Use of anisotropically conductive elastomers in high density separable connectors

Tests performed on a simulated high-density, separable connector that uses a flex circuit backed by a compliant elastomer as a substrate for one set of contacts and a rigid backplane as a substrate for the other set are described. A 10-mil-thick sheet of elastomeric conductive polymer interconnect (EECPI) material was placed between the pair of contact arrays. The ECPI material is an anisotropically conductive elastomer that conducts in the Z direction only. Three types of backplane were used in the tests: a flat backplane, a backplane with a bow of 12 mil across a distance of 3 in, and a backplane with a large, randomly selected portion of the contacts raised 1.5 mil above the other contacts. The properties and other advantages of the elastomer-backed flex/ECPI combination as well as some of the problems to be overcome in the design of high-density, separable connectors incorporating this approach are discussed.<<ETX>>