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US6433286B1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of making higher impedance traces on a low impedance circuit board

Assignee: Intel Corp
•
Filing: 2000-09-29
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Granted: 2002-08-13
•
Expires: 2020-09-29
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention is a circuit board having a plurality of voids in a conductive reference plane to increase the characteristic impedance of a signal trace. The circuit board of the present invention comprises a conductive reference plane having a plurality of voids formed therein, and a signal trace formed over the conductive reference plane.

Inventors

  • 👤 Philip W. Doberenz

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 23:16
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K1/00; H05K1/02; H05K1/0213; H05K1/0237; H05K1/025; H05K1/0253; H05K1/0216; H05K1/0218; H05K1/0224; H05K1/0296; H05K1/0298; H05K2201/00; H05K2201/09; H05K2201/09209; H05K2201/0929; H05K2201/093; H05K2201/09654; H05K2201/09681; H05K2201/0969; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49124; Y10T29/49155

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim 100 words
A circuit board, comprising: a conductive reference plane; a signal trace, said signal trace formed over said conductive reference plane; a plurality of voids formed in said conductive reference plane, said plurality of voids located beneath said signal trace; and a signal return path, said signal return path located on said conductive reference plane, wherein said plurality of voids is located such that a length of said signal return path is shorter than or substantially equal to the length of said signal trace, wherein said signal return is located in between said plurality of voids to minimize a loop area.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 100 words
A circuit board, comprising: a conductive reference plane; a signal trace, said signal trace formed over said conductive reference plane; a plurality of voids formed in said conductive reference plane, said plurality of voids located beneath said signal trace; and a signal return path, said signal return path located on said conductive reference plane, wherein said plurality of voids is located such that a length of said signal return path is shorter than or substantially equal to the length of said signal trace, wherein said signal return is located in between said plurality of voids to minimize a loop area.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 16 words
The circuit board of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of voids are filled with insulation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 36 words
The circuit board of claim 1 , wherein said signal trace is a zigzagged trace having a plurality of corners, wherein said plurality of corners of said zigzagged trace are located over said plurality of voids.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
The circuit board of claim 1 , further comprising an insulating layer layered between said signal trace and said conductive reference plane.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 16 words
The circuit board of claim 1 , wherein said conductive reference plane is a ground plane.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 16 words
The circuit board of claim 1 , wherein said conductive reference plane is a power plane.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 14 words
The circuit board of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of voids are circular.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 16 words
The circuit board of claim 1 , wherein said signal trace is a video signal trace.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 19 words
The circuit board of claim 1 , wherein value of said signal trace has an impedance of 75 ohm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 140 words
A circuit board, comprising: a first conductive reference plane, said first conductive reference plane having a first plurality of voids formed therein; a first signal trace having a first impedance, said first signal trace formed over said first conductive reference plane; a second signal trace formed over said first plurality of voids in said first conductive reference plane so that said second signal trace has a second impedance, wherein said second impedance is higher than said first impedance; and a signal return path, said signal return path located on said second conductive reference plane, wherein said plurality of voids is located such that a length of said signal return path is shorter than or substantially equal to the length of said signal trace, wherein said signal return is located in between said plurality of voids to minimize a loop area.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 140 words
A circuit board, comprising: a first conductive reference plane, said first conductive reference plane having a first plurality of voids formed therein; a first signal trace having a first impedance, said first signal trace formed over said first conductive reference plane; a second signal trace formed over said first plurality of voids in said first conductive reference plane so that said second signal trace has a second impedance, wherein said second impedance is higher than said first impedance; and a signal return path, said signal return path located on said second conductive reference plane, wherein said plurality of voids is located such that a length of said signal return path is shorter than or substantially equal to the length of said signal trace, wherein said signal return is located in between said plurality of voids to minimize a loop area.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 61 words
The circuit board of claim 10 , further comprising: a second conductive reference plane formed over said first signal trace and second signal trace so that said first and second signal trace are located in between said first and second conductive reference plane, said second conductive reference plane to have a second plurality of voids formed over said second signal trace.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 15 words
The circuit board of claim 11 , wherein said second plurality of voids are circular.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 25 words
The circuit board of claim 10 , further comprising a first insulating layer layered in between said first signal trace and first conductive reference plane.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 26 words
The circuit board of claim 10 , further comprising a second insulation layer layered in between said first signal trace and said second conductive reference plane.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 45 words
