Patents by Inventor Steven Kummerl

Steven Kummerl has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11854947
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) chip can include a die with an interconnect conductively coupled to a leadframe, wherein the leadframe forms a portion of a given surface of the IC chip. The IC chip can also include an encapsulating material molded over the die and the leadframe. The encapsulating material can form another surface of the IC chip. The other surface of the IC chip opposes the given surface of the IC chip. The IC chip can further include a vertical wire extending through the encapsulating material in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the given surface of the IC chip and the vertical wire protruding through the other surface of the IC chip to form a vertical connector for the IC chip. The vertical connector can be coupled to the interconnect on the die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Abram M. Castro, Steven Kummerl
  • Publication number: 20210091012
    Abstract: A floating die package including a cavity formed through sublimation of a sacrificial die encapsulant and sublimation or separation of die attach materials after molding assembly. A pinhole vent in the molding structure is provided as a sublimation path to allow gases to escape, whereby the die or die stack is released from the substrate and suspended in the cavity by the bond wires only.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Benjamin Stassen Cook, Steven Kummerl, Kurt Peter Wachtler
  • Publication number: 20210028093
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) chip can include a die with an interconnect conductively coupled to a leadframe, wherein the leadframe forms a portion of a given surface of the IC chip. The IC chip can also include an encapsulating material molded over the die and the leadframe. The encapsulating material can form another surface of the IC chip. The other surface of the IC chip opposes the given surface of the IC chip. The IC chip can further include a vertical wire extending through the encapsulating material in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the given surface of the IC chip and the vertical wire protruding through the other surface of the IC chip to form a vertical connector for the IC chip. The vertical connector can be coupled to the interconnect on the die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Abram M. Castro, Steven Kummerl
  • Patent number: 10887993
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an electrical device having a surface. The electrical device includes a first surface conductor spaced apart from a second surface conductor on the surface to provide circuit contacts to the device. A first standoff connector is bonded to the first surface conductor. The first standoff connector includes a leg having a proximal end bonded to the first surface conductor. The leg of the first standoff connector extends outwardly from the first surface conductor to a bend that is spaced apart from the surface of the electrical device. A second standoff connector is bonded to the second surface conductor. The second standoff connector includes a leg having a proximal end bonded to the second surface conductor. The leg of the second standoff connector extends outwardly from the second surface conductor to a bend that is spaced apart from the surface of the electrical device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Steven Kummerl
  • Patent number: 10861796
    Abstract: A floating die package including a cavity formed through sublimation of a sacrificial die encapsulant and sublimation or separation of die attach materials after molding assembly. A pinhole vent in the molding structure is provided as a sublimation path to allow gases to escape, whereby the die or die stack is released from the substrate and suspended in the cavity by the bond wires only.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Benjamin Stassen Cook, Steven Kummerl, Kurt Peter Wachtler
  • Patent number: 10804185
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) chip can include a die with an interconnect conductively coupled to a leadframe, wherein the leadframe forms a portion of a given surface of the IC chip. The IC chip can also include an encapsulating material molded over the die and the leadframe. The encapsulating material can form another surface of the IC chip. The other surface of the IC chip opposes the given surface of the IC chip. The IC chip can further include a vertical wire extending through the encapsulating material in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the given surface of the IC chip and the vertical wire protruding through the other surface of the IC chip to form a vertical connector for the IC chip. The vertical connector can be coupled to the interconnect on the die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Abram M. Castro, Steven Kummerl
  • Publication number: 20200083147
    Abstract: A packaged semiconductor device includes an IC die having bump features that are coupled to bond pads flip chip attached to a custom LF. The custom LF includes metal structures including metal leads on at least 2 sides, and printed metal providing a printed LF portion including printed metal traces that connect to and extend inward from at least one of the metal leads over the dielectric support material that are coupled to FC pads configured for receiving the bump features including at least some of the printed metal traces coupled to the bond pads on the IC die. The IC die is flip chip mounted on the printed LF portion so that the bump features are connected to the FC pads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2018
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Inventors: JO BITO, BENJAMIN STASSEN COOK, STEVEN KUMMERL
  • Publication number: 20200035833
    Abstract: A method to improve transistor performance uses a wafer (100) of single-crystalline semiconductor with a first zone (102) of field effect transistors (FETs) and circuitry at the wafer surface, and an infrared (IR) laser with a lens for focusing the IR light to a second depth (112) farther from the wafer surface than the first depth of the first zone. The focused laser beam is moved parallel to the surface across the wafer to cause local multi-photon absorption at the second depth for transforming the single-crystalline semiconductor into a second zone (111) of polycrystalline semiconductor with high density of dislocations. The second zone has a height and lateral extensions, and permanently stresses the single-crystalline bulk semiconductor; the stress increases the majority carrier mobility in the channel of the FETs, improving the transistor performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Steven Kummerl, Matthew John Sherbin, Saumya Gandhi
  • Patent number: 10535594
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises an interposer with extruded feed-through vias and a semiconductor die. The interposers includes a substrate having a plurality of through-vias. A dielectric liner lining said through-vias. A plurality of feed-thru electrically conducting features provided by a plurality of extruded metal wires within said dielectric liner. A semiconductor die attached to said interposer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2020
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Steven Kummerl
  • Patent number: 10431684
