Patents by Inventor Donald S. Fritz

Donald S. Fritz 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: 7319051
    Abstract: A thermally enhanced wirebond BGA package having a laminate substrate, an IC device mounted on the substrate, and a metal cap defining a cavity inside the package between the IC device and the metal cap. A substantial portion of the cavity is filled with a thermally enhanced epoxy encapsulant establishing a thermal conduction path between the IC device and the metal cap. The BGA package may be further enhanced by bonding a metal heat slug on the laminate substrate and mounting the IC device on the slug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Eng C. Cheah, Donald S. Fritz
  • Patent number: 7144756
    Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor low-K Si die flip chip package with warpage control and fabrication methods for such packages. The packages include heat spreaders that are attached to the low-K Si die and packaging substrate. In general, the modulus of the thermal interface material, which is used to attach the heat spreader to the low-K Si die, is selected as high as possible relative to other commercially available thermal interface materials. On the other hand, the modulus of the adhesive, which is used to attach the heat spreader via an optional stiffener to the substrate, is selected as low as possible relative to other commercially available adhesives. The result is a package with less bowing and so improved co-planarity (in compliance with industry specifications) with the surface to which it is ultimately bound. Moreover, the low-K Si die and package reliabilities are thereby enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Wen-Chou Vincent Wang, Donald S. Fritz, Yuan Li
  • Patent number: 6969636
    Abstract: A semiconductor package includes a chip carrier to receive a semiconductor with a dimension generally greater than 26 mm. The chip carrier has a first coefficient of thermal expansion that is larger than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the semiconductor. A stress inhibiting intermediate mounting substrate is connected to the chip carrier through a first array of solder connections. The stress inhibiting intermediate mounting substrate has a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is larger than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the chip carrier and smaller than or equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the printed circuit board. Alternate preferred inventive embodiments allow for the cleaning and removal of residual flux and other debris in packaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Donald S. Fritz
  • Patent number: 6909176
    Abstract: Provided are a semiconductor low-K Si die flip chip package with warpage control and fabrication methods for such packages. The packages include heat spreaders that are attached to the low-K Si die and packaging substrate. In general, the modulus of the thermal interface material, which is used to attach the heat spreader to the low-K Si die, is selected as high as possible relative to other commercially available thermal interface materials. On the other hand, the modulus of the adhesive, which is used to attach the heat spreader via an optional stiffener to the substrate, is selected as low as possible relative to other commercially available adhesives. The result is a package with less bowing and so improved co-planarity (in compliance with industry specifications) with the surface to which it is ultimately bound. Moreover, the low-K Si die and package reliabilities are thereby enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2005
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Wen-Chou Vincent Wang, Donald S. Fritz, Yuan Li
  • Patent number: 6882041
    Abstract: A thermally enhanced wirebond BGA package having a laminate substrate, an IC device mounted on the substrate, and a metal cap defining a cavity inside the package between the IC device and the metal cap. A substantial portion of the cavity is filled with a thermally enhanced epoxy encapsulant establishing a thermal conduction path between the IC device and the metal cap. The BGA package may be further enhanced by bonding a metal heat slug on the laminate substrate and mounting the IC device on the slug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2005
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Eng C. Cheah, Donald S. Fritz
  • Patent number: 6734540
    Abstract: A semiconductor package includes a chip carrier to receive a semiconductor with a dimension generally greater than 26 mm. The chip carrier has a first coefficient of thermal expansion that is larger than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the semiconductor. A stress inhibiting intermediate mounting substrate is connected to the chip carrier through a first array of solder connections. The stress inhibiting intermediate mounting substrate has a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is larger than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the chip carrier and smaller than or equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the printed circuit board. Alternate preferred inventive embodiments allow for the cleaning and removal of residual flux and other debris in packaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Donald S. Fritz
  • Publication number: 20020145207
    Abstract: An integrated circuit package is constructed to potential reduce stress and damage to an integrated circuit die. A rigid transition medium (220) is attached using adhesive layers (215, 42) and interfaces between a tape carrier (260) and the integrated circuit die (210). The integrated circuit package prevents damage such as die cracks and also enhances the service life of the packaged integrated circuit part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2000
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Inventors: Sidney Larry Anderson, Jon Long, Donald S. Fritz
  • Publication number: 20020041489
    Abstract: A semiconductor package includes a chip carrier to receive a semiconductor with a dimension generally greater than 26 mm. The chip carrier has a first coefficient of thermal expansion that is larger than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the semiconductor. A stress inhibiting intermediate mounting substrate is connected to the chip carrier through a first array of solder connections. The stress inhibiting intermediate mounting substrate has a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is larger than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the chip carrier and smaller than or equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the printed circuit board. Alternate preferred inventive embodiments allow for the cleaning and removal of residual flux and other debris in packaging.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2001
    Publication date: April 11, 2002
    Inventor: Donald S. Fritz
  • Patent number: 5757070
    Abstract: An integrated circuit package in which the lead fingers are spaced away from the heat slug is provided. This allows the area of the heat slug to be used for a metallized contact area to serve as a power plane, ground plane, signal bus or the like. The metallized area is preferably insulated from the slug by a ceramic layer. The ceramic layer is preferably adhered to the slug by a nonconductive adhesive, and the metallized layer is preferably a sheet of metal that is preferably adhered to the ceramic layer by a preferably nonconductive adhesive. Nonconductive adhesive can also be used in place of the ceramic layer as an insulating layer. The package preferably also includes an interposer in the windowframe formed around the die by the ceramic layer, with the interposer adhered to the slug by a preferably nonconductive adhesive. More than one interposer, and more than one metallized layer or area, may also be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 26, 1998
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Donald S. Fritz
  • Patent number: 5744383
    Abstract: A leadframe integrated circuit package is provide with an interposer structure for electrically interconnecting a die with the leadframe. The interposer has a rigid substrate, which is mounted in the leadframe in place of a conventional integrated circuit die. Interposer bonding pads at the periphery of the substrate are connected to bond fingers of the leadframe, e.g., by wire bonding. The interposer bonding pads are electrically connected to the die using a network of routing lines connected to a central array of interposer array pads. The array of interposer array pads is connected to a corresponding array of die array pads on the die using metal bumps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Donald S. Fritz