Patents Represented by Attorney Yingsheng Tung
  • Patent number: 7520052
    Abstract: The objective of the invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device that allows individual molding of plural semiconductor chips carried on a surface of the substrate. It includes the following process steps: a process step in which plural semiconductor elements 102 are arranged on the surface of substrate 100; a process step in which the inner side of substrate 102 is fixed on lower die 130; a process step in which liquid resin 114 is supplied from nozzle 112 onto each of the semiconductor elements in order to cover at least a portion of each of semiconductor chips 102; a process step in which the upper die having plural cavities 144 formed in one surface is pressed onto the lower die, and liquid resin 114 is molded at a prescribed temperature by means of plural cavities 144; and a process step in which cavities 144 of upper die 140 are detached from the substrate, and plural molding resin portions are formed individually.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Yoshimi Takahashi, Masazumi Amagai
  • Patent number: 7521338
    Abstract: Semiconductor wafer sawing systems and methods are described in which a wafer may be secured in a sawing position having a surface exposed to incur sawing with at least a portion of the exposed wafer surface positioned below the center of gravity of the wafer such that prevailing force of gravity may be used to assist in the removal of contaminants from the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Patricio Vergara Ancheta, Jr., Heintje Sardonas Vilaga, Ella Chan Sarmiento
  • Patent number: 7521291
    Abstract: The objective of the invention is to provide a semiconductor device manufacturing method with which the generation of burrs can be suppressed while increasing the singulation speed of the package. In a manufacturing method of a QFN package of the present invention, a molding prepared by sealing a lead frame with plural semiconductor chips carried on it en bloc with a resin; the operation comprises the following processing steps: a first singulation processing step S101 in which the molding is half-cut along the cutting plane; a de-flashing processing step S102 in which the burrs on the cut portion of the half-cut molding are removed; and a second singulation processing step S103 in which the de-flashed molding is completely cut along the cutting plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Mutsumi Masumoto
  • Patent number: 7521284
    Abstract: System and method for creating single stud bumps having an increased stand-off height. A preferred embodiment includes a method of using a capillary for creating stud bumps in a flip chip assembly, the capillary includes a hole section adapted to pass a wire, a chamfer section providing a transition from the hole section to a stud bump section, and a sidewall within the stud bump section, the sidewall having a sidewall height, wherein the side wall height is equal to, or greater than, the a diameter of the stud bump section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Ariel Lizaba Miranda, Raymundo Monasterio Camenforte
  • Patent number: 7518386
    Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a type of probe assembly with a long lifetime and low cost, as well as a type of probe card using same. Probe assembly 100 attached on the probe card has probe holder 200 that holds plural probes Q at prescribed positions and leaf spring mechanism 300 with probe holder 200 attached on it. Said leaf spring mechanism 300 has leaf spring cover 360 connected to probe card base plate 410 and leaf spring 330, as well as pin row base plate 310 with probe holder 200 attached on it. When the bump electrodes are contacted, pin row base plate 310 can move towards leaf spring cover 360 via leaf spring 330.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Takeshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 7518392
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for device configuration are disclosed herein. For example, some embodiments of the present invention provide high speed pin continuity and pin-to-pin short tester circuits. Such circuits include a threshold driver, a test driver, and a comparator. An input of the threshold driver is electrically coupled to a voltage threshold, and an output of the threshold driver is electrically coupled to a test pin node via a current limiting resistor. An input of the test driver is electrically coupled to a drive data input, and an output of the test driver is electrically coupled to the test pin node. One input of the comparator is electrically coupled to the test pin node, and the other input of the comparator is electrically coupled to a threshold comparator input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Gunvant T. Patel, Trevor J. Tarsi, Yun-Fu Wang, Anthony J. Lendino
  • Patent number: 7514292
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) chip, mounted on a leadframe, has a network of power distribution lines deposited on the surface of the chip so that these lines are located over active components of the IC, connected vertically by metal-filled vias to selected active components below the lines, and also by conductors to segments of the leadframe. Furthermore, the lines are fabricated with a sheet resistance of less than 1.5 m?/· and the majority of the lines is patterned as straight lines between the vias and the conductors, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Taylor R Efland, Milton L Buschbom, Sameer Pendharkar