    Abstract: A method to improve transistor performance uses a wafer (100) of single-crystalline semiconductor with a first zone (102) of field effect transistors (FETs) and circuitry at the wafer surface, and an infrared (IR) laser with a lens for focusing the IR light to a second depth (112) farther from the wafer surface than the first depth of the first zone. The focused laser beam is moved parallel to the surface across the wafer to cause local multi-photon absorption at the second depth for transforming the single-crystalline semiconductor into a second zone (111) of polycrystalline semiconductor with high density of dislocations. The second zone has a height and lateral extensions, and permanently stresses the single-crystalline bulk semiconductor; the stress increases the majority carrier mobility in the channel of the FETs, improving the transistor performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Steven Kummerl, Matthew John Sherbin, Saumya Gandhi
  • Publication number: 20180323361
    Abstract: A circuit board includes an embedded thermoelectric device with hard thermal bonds. A method includes embedding a thermoelectric device in a circuit board and forming hard thermal bonds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Inventors: Henry L. Edwards, Kenneth J. Maggio, Steven Kummerl, Sreenivasan K. Koduri
  • Publication number: 20170330841
    Abstract: A floating die package including a cavity formed through sublimation of a sacrificial die encapsulant and sublimation or separation of die attach materials after molding assembly. A pinhole vent in the molding structure is provided as a sublimation path to allow gases to escape, whereby the die or die stack is released from the substrate and suspended in the cavity by the bond wires only.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Benjamin Stassen Cook, Steven Kummerl, Kurt Peter Wachtler
  • Publication number: 20170309748
    Abstract: A method to improve transistor performance uses a wafer (100) of single-crystalline semiconductor with a first zone (102) of field effect transistors (FETs) and circuitry at the wafer surface, and an infrared (IR) laser with a lens for focusing the IR light to a second depth (112) farther from the wafer surface than the first depth of the first zone. The focused laser beam is moved parallel to the surface across the wafer to cause local multi-photon absorption at the second depth for transforming the single-crystalline semiconductor into a second zone (111) of polycrystalline semiconductor with high density of dislocations. The second zone has a height and lateral extensions, and permanently stresses the single-crystalline bulk semiconductor; the stress increases the majority carrier mobility in the channel of the FETs, improving the transistor performance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Inventors: Steven Kummerl, Matthew John Sherbin, Saumya Gandhi
  • Publication number: 20170196090
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an electrical device having a surface. The electrical device includes a first surface conductor spaced apart from a second surface conductor on the surface to provide circuit contacts to the device. A first standoff connector is bonded to the first surface conductor. The first standoff connector includes a leg having a proximal end bonded to the first surface conductor. The leg of the first standoff connector extends outwardly from the first surface conductor to a bend that is spaced apart from the surface of the electrical device. A second standoff connector is bonded to the second surface conductor. The second standoff connector includes a leg having a proximal end bonded to the second surface conductor. The leg of the second standoff connector extends outwardly from the second surface conductor to a bend that is spaced apart from the surface of the electrical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventor: Steven KUMMERL
  • Publication number: 20170194233
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) chip can include a die with an interconnect conductively coupled to a leadframe, wherein the leadframe forms a portion of a given surface of the IC chip. The IC chip can also include an encapsulating material molded over the die and the leadframe. The encapsulating material can form another surface of the IC chip. The other surface of the IC chip opposes the given surface of the IC chip. The IC chip can further include a vertical wire extending through the encapsulating material in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the given surface of the IC chip and the vertical wire protruding through the other surface of the IC chip to form a vertical connector for the IC chip. The vertical connector can be coupled to the interconnect on the die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2015
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Abram M. Castro, Steven Kummerl
  • Publication number: 20160268023
    Abstract: A transfer mold compound mixture for use in a transfer mold device to encapsulate electronic components. A ferromagnetic material is mixed into a mold compound to produce a mixed mold compound having an increased permeability over the mold compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Steven Kummerl, Richard J. Saye
  • Patent number: 9378882
    Abstract: Circuits and methods of fabricating circuits are disclosed herein. A method of fabricating an electronic circuit includes placing an electronic component on a substrate. A ferromagnetic material is mixed into a mold compound to produce a mixed mold compound having an increased permeability over the mold compound. The mixed mold compound is applied to the substrate by way of a transfer mold process, wherein the mixed mold compound encapsulates the electronic component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Steven Kummerl, Richard J. Saye
  • Publication number: 20160163630
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises an interposer with extruded feed-through vias and a semiconductor die. The interposers includes a substrate having a plurality of through-vias. A dielectric liner lining said through-vias. A plurality of feed-thru electrically conducting features provided by a plurality of extruded metal wires within said dielectric liner. A semiconductor die attached to said interposer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2016
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventor: STEVEN KUMMERL
  • Patent number: 9241405
    Abstract: A method of forming interposers includes positioning a plurality of extruded metal wires across a first platten and second platten, which secures the extruded metal wires. A sealing material is added to sidewalls of a volume having the plurality of extruded metal wires within, with the first and second plattens as end plates to form a holding volume. The holding volume is filled with a filling material. The filling material is heated to a sufficient temperature to form a heat treated filled volume. After removing the sealing material, the heat treated filled volume is sawed into a plurality of slices having a predetermined thickness to form a plurality of interposer substrates having a plurality of feed-thru conducting features provided by the plurality of extruded metal wires.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Steven Kummerl
  • Patent number: 8569082
    Abstract: Various exemplary embodiments provide components, devices, and methods of semiconductor packaging. The disclosed packaging component can include a mold material disposed around a lead frame and at least an integrated circuit (IC), wherein the IC is electrically connected with one side of the lead frame. The opposite side of the lead frame including, for example, lead segments, can be exposed from the mold material. A variety of other components, devices, and packages can then be assembled, e.g., over the disclosed packaging component, through the exposed regions so as to improve packaging densities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Steven A. Kummerl, Sreenivasan K Koduri