Silicon flexible connectors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12494599-B2
Application number	US-202218068550-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2022
Priority date	Dec 20, 2022
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

An electrical connection device is provided that includes a first electrical connector having first electrical contacts formed therein and a second electrical connector having second electrical contacts formed therein. A flexible silicon connector section connects the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector. The connector section includes flexible strands separated by slots, where the flexible strands are flexible in directions orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the connector section. The flexible strands include metal traces deposited therein to provide an electrical connection between the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrical connection device comprising:
a first electrical connector having first electrical contacts formed therein; a second electrical connector having second electrical contacts formed therein; and a flexible silicon connector section connecting the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector, the connector section comprising flexible strands separated by slots, the flexible strands being flexible in directions orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the connector section, the flexible strands including metal traces deposited therein to provide an electrical connection between the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector.

2 . The electrical connection device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are formed from silicon, and wherein the first electrical connector, the second electrical connector, and the flexible silicon connector section are formed from a single piece of flexible silicon material.

3 . The electrical connection device of claim 1 further comprising a flexible coating over the flexible silicon connector section, wherein the flexible coating covers the flexible strands and fills the slots defined between the flexible strands.

4 . The electrical connection device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible silicon connector section includes at least one support structure integrated with a surface in one or more regions of the flexible strands, the at least one support structure extending across a total width of the flexible silicon connector section.

5 . The electrical connection device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one support structure extends across a total length of the flexible silicon connector section.

6 . The electrical connection device of claim 5 , wherein the at least one support structure includes a base and strands integrated with the base and wherein channels are defined between the integrated strands.

7 . The electrical connection device of claim 6 further comprising a flexible coating over the flexible silicon connector section, wherein the flexible coating covers the support structure, the flexible strands, and fills the slots defined between the flexible strands.

8 . A method comprising:
providing a single piece of silicon material having metal traces disposed therein; depositing an electrically conductive material in vias formed in each end of the single piece of silicon material via a first etching process to form contacts that connect with the metal traces; forming slots in a connector section of the single piece of silicon material via a second etching process, the slots being defined between strands of the connector section; and etching via a third etching process a backside of an exposed portion of the connector section of the single piece of silicon material to form an opening such that the slots extend through the connector section to thereby release the strands.

9 . The method of claim 8 further comprising applying a flexible coating to the connector section, the flexible coating covering the strands and being deposited in the slots defined between the strands.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein prior to depositing an electrically conductive material in vias formed in each end of the single piece of silicon material via a first etching process to form contacts that connect with the metal traces, the method comprising:
depositing a first photoresist material layer on a surface of the single piece of silicon material; patterning the first photoresist material layer to form openings in the first photoresist material layer thereby creating exposed portions at each end of the single piece of silicon material; fully etching the exposed portions of the single piece of silicon material to form vias in the ends of the single piece of silicon material; and stripping the first photoresist material layer.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein prior to forming slots in a connector section of the single piece of silicon material via a second etching process, the slots being defined between strands of the connector section, the method comprising:
depositing a second photoresist material layer on a surface of a connector section of the single piece of silicon material; patterning the second photoresist material layer to form openings in the second photoresist material layer thereby creating exposed portions of the connector section of the single piece of silicon material; partially etching the exposed portions of the single piece of silicon material in the silicon connector section of the single piece of silicon material to form the slots and the strands; and stripping the second photoresist material layer.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein etching via a third etching process a backside of an exposed portion of the connector section of the single piece of silicon material to form an opening such that the slots extend through the connector section to thereby release the strands comprises:
depositing a third photoresist material layer on a backside surface of each end of the single piece of silicon material; and patterning the third photoresist material layer to form an opening in the third photoresist material layer thereby exposing the exposed portion of the connector section of the single piece of silicon material.

13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising applying a flexible coating to the connector section, the flexible coating covering the strands and being deposited in the slots defined between the strands.

14 . A method comprising:
providing a single piece of silicon material having metal traces disposed therein; depositing an electrically conductive material in vias formed in each end of the single piece of silicon material via a first etching process to form contacts that connect with the metal traces; forming slots in a portion of a connector section of the single piece of silicon material via a second etching process, the slots being defined between strands of the connector section; forming channels and integrated strands in a support structure area of the connector section via a third etching process, the channels being formed between the integrated strands; and etching via a fourth etching process a backside of an exposed portion of the connector section of the single piece of silicon material to form an opening such that the slots extend through the connector section to thereby release the strands and to form a support structure, the support structure comprised a base and the integrated strands attached to the base in the support structure area of the connector section.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein prior to depositing an electrically conductive material in vias formed in each end of the single piece of silicon material via a first etching process to form contacts that connect with the metal traces, the method comprising:
depositing a first photoresist material layer on a surface of the single piece of silicon material; patterning the first photoresist material layer to form openings in the first photoresist material layer thereby creating exposed portions at each end of the single piece of silicon material; fully etching the exposed portions of the single piece of silicon material to form vias in the ends of the single piece of silicon material; and stripping the first photoresist material layer.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein prior to forming slots and strands in a connector section of the single piece of silicon material via a second etching process, the

Assignees

• Engbrecht Edward R
• Hartman Jeffrey David
• Hackley Justin C
• Northrop Grumman Systems Corp

Inventors

• Engbrecht Edward R
• Hartman Jeffrey David
• Hackley Justin C

Classifications

• H01R43/16

  for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending · CPC title

• H05K3/0041

  by plasma etching · CPC title

• H05K2203/308

  Sacrificial means, e.g. for temporarily filling a space for making a via or a cavity or for making rigid-flexible PCBs · CPC title

• H05K3/4691

  Rigid-flexible multilayer circuits comprising rigid and flexible layers, e.g. having in the bending regions only flexible layers · CPC title

• H05K1/115

  Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections (H05K1/112 takes precedence) · CPC title