Abstract: Acoustic absorbers are formed for ultrasound transducers. The acoustic absorber provides desired attenuation, impedance, and thermal conductivity qualities based on a filler of rubber, ceramic, and metal particles. The relative amounts of the different fillers may be adjusted to tune the acoustic attenuation, thermal conductivity, and/or acoustic impedance.

Abstract: Disclosed are three-dimensional dielectric structures on high surface area electrodes and fabrication methods. Exemplary structures comprise a copper foil substrate, trench electrodes or high surface area porous electrode structures formed on the substrate, a insulating thin film formed on the surface and laminating the foil on a organic substrate. A variety of materials may be used to make the films including perovksite ceramics such as barium titanate, strontium titanate, barium strontium titanate (BST), lead zirconate titanate (PZT); other intermediate dielectric constant films such as zinc oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride; typical paraelectrics such as tantalum oxide, alumina, and titania. The films may be fabricated using sol-gel, hydrothermal synthesis, anodization or vapor deposition techniques.

Abstract: Disclosed are organic-compatible thin film processing techniques with reactive (such as Ti) layers for embedding capacitors into substrates. Hydrothermal synthesis allows direct deposition of high-k films with capacitance density of about 1 ?F/cm2 on organic substrates. This is done by reactively growing a high-k film from Ti foil/Ti-coated copper foil/Ti precursor-coated organic substrate in an alkaline barium ion bath. Alternatives may be used to address multiple coatings, low temperature baking, low temperature pyrolysis with oxygen plasma, etc. Sol-gel and RF-sputtering assisted by a reaction with the intermediate layer and a foil transfer process may be used to integrate perovskite thin films with a capacitance in the range of 1-5 ?F/cm2. Thermal oxidation of titanium foil/Ti-coated copper foil/Ti-coated organic substrate with a copper conductive layer is also a reactively grown high-k film process for integrating capacitance of hundreds of nF with or without using a foil transfer process.

Abstract: Disclosed are composite RF devices having low temperature coefficient of permittivity (TCP) and methods for fabricating same. The RF devices comprise first and second conductive electrodes with a composite dielectric material disposed there between that comprises a polymer material having positive or negative TCP and one or more ceramic filler materials having corresponding negative or positive temperature coefficients of permittivity. The composite dielectric material may also comprise a blend of positive and negative TCP ceramic filler materials. The composite dielectric material may also have a bimodal distribution of positive and negative TCP filler materials to vary the packing density of the dielectric material. Various devices may be fabricated including thin and thick film capacitors and antennas, which may be formed on or within an organic layer, silicon material, ceramic material, ceramic composite material or insulating material.

Abstract: Nano-structured interconnect formation and a reworkable bonding process using solder films. Large area fabrication of nano-structured interconnects is demonstrated at a very fine pitch. This technology can be used for pushing the limits of current flip chip bonding in terms of pitch, number of I/Os, superior combination of electrical and mechanical properties as well as reworkability. Sol-gel and electroless processes were developed to demonstrate film bonding interfaces between metallic pads and nano interconnects. Solution-derived nano-solder technology is an attractive low-cost method for several applications such as MEMS hermetic packaging, compliant interconnect bonding and bump-less nano-interconnects.