Abstract: A semiconductor device which is designed to have a plurality of electrodes on an upper surface of a lid portion has a recessed portion which is provided on this upper surface of the lid portion. The recessed portion will accept an electrode after it is bent from its initial position to a position such that the electrode will partially reside in this recessed portion.

Abstract: Presently available printed wiring board backplanes used in switching systems and the like are wired at the time of manufacture to enable only a fixed number of groups of circuit boards to communicate with each other. This limitation prevents a backplane from having the capability of serving a varying number of groups of boards. The present invention enables a backplane to have the capability of serving a variable number of groups of boards. The number of groups that can be served by a given backplane need not be fixed when the backplane is designed and manufactured. Each backplane of the present invention comprises backplane bus conductors and board conductors. The boards are effectively a part of the bus. The use of a first type of board in a backplane connector continues the bus to the adjacent connector. The use of a second type of board terminates the bus and does not extend it beyond the connector into which the second type of board is inserted.