Patents by Inventor Masahiro Horio

Masahiro Horio 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: 7557029
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a conductive layer with a plurality of wires, and a bonding pad formed in a region overlapping with the plurality of wires of the conductive layer. One of the wires is connected to the bonding pad, and an insulating protective film is formed between the remaining wires and the bonding pad. The protective film is bridged between adjacent wires at least in a region overlapping with the bonding pad. As a result, the protective film on the wires forms a bridge structure, which is effective in preventing cracking at a lower portion of the protective film. Further, a void formed underneath the bridged portion serves as an air spring to prevent damage to the structural elements, such as the wires, formed under the protective film. Further, because a polyimide film, which serves as a shock absorber, is not required, working efficiency can be improved and chip cost can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masafumi Akagawa, Masahiro Horio
  • Publication number: 20090149014
    Abstract: At step S101, a TiW film is formed by a sputtering method so as to cover a surface protection film and pad electrodes formed on a surface of a semiconductor element. Subsequently, an Au film is formed on the TiW film. At step S103, Au bumps are formed on the Au film using the Au film as a plating electrode. At step S105, unnecessary parts of the Au film are removed. At step S106, unnecessary parts of the TiW film are removed. At step S107, iodine left in areas where the unnecessary parts of the TiW film have been removed, is removed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Norimitsu NIE, Masahiro HORIO, Keiichi SAWAI, Yuji WATANABE, Yasuhiro KOYAMA, Katsuji KAWAKAMI
  • Publication number: 20060057834
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a conductive layer with a plurality of wires, and a bonding pad formed in a region overlapping with the plurality of wires of the conductive layer. One of the wires is connected to the bonding pad, and an insulating protective film is formed between the remaining wires and the bonding pad. The protective film is bridged between adjacent wires at least in a region overlapping with the bonding pad. As a result, the protective film on the wires forms a bridge structure, which is effective in preventing cracking at a lower portion of the protective film. Further, a void formed underneath the bridged portion serves as an air spring to prevent damage to the structural elements, such as the wires, formed under the protective film. Further, because a polyimide film, which serves as a shock absorber, is not required, working efficiency can be improved and chip cost can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2005
    Publication date: March 16, 2006
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masafumi Akagawa, Masahiro Horio
  • Patent number: 6977442
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a conductive layer with a plurality of wires, and a bonding pad formed in a region overlapping with the plurality of wires of the conductive layer. One of the wires is connected to the bonding pad, and an insulating protective film is formed between the remaining wires and the bonding pad. The protective film is bridged between adjacent wires at least in a region overlapping with the bonding pad. As a result, the protective film on the wires forms a bridge structure, which is effective in preventing cracking at a lower portion of the protective film. Further, a void formed underneath the bridged portion serves as an air spring to prevent damage to the structural elements, such as the wires, formed under the protective film. Further, because a polyimide film, which serves as a shock absorber, is not required, working efficiency can be improved and chip cost can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masafumi Akagawa, Masahiro Horio
  • Publication number: 20040256723
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a conductive layer with a plurality of wires, and a bonding pad formed in a region overlapping with the plurality of wires of the conductive layer. One of the wires is connected to the bonding pad, and an insulating protective film is formed between the remaining wires and the bonding pad. The protective film is bridged between adjacent wires at least in a region overlapping with the bonding pad. As a result, the protective film on the wires forms a bridge structure, which is effective in preventing cracking at a lower portion of the protective film. Further, a void formed underneath the bridged portion serves as an air spring to prevent damage to the structural elements, such as the wires, formed under the protective film. Further, because a polyimide film, which serves as a shock absorber, is not required, working efficiency can be improved and chip cost can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2003
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masafumi Akagawa, Masahiro Horio
  • Patent number: 6538326
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device, a second wiring layer 7 is formed via an inter-layer insulation film 6 on a first wiring layer 2 connected to an active region of a silicon substrate 1, and a bonding pad 14 is placed on the second wiring layer 7 via a protection film 8 and a polyimide film 10, so as to overlie the active region of the silicon substrate 1. The second wiring layer 7 has a plurality of wires 7a and 7b in a region underlying the bonding pad 14: the wire 7a is joined to the bonding pad 14 via opening sections 9 and 11 provided in the protection film 8 and the polyimide film 10, respectively, and the protection film 8 and the polyimide film 10 are placed between the wires 7b and the bonding pad 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hironobu Shimizu, Koji Fujimoto, Masahiro Horio
  • Publication number: 20020043723
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device, a second wiring layer 7 is formed via an inter-layer insulation film 6 on a first wiring layer 2 connected to an active region of a silicon substrate 1, and a bonding pad 14 is placed on the second wiring layer 7 via a protection film 8 and a polyimide film 10, so as to overlie the active region of the silicon substrate 1. The second wiring layer 7 has a plurality of wires 7a and 7b in a region underlying the bonding pad 14: the wire 7a is joined to the bonding pad 14 via opening sections 9 and 11 provided in the protection film 8 and the polyimide film 10, respectively, and the protection film 8 and the polyimide film 10 are placed between the wires 7b and the bonding pad 14.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventors: Hironobu Shimizu, Koji Fujimoto, Masahiro Horio