Gallium Liquid Metal Interconnects for Low-Stress IC Socket Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Circuit boards face stress and warpage issues due to soldered sockets, and compression mounting requires excessive force, especially for high-pin count integrated circuit components, making current methods inefficient for reliable interconnects.
Innovation Solution
A substrate with channels filled with a liquid metal mixture of gallium and fine particles, which increases viscosity and surface bonding properties, allowing for feasible screen printing and effective electrical coupling, used for creating liquid metal interconnects that can be sealed for reliable connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If solder is used to connect the socket to the circuit board, then the electrical connection is reliable, but the circuit board experiences stress and warpage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a compliant interconnect structure that acts as an intermediary between the socket and circuit board. This compliant interconnect absorbs thermal expansion differences and mechanical stress, preventing stress transmission to the circuit board while maintaining reliable electrical connection. The compliant structure serves as a mediator that decouples the rigid mechanical connection from the electrical connection function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and mechanical properties of the interconnect material from rigid (solder) to compliant. By using materials with different mechanical properties that can deform elastically, the system maintains electrical conductivity while accommodating thermal and mechanical stress without transmitting it to the circuit board.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If compression mounting is used to connect the integrated circuit component, then no soldering stress is applied, but a large amount of force is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic compliant interconnect structure that can deform and adapt during the mounting process. Rather than requiring high static compression force, the compliant structure allows for gradual deformation and self-adjustment, distributing the mounting force over time and reducing the peak force requirement while eliminating soldering stress.
3Ease of manufacture
If pure gallium or gallium alloys are used for liquid metal interconnects, then the material is easily printable, but the surface bonding properties are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite liquid metal material by combining gallium or gallium alloys with specific particles or compounds. This composite structure maintains the low melting point and printability of pure gallium while adding surface bonding capabilities through the particulate additives, which enhance adhesion to substrate materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies only the surface properties of the liquid metal by adding particulate components, while maintaining the bulk properties that enable printability. The particles concentrate at the surface or interface regions to provide bonding functionality without significantly affecting the overall flow and printing characteristics of the liquid metal material.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The liquid metal interconnects provide a reliable and efficient solution by reducing stress on circuit boards, enabling easy electrical coupling and sealing, thus addressing the challenges of soldering and compression mounting.
Implementation Method 1
The fine particles change the viscosity and surface bonding properties of the liquid metal
Implementation Method 2
The fine particles change the viscosity and surface bonding properties of the liquid metal
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies for liquid metal mixtures for electrical interconnects are disclosed. In the illustrative embodiment, a gallium mixture includes gallium or gallium alloy mixed with fine particles of, e.g., gallium oxide. The fine particles change properties of the gallium or gallium alloy, such as the viscosity, surface tension, and surface bonding. As a result of the changes caused by the fine particles, the gallium mixture can be more easily integrated into electrical interconnects, such as by using screen printing techniques. In one embodiment, the gallium mixture may form an array of interconnects on an integrated circuit component for connecting to another integrated circuit component.