The circuit board of claim 10 , wherein said second signal trace is a zigzagged trace having a plurality of corners, wherein said plurality of corners of said zigzagged trace are located over said first plurality of voids and under said second plurality of voids.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 15 words
The circuit board of claim 10 , wherein said first plurality of voids are circular.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 17 words
The circuit board of claim 10 , wherein said second signal trace is a video signal trace.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 31 words
The circuit board of claim 10 , wherein said first signal trace has said first impedance of 60 ohms and said second signal trace has said second impedance of 75 ohms.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 64 words
The circuit board of claim 10 , wherein said first signal trace and said second trace signal are separated in respect to each other to avoid any EMI or cross-talk, wherein said first signal trace and said plurality of voids are separated in respect to each other so that said plurality of voids does not affect said first impedance of said first signal trace.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 159 words
A circuit board, comprising: a first conductive reference plane; a signal trace, said signal trace located over said first conductive reference plane; a second conductive reference plane; said second conductive reference plane located over said signal trace such that said signal trace is located in between said first and second conductive reference plane; a first plurality of voids formed in said first conductive reference plane, said first plurality of voids located beneath said signal trace; a second plurality of voids formed in said second conductive reference plane, said second plurality of voids located over said signal trace; and a signal return path, said signal return path located on said second conductive reference plane, wherein said plurality of voids is located such that a length of said signal return path is shorter than or substantially equal to the length of said signal trace, wherein said signal return is located in between said plurality of voids to minimize a loop area.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 159 words
A circuit board, comprising: a first conductive reference plane; a signal trace, said signal trace located over said first conductive reference plane; a second conductive reference plane; said second conductive reference plane located over said signal trace such that said signal trace is located in between said first and second conductive reference plane; a first plurality of voids formed in said first conductive reference plane, said first plurality of voids located beneath said signal trace; a second plurality of voids formed in said second conductive reference plane, said second plurality of voids located over said signal trace; and a signal return path, said signal return path located on said second conductive reference plane, wherein said plurality of voids is located such that a length of said signal return path is shorter than or substantially equal to the length of said signal trace, wherein said signal return is located in between said plurality of voids to minimize a loop area.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 44 words
The circuit board of claim 20 , wherein said signal trace is a zigzagged trace having a plurality of comers such that said plurality of corners of said zigzagged trace is located beneath said first plurality of voids and over second plurality of voids.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 16 words
The circuit board of claim 20 , wherein said conductive reference plane is a ground plane.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 16 words
The circuit board of claim 20 , wherein said conductive reference plane is a power plane.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 14 words
The circuit board of claim 20 , wherein said plurality of voids are circular.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 16 words
The circuit board of claim 20 , wherein said signal trace is a video signal trace.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 19 words
The circuit board of claim 20 , wherein value of said signal trace has an impedance of 75 ohm.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 130 words
A circuit board, comprising: a conductive reference plane; a signal trace, said signal trace formed over said conductive reference plane, wherein said signal trace is a zigzagged trace having a plurality of comers; a plurality of voids formed in said conductive reference plane, said plurality of voids located beneath said signal trace such that said plurality of comers of said zigzagged trace is located over said plurality of voids; and a signal return path, said signal return path located on said conductive reference plane, wherein said plurality of voids is located such that a length of said signal return path is shorter than or substantially equal to the length of said signal trace, wherein said signal return is located in between said plurality of voids to minimize a loop area.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 130 words
A circuit board, comprising: a conductive reference plane; a signal trace, said signal trace formed over said conductive reference plane, wherein said signal trace is a zigzagged trace having a plurality of comers; a plurality of voids formed in said conductive reference plane, said plurality of voids located beneath said signal trace such that said plurality of comers of said zigzagged trace is located over said plurality of voids; and a signal return path, said signal return path located on said conductive reference plane, wherein said plurality of voids is located such that a length of said signal return path is shorter than or substantially equal to the length of said signal trace, wherein said signal return is located in between said plurality of voids to minimize a loop area.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 16 words
The circuit board of claim 27 , wherein said plurality of voids are filled with insulation.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 33 words
The circuit board of claim 27 , wherein said return path having a length of said return path and said signal trace with zigzagged pattern being substantially equal to avoid EMI or cross-talk.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4685033A Cited
US5519176A Cited
US5719750A Cited
US5633479A Cited
US6218631B1 Cited
US6184478B1 Cited
US6239485B1 Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2005-08-12 2006-02-11 2006-08-13 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2009-08-12 2010-02-11 2010-08-13 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2013-08-12 2014-02-11 2014-08-13 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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