Patents by Inventor Bernd Karl-Heinz Appelt

Bernd Karl-Heinz Appelt has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7240430
    Abstract: A method of forming a plurality of solid conductive bumps for interconnecting two conductive layers of a circuit board with substantially coplanar upper surfaces. The method comprises the steps of applying a continuous homogenous metal layer onto a dielectric substrate, applying a first photoresist and exposing and developing said first photoresist to define a pattern of conductive bumps, etching the metal layer exposed by said development to form said plurality of conductive bumps, removing said first photoresist, applying a second photoresist onto the metal layer, exposing and developing said second photoresist to define a pattern of conductive bumps and circuit lines; etching the metal layer exposed by said development to form a pattern of circuit lines in said metal layer; and removing said second photoresist. The methods of the present invention also provides for fabricating a multilayer circuit board and a metallic border for providing rigidity to a panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd Karl-Heinz Appelt, James Russell Bupp, Donald Seton Farquhar, Ross William Keesler, Michael Joseph Klodowski, Andrew Michael Seman, Gary Lee Schild
  • Patent number: 6902869
    Abstract: A method of forming a plurality of solid conductive bumps for interconnecting two conductive layers of a circuit board with substantially coplanar upper surfaces. The method comprises the steps of applying a continuous homogenous metal layer onto a dielectric substrate, applying a first photoresist and exposing and developing said first photoresist to define a pattern of conductive bumps; etching the metal layer exposed by said development to form said plurality of conductive bumps; removing said first photoresist; applying a second photoresist onto the metal layer; exposing and developing said second photoresist to define a pattern of conductive bumps and circuit lines; etching the metal layer exposed by said development to form a pattern of circuit lines in said metal layer; and removing said second photoresist. The methods of the present invention also provides for fabricating a multilayer circuit board and a metallic border for providing rigidity to a panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd Karl-Heinz Appelt, James Russell Bupp, Donald Seton Farquhar, Ross William Keesler, Michael Joseph Klodowski, Andrew Michael Seman, Gary Lee Schild
  • Publication number: 20040091821
    Abstract: A method of forming a plurality of solid conductive bumps for interconnecting two conductive layers of a circuit board with substantially coplanar upper surfaces. The method comprises the steps of applying a continuous homogenous metal layer onto a dielectric substrate, applying a first photoresist and exposing and developing said first photoresist to define a pattern of conductive bumps; etching the metal layer exposed by said development to form said plurality of conductive bumps; removing said first photoresist; applying a second photoresist onto the metal layer; exposing and developing said second photoresist to define a pattern of conductive bumps and circuit lines; etching the metal layer exposed by said development to form a pattern of circuit lines in said metal layer; and removing said second photoresist. The methods of the present invention also provides for fabricating a multilayer circuit board and a metallic border for providing rigidity to a panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd Karl-Heinz Appelt, James Russell Bupp, Donald Seton Farquhar, Ross William Keesler, Michael Joseph Klodowski, Andrew Michael Seman, Gary Lee Schild
  • Patent number: 6684497
    Abstract: A method of forming a printed circuit board comprising a plurality of conductive bumps with substantially coplanar upper surfaces. The method comprises the steps of applying a metal layer onto a dielectric substrate; applying a first photoresist onto said substrate and exposing and developing said first photoresist to define a pattern of conductive bumps; etching the metal layer exposed by said development to form said plurality of conductive bumps; removing said first photoresist; applying a second photoresist onto the metal layer; exposing and developing said second photoresist to define a pattern of conductive bumps and circuit lines; etching the metal layer exposed by said development to form a pattern of circuit lines in said metal layer; and removing said second photoresist. The present invention is also provides a method for preparing a reinforced panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd Karl-Heinz Appelt, James Russell Bupp, Donald Seton Farquhar, Ross William Keesler, Michael Joseph Klodowski, Andrew Michael Seman, Gary Lee Schild
  • Publication number: 20010032828
