Patents Examined by Junghwa M. Im
  • Patent number: 8297935
    Abstract: Turbine blades and methods of forming modified turbine blades and turbine rotors for use in an engine are provided. In an embodiment, by way of example only, a turbine blade includes a platform and an airfoil. The platform includes a surface configured to define a portion of a flowpath, and the surface includes an initial contour configured to plastically deform into an intended final contour after an initial exposure of the blade to an operation of the engine. The airfoil extends from the platform.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Bob Mitlin, Mark C. Morris, Steve Halfmann, Ardeshir Riahi
  • Patent number: 8299626
    Abstract: A microelectronic package includes a lower unit having a lower unit substrate with conductive features and a top and bottom surface. The lower unit includes one or more lower unit chips overly/ing the top surface of the lower unit substrate that are electrically connected to the conductive features of the lower unit substrate. The microelectronic package also includes an upper unit including an upper unit substrate having conductive features, top and bottom surfaces and a hole extending between such top and bottom surfaces. The upper unit further includes one or more upper unit chips overlying the top surface of the upper unit substrate and electrically connected to the conductive features of the upper unit substrate by connections extending within the hole. The upper unit may include an upper unit encapsulant that covers the connections of the upper unit and the one or more upper unit chips.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Tessera, Inc.
    Inventors: Ilyas Mohammed, Belgacem Haba, Sean Moran, Wei-Shun Wang, Ellis Chau, Christopher Wade
  • Patent number: 8283763
    Abstract: An elastic printed board is provided so that stress applied by the silicon gel is absorbed by the printed board. Further, the printed board is formed to be so narrow that the stress may be escaped. On the other hand, the wires on which a high voltage is applied are patterned on respective printed boards. This serves to prevent discharge through the surface of the same printed board served as current passage. This design makes it possible to hermetically close the power module, prevent intrusion of moisture or contamination as well as displacement, transformation and crack of the cover plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Oyama, Mutsuhiro Mori, Katsuaki Saito, Yoshihiko Koike
  • Patent number: 8283778
    Abstract: A chip has a wafer portion of a first coefficient of thermal expansion, the wafer portion including at least one via defined by a peripheral sidewall, an insulating region having second average coefficient of thermal expansion, located within the via and covering at least a portion of the peripheral sidewall to a first thickness, a metallic region having a third average coefficient of thermal expansion, located within the via and covering the insulator to a second thickness, the first thickness and second thickness being selected such that expansion of the combination of the insulator and the metal due to heat will match the expansion of the wafer portion as a result of the combined effect of the first and second thicknesses and their respective second and third average coefficients of thermal expansion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd. L.L.C.
    Inventor: John Trezza
  • Patent number: 8278745
    Abstract: A package design is provided where a chip module is connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) via a land grid array (LGA) on the top surface of the PCB, and where a power supply is connected to the PCB via a second LGA on the bottom surface of the PCB. The stack of the chip module, power supply, and LGA is held in place and compressed with actuation hardware forming an adjustable frame. The package allows field replacibility of either the module, or the PS, and provides the shortest possible wiring distance from the PS to the module leading to higher performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul W. Coteus, Shawn A. Hall, Gareth G. Hougham, Alphonso P. Lanzetta, Rick A. Rand
  • Patent number: 8269329
    Abstract: A multi-chip package structure is provided with a first chip, a substrate adjacent to the first chip, a plurality of contacts connecting the first chip and the substrate, a second chip disposed between the first chip and the substrate and connecting to the first chip, and a underfill film, wherein the underfill film covers the contact to isolate the contact from the second chip, wherein an empty space is defined by the second chip and the substrate so that the second chip does not contact the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: VIA Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Moriss Kung, Kwun-Yao Ho
  • Patent number: 8247271
