1. A method for multicasting data packets, comprising:
preparing a plurality of point to point connections between a root node and a plurality of destination nodes to establish point to multipoint connections;
receiving, at an intermediate node which is operatively connected to the root node and a plurality of the destination nodes, a data packet from the root node;
determining whether the received data packet is a multicast data packet;
generating a plurality of the data packets by copying the received data packet in response to determining that the received data packet is a multicast data packet; and
forwarding the copied data packets to a plurality of the destination nodes.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, at the intermediate node, one or more requests in accordance with a resource reservation protocol from the root node for delivery of a multicast data packet, each of the one or more requests requesting an establishment of a first connection between the root node and the intermediate node;
in response to the one or more requests, establishing a single first connection for delivery of the multicast data packet;
establishing a plurality of second connections each operatively connecting each destination node to the intermediate node;
receiving the multicast data packet at the intermediate node through the single first connection;
generating a plurality of multicast data packets by copying the received multicast data packet; and,
forwarding the copied multicast data packets to the destination nodes through the second connections.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing the single first connection comprises sending, from the intermediate node, only one response to the reservation protocol requests.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein establishing the second connections comprises transmitting a signal to the intermediate node, the signal including a unique identifier identifying all connections to be formed between the intermediate node and the destination nodes.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein forwarding the copied data packets to a plurality of the destination nodes comprises forwarding the copied data packets to the plurality of destination nodes through connection interfaces of the intermediate node identified in a multicast table, wherein the multicast table associates the identified connection interfaces with the unique identifier.
6. An apparatus for multicasting data packets, comprising:
a connection manager operable to prepare a plurality of point to point connections between a root node and a plurality of destination nodes to establish point to multipoint connections;
a receiver, operatively connected to the root node and a plurality of the destination nodes, operable to receive a data packet from the root node;
a controller operable to determine whether the received data packet is a multicast data packet and to generate a plurality of the data packets by copying the received data packet in response to determination that the received data packet is a multicast data packet; and,
a transmitter operable to forward the copied data packets to a plurality of the destination nodes.
7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein
the receiver is operable to receive one or more requests in accordance with a resource reservation protocol from the root node for delivery of the multicast data packet, each of the one or more requests requesting an establishment of a first connection with the root node;
the connection manager, in response to the one or more requests, is operable to establish a single first connection for delivery of the multicast data packet and establishing a plurality of second connections each operatively connecting with each destination node;
the receiver is further operable to receive the multicast data packet through the single first connection;
the controller is operable to generate a plurality of the multicast data packets by copying the received multicast data packet; and,
the transmitter is operable to forward the copied multicast data packet to the destination nodes through the second connections.
8. A method for multicasting data packets, comprising:
preparing a point to point connection between a root node and a destination node, the point to point connection constituting one of a plurality of point to point connections between the root node and a plurality of destination nodes to establish point to multipoint connections; and
from an intermediate node, which is operatively connected to the root node and a plurality of the destination node, receiving a copy of a data packet which the intermediate node received from the root node, wherein the copy of the data packet was generated at the intermediate node in response to determining that the received data packet is a multicast data packet to each destination node.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
establishing a plurality of first connections each operatively connecting each destination node and the intermediate node, the intermediate node being operatively connected to the root node by a single second connection for delivery of the multicast data packet; and
receiving the copy of the multicast data packet to the destination nodes generated at the intermediate node through the second connections.
10. An apparatus for receiving a multicast data packet, comprising:
a connection manager operable to prepare a point to point connection with a root node that constitutes one of a plurality of point to point connections between the root node and a plurality of destination nodes to establish point to multipoint connections; and
a receiver operable to receive, from an intermediate node which is operatively connected to the root node and a plurality of the destination nodes, a copy of a data packet which the intermediate node received from the root node, wherein the copy of the data packet was generated at the intermediate node in response to determining that the received data packet is a multicast data packet to each destination node.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:
the connection manager is operable to establish a first connection operatively connecting the apparatus and the intermediate node, the first connection constituting one of a plurality of connections between each destination node and the intermediate node, the intermediate node being operatively connected to the root node by a single second connection for delivery of the multicast data packet; and
the receiver is operable to receive the copy of the multicast data packet generated at the intermediate node through the second connection.
