Patent ID: 7619312

Claim:
An apparatus that facilitates precise inter-chip alignment, comprising: a first integrated circuit chip, whose surface has four etch pit wells; a connector, which includes a housing that provides strain relief from external mechanical forces, wherein the housing includes: a second integrated circuit chip coupled to the housing but not permanently attached to the housing, wherein a surface of the second integrated circuit chip has four corresponding etch pit wells that mate with the etch pit wells of the first integrated circuit chip; a spring clasp, which holds the first integrated circuit chip to the second integrated circuit chip, and which releases to allow detachment of the first integrated circuit chip from the second integrated circuit chip; and tapered guides, which provide coarse alignment of the first integrated circuit chip to the second integrated circuit chip; and substantially spherical balls, which are placed in the etch pit wells of the first integrated circuit chip such that when the corresponding etch pit wells of the second integrated circuit chip are substantially aligned with the substantially spherical balls, the substantially spherical balls mate with the etch well pits of the second integrated circuit chip, thereby precisely aligning the first integrated circuit chip with the second integrated circuit chip; wherein a predetermined number of the etch pit wells on the first integrated circuit chip are larger than the other pit wells on the first integrated circuit chip and wherein each larger etch pit well on the first integrated circuit chip aligns with a corresponding etch pit well on the second integrated circuit chip, thereby relaxing the tolerances on the dimensions of the etch pit wells.