Abstract: A semiconductor circuit package includes features forming an electrostatic charge distribution network having nodes which are defined by the electrical contact leads of the package for the semiconductor circuit, and which are effectively connected with one another by spark-gaps. In one embodiment electrical leads of the package are provided with pointed protrusions lying in the plane of the electrical leads. Accordingly, an inadvertent electrostatic discharge is distributed throughout the semiconductor circuit at safe voltage levels determined by the characteristics of the spark gaps of the charge distribution network.

Abstract: This invention relates to an improved memory storage system which allows selective ranges of memory locations, which can also be referred to as virtual memory banks, to be enabled and disabled. The ranges of memory locations can be disabled to avoid refreshing unused memory location and to eliminate faulty memory locations. Also, the ranges of memory locations can be treated as blocks or banks of memory regardless of the physical chips used to store the data. In other words, if a memory bank has a capacity of 16 MB, the range of memory locations may be a portion of the total capacity of this memory bank, for example 8 MB or 4 MB, and the remainder of the memory bank can be unaffected or be the subject of another range of memory locations. In a preferred embodiment, the ranges of memory locations is at least 2 MB in size.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for cooling an electronic dissipate heat. The method includes the steps of providing a heat sink made from a powdered metal, placing the heat sink in thermal communication with the electronic device and, in one preferred embodiment, circulating an ambient fluid about the heat sink. The heat sink may have a first portion configured to be in thermal communication with the electronic device and a second portion configured to dissipate heat to an ambient fluid. In one preferred embodiment the powdered metal used to form the heat sink includes copper. The powdered metal forming the heat sink may also be at least partially fused. The heat sink structure may be an integral portion of a package for an integrated circuit structure. The heat sink may alternatively be secured to the electronic device with a thermally conductive adhesive. One configuration of the heat sink may include a plurality of posts projecting from a generally flat surface.

Abstract: Testing of a semiconductor integrated circuit is conducted by determining all paths leading to a failed location on a chip. Potentially faulty locations are then determined by finding faults which occurred at the same time the failing vector was scanned, and the intersection of the paths and the faulty locations form a smaller set of potentially faulty locations on the IC. Further testing of the nodes which are in this smaller set is performed until a single location or small portion of a chip may be visually inspected with little effort.

Abstract: In contrast to the conventional automated bonding system, an electronic device (10) is mounted within a surrounding ring frame (12, 14) of insulating material by means of a plurality of individually applied tapes or ribbons (16) of electrically conductive material. A protective coating (18) may be applied to the assembly after bonding.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing substrate including a non-conductive support layer and a plurality "n" of conductive leads disposed on the support layer. The leads are arranged in a generally radial pattern about a central point on the support layer, each of the leads having a width "w" and spaced a distance "d" from one another at their innermost ends, thereby forming a generally square opening of side dimension "s". The substrate accommodates semiconductor dies ranging in size from smaller than the opening, to approximately equal to that of the opening, to substantially larger than the opening, such as four times the size (linear dimension) of the opening. The die is bonded to the substrate. Other elements of a semiconductor device assembly are added to the resulting structure.

Abstract: One or two, or more, additional conductive layers, separated from one another (if two or more) and separated from a patterned (signal) conductive layer are formed in a flexible substrate, for mounting a semiconductor die in a semiconductor device assembly. These additional layers are used as separate planes for carrying power and/or ground from outside the assembly to the die, on a separate plane from signals entering or exiting the die. TAB processes are disclosed for cutting, bending and bonding inner and outer portions of selected signal layer traces to respective inner and outer edge portions of the additional conductive layer(s), including a two-stage process of (1) first cutting, bending and tacking the selected traces to the additional layer(s), and then (2) repositioning a bonding tool and securely bonding the selected traces to the additional layer(s). A tool (die pedestal) for aiding in the assembly process is also disclosed.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for curing a hydrogen silsesquioxane coating material to form SiO.sub.2 by first placing the coating material in a preheated furnace; igniting a plasma ignited in the furnace immediately after insertion of the coating material therein; then raising the temperature of the furnace up to a predetermined curing temperature, while still maintaining the plasma in the chamber; maintaining the coating material at the curing temperature until substantially all of the coating material has cured to form SiO.sub.2 ; and then extinguishing the plasma and cooling the furnace. In another embodiment, the coating material is cured, with or without the assistance of heat and a plasma, in an ultrahigh vacuum, i.e., a vacuum of at least 10.sup.-5 Torr or better, and preferably at least 10.sup.-6 Torr or better.

