Abstract: Flexible circuitry is populated with integrated circuitry disposed along one or both of its major sides. Contacts distributed along the flexible circuitry provide connection between the module and an application environment. The circuit-populated flexible circuitry is disposed about an edge of a rigid substrate thus placing the integrated circuitry on one or both sides of the substrate with one or two layers of integrated circuitry on one or both sides of the substrate. The substrate form is preferably devised from thermally conductive materials and includes a high thermal conductivity core or area that is disposed proximal to higher thermal energy devices such as an AMB when the flex circuit is brought about the substrate. Other variations include thermally-conductive clips that grasp respective ICs on opposite sides of the module to further shunt heat from the ICs.

Abstract: The present invention stacks integrated circuits into modules that conserve board surface area. In a precursor assembly devised as a component for a stacked circuit module in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one or more stiffeners are disposed at least partially between a flex circuit and an integrated circuit. In a two-high stacked circuit module devised in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an integrated circuit is stacked above a precursor assembly. The two integrated circuits are connected with the flex circuit of the precursor assembly. The present invention may be employed to advantage in numerous configurations and combinations of integrated circuits in modules.

Abstract: The present invention stacks integrated circuits into modules that conserve board surface area. In a precursor assembly devised as a component for a stacked circuit module in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one or more stiffeners are disposed at least partially between a flex circuit and an integrated circuit. In a two-high stacked circuit module devised in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an integrated circuit is stacked above a precursor assembly. The two integrated circuits are connected with the flex circuit of the precursor assembly. The present invention may be employed to advantage in numerous configurations and combinations of integrated circuits in modules.

Abstract: The present invention stacks integrated circuits into modules that conserve board surface area. In a precursor assembly devised as a component for a stacked circuit module in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one or more stiffeners are disposed at least partially between a flex circuit and an integrated circuit. In a two-high stacked circuit module devised in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an integrated circuit is stacked above a precursor assembly. The two integrated circuits are connected with the flex circuit of the precursor assembly. The present invention may be employed to advantage in numerous configurations and combinations of integrated circuits in modules.

Abstract: An IC die and a flexible circuit structure are integrated into a lower stack element that can be stacked with either further integrated lower stack element iterations or with pre-packaged ICs in any of a variety of package types. A die is positioned above the surface of portions of a pair of flex circuits. Connection is made between the die and the flex circuitry. A protective layer is formed to protect the flex-connected die and its connection to the flex. Connective elements are placed along the flex circuitry to create an array of module contacts along the second side of the flex circuitry. The flex circuitry is positioned above the body-protected die to create an integrated lower stack element. The integrated lower stack element may be stacked either with iterations of the integrated lower stack element or with a pre-packaged IC to create a multi-element stacked circuit module.

Abstract: The present invention stacks chip scale-packaged integrated circuits (CSPs) into modules that conserve PWB or other board surface area. In a preferred embodiment in accordance with the invention, a form standard associated with one or more CSPs provides a physical form that allows many of the varying package sizes found in the broad family of CSP packages to be used to advantage while employing a standard connective flex circuitry design. In a preferred embodiment, the contacts of the lower CSP will be compressed before flex circuitry is attached to a combination of the CSP and a form standard to create lower profile contacts between CSP and the flex circuitry.

Abstract: There is provided a stacked IC module including first and second leaded packages in stacked disposition, each of the first and second leaded packages having plural leads emergent along at least one side of each of the respective leaded packages, and a flexible circuit disposed in part between the first and second leaded packages, wherein the flexible is folded back on itself to create an arcuate connective field that is compressed to have conformity with the plural leads of the first and second leaded packages.

Abstract: A circuit module that includes a system for reducing thermal variation and cooling the circuit module. In preferred embodiments, the module includes a thermally-conductive rigid substrate having first and second lateral sides, an edge, and an integrated cooling component. The integrated cooling component reduces thermal variation and cools the circuit module. Flex circuitry populated with a plurality of ICs and exhibiting a connective facility that comprises plural contacts for use with an edge connector is wrapped about the edge of the thermally-conductive substrate. Heat from the plurality of ICs is thermally-conducted by the thermally-conductive substrate to the integrated cooling component.

