Abstract: An integrated circuit has a substrate and an interconnect region disposed on the substrate. The interconnect region includes a plurality of interconnect levels. Each interconnect level includes interconnects in dielectric material. The integrated circuit includes a thermal via in the interconnect region. The thermal via extends vertically in at least one of the interconnect levels in the interconnect region. The thermal via includes a cohered nanoparticle film in which adjacent nanoparticles are cohered to each other. The thermal via has a thermal conductivity higher than dielectric material touching the thermal via. The cohered nanoparticle film is formed by a method which includes an additive process.

Abstract: In described examples, a microelectronic device includes a microelectronic die with a die attach surface. The microelectronic device further includes a nanoparticle layer coupled to the die attach surface. The nanoparticle layer may be in direct contact with the die attach surface, or may be coupled to the die attach surface through an intermediate layer, such as an adhesion layer or a contact metal layer. The nanoparticle layer includes nanoparticles having adjacent nanoparticles adhered to each other. The microelectronic die is attached to a package substrate by a die attach material. The die attach material extends into the nanoparticle layer and contacts at least a portion of the nanoparticles.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate and a metallization structure over the semiconductor substrate. The metallization structure includes: a dielectric layer having a surface; a conductive routing structure; and an electronic circuit. Over the surface of the dielectric layer, a material is configured to set or adjust the electronic circuit.

Abstract: An optical device includes a metamaterial layer configured to absorb a portion of an incident light having a frequency spectrum, the portion of the incident light having a frequency range that is narrower than and within the frequency spectrum of the incident light, a photodiode disposed in a layer coupled to the metamaterial layer and configured to detect an amplitude of the portion of the incident light, and shallow trench isolation (STI) structures disposed between the metamaterial layer and the photodiode, the STI structures configured to pass the portion of the incident light within the frequency range from the metamaterial layer to the photodiode.

Abstract: An integrated circuit comprises a substrate including a shape memory polymer, and a semiconductor die mounted on the substrate.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for electrostatic control of expelled material for lens cleaners are disclosed. In certain described examples, an apparatus can expel fluid by atomization from a central area of the surface using an ultrasonic transducer mechanically coupled to the surface. A first electrode can be arranged relative to the central area of the surface. A second electrode can be located in a peripheral area relative to the central area of the surface, in which a voltage can be applied between the first and second electrodes to attract atomized fluid at the peripheral area.

Abstract: A device includes a die with a metallization stack. The device includes a substrate with a first region, a second region and a third region that underly the metallization stack and a first isolation trench filled with a polymer dielectric that extends between the first region and the second region of the substrate. The device also includes a second isolation trench filled with the polymer dielectric that extends between the second region and the third region. The polymer dielectric overlays a periphery of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor structure includes curing a shape memory polymer in a first shape. The shape memory polymer is coupled to a conductive layer. The method further includes folding the shape memory polymer from the first shape into a second shape. The method also includes bonding a semiconductor wafer to the conductive layer while the shape memory polymer is in the second shape. The semiconductor wafer has first and second dies. The semiconductor wafer is then singulated to separate the first die from the second die. The method further includes expanding the shape memory polymer to its first shape and singulating the shape memory polymer to separate the first and second dies.

Abstract: A multi-die module includes a first die with a first electronic device and a second die with a second electronic device. The multi-die module also includes a contactless coupler configured to convey signals between the first electronic device and the second electronic device. The multi-die module also includes a coupling loss reduction structure.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. A through wafer trench (TWT) extends from the first surface of the semiconductor substrate to the second surface of the semiconductor substrate. Dielectric material is in the TWT. An interconnect region has layers of dielectric on the first surface of the substrate. The interconnect region has a conductive transmit patch. An antenna is formed, at least in part, by the dielectric material in the TWT and the transmit patch in the interconnect region. The antenna is configured to transmit or receive electromagnetic radiation between the transmit patch and the second surface of the semiconductor substrate through the dielectric material within the trench.

Abstract: In some examples, a package comprises a semiconductor die having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, the semiconductor die including circuitry formed in the first surface. The package includes an acoustic waveguide in the semiconductor die, the acoustic waveguide including an array of capacitors. The array of capacitors includes a transducer portion and a diffraction grating portion. The transducer portion is configured to convert signals between electrical signals and acoustic waves, and the diffraction grating portion is configured to direct the acoustic waves toward and receive the acoustic waves from the second surface.

Abstract: A device comprises an integrated circuit (IC) die, a substrate, a printed circuit board (PCB), an antenna, and a waveguide stub. The IC die is affixed to the substrate, which comprises a signal launch on a surface of the substrate that is configured to emit or receive a signal. The substrate and the antenna are affixed to the PCB, such that the signal launch and a waveguide opening of the antenna are aligned and comprise a signal channel. The waveguide stub is arranged as a boundary around the signal channel. In some implementations, the waveguide stub has a height of ?/4, where ? represents a wavelength of the signal. In some implementations, the antenna includes the waveguide stub; in others, the substrate includes the waveguide stub.