Abstract: A method for suppressing noise encountered during testing of large semiconductor chips is disclosed herein. Output drivers on the semiconductor chip may occasionally produce errant signals during testing, and such errant signals may be coupled through ground or nearby pins which are asynchronous edge sensitive pins to produce false internal transitions. The false internal transitions can cause the chip to fail the test. The proposed method suppresses the noise by disabling the output drivers during portions of the test which may induce errant signals and enables the output drivers when such potentially errant signals have passed.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package, and integrated circuit assembly having such a package, includes a base portion and a cover portion which cooperatively enclose an integrated circuit chip. The base and cover portions are formed of composite material and have matching coefficients of thermal expansion. Because the base and cover portions each match the other's thermal expansions and contractions, no stresses are generated in the package from heating and cooling during and following operation of the integrated circuit chip, and no such thermally produced physical stresses are transferred to the circuit chip to shorten its life. A version of the package includes plural lamina, and may include facial metallic coating layers on the lamina for shielding, electromagnetic shielding, and electrical interconnection of the integrated circuit chip. Another version of the package utilizes the facial metallic coating layers to join portions of the package by soldering.

Abstract: A semiconductor device assembly having external connections, including power supply connections such as to a power source or ground, is made without resort to bond fingers. Rather, external connections are directly made from a semiconductor die to a conductive layer. The conductive layer is disposed on one surface of a printed wring board and is divided into electrically insulated conductive segments. Each of the conductive segments is connected to an external connection, and includes one or more interconnects that can be directly connected to a semiconductor die. The conductive segments are surrounded by an array of bond fingers which serve to connect the semiconductor die to further external connections, such as signal connections. The present invention is especially advantageous in the fabrication of pin grid array (PGA) and ball grid array (BGA) type integrated circuit packages.

Abstract: An optimized translation lookaside buffer (TLB) utilizes a least-recently-used algorithm for determining the replacement of virtual-to-physical memory translation entries. The TLB is faster and requires less chip area for fabrication. In addition to speed and size, the TLB is also optimized since many characteristics of the TLB may be changed without significantly changing the overall layout of the TLB. A TLB generating program may thus be used as a design aid. The translation lookaside buffer includes a level decoding circuit which allows masking of a variable number of the bits of a virtual address when it is compared to values stored within the TLB. The masking technique may be used for indicating a TLB hit or miss of a virtual address to be translated, and may also be used for invalidating selected entries within the TLB.

Abstract: A system for interactive design, synthesis and simulation of an electronic system allowing a user to design a system either by specification of a behavioral model in a high level language such as VHDL or by graphical entry. The user can view full or partial simulation and design results simultaneously, on a single display window. The synthesis process uses a systematic technique to map and enforce consistency of the semantics imbedded in the intent of the original, high-level descriptions. The design activity is generally a series of transformations operating upon various levels of design representations. At each level, the design can be simulated and reviewed in schematic diagram form. The simulation results can be displayed immediately adjacent to signal lines on the diagram to which they correspond. In one embodiment, design rule violations are processed by an expert system to suggest possible corrections or alterations to the design which will eliminate the design rule violations.