    Abstract: A method for forming a printed circuit board comprising a plurality of conductive bumps having substantially coplanar upper surfaces is provided. The method comprises: forming a substantially planar metallic layer having a first thickness on at least one surface of the dielectric; applying a first photoresist on the metal layer; imaging the first photoresist to define a pattern of conductive bumps; etching the exposed portions of the metal layer to a second thickness to form the conductive bumps; removing the first photoresist; applying a second photoresist to the metal layer; imaging the second photoresist to define a pattern of circuitry; etching the exposed portions of the metal layer to provide the electrical circuitry; and removing the second photoresist. The present invention also provides a method for preparing printed circuit boards wherein two conductive layers that are disposed on opposing sides of a dielectric layer are inter-connected by at least one of the substantially coplanar conductive bumps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2001
    Publication date: October 25, 2001
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd Karl-Heinz Appelt, James Russell Bupp, Donald Seton Farquhar, Ross William Keesler, Michael Joseph Klodowski, Andrew Michael Seman, Gary Lee Schild
  • Patent number: 6222136
    Abstract: A printed circuit board comprising a plurality of conductive bumps having substantially coplanar upper surfaces is provided. The circuit board is formed by providing: a substantially planar metallic layer having a first thickness on at least one surface of the dielectric; applying a first photoresist on the metal layer; imaging the first photoresist to define a pattern of conductive bumps; etching the exposed portions of the metal layer to a second thickness to form the conductive bumps; removing the first photoresist; applying a second photoresist to the metal layer; imaging the second photoresist to define a pattern of circuitry; etching the exposed portions of the metal layer to provide the electrical circuitry; and removing the second photoresist. The present invention also provides a method for preparing printed circuit boards wherein two conductive layers that are disposed on opposing sides of a dielectric layer are inter-connected by at least one of the substantially coplanar conductive bumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd Karl-Heinz Appelt, James Russell Bupp, Donald Seton Farquhar, Ross William Keesler, Michael Joseph Klodowski, Andrew Michael Seman, Gary Lee Schild
  • Patent number: 6015520
    Abstract: A method for filling a hole in a printed wiring board (PWB) and the resultant PWB. During an intermediate stage in fabrication, a PWB comprises a lamination of dielectric sheets with metalizations on various layers and a plated through hole (PTH). A photoimageable material is formed on a surface of the laminate and covers the PTH. The photoimageable material in a region covering the PTH is partially cured by exposure to light. The remainder of the photoimageable material is developed away. Then, the partially cured photoimageable material in the region of the PTH is pressed into the PTH to form a plug. By application of heat during or after the forcing step, the plug is further cured to a hard condition. For some applications, the plug is mechanically abraded to be flush with one or both surfaces of the laminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1997
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2000
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd Karl-Heinz Appelt, Christina Marie Boyko, Donald Seton Farquhar, Stephen Joseph Fuerniss, Michael Joseph Klodowski
  • Patent number: 5981880
    Abstract: A printed circuit board for use in an electronic device package such as a ball grid array package or organic chip carrier package includes a glass-free dielectric for separating and insulating power cores, circuitry or plated through holes from each other to prevent shorts caused by a migration of conductive material along glass-based prepreg substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd Karl-Heinz Appelt, Anilkumar Chinuprasad Bhatt, James W. Fuller, Jr., John Matthew Lauffer, Voya Rista Markovich, William John Rudik, William Earl Wilson
  • Patent number: 5900675
    Abstract: An integrated circuit chip package with an integrated chip carrier having differing coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) in the x-y plane. The chip carrier is comprised of two main regions. The first is a core region having a CTE approximately equal to that of the semiconductor chip CTE. This core region also has approximately the same dimensions in the x-y plane as the semiconductor chip. The chip is mounted just above this core region. The second region is a peripheral region which surrounds the core region in the x-y plane. This second region has a CTE approximately equal to that of the printed circuit board CTE. During thermal cycling, the materials expand and contract. The core region expands at nearly the same rate as the chip and the area outside the chip footprint, the peripheral region, expands at a rate similar to that of the printed circuit board. This characteristic prevents thermal stress-induced fatigue on the package components and solder joints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1999
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bernd Karl-Heinz Appelt, Donald Seton Farquhar, Robert Maynard Japp, Konstantinos I. Papathomas