  • Patent number: 7507605
    Abstract: A leadframe with a structure made of a base metal (105), wherein the structure has a plurality of surfaces. On each of these surfaces are metal layers in a stack adherent to the base metal. The stack comprises a nickel layer (201) in contact with the base metal, a palladium layer (202) in contact with the nickel layer, and an outermost tin layer (203) in contact with the palladium layer. In terms of preferred layer thicknesses, the nickel layer is between about 0.5 and 2.0 ?m thick, the palladium layer between about 5 and 150 nm thick, and the tin layer less than about 5 nm thick, preferably about 3 nm. At this thinness, the tin has no capability of forming whiskers, but offers superb adhesion to polymeric encapsulation materials, improved characteristics for reliable stitch bonding as well as affinity to reflow metals (solders).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Donald C. Abbott
  • Patent number: 7504339
    Abstract: A trench structure in a wafer of semiconductor material and the method of forming the trench structure are described. The trench structure is formed on a semiconductor wafer that has a top surface of slow oxidization rate—slower than that of other major crystallographic planes of the semiconductor material. The trench is etched into the semiconductor wafer. The trench has substantially vertical trench-sidewalls near the top surface, the vertical trench-sidewalls near the top surface containing crystallographic plane that oxidizes at a rate comparable to that of the top surface. An insulating layer is grown on the top surface and on the trench-sidewalls and on corners where sidewall surfaces approach the top surface, the insulating layer at the corners being substantially thicker than at the sidewall adjacent to the corners. The difference in the oxide thickness is due to the faster oxidizing planes exposed at the corners. Finally, the trench is filled with a dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Zhihao Chen, Freidoon Mehrad, Brian K. Kirkpatrick, Jeff A. White, Edmund G. Russell, Jon Holt, Jason D. Mehigan
  • Patent number: 7504283
    Abstract: A semiconductor system having a substrate (101) including a rigid insulating interposer (110) with a high modulus and a top (140) and a bottom (150) low-modulus tape with flip-attached semiconductor chips (120, 130). The assembled chips, with the passive surfaces facing each other, are located in an opening (114) of the interposer, which has a thickness (111) equal to or smaller than the sum of the assembled two chips. Adhesive material (160) holds the tapes parallel to the interposer and the chip surfaces together. Solder balls (180) and discrete components (170) may be attached to the outside surfaces of the tapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Rajiv Carl Dunne
  • Patent number: 7504716
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor chip (101) assembled on a first copper cuboid (110); the cuboid has sides of a height (111). The device further has a plurality of second copper cuboids (120) suitable for wire bond attachment; the second cuboids have sides of a height (121) substantially equal to the height of the first cuboid. The back surfaces of all cuboids are aligned in a plane (130). Encapsulation compound (140) is adhering to and embedding the chip, the wire bonds, and the sides of all cuboids so that the compound forms a first surface (140b) aligned with the plane of the back cuboid surfaces and a second surface (140a) above the embedded wires. For devices intended for stacking, the devices further comprise a plurality of vias (160) through the encapsulation compound from the first to the second compound surfaces; the vias are filled with copper, and the via locations are matching between the devices-to-be-stacked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Donald C. Abbott
  • Patent number: 7504713
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a plastic package with a linear array of metal lands (202, 212) with parallel perimeter portions (203a, 213a). Pairs of adjacent lands have their facing parallel perimeter portions oriented in parallel, defining a centerline. The land perimeters have flanges remote from the surface, each flange shaped by an outline. For adjacent lands, the flanges (207b, 218, 219) of the parallel perimeter portions have asymmetrical outlines relative to the centerline and are in concord so that alternately the flange of one land diminishes its outline where the flange of the adjacent land protrudes its outline. This coordinated variation shapes the space between the adjacent flanges in a meander-like mode. Adhesive plastic material is anchored in the space to hinder a land shift along the parallel perimeter portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Jeffrey Gail Holloway, Steven Alfred Kummerl
  • Patent number: 7495458
    Abstract: One aspect of the invention provides an apparatus that includes a probe card having probe needles associated therewith. A temperature stabilizer element is couplable to the probe card. The temperature stabilizer is configured to either raise or lower a temperature of the probe needles to reduce movement of the probe needles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Adolphus E. McClanahan, John D. Wolfe, Michael P. Harris, Frank J. Mesa
  • Patent number: 7495749
