuit board.

Claim 28

A three-dimensionally electrically interconnected circuit board module apparatus, comprising: a plurality of at least three boards oriented generally coplanarly in a plane defined by an x axis and a y axis, each of the boards located along a z axis, each board having a prefabricated electrical conductor pattern, one of the boards being a circuit board having at least one unpackaged integrated circuit chip mounted to the conductor pattern thereof, one of the other boards being a power board for conducting electrical power to said module apparatus, and one of the other boards being a logic board; a plurality of through-plated holes formed in each board and electrically connected to the conductor pattern of each board, at least some of the through-plated holes in two of the adjacent boards being axially aligned along the z axis; an electrically conductive z-axis power jumper electrically connecting a through-plated hole on the power board with an axially aligned through-plated hole on the circuit board to conduct electrical power from the power board to each integrated circuit chip mounted on the conductor pattern of the circuit board; and an electrically conductive z-axis logic jumper electrically connecting a through-plated hole on the logic board and to an axially aligned through-plated hole on the circuit board to conduct logic signals from each integrated circuit chip mounted on the conductor pattern of the circuit board.

Claim 29

A three-dimensionally electrically interconnected circuit board module apparatus, comprising: a plurality of at least three boards oriented generally coplanarly in a plane defined by an x axis and a y axis, each of the boards located along a z axis, each board having a prefabricated electrical conductor pattern, one of the boards being a circuit board having at least one unpackaged integrated circuit chip mounted to the conductor pattern thereof, one of the other boards being a power board for conducting electrical power to said module apparatus, and one of the other boards being a logic board; a plurality of through-plated holes formed in each board and electrically connected to the conductor pattern of each board, at least some of the through-plated holes in two of the adjacent boards being axially aligned along the z axis; an electrically conductive z-axis power jumper electrically connecting a through-plated hole on the power board with an axially aligned through-plated hole on the circuit board to conduct electrical power from the power board to each integrated circuit chip mounted on the conductor pattern of the circuit board; and an electrically conductive z-axis logic jumper electrically connecting a through-plated hole on the logic board and to an axially aligned through-plated hole on the circuit board to conduct logic signals from each integrated circuit chip mounted on the conductor pattern of the circuit board.

Claim 30

The apparatus according to claim 26 wherein at least one jumper is a single elongated continuous deformable electrical conductor which connects to each axially aligned through-plated hole by mechanical deformation within the through-plated hole to establish an electrical and mechanical connection with the through-plated holes.

Claim 31

The apparatus according to claim 27 wherein all of the jumpers connect to each axially aligned through-plated hole by mechanical deformation.

Claim 32

The apparatus according to claim 28 further comprising: spacer means for maintaining the boards in a spaced, fixed, and coplanar relationship separated along the z axis.

Claim 33

The apparatus according to claim 29 wherein said deformed jumpers and said spacer means retain said boards in said spaced, fixed, and coplanar relationship.

Claim 34

The apparatus according to claim 29 wherein at least one jumper extends into the cooling channel to conduct heat from a circuit board to the fluid in the channel.

Claim 35

The apparatus according to claim 31 wherein one of said boards contains at least one opening having at least one of the jumpers passing through said opening.

Claim 36

The apparatus according to claim 28 wherein the deformation of the jumpers is a compression of the length of the single elongated electrical connector.

Claim 37

The apparatus according to claim 28 wherein each integrated circuit chip includes a plurality of elongated leads attached thereto by which signals are applied to and received from said chip, and each chip is electrically and mechanically mounted to the conductor pattern by mechanical compression of the length of the leads within through-plated holes electrically connected to the conductor pattern of a circuit board.

Claim 38

The apparatus according to claim 26 wherein one of said boards contains at least one opening having at least one of the jumpers passing through said opening.

Claim 39

The apparatus according to claim 26 further comprising: spacer means for maintaining the boards in a spaced, fixed, and coplanar relationship separated along the z axis, said spacer means defining in conjunction with at least two of said boards a fluid cooling channel for conducting non-electrically conducting fluid to remove heat from said circuit board.