Patents by Inventor Daniel S. Stevenson

Daniel S. Stevenson 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).

  • Publication number: 20140144971
    Abstract: Low temperature bond balls connect two structures having disparate coefficients of linear thermal expansion. An integrated circuit is made to heat the device such that the low temperature bond balls melt. After melting, the bond balls solidify, and the device is operated with the bond balls solidified. In one example, one of the two structures is a semiconductor substrate, and the other structure is a printed circuit board. The integrated circuit is a die mounted to the semiconductor substrate. The bond balls include at least five percent indium, and the integrated circuit is an FPGA loaded with a bit stream. The bit stream configures the FPGA such that the FPGA has increased power dissipation, which melts the balls. After the melting, a second bit stream is loaded into the FPGA and the FPGA is operated in a normal user-mode using the second bit stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: Research Triangle Institute
    Inventors: Robert O. Conn, Daniel S. Stevenson
  • Patent number: 8671560
    Abstract: Low temperature bond balls connect two structures having disparate coefficients of linear thermal expansion. An integrated circuit is made to heat the device such that the low temperature bond balls melt. After melting, the bond balls solidify, and the device is operated with the bond balls solidified. In one example, one of the two structures is a semiconductor substrate, and the other structure is a printed circuit board. The integrated circuit is a die mounted to the semiconductor substrate. The bond balls include at least five percent indium, and the integrated circuit is an FPGA loaded with a bit stream. The bit stream configures the FPGA such that the FPGA has increased power dissipation, which melts the balls. After the melting, a second bit stream is loaded into the FPGA and the FPGA is operated in a normal user-mode using the second bit stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Research Triangle Institute
    Inventors: Robert O. Conn, Daniel S. Stevenson
  • Patent number: 8541884
    Abstract: A TSV structure suitable for high speed signal transmission includes a metal strip portion that extends through a long and small diameter hole in a substrate. In one example, the metal strip portion is formed by laser ablating away portions of a metal sheath that lines a cylindrical sidewall of the hole, thereby leaving a longitudinal section of metal that is the metal strip portion. A second metal strip portion, that extends in a direction perpendicular to the hole axis, is contiguous with the metal strip portion that extends through the hole such that the two metal strip portions together form a single metal strip. Throughout its length, the single metal strip has a uniform width and thickness and therefore can have a controlled and uniform impedance. In some embodiments, multiple metal strips pass through the same TSV hole. In some embodiments, the structure is a coaxial TSV.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Research Triangle Institute
    Inventors: Robert O. Conn, David F. Myers, Daniel S. Stevenson
  • Publication number: 20130009322
    Abstract: A TSV structure suitable for high speed signal transmission includes a metal strip portion that extends through a long and small diameter hole in a substrate. In one example, the metal strip portion is formed by laser ablating away portions of a metal sheath that lines a cylindrical sidewall of the hole, thereby leaving a longitudinal section of metal that is the metal strip portion. A second metal strip portion, that extends in a direction perpendicular to the hole axis, is contiguous with the metal strip portion that extends through the hole such that the two metal strip portions together form a single metal strip. Throughout its length, the single metal strip has a uniform width and thickness and therefore can have a controlled and uniform impedance. In some embodiments, multiple metal strips pass through the same TSV hole. In some embodiments, the structure is a coaxial TSV.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: Research Triangle Institute
    Inventors: Robert O. Conn, David F. Myers, Daniel S. Stevenson
  • Publication number: 20110239456
    Abstract: Low temperature bond balls connect two structures having disparate coefficients of linear thermal expansion. An integrated circuit is made to heat the device such that the low temperature bond balls melt. After melting, the bond balls solidify, and the device is operated with the bond balls solidified. In one example, one of the two structures is a semiconductor substrate, and the other structure is a printed circuit board. The integrated circuit is a die mounted to the semiconductor substrate. The bond balls include at least five percent indium, and the integrated circuit is an FPGA loaded with a bit stream. The bit stream configures the FPGA such that the FPGA has increased power dissipation, which melts the balls. After the melting, a second bit stream is loaded into the FPGA and the FPGA is operated in a normal user-mode using the second bit stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: Robert O. Conn, Daniel S. Stevenson
  • Publication number: 20100284647
    Abstract: A low-profile, mass-producible, unitary injection molded optical ribbon attachment structure includes a ribbon retaining portion, a light reflecting portion, and a plurality of lens portions. An end portion of a fiber optic ribbon cable is disposed in a ribbon retaining groove in the ribbon retaining portion. The unitary structure is fixed onto a bottom major surface of a circuit board. In a transmit application, light emitted from an optoelectronic component disposed on a top major surface of the circuit board passes down through a hole or slit in the circuit board, into one of the lens portions, then reflects off a planar light reflecting surface of the light reflecting portion and is redirected approximately ninety degrees, and then passes substantially parallel to the bottom major surface of the circuit board and enters the end of the fiber optic ribbon cable. In a receive example, light passes the opposite direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2009
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventor: Daniel S. Stevenson