Abstract: A chip carrier includes a body (1) having a central region and sidewalls (31) connected to the central region by an elastically deformable region (33), in order to reduce thermal strains.Also for the same reason a heat sink (41) may be attached underneath the carrier below the carrier's die attachment site (8) and thermally conductive material (40,42) may connect them together. The heat sink may be used for mechanical anchorage.The chip carrier may be produced by injection moulding from an aromatic thermoplastic polymer.A carrier may be moulded with more than one die attachment site or a circuit board with die attachment sites could be moulded, preferably with the die attachment site recessed so that the surface of the die 9 is co-planar with conductive tracks on the board.

Abstract: A communications cable based on optical fibres comprises a core 2 with external helical channels 13. The fibres 6 in the channels are accessible through removable parts 15 of an outer sheath 4.