Contact signal blocks for transmission of high-speed signals

Abstract

A contact signal block for facilitating connections between test equipment and a device under test (DUT) is described. The contact signal block includes a plurality of ground layers and a plurality of signal transmission layers disposed between and alternating with the ground layers. Each signal transmission layer includes a plurality of signal conductors. Each signal conductor forms a controlled-impedance transmission line with adjacent ground layers and is terminated at a first end in a plurality of signal spring probes. A plurality of non-conductive spacer structures separates the ground layers and signal transmission layers and maintains a substantially constant separation between the ground layers and the signal conductors. The ground layers and the signal conductors are primarily separated by a medium having a loss tangent of approximately 0.002 and a dielectric constant of less than about 1.5.

1 . A contact signal block for facilitating connections between test equipment and a device under test (DUT) comprising a plurality of layers, each of the layers comprising two conductive planes bonded together with an intervening non-conductive material, a first one of the conductive planes being primarily for delivery of power to the DUT, and a second one of the conductive planes being primarily for return of power from the DUT, the contact signal block further comprising a plurality of non-conductive spacer structures separating the layers and maintaining a substantially constant separation between the layers.  
   
   
       2 . The contact signal block of  claim 1  wherein the conductive planes corresponding to selected layers have etched gaps therein forming signal conductors.  
   
   
       3 . The contact signal block of  claim 1  wherein the two conductive planes and the intervening non-conductive material comprise embedded capacitor material.  
   
   
       4 . The contact signal block of  claim 1  wherein each conductive plane is terminated at each end in a plurality of spring probes.  
   
   
       5 . The contact signal block of  claim 4  wherein the ends of the conductive planes are formed to receive the spring probes.  
   
   
       6 . The contact signal block of  claim 4  further comprising a plurality of spring probe receptacles bonded to the ends of the conductive planes for receiving the spring probes.  
   
   
       7 . The contact signal block of  claim 1  further comprising a non-conductive housing encapsulating the contact signal block.  
   
   
       8 . The contact signal block of  claim 7  wherein the housing comprises an alignment piece for maintaining alignment of terminations of the conductive planes relative to each other.  
   
   
       9 . The contact signal block of  claim 1  wherein each layer further comprises at least one additional conductive layer bonded with at least one of the two conductive planes of that layer.