12. A method for multicasting data packets, comprising:
providing a root node, a plurality of destination nodes, and an intermediate node which is operatively connected to the root node and a plurality of the destination nodes;
preparing a plurality of point to point connections between the root node and a plurality of the destination nodes via the intermediate node to establish point to multipoint connections;
receiving, at the intermediate node, a data packet from the root node;
determining whether the received data packet is a multicast data packet to be received by a plurality of the destination nodes;
copying the received data packet to generate a plurality of the data packets for a plurality of the destination nodes in response to determining that the received data packet is a multicast data packet; and
forwarding the copied data packets to a plurality of the destination nodes as a multicast data packet.
13. A method of claim 12, further comprising:
receiving, at the intermediate node, one or more requests in accordance with a resource reservation protocol from the root node for delivery of the multicast data packet, each of the one or more requests requesting an establishment of a first connection between the root node and the intermediate node;
in response to the one or more requests, establishing a single first connection for delivery of the multicast data packet;
establishing a plurality of second connections each operatively connecting each destination node to the intermediate node;
receiving the multicast data packet at the intermediate node through the single first connection;
generating a plurality of the multicast data packets by copying the received multicast data packet; and,
forwarding the copied multicast data packet to the destination nodes through the second connections.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein establishing the single first connection comprises sending, from the intermediate node, only one response to the reservation protocol requests.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein establishing the second connections comprises transmitting a signal to the intermediate node, the signal including a unique identifier identifying all connections to be formed between the intermediate node and the destination nodes.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein forwarding the copied data packets to a plurality of the destination nodes comprises forwarding the copied data packets to the plurality of destination nodes through connection interfaces of the intermediate node identified in a multicast table, wherein the multicast table associates the identified connection interfaces with the unique identifier.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for making contact with at least one electrical contact surface on a surface of a substrate, comprising:
laminating under vacuum a film, made of electrically insulating plastic, onto the surface of the substrate the film covering and adhering to the surface of the substrate with a tight fit despite a variation in height as high as 500 \u03bcm;
forming at least one window in the film to expose each of the at least one electrical contact surface; and
making planar contact with each of the at least one electrical contact surface by at least one layer made of electrically conducting material.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface of the substrate is populated with at least one semiconductor chip, on each of which is at least one contact surface to which contact is to be made, and
wherein said laminating produces the film covering and adhering to each semiconductor chip with a tight fit.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein each at least one semiconductor chip is a power semiconductor chip.
4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the film is made of a plastic based on at least one of a polyimide, polyethylene, polyphenol, polyether ether ketone and epoxy.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the film has a thickness of 25 \u03bcm to 150 \u03bcm.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising tempering after said laminating of the film.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said laminating is repeated as needed to obtain the thickness of 25 \u03bcm to 150 \u03bcm.
8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said forming of the at least one window uses laser ablation.
9. The method as claimed in claim 8,
wherein the film is photosensitive, and
wherein said forming of the at least one window uses a photolithographic process.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one layer is a plurality of partial layers made of different electrically conducting material arranged one above another.
11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising creating at least one conductor track at least one of in and on the layer of electrically conducting material after said making of the planar contact.
12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising repeating said laminating, forming of the window, making of the planar contact, and creating of the conductor track to fabricate a multi-layer device.
13. A device, comprising:
a substrate having a surface on which are arranged electrical contact surfaces, and height differences of the surface being of up to 500 \u03bcm;
a film of electrically insulating material laminated by vacuum onto the surface, fitting the surface tightly and adhering to the surface despite the height difference as high as 500 \u03bcm, said film having windows corresponding to the electrical contact surfaces; and
a layer of electrically conducting material in planar contact with the electrical contact surfaces through the windows in said film.
14. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said substrate includes at least one semiconductor chip, each having at least one of the electrical contact surfaces, said film fitting tightly against the at least one semiconductor chip and the at least one of the electrical contact surfaces corresponding to one of the windows in said film through which said layer of electrically conducting material is in planar contact with the at least one of the electrical contact surfaces.
15. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of the at least one semiconductor chip is a power semiconductor chip.
16. A method for making contact with at least one electrically conducting layer of a plurality of layers, comprising:
depositing a plurality of layers directly on an upper surface of an insulating base layer, the layers including at least one electrically conducting layer, and covering partially the insulating base layer and other layers of the plurality of layers;
laminating a film covering and adhering tightly to upper surfaces of different layers of the plurality of layers having a variation in height as high as 500 \u03bcm, and an exposed portion of the insulating base layer, and preventing planarization;
forming at least one window in the film to expose an upper surface of each of the at least one electrically conducting layer; and
making a planar contact with the exposed upper surface of each of the at least one electrically conducting layer.