Patents by Inventor Byron Lovell Williams

Byron Lovell Williams 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: 11973052
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a bond wire with a first end bonded by a ball bond to a planar side of a first conductive plate, and a second end bonded by a stitch bond to a conductive stud bump at an angle greater than or equal to 60 degrees. A wirebonding method includes bonding the first end of the conductive bond wire to the first conductive plate includes forming a ball bond to join the first end of the conductive bond wire to a planar side of the first conductive plate by a ball bond, and bonding the second end of the conductive bond wire to the conductive stud bump includes forming a stitch bond to join the second end of the conductive bond wire to the conductive stud bump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Chien-Chang Li, Hung-Yu Chou, Sheng-Wen Huang, Zi-Xian Zhan, Byron Lovell Williams
  • Publication number: 20240120367
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a first dielectric layer above a semiconductor layer, lower-bandgap dielectric layer above the first dielectric layer, the lower-bandgap dielectric layer having a bandgap energy less than a bandgap energy of the first dielectric layer, a first capacitor plate above the lower-bandgap dielectric layer in a first plane of first and second directions, a second dielectric layer above the first capacitor plate, a second capacitor plate above the second dielectric layer in a second plane of the first and second directions, the first and second capacitor plates spaced apart from one another along a third direction, and a conductive third capacitor plate above the second dielectric layer in the second plane, the third capacitor plate spaced apart from the second capacitor plate in the second plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Elizabeth Costner Stewart, Thomas Dyer Bonifield, Jeffrey Alan West, Byron Lovell Williams
  • Publication number: 20240112852
    Abstract: A microelectronic device includes a galvanic isolation component. The galvanic isolation component includes a lower winding and an upper isolation element over the lower winding. The galvanic isolation component further includes a field suppression structure located interior to the lower winding. The field suppression structure includes a conductive field deflector that is separated from the lower winding by a lateral distance that is half a thickness of the lower winding to twice the thickness of the lower winding. A top surface of the conductive field deflector is substantially coplanar with a bottom surface of the lower winding. The conductive field deflector is electrically connected to a semiconductor material in a substrate. The lower winding is separated from a substrate by a first dielectric layer. The upper isolation element is separated from the lower winding by a second dielectric layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan West, Byron Lovell Williams, Kashyap Barot, Sreeram N. S., Viresh Chinchansure
  • Publication number: 20240112953
    Abstract: A microelectronic device including a galvanic isolator with filler metal within an upper isolation element. The galvanic isolator includes a lower isolation element, an upper isolation element, and an inorganic dielectric plateau between the lower isolation element and the upper isolation element. The upper isolation element contains tines of filler metal which are electrically tied to each other and are electrically tied to the upper isolation element. The ends of the tines are rounded to minimize electric fields. The filler metal increases the overall metal density on the metal layer of the upper isolation element to meet the typical metal density requirements of modern microelectronic fabrication processing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2022
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan West, Elizabeth Costner Stewart, Thomas Dyer Bonifield, Byron Lovell Williams, Kashyap Barot, Viresh Chinchansure, Sreeram N S
  • Publication number: 20240113155
    Abstract: A microelectronic device includes a galvanic isolation component having a lower isolation element over a substrate with lower bond pads connected to the lower isolation element, a dielectric plateau over the lower isolation element that does not extend to the lower bond pads, and an upper isolation element and upper bond pads over the dielectric plateau. The upper bond pads are laterally separated from the lower bond pads by an isolation distance. The microelectronic device includes high voltage wire bonds on the upper bond pads that extend upward, within 10 degrees of vertical, for a vertical distance greater than the isolation distance. The microelectronic device further includes low voltage wire bonds on the lower bond pads that have a loop height directly over a perimeter of the substrate that is less than 5 times a wire diameter of the low voltage wire bonds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2022
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan West, Hung-Yu Chou, Byron Lovell Williams, Thomas Dyer Bonifield
  • Publication number: 20240113094
    Abstract: A microelectronic device includes a galvanic isolation device on a silicon substrate and a semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate. The galvanic isolation device includes a lower isolation element over the silicon substrate and an upper isolation element above the lower isolation element, separated by a dielectric plateau that comprises inorganic dielectric material extending from the lower isolation element to the upper isolation element. The galvanic isolation device includes lower bond pads connected to the lower isolation element adjacent to the dielectric plateau, and upper bond pads over the dielectric plateau, connected to the upper isolation element. The semiconductor device includes an active component, and device bond pads coupled to the active component. The microelectronic device includes first electrical connections to the lower bond pads and second electrical connections to the upper bond pads.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2022
