The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 11, 1994
Filed:
Apr. 23, 1993
Haim Feigenbaum, Irvine, CA (US);
William R Crumly, Anaheim, CA (US);
Christopher M Schreiber, Newport Beach, CA (US);
Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
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 printed wiring board, to which mateable/demateable electrical connection is to be made.