Abstract: A circuit module is provided in which at least one secondary substrate and preferably two such secondary substrates are populated with integrated circuits (ICs). A rigid core substrate for the circuit module is comprised of a structural member and a connective member. In a preferred embodiment, the structural member is comprised of thermally conductive material while the connective member is comprised of conventional PWB material. The secondary substrate(s) are connected to the connective member with a variety of techniques and materials while, in a preferred embodiment, the connective member exhibits, in a preferred embodiment, traditional module contacts which provide an edge connector capability to allow the module to supplant traditional DIMMs.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improvement on the use of flexible circuit connectors for electrically coupling IC devices to one another in a stacked configuration by use of the flexible circuit to provide the connection of the stacked IC module to other circuits. Use of the flexible circuit as the connection of the IC module allows the flexible circuit to provide strain relief and allows stacked IC modules to be assembled with a lower profile than with previous methods. The IC module can be connected to external circuits through the flexible circuit connectors by a variety of means, including solder pads, edge connector pads, and socket connectors. This allows for IC devices to occupy less space then with previous methods, which is beneficial in modules such as memory modules with multiple, stacked memory devices.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for employing leaded packaged memory devices in memory cards. Leaded packaged ICs are disposed on one or both sides of a flex circuitry structure to create an IC-populated structure. In a preferred embodiment, leads of constituent leaded IC packages are configured to allowed the lower surface of the leaded IC packages to contact respective surfaces of the flex circuitry structure. Contacts for typical embodiments are supported by a rigid portion of the flex circuitry structure and the IC-populated structure is disposed in a casing to provide card structure for the module.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for combining a leaded package IC and a semiconductor die using a flex circuitry to reduce footprint for the combination. A leaded IC package is disposed along the obverse side of a flex circuit. In a preferred embodiment, leads of the leaded IC package are configured to allow the lower surface of the body of the leaded IC package to contact the surface of the flex circuitry either directly or indirectly through an adhesive. A semiconductor die is connected to the reverse side of the flex circuit. In one embodiment, the semiconductor die is disposed on the reverse side of the flex while, in an alternative embodiment, the semiconductor die is disposed into a window in the flex circuit to rest directly or indirectly upon the body of the leaded IC package. Module contacts are provided in a variety of configurations. In a preferred embodiment, the leaded IC package is a flash memory and the semiconductor die is a controller.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for combining a leaded package IC and a semiconductor die using a flex circuitry to reduce footprint for the combination. A leaded IC package is disposed along the obverse side of a flex circuit. In a preferred embodiment, leads of the leaded IC package are configured to allow the lower surface of the body of the leaded IC package to contact the surface of the flex circuitry either directly or indirectly through an adhesive. A semiconductor die is connected to the reverse side of the flex circuit. In one embodiment, the semiconductor die is disposed on the reverse side of the flex while, in an alternative embodiment, the semiconductor die is disposed into a window in the flex circuit to rest directly or indirectly upon the body of the leaded IC package. Module contacts are provided in a variety of configurations. In a preferred embodiment, the leaded IC package is a flash memory and the semiconductor die is a controller.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for employing leaded packaged memory devices in memory cards. Leaded packaged ICs are disposed on one or both sides of a flex circuitry structure to create an IC-populated structure. In a preferred embodiment, leads of constituent leaded IC packages are configured to allow the lower surface of the leaded IC packages to contact respective surfaces of the flex circuitry structure. Contacts for typical embodiments are supported by a rigid portion of the flex circuitry structure and the IC-populated structure is disposed in a casing to provide card structure for the module.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method that mounts integrated circuit devices onto substrates and a system and method for employing the method is stacked modules. The contact pads of a packaged integrated circuit device are substantially exposed. A solder past that includes higher temperature solder paste alloy is applied to a substrate or to the integrated circuit device to be mounted. The integrated circuit device is positioned to contact the contacts of the substrate. Heat is applied to create high temperature joints between the contacts of the substrate and the integrated circuit device resulting in a device-substrate assembly with high temperature joints. The formed joints are less subject to re-melting in subsequent processing steps. The method may be employed in devising stacked module constructions such as those disclosed herein as preferred embodiments in accordance with the invention. Typically, the created joints are low in profile.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method that amounts integrated circuit devices onto substrates and a system and method for employing the method in stacked modules. The contact pads of a packaged integrated circuit device are substantially exposed. A solder paste that includes higher temperature solder paste alloy is applied to a substrate or to the integrated circuit device to be mounted. The integrated circuit device is positioned to contact the contacts of the substrate. Heat is applied to create high temperature joints between the contacts of the substrate and the integrated circuit device resulting in a device-substrate assembly with high temperature joints. The formed joints are less subject to re-melting in subsequent processing steps. The method may be employed in devising stacked module constructions such as those disclosed herein as preferred embodiments in accordance with the invention. Typically, the created joints are low in profile.

Abstract: A system and method for electrically and thermally coupling adjacent IC packages to one another in a stacked configuration is provided. A flex circuit is inserted in part between ICs to be stacked and provides a connective field that provides plural contact areas that connect to respective leads of the ICs. Thus, the flex does not require discrete leads which must be individually aligned with the individual leads of the constituent ICs employed in the stack. The principle may be employed to aggregate two or more contact areas for respective connection to leads of constituent ICs but is most profitably employed with a continuous connective field that provides contact areas for many leads of the ICs.

Abstract: A combination composed from a form standard and a CSP is attached to flex circuitry. Solder paste is applied to first selected locations on the flex circuitry and adhesive is applied to second selected locations on the flex circuitry. The flex circuitry and the combination of the form standard and CSP are brought into proximity with each other. During solder reflow operation, a force is applied that tends to bring the combination and flex circuitry closer together. As the heat of solder reflow melts the contacts of the CSP, the combination collapses toward the flex circuitry displacing the adhesive as the solder paste and contacts merge into solder joints. In a preferred embodiment, the form standard will be devised of heat transference material, a metal, for example, such as copper would be preferred, to improve thermal performance. In other embodiments, the methods of the invention may be used to attach a CSP without a form standard to flex circuitry.

Abstract: The present invention stacks integrated circuits into modules that conserve board surface area. In a precursor assembly devised as a component for a stacked circuit module in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, one or more stiffeners are disposed at least partially between a flex circuit and an integrated circuit. In a two-high stacked circuit module devised in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an integrated circuit is stacked above a precursor assembly. The two integrated circuits are connected with the flex circuit of the precursor assembly. The present invention may be employed to advantage in numerous configurations and combinations of integrated circuits in modules.

Abstract: The present invention stacks integrated circuits into modules that conserve board surface area. In a two-high stack or module devised in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a pair of integrated circuits is stacked, with one integrated circuit above the other. The two integrated circuits are connected with a pair of flexible circuit structures. Each of the pair of flexible circuit structures is partially wrapped about a respective opposite lateral edge of the lower integrated circuit of the module. The flex circuit pair connects the upper and lower integrated circuits and provides a thermal and electrical path connection path between the module and an application environment such as a printed wiring board (PWB). The present invention may be employed to advantage in numerous configurations and combinations of integrated circuits in modules provided for high-density memories or high capacity computing.