    Abstract: A structure fabrication method. First, an integrated circuit including N chip electric pads is provided electrically connected to a plurality of devices on the integrated circuit. Then, an interposing shield having a top side and a bottom side and having N electric conductors in the interposing shield is provided being exposed to a surrounding ambient at the top side but not at the bottom side. Next, the integrated circuit is bonded to the top side of the interposing shield such that the N chip electric pads are in electrical contact with the N electric conductors. Next, the bottom side of the interposing shield is polished so as to expose the N electric conductors to the surrounding ambient at the bottom side of the interposing shield. Then, N solder bumps are formed on the polished bottom side of the interposing shield and in electrical contact with the N electric conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Stephen Andry, Cyril Cabral, Jr., Kenneth P. Rodbell, Robert L. Wisnieff
  • Patent number: 8242010
    Abstract: An electrical interconnect forming method. The electrical interconnect includes a first substrate comprising a first electrically conductive pad, a second substrate comprising a second electrically conductive pad, and an interconnect structure electrically and mechanically connecting the first electrically conductive pad to the second electrically conductive pad. The interconnect structure comprises a non-solder metallic core structure, a first solder structure, and a second solder structure. The first solder structure electrically and mechanically connects a first portion of the non-solder metallic core structure to the first electrically conductive pad. The second solder structure electrically and mechanically connects a second portion of the non-solder metallic core structure to the second electrically conductive pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen Leslie Buchwalter, Bruce K. Furman, Peter A. Gruber, Jae-Woong Nah, Da-Yuan Shih
  • Patent number: 8236661
    Abstract: A method of forming a self-aligned well implant for a transistor includes forming a patterned gate structure over a substrate, including a gate conductor, a gate dielectric layer and sidewall spacers, the substrate including an undoped semiconductor layer beneath the gate dielectric layer and a doped semiconductor layer beneath the undoped semiconductor layer; removing portions of the undoped semiconductor layer and the doped semiconductor layer left unprotected by the patterned gate structure, wherein a remaining portion of the undoped semiconductor layer beneath the patterned gate structure defines a transistor channel and a remaining portion of the doped semiconductor layer beneath the patterned gate structure defines the self-aligned well implant; and growing a new semiconductor layer at locations corresponding to the removed portions of the undoped semiconductor layer and the doped semiconductor layer, the new semiconductor layer corresponding to source and drain regions of the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert H. Dennard, Brian J. Greene, Zhibin Ren, Xinlin Wang
  • Patent number: 8237271
    Abstract: The present invention allows for direct chip-to-chip connections using the shortest possible signal path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven A. Cordes, Matthew J. Farinelli, Sherif A. Goma, Peter A. Gruber, John U. Knickerbocker, James L. Speidell
  • Patent number: 8237283
    Abstract: A structure for reducing electromigration cracking and extrusion effects in semiconductor devices includes a first metal line formed in a first dielectric layer; a cap layer formed over the first metal line and first dielectric layer; a second dielectric layer formed over the cap layer; and a void formed in the second dielectric layer, stopping on the cap layer, wherein the void is located in a manner so as to isolate structural damage due to electromigration effects of the first metal line, the effects including one or more of extrusions of metal material from the first metal line and cracks from delamination of the cap layer with respect to the first dielectric layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kaushik Chandra, Ronald G. Filippi, Wai-Lin Li, Ping-Chuan Wang, Chih-Chao Yang
  • Patent number: 8232629
    Abstract: It is made for the layout of the mounting wiring at the time of mounting to become efficient by changing the structure of a semiconductor device. A first chip is mounted on a first die pad, and a second chip is also mounted on a second die pad. A first die pad and a second die pad do division structure in parallel to the first side and second side of sealing body 40. As a result, the pin for an output from a first chip and the pin for control of the circuit for a drive can make it able to project from a counter direction, and can set the wiring layout at the time of mounting as the minimum route.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuya Koike, Atsushi Fujiki, Norio Kido, Yukihiro Sato, Hiroyuki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 8232580
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a photodiode formed using a silicon substrate, a wide-bandgap semiconductor layer formed on the silicon substrate and having a bandgap larger than that of silicon, and a switching element formed using the wide-bandgap semiconductor layer. The switching element is electrically connected to the photodiode so as to be on/off-controlled by a control signal from the photodiode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshiaki Nozaki
  • Patent number: 8232115
