Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Trask, Britt & Rossa
  • Patent number: 6040618
    Abstract: A micromachined insulative carrier substrate preferably formed of silicon and a multi-chip module formed from the micromachined substrate. The micromachined substrate is fabricated by forming mesas across the surface of the substrate, forming an insulating layer on the substrate, and forming conductive traces on the insulating layer to route signals between semiconductor dice and/or to external circuitry. A variety of semiconductor dice and/or integrated circuitry-bearing wafer configurations (collectively, "semiconductor elements") may be attached to the semiconductor substrate. Electrical contact between the carrier substrate and semiconductor element is achieved with conductive connectors formed on either the semiconductor element or the carrier substrate. The conductive connectors each preferably make contact with both a portion of the conductive trace extending down the sidewall of the mesa and a portion of the conductive trace on the substrate between the mesas to form a more effective bond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Salman Akram
  • Patent number: 6040613
    Abstract: Titanium aluminum nitrogen ("Ti--Al--N") is deposited onto a semiconductor substrate area to serve as an antireflective coating. For wiring line fabrication processes, the Ti--Al--N layer serves as a cap layer which prevents unwanted reflection of photolithography light (i.e., photons) during fabrication. For field emission display devices (FEDs), the Ti--Al--N layer prevents light originating at the display screen anode from penetrating transistor junctions that would hinder device operation. For the wiring line embodiment an aluminum conductive layer and a titanium-aluminum underlayer are formed beneath the antireflective cap layer. The Ti--Al underlayer reduces the shrinkage which occurs in the aluminum conductive layer during heat treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Everett A. McTeer, Russell C. Zahorik, Scott G. Meikle
  • Patent number: 6040205
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for achieving a consistent depth of immersion of a semiconductor element into an exposed surface of an adhesive material pool when applying the adhesive material, conductive or non-conductive, to the semiconductor element or portion thereof. The consistent depth of immersion is defined by a stop which is attached to a reservoir used to form the adhesive material pool, attached to a stencil which is used in conjunction with the reservoir to form a level upper surface on the adhesive material, or operates independently from the reservoir and/or stencil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Syed Sajid Ahmad
  • Patent number: 6035750
    Abstract: A hole cutter adapted for cutting holes through the sidewalls of medical catheters is fashioned from a hollow tube having a distal cutting end, a proximal ejection end and a lumen of smaller diameter near the cutting end. Slugs formed at the cutting end are extracted by suction applied to the ejection end, and are captured by a filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Inventor: Peter T. Hansen
  • Patent number: 6036586
    Abstract: An improvement in a polishing apparatus for planarizing substrates comprises a tenacious coating of a low-adhesion material to the platen surface. An expendable polishing pad is adhesively attached to the low-adhesion material, and may be removed for periodic replacement at much reduced expenditure of force. Polishing pads joined to low-adhesion materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) by conventional adhesives resist distortion during polishing but are readily removed for replacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Trent T. Ward
  • Patent number: 6034440
    Abstract: An improved wire bond with the bond pads of semiconductor devices and the lead fingers of lead frames. More specifically, an improved wire bond with ball bonds previously made on the bond pads of semiconductor devices and/or lead fingers of lead frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael B. Ball
  • Patent number: 6033548
    Abstract: An electrochemical reaction assembly and methods of inducing electrochemical reactions, such as for deposition of materials on semiconductor substrates. The assembly and method achieve a highly uniform thickness and composition of deposition material or uniform etching or polishing on the semiconductor substrates by retaining the semiconductor substrates on a cathode immersed in an appropriate reaction solution wherein a wire mesh anode rotates about the continuous moving cathode during electrochemical reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Salman Akram, David R. Hembree
  • Patent number: 6030711
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for evenly applying an atomized adhesive for bonding a die to a leadframe are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a hood in communication with an air supply and a vacuum plenum that encompass a semiconductor device component located in a target area during adhesive application so that the adhesive is selectively applied to specific portions of the leadframe or other semiconductor device component and adhesive is not allowed outside the system. A mask or stencil may be employed for further prevention of adhesive application to undesired areas. An air purge may be employed to direct the adhesive mist toward the component to be coated. In another embodiment, a fine adhesive spray is directed against the surface of the workpiece to be coated, selected areas being masked to prevent coating. Wafers may be coated as well as leadframes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Sven Evers