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan West, Sreeram N. S., Kashyap Barot, Thomas Dyer Bonifield, Byron Lovell Williams, Elizabeth Costner Stewart
  • Publication number: 20240113095
    Abstract: A microelectronic device including an isolation device with a stabilized dielectric. The isolation device includes a lower isolation element, an upper isolation element, and an inorganic dielectric plateau between the lower isolation element and the upper isolation element. The dielectric sidewall of the inorganic dielectric plateau is stabilized in a nitrogen containing plasma which forms a SiOxNy surface on the dielectric sidewall of the inorganic dielectric plateau. The SiOxNy surface on the dielectric sidewall of the inorganic dielectric plateau reduces ingress of moisture into the dielectric stack of the inorganic dielectric plateau.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2022
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Takei, Mitsuhiro Sugimoto, Byron Lovell Williams, Jeffrey Alan West
  • Patent number: 11901402
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a first dielectric layer above a semiconductor layer, lower-bandgap dielectric layer above the first dielectric layer, the lower-bandgap dielectric layer having a bandgap energy less than a bandgap energy of the first dielectric layer, a first capacitor plate above the lower-bandgap dielectric layer in a first plane of first and second directions, a second dielectric layer above the first capacitor plate, a second capacitor plate above the second dielectric layer in a second plane of the first and second directions, the first and second capacitor plates spaced apart from one another along a third direction, and a conductive third capacitor plate above the second dielectric layer in the second plane, the third capacitor plate spaced apart from the second capacitor plate in the second plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Elizabeth Costner Stewart, Thomas Dyer Bonifield, Jeffrey Alan West, Byron Lovell Williams
  • Patent number: 11869933
    Abstract: Isolator structures for an integrated circuit with reduced effective parasitic capacitance. Disclosed embodiments include an isolator structure with parallel conductive elements forming a capacitor or inductive transformer, overlying a semiconductor structure including a well region of a first conductivity type formed within an tank region of a second conductivity type. The tank region is surrounded by doped regions and a buried doped layer of the first conductivity type, forming a plurality of diodes in series to the substrate. The junction capacitances of the series diodes have the effect of reducing the parasitic capacitance apparent at the isolator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Raja Selvaraj, Anant Shankar Kamath, Byron Lovell Williams, Thomas D. Bonifield, John Kenneth Arch
  • Publication number: 20230420489
    Abstract: A galvanic isolation capacitor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a PMD layer over the semiconductor substrate. The PMD layer has a first thickness. A lower metal plate is over the PMD layer and an ILD layer is on the lower metal plate; the ILD layer has a second thickness. A ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is between about 1 and 1.55 inclusive. A first upper metal plate over the ILD layer has a first area and a second upper metal plate over the ILD layer has a second area; a ratio of the first area to the second area is greater than about 5. The galvanic isolation capacitor device can be part of a multi-chip module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Thomas Dyer Bonifield, Jeffrey Alan West, Byron Lovell Williams, Elizabeth Costner Stewart
  • Patent number: 11848297
    Abstract: In a described example, an apparatus includes: a package substrate having a die mount portion and lead portions spaced from the die mount portion; a semiconductor die over the die mount portion having bond pads on an active surface facing away from the package substrate; non-gold bond wires forming electrical connections between at least one of the bond pads and one of the lead portions of the package substrate; a bond stitch on bump connection formed between one of the non-gold bond wires and a bond pad of the semiconductor die, comprising a stitch bond formed on a flex stud bump; and dielectric material covering a portion of the package substrate, the semiconductor die, the non-gold bond wires, the stitch bond and the flex stud bump, forming a packaged semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Bo-Hsun Pan, Chien-Chang Li, Hung-Yu Chou, Shawn Martin O'Connor, Byron Lovell Williams, Jeffrey Alan West, Zi-Xian Zhan, Sheng-Wen Huang
  • Patent number: 11784212
    Abstract: A galvanic isolation capacitor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a PMD layer over the semiconductor substrate. The PMD layer has a first thickness. A lower metal plate is over the PMD layer and an ILD layer is on the lower metal plate; the ILD layer has a second thickness. A ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is between about 1 and 1.55 inclusive. A first upper metal plate over the ILD layer has a first area and a second upper metal plate over the ILD layer has a second area; a ratio of the first area to the second area is greater than about 5. The galvanic isolation capacitor device can be part of a multi-chip module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas Dyer Bonifield, Jeffrey Alan West, Byron Lovell Williams, Elizabeth Costner Stewart
  • Publication number: 20230154974
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a first dielectric layer above a semiconductor layer, lower-bandgap dielectric layer above the first dielectric layer, the lower-bandgap dielectric layer having a bandgap energy less than a bandgap energy of the first dielectric layer, a first capacitor plate above the lower-bandgap dielectric layer in a first plane of first and second directions, a second dielectric layer above the first capacitor plate, a second capacitor plate above the second dielectric layer in a second plane of the first and second directions, the first and second capacitor plates spaced apart from one another along a third direction, and a conductive third capacitor plate above the second dielectric layer in the second plane, the third capacitor plate spaced apart from the second capacitor plate in the second plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Elizabeth Costner Stewart, Thomas Dyer Bonifield, Jeffrey Alan West, Byron Lovell Williams