Abstract: A device includes a die with a protective overcoat and a substrate, the substrate comprising a first region and a second region that are spaced apart. The device also includes an isolation dielectric between the protective overcoat and the die. A pre-metal dielectric (PMD) barrier is between the isolation dielectric and the substrate, the PMD barrier having a first region that contacts the first region of the substrate and a second region that contacts the second region of the substrate, the first region and the second region of the PMD barrier being spaced apart. A through trench filled with a polymer dielectric extends between the first region and the second region of the substrate, and between the first region and the second region of the PMD barrier to contact the isolation dielectric.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments include an integrated circuit (IC) comprising a silicon wafer, first and second conductive lines on the silicon wafer. There are first, second and third insulation blocks with portions on the first and second conductive lines and the silicon wafer, a metal pillar on the surface of the first conductive line opposite the silicon wafer, and a conductive adhesive block on the surface of the second conductive line opposite the silicon wafer. The IC also has a lead frame having first and second leads, and a capacitor having first and second capacitor terminals in which the first capacitor terminal is connected to the second lead using conductive adhesive, the second capacitor terminal is connected to the second conductive line through the conductive adhesive block, and the first lead is coupled to the first conductive line.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an integrated circuit (IC) comprising a semiconductor wafer, a dielectric layer, and an isolation element. The semiconductor wafer has a first wafer portion and a second wafer portion each extending from a frontside surface to a backside surface. The dielectric layer interfaces with the first wafer portion and with the second wafer portion each on the frontside surface. The isolation element has an isolation dielectric material, and the isolation element extends between a first side surface of the first wafer portion and a second side surface of the second wafer portion and from an extension plane of the frontside surface to an extension plane of the backside surface. Also disclosed herein is a system comprising the IC and a package substrate coupled to the IC.

Abstract: A microelectronic device is formed by dispensing discrete amounts of a mixture of photoresist resin and solvents from droplet-on-demand sites onto a wafer to form a first photoresist sublayer, while the wafer is at a first temperature which allows the photoresist resin to attain less than 10 percent thickness non-uniformity. The wafer moves under the droplet-on-demand sites in a first direction to form the first photoresist sublayer. A portion of the solvents in the first photoresist sublayer is removed. A second photoresist sublayer is formed on the first photoresist sublayer using the droplet-on-demand sites while the wafer is at a second temperature to attain less than 10 percent thickness non-uniformity in the combined first and second photoresist sublayers. The wafer moves under the droplet-on-demand sites in a second direction for the second photoresist sublayer, opposite from the first direction.

Abstract: In described examples of a CMOS IC, an ultrasonic transducer having terminals is formed on a substrate of the IC. CMOS circuitry having ultrasonic signal terminals is formed on the substrate. At least one metal interconnect layer overlies the ultrasonic transducer and the CMOS circuitry. The at least one metal interconnect layer connects the CMOS circuitry ultrasonic signal terminals to the terminals of the ultrasonic transducer.

Abstract: A microelectronic device is formed by forming at least a portion of a substrate of the microelectronic device by one or more additive processes. The additive processes may be used to form semiconductor material of the substrate. The additive processes may also be used to form dielectric material structures or electrically conductive structures, such as metal structures, of the substrate. The additive processes are used to form structures of the substrate which would be costly or impractical to form using planar processes. In one aspect, the substrate may include multiple doped semiconductor elements, such as wells or buried layers, having different average doping densities, or depths below a component surface of the substrate. In another aspect, the substrate may include dielectric isolation structures with semiconductor material extending at least partway over and under the dielectric isolation structures. Other structures of the substrate are disclosed.

Abstract: In described examples, a method for encapsulating a semiconductor device includes the steps of immersing a layer of the semiconductor device in a liquid encapsulation material, irradiating portions of the liquid encapsulation material to polymerize the liquid encapsulation material, and moving the semiconductor device further from a surface of the liquid encapsulation material proximate to the layer. Immersing the semiconductor device is performed to cover a layer of the device in the liquid encapsulation material. Targeted locations of the liquid encapsulation material covering the layer are irradiated to form solid encapsulation material. The semiconductor device is moved from a surface of the liquid encapsulation material so that a new layer of the semiconductor device and/or of the solid encapsulation material can be covered by the liquid encapsulation material.

Abstract: A microstructure comprises a plurality of interconnected units wherein the units are formed of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) tubes. The graphene tubes may be formed by photo-initiating the polymerization of a monomer in a pattern of interconnected units to form a polymer microlattice, removing unpolymerized monomer, coating the polymer microlattice with a metal, removing the polymer microlattice to leave a metal microlattice, depositing an h-BN precursor on the metal microlattice, converting the h-BN precursor to h-BN, and removing the metal microlattice.