  • Patent number: 6030857
    Abstract: A method for evenly applying an atomized adhesive for bonding a die to a leadframe is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a hood in communication with an air supply and a vacuum plenum that encompass a semiconductor device component located in a target area during adhesive application so that the adhesive is selectively applied to specific portions of the leadframe or other semiconductor device component and adhesive is not allowed outside the system. A mask or stencil may be employed for further prevention of adhesive application to undesired areas. An air purge may be employed to direct the adhesive mist toward the component to be coated. In another embodiment, a fine adhesive spray is directed against the surface of the workpiece to be coated, selected areas being masked to prevent coating. Wafers may be coated as well as leadframes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard W. Wensel
  • Patent number: 6026883
    Abstract: A self-contained apparatus for placement of discrete fiber element tows on a mandrel or other tooling. The apparatus carries a spooled fiber element supply, which is directed to a compaction roller over a short, non-convoluted path through a cut/add module having a knife assembly for severing a discrete tow from a continuous fiber element filament, and a drive assembly for feeding the tow and restarting feed of a new tow after severance of the prior one from the filament. The apparatus is particularly suitable for sequentially laying up superimposed, or stacked, tows to define rib-like stiffeners of composite material for reinforcing composite shell structures, and grids of such stiffeners. Methods of using the apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Alliant Techsystems, Inc.
    Inventors: Dennis R. Hegerhorst, Boyd L. Hatch, Keith G. Shupe
  • Patent number: 6028806
    Abstract: A Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) eliminates the need to route section signals to local phase drivers to generate local phase signals by gating local isolation signals and global phase signals together in the local phase drivers to generate the local phase signals. As a result, the die "footprint" of the DRAM is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: William K. Waller
  • Patent number: 6028436
    Abstract: An interconnect apparatus for testing bare semiconductor dice comprises raised contact members on a semiconductive substrate. The contact members are covered with an insulation layer and a conductive cap connected by a conductive trace to a testing circuit. The trace is covered with coaxial layers of a silicon containing insulation and a metal for shielding the trace from "cross-talk" and other interference. An apparatus for simultaneous testing of multiple dies on a wafer has thermal expansion characteristics matching those of the semiconductor die or wafer and provides clean signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Salman Akram, David R. Hembree, Alan G. Wood
  • Patent number: 6023432
    Abstract: A DRAM array is repairable when the array includes memory cells that are defective because their storage capacitors are unable to retain a sufficient electric charge to properly store "1" and "0" bits. To repair the array, both even and odd row decoders in the array are permanently enabled so that each row address the array receives causes the even row decoder to energize at least one even word line and the odd row decoder to energize at least one odd word line. As a result, at least two memory cells are accessed for each row address so that each "1" or "0" bit is stored as an electric charge in at least two memory cells. By grouping enough memory cells together in this manner to store each "1" and "0" bit, the grouped memory cells are able to retain a sufficient total electric charge as a group to properly store each bit even when individual memory cells in the group are unable to do so.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael A. Shore
  • Patent number: D420500
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Hudson
  • Patent number: D420501
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventor: John Hlavacs
  • Patent number: D420502
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventor: John Hlavacs
  • Patent number: D420503
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventor: Sean Michael McDowell
  • Patent number: D420504
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric P. Avar
  • Patent number: D420505
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2000
    Assignee: Nike, Inc.
    Inventor: Bo Lupo
  • Patent number: RE36613
    Abstract: A multiple stacked die device is disclosed that contains up to four dies and does not exceed the height of current single die packages. Close-tolerance stacking is made possible by a low-loop-profile wire-bonding operation and thin-adhesive layer between the stacked dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2000
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael B. Ball