Abstract: Changing (varying, irregular) resist thickness on semiconductor wafers having irregular top surface topography or having different island sizes, affects the percent reflectance (and absorption efficiency) of incident photolithographic light, and consequently the critical dimensions of underlying features being formed (e.g., polysilicon gates). A low solvent content resist solution that can be applied as an aerosol provides a more uniform thickness resist film, eliminating or diminishing photoresist thickness variations. A top antireflective coating (TAR) also aids in uniformizing reflectance, despite resist thickness variations. The two techniques can be used alone, or together. Hence, better control over underlying gate size can be effected, without differential biasing.

Abstract: A transistor circuit is formed on a substrate having source and drain electrodes and multiple current-controlling gates. The two current-controlling gates are separated by spacer oxide material. The first gate is an metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) gate that is insulated from the substrate by a layer of gate oxide. The second gate is a junction field effect transistor (JFET) gate contiguous to the MOS gate that is insulated from the MOS gate by a layer of spacer oxide.

Abstract: A methodology for generating structural descriptions of complex digital devices from high-level descriptions and specifications using a systematic technique to map and enforce consistency of the semantics imbedded in the intent of the original, high-level descriptions. The design activity is essentially a series of transformations operating upon various levels of design representations. At each level, the intended meaning (semantics) and formal software manipulations are captured to derive a more detailed level describing hardware meeting the design goals. Important features of the methodology are: capturing the users concepts, intent, specification, descriptions, constraints and trade-offs; architectural partitioning; what-if analysis at a high level; sizing estimation; timing estimation; architectural trade-off; conceptual design with implementation estimation; and timing closure.

Abstract: Four electric field containment regions are formed in a semiconductor substrate by implanting ions into the substrate along four axes that are angularly oriented about a normal to a surface of the substrate in four orthogonal directions respectively. The implant axes are further angularly tilted from the normal by a large angle on the order of 45.degree. such that the axes intersect the normal at a point below the surface. A field effect transistor (FET) is formed in the substrate above the containment regions such that the FET is substantially centered about the normal and has a channel that is aligned with one of the four orthogonal directions. A source and drain are formed at opposite ends of the channel. The containment regions formed under the source and drain respectively are configured to contain electric fields extending therefrom and thereby suppress punchthrough. The four containment regions are implanted at angles that minimize channeling, and any channeling that does occur is symmetrical.

Abstract: A methodology for generating structural descriptions of complex digital devices from high-level descriptions and specifications. The methodology uses a systematic technique to map and enforce consistency of the semantics imbedded in the intent of the original, high-level descriptions. The design activity is essentially a series of transformations operating upon various levels of design representations. At each level, the intended meaning (semantics) and formal software manipulations are captured to derive a more detailed level describing hardware meeting the design goals. Important features of the methodology are: capturing the users concepts, intent, specification, descriptions, constraints and trade-offs; architectural partitioning; what-if analysis at a high level; sizing estimation; timing estimation; architectural trade-off; conceptual design with implementation estimation; and timing closure.

Abstract: A novel technique for improving the accuracy of seed values for iterative convergent computations such as square-root taking and division by providing optional dynamic range expansion as a part of the seed selection process is described. The technique, by improving seed accuracy, reduces the number of iterations required for convergence. This is accomplished with less hardware than would be required to accomplish the same result with a large ROM.

Abstract: Signals (including probes) from an external system are selectively connected to a plurality of unsingulated dies on a semiconductor wafer with a minimum number of connections and an electronic selection mechanism resident on the wafer. The electronic selection mechanism is connected to the individual dies by conductive lines on the wafer. The electronic selection mechanism is capable of providing the external signals (or connecting the external probe) to a single die or groups of the dies, and electronically "walking through" the entire plurality of unsingulated dies. Redundant conductive lines may be provided. Diodes and/or fuses may be provided in conjunction with the conductive lines, to protect against various faults which may occur in the conductive lines. Redundant electronic selection mechanisms may also be provided to ensure the ability to selectively provide signals to the unsingulated dies.