A conventional chip module comprises a chip supporting element, i.e. a mechanical support for the chip, electrical connections to the chip, and heat dissipating surfaces for the chip. Thus, the known chip modules comprise all necessary infrastructure for the chip, which makes them quite expensive.
In many applications, such as low-power applications, all that infrastructure may not even be needed.
Moreover, conventional chip modules to be mounted with "floating" chips are often provided with some kind of plastic material as an intermediate medium, which makes them unsuitable to dissipate heat. An example hereof is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,308 where terminals on a chip carrier are connected to conductors on a flexible printed wiring sheet.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds