Patent ID: 8888504

Claim:
An apparatus comprising a circuit id and configured and arranged to operate in response to a circuit connection caused by mating of a male connection component with a correspondingly configured female connection component having a recess defined by a sidewall extending into a main surface of a female substrate of the female connection component, wherein the female connection component comprises a plurality of electrically conductive female contacts which are electrically decoupled from one another, are vertical and conductive and are arranged along the sidewall at different height levels with regard to the main surface of the female substrate, wherein the male connection component includes: a male substrate; a protrusion having a sidewall protruding from a main surface of the male substrate and comprising a plurality of electrically conductive male contacts along the sidewall of the protrusion and which are electrically decoupled from one another and are arranged at different height levels with regard to the main surface of the male substrate; wherein the male connection component is adapted for connection with the female connection component so that upon connection, each of the plurality of electrically conductive male contacts is brought in contact with one of the plurality of electrically conductive female contacts for providing electric contact at different height levels; wherein the male substrate forms at least part of one of a chip, a chip package and a circuit board; and wherein the protrusion comprises a plurality of electrically insulating structures, and a plurality of electrically conductive structures extending through the plurality of electrically insulating structures of the protrusion to respective ones of the conductive male contacts along the sidewall of the protrusion.