  • Publication number: 20230056046
    Abstract: An electronic device has a conductive shield between first and second regions in a multilevel metallization structure, as well as a capacitor with first and second terminals in the first region, the first terminal laterally overlaps the second terminal by an overlap distance of 1.0 ?m to 6.0 ?m, the conductive shield includes a first metal line that encircles the first terminal, and the first metal line is spaced apart from the first terminal by a gap distance of 0.5 ?m to 1.0 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventors: Byron Lovell Williams, Elizabeth Costner Stewart, Jeffrey Alan West, Thomas Dyer Bonifield
  • Publication number: 20230005874
    Abstract: In a described example, an apparatus includes: a package substrate having a die mount portion and lead portions spaced from the die mount portion; a semiconductor die over the die mount portion having bond pads on an active surface facing away from the package substrate; non-gold bond wires forming electrical connections between at least one of the bond pads and one of the lead portions of the package substrate; a bond stitch on bump connection formed between one of the non-gold bond wires and a bond pad of the semiconductor die, comprising a stitch bond formed on a flex stud bump; and dielectric material covering a portion of the package substrate, the semiconductor die, the non-gold bond wires, the stitch bond and the flex stud bump, forming a packaged semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Inventors: Bo-Hsun Pan, Chien-Chang Li, Hung-Yu Chou, Shawn Martin O'Connor, Byron Lovell Williams, Jeffrey Alan West, Zi-Xian Zhan, Sheng-Wen Huang
  • Patent number: 11532693
    Abstract: Described examples include a hybrid circuit having a component. The component has a first conductive element on a substrate having a configuration and having a first periphery and having an extension at the first periphery. The component also has a dielectric on the first conductive element. The component also has a second conductive element having the configuration on the dielectric that is proximate to and aligned with the first conductive element, and has a second periphery, the extension of the first conductive element extending past the second periphery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan West, Byron Lovell Williams, Elizabeth Costner Stewart, Thomas Dyer Bonifeld
  • Patent number: 11495553
    Abstract: A packaged multichip device includes a first IC die with an isolation capacitor utilizing a top metal layer as its top plate and a lower metal layer as its bottom plate. A second IC die has a second isolation capacitor utilizing its top metal layer as its top plate and a lower metal layer as its bottom plate. A first bondwire end is coupled to one top plate and a second bondwire end is coupled to the other top plate. The second bondwire end includes a stitch bond including a wire approach angle not normal to the top plate it is bonded to and is placed so that the stitch bond's center is positioned at least 5% further from an edge of this top plate on a bondwire crossover side compared to a distance of the stitch bond's center from the side opposite the bondwire crossover side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas Dyer Bonifield, Jeffrey Alan West, Byron Lovell Williams
  • Publication number: 20220352111
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a bond wire with a first end bonded by a ball bond to a planar side of a first conductive plate, and a second end bonded by a stitch bond to a conductive stud bump at an angle greater than or equal to 60 degrees. A wirebonding method includes bonding the first end of the conductive bond wire to the first conductive plate includes forming a ball bond to join the first end of the conductive bond wire to a planar side of the first conductive plate by a ball bond, and bonding the second end of the conductive bond wire to the conductive stud bump includes forming a stitch bond to join the second end of the conductive bond wire to the conductive stud bump.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Applicant: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Chien-Chang Li, Hung-Yu Chou, Sheng-Wen Huang, Zi-Xian Zhan, Byron Lovell Williams
  • Publication number: 20220231115
    Abstract: Described examples include a hybrid circuit having a component. The component has a first conductive element on a substrate having a configuration and having a first periphery and having an extension at the first periphery. The component also has a dielectric on the first conductive element. The component also has a second conductive element having the configuration on the dielectric that is proximate to and aligned with the first conductive element, and has a second periphery, the extension of the first conductive element extending past the second periphery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Inventors: Jeffrey Alan West, Byron Lovell Williams, Elizabeth Costner Stewart, Thomas Dyer Bonifeld
  • Publication number: 20220069066
    Abstract: A galvanic isolation capacitor device includes a semiconductor substrate and a PMD layer over the semiconductor substrate. The PMD layer has a first thickness. A lower metal plate is over the PMD layer and an ILD layer is on the lower metal plate; the ILD layer has a second thickness. A ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness is between about 1 and 1.55 inclusive. A first upper metal plate over the ILD layer has a first area and a second upper metal plate over the ILD layer has a second area; a ratio of the first area to the second area is greater than about 5. The galvanic isolation capacitor device can be part of a multi-chip module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Publication date: March 3, 2022
    Inventors: Thomas Dyer Bonifield, Jeffrey Alan West, Byron Lovell Williams, Elizabeth Costner Stewart