    Abstract: A test structure for a through-silicon-via (TSV) in a semiconductor chip includes a first contact, the first contact being electrically connected to a first TSV; and a second contact, wherein the first contact, second contact, and the first TSV form a first channel, and a depth of the first TSV is determined based on a resistance of the first channel. A method of determining a depth of a through-silicon-via (TSV) in a semiconductor chip includes etching a first TSV into the semiconductor chip; forming a first channel, the first channel comprising the first TSV, a first contact electrically connected to the first TSV, and a second contact; connecting a current source to the second contact; determining a resistance across the first channel; and determining a depth of the first TSV based on the resistance of the first channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hanyi Ding, Kai D. Feng, Ping-Chuan Wang, Zhijian Yang
  • Patent number: 8222737
    Abstract: A BGA semiconductor device includes a semiconductor package and a mounting board mounting thereon the semiconductor package, wherein an array of signal electrodes of the semiconductor package and an array of signal electrodes of the mounting board are coupled together via signal bumps. The BGA semiconductor device also includes a dummy bump, which reinforces the bending strength of the BGA semiconductor device and is broken by a shearing force caused by thermal expansion to alleviate the stress for the signal bumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuji Watanabe, Hisashi Tanie, Koji Hosokawa, Mitsuaki Katagiri, Ichiro Anjo
  • Patent number: 8222735
    Abstract: With respect to a semiconductor device which communicates data by wireless communication, an object of the present invention is to improve sensitivity of an antenna and to protect a chip from noise without increasing the size of the device. A coiled antenna and a semiconductor integrated circuit which is electrically connected to the coiled antenna are included. The semiconductor integrated circuit is arranged so as to overlap with the coiled antenna. In this manner, arrangement of the coiled antenna and the semiconductor integrated circuit in the semiconductor device is devised, so that sensitivity of the antenna can be improved and power enough to operate the semiconductor integrated circuit can be obtained without increasing the size of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yutaka Shionoiri
  • Patent number: 8222709
    Abstract: A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array area in which an unit pixel including a photoelectric conversion element converting optical signals to signal charges and a transfer gate transferring the signal charges which have been photoelectrically converted in the photoelectric conversion element is two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix form, a supply voltage control means for supplying plural first control voltages sequentially to a control electrode of the transfer gate, and a driving means for performing driving of reading out signal charges transferred by the transfer gate when the plural first control voltages are sequentially applied twice and more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Oike, Atsushi Toda
  • Patent number: 8218296
    Abstract: A housing comprises a first housing part, having a first bearing surface for a first contact surface of a sealing ring, and a second housing part, which can be screwed together with the first housing part and has a second bearing surface for a second contact surface of the sealing ring. The first contact surface of the sealing ring is produced from a first material having a first coefficient of friction in relation to the material of the first bearing surface, the second contact surface of the sealing ring is produced from a second material that has a second coefficient of friction in relation to the material of the second bearing surface, and the first coefficient of friction is smaller than the second coefficient of friction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Armin Rupp
  • Patent number: 8217504
    Abstract: A panel with a reconfigured wafer including semiconductor chips arranged in rows and columns on semiconductor device positions includes: at least one semiconductor chip having a front, a rear and edge sides provided per semiconductor device position. The reconfigured wafer includes: a front side that forms a coplanar area with the front sides of the at least one semiconductor chip and a plastic housing composition embedding the edge sides and the rear side of the at least one semiconductor chip. The reconfigured wafer includes, on a rear side of the wafer, structures configured to stabilize the panel. The structures are composed of the plastic housing composition and are formed as thickenings of the reconfigured wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Mobile Communications GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Meyer, Markus Brunnbauer
  • Patent number: 8211794
    Abstract: In accordance with the invention, there are diffusion barriers, integrated circuits, and semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating them. The method of fabricating a diffusion barrier can include providing a dielectric layer, forming a first silicon enriched layer over the dielectric layer by exposing the dielectric layer to a silicon-containing ambient, and forming a barrier layer over the first silicon enriched layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Valli Arunachalam, Satyavolu Srinivas Papa Rao, Sanjeev Aggarwal, Stephan Grunow