Abstract: A charcoal dispensing apparatus dispenses charcoal into a bag. The apparatus includes a base and a post attached to and extending upwardly from the base. A drawer frame is coupled to a top end edge of the post. A hopper is attached to the drawer frame and is configured to store and dispense a plurality of charcoal briquettes. A slot is positioned in the drawer frame. A second drawer is slidably insertable into the slot and is configured to receive charcoal from the hopper when the second drawer is positioned within the slot. The second drawer is configured to dispense charcoal outwardly therefrom when the second drawer is extended outwardly of the drawer frame.

Abstract: A method is provided for reducing particle formation during manufacture of shell caps for containers such as pharmaceutical containers. The method entails providing a solid polymeric coating on substantially all surfaces of the shell caps to form coated shell caps before permitting the coated shell caps to contact each other or other objects. A pharmaceutical container which employs the shell caps also is provided. The container comprises a vial for storing medicinal compositions therein and a shell cap for sealing the vial. The shell cap includes a hollow metallic preform and a solid polymeric coating which substantially completely encapsulates the preform.

Abstract: A method for making moisture resistant semiconductor devices having organic substrates targets each of the potentially critical interfaces within a semiconductor device having the potential for delamination and cracking. An organic substrate (110) is designed to include a solid pad (116) having a chemically created oxide layer (118) formed thereon. A silicone-based die attach material (108) is dispensed and gelled very soon after dispensing to prevent excessive bleed. A semiconductor die (102) is mounted to the substrate after undergoing a cleaning operation to remove contaminants from the backside of the die. Prior to molding compound encapsulation and subsequent to die attach material cure, the substrate is cleaned to improve adhesion to the die attach material fillet (122).

Abstract: A method is provided for reducing particle formation during manufacture of shell caps for containers such as pharmaceutical containers. The method entails providing a solid polymeric coating on substantially all surfaces of the shell caps to form coated shell caps before permitting the coated shell caps to contact each other or other objects. A pharmaceutical container which employs the shell caps also is provided. The container comprises a vial for storing medicinal compositions therein and a shell cap for sealing the vial. The shell cap includes a hollow metallic preform and a solid polymeric coating which substantially completely encapsulates the preform.

Abstract: Pad array carriers allow greater I/O densities over conventional leaded packages by using an array arrangement for external electrical connections. A pad array carrier (48) is manufactured using a substrate (40) having metal on only one side and unplated through-holes (44). A semiconductor die (50) is mounted on and affixed to the top surface of the substrate with an electrically insulative adhesive (51). The use of the insulative adhesive allows routing of signal traces into the die mounting region directly underneath the die. Wire bonds (52) connect the die to metal traces (46) on the substrate. A package body (54) is formed on the substrate covering the die and wire bonds (52). Solder balls (56 & 58) are directly attached to the backside of the solder pads (47) by way of the through-holes.

Abstract: An apparatus for applying and verifying a printed mark on the periphery of generally cylindrically-shaped objects as they travel on a path. The apparatus comprises at least a first conveyor mounted for movement on a first side of the path. The first conveyor is located to engage the objects to translate the objects at a known translational velocity along the path. A transport assembly is mounted for cyclic movement back and forth along a transport assembly path parallel to the path of the objects at least part of the cyclic movement being approximately at the known translational velocity of the objects. A mark applicator is mounted on the transport assembly and is located in a position to apply a mark on each object as the object is translated by the first conveyor. A sensor is mounted on the transport assembly. The sensor is located in a position to read the applied mark on each object as the object is translated by the belt. The sensor generates a signal representative of the mark.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has test-only contacts to reduce the size of the device and eliminate unnecessary external contacts. In one form of the invention, a semiconductor device (30) is provided with solder balls (26) which are electrically coupled to those portions of a semiconductor die (20) that are necessary for device operation. The device also includes test pads (32) formed on a package substrate (12) which are electrically coupled to those portions of the die which are necessary only for a manufacturer's testing purposes. In another form, a semiconductor device (10) includes external test-only solder balls along the periphery of the package substrate, for example solder balls between boundaries A and B. After testing is complete, the package substrate is excised along boundary A, thereby eliminating solder balls which are not needed by the device user. A combination of the two techniques may also be used.

Abstract: A semiconductor multiple package module (10) on a PCB material substrate (18) is provided, wherein semiconductor dice are directly mounted onto the PCB material substrate (18) thereby eliminating a subsequent board mounting at the customer level. A plurality of semiconductor dice are mounted and electrically connected to a plurality of circuit traces (22) on the PCB material substrate (18) having a plurality of edge connectors (20). The plurality of circuit traces (22) has conductive paths to electrically interconnect the semiconductor dice to the edge connectors (20) and to each other. The semiconductor dice are directly overmolded on the PCB material substrate (18) with a molding compound to form individual semiconductor devices (12, 14, and 16) having separate package bodies. The individualized package bodies enable repair to the module by making removal of only nonfunctional semiconductor devices from the PCB material substrate (18) possible.

Abstract: A semiconductor device (10) includes test-only leads (20) and operational leads (18). Operational leads (18) provide access to portions of a semiconductor die (12) needed for device operation. Test-only leads (20) provide access to portions of die (12) which are not needed for device operation, but which are needed during manufacturing tests. Operational leads (18) have an external configuration which facilitates attachment to a user substrate. Test-only leads (20) have an external configuration which enables electrical access to the device for test purposes; however, the test-only lead configuration makes attachment to the user substrate difficult. Since the test-only leads (20) and the operational leads (18) have two different external lead configurations, overall lead pitch is reduced, enabling device (10) to be made very small. Yet, complexity of mounting device (10) to a user substrate is not increased since the pitch between adjacent operational leads (18) can be made larger than the overall lead pitch.

Abstract: A lead frame having a central die bond flag for ceramic integrated circuit die packages. The direct connection of the die bond flag to the lead frame via one or more leads permits direct connection of the back side or substrate of an integrated circuit die to a lead while eliminating dedicated supports that provide physical support but no electrical lead function. In a particular embodiment of the invention, a lead frame is provided whereby any of the leads may be chosen to serve as the die bond flag support/lead combination, whereby the rest of the leads are severed from connection with the die bond flag.

Abstract: A controlled quantity of a liquid polyimide precursor compound is deposited on the active surface of an integrated circuit die which has been prepared for packaging, and thereafter cured using a two step curing process to develop a polyimide coating of sufficient thickness to provide alpha particle protection for the die once packaged.