    Abstract: In a method and system for evaluating sub-critical fatigue crack growth in a semiconductor device, a plurality of energy pulses generated by an energy source are repeatedly impinged onto the semiconductor device for a predefined time interval. The repeated impinging of the plurality of energy pulses induces a mechanical stress within the semiconductor device. The induced mechanical stress, maintained below a threshold and repeated for a predefined number of cycles, causes a formation of a sub-critical fatigue crack within the semiconductor device. A detector detects the presence of the sub-critical fatigue crack leading to a fatigue failure. A rapid determination of a pass or fail status for a fatigue test of the semiconductor device is made by comparing a total number of cycles to fatigue failure to a predefined benchmark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Cheryl Diane Hartfield, Darvin Renne Edwards
  • Patent number: 7494905
    Abstract: The present invention provides, for use in a semiconductor manufacturing process, a method (100) of preparing an ion-implantation source material. The method includes providing (110) a deliquescent ion implantation source material and mixing (110) the deliquescent ion implantation source material with an organic liquid to form a paste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Amitabh Jain
  • Patent number: 7488623
    Abstract: An integrated circuit chip packaging assembly having a first and second package side. An integrated circuit chip has a substrate side and an active circuit side. The chip includes integrated circuit devices formed on the active circuit side. The active circuit side of the chip is on the first package side. The die pad has at least one runner member extending therefrom, which may be bent toward the first package side. The active circuit side of the chip is attached to the die pad. The die pad is on the first package side relative to the chip. The package mold compound is formed over the die pad, at least part of the chip, and at least part of the runner member(s). At least part of the substrate side of the chip and/or at least part of the runner member(s) may not be covered by the package mold compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Steven A Kummerl, Anthony L Coyle, Bernhard Lange
  • Patent number: 7489180
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for device configuration are disclosed herein. For example, some embodiments of the present invention provide semiconductor devices that include a fuse blow circuit. The fuse blow circuit provides two fuse blow outputs. Assertion of one of the fuse blow outputs causes one electronic fuse to blow, and assertion of the other fuse blow output causes another electronic fuse to blow. One of the electronic fuses represents a configuration bit while the other electronic fuse represents an inversion status bit indicating an inversion to be applied to the configuration bit. Both the configuration bit and the inversion status bit are applied to an inverter which operates to invert the configuration bit based at least in part on the inversion status bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Andrew Marshall
  • Patent number: 7476960
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for auto-boating includes supporting a tape substrate having first and second end portions on a boat, sandwiching the first and second end portions between respective ones of a pair of end sleeves and the boat, coupling a boat clip to the boat, and removing the end sleeves from between the first and second end portions and the boat clip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark Gerald M Cruz, Jerry G Cayabyab, Edward R De la Rosa
  • Patent number: 7476976
    Abstract: A QFN package and method of making same is provided comprising a substrate having a metal line extending from a connection element on a perimeter region of the substrate to a high current contact pad on interior region of the substrate. A semiconductor chip having an active surface generally faces the interior region of the substrate, wherein a heat-dissipating patterned metal distribution layer is formed over the active surface and electrically connected to an active component thereon. A solder strip electrically and thermally connects the high current contact pad and the metal distribution layer, and a mold compound generally encapsulates the semiconductor chip. The solder strip is generally uniform in depth and surface area, wherein low electrical resistance and inductance is provided between the high current contact pad and the metal distribution layer. An integrated heat sink may be further formed or placed on a passive surface of the chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Bernhard P. Lange, Anthony L. Coyle
  • Patent number: 7475802
    Abstract: A method is provided for low loop wire bonding. The method includes forming a first bond between a first bonding ball disposed at an end of a first wire and a bond pad of a die coupled to a leadframe having one or more leads. The method also includes forming a second bond between a portion of the wire and a lead of the leadframe. The length of wire between the first and second bonds forms a loop in the wire having a first loop height. The method further includes disposing a second bonding ball on top of the first bonding ball, a portion of the loop being compressed between the first and second bonding balls. The compressed loop has a second loop height less than the first loop height. The method also includes forming a third bond between the second bonding ball, the wire, and the first bonding ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2009
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Kaoru Yajima