Patents by Inventor Michael J. Seddon

Michael J. Seddon 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: 20210343615
    Abstract: Implementations of a semiconductor package may include a singulated die and a passivating material of a predetermined thickness across a majority of a singulated surface of the singulated die on at least one singulated surface of the singulated die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Francis J. CARNEY, Michael J. SEDDON
  • Publication number: 20210343555
    Abstract: Implementations of a packaging system may include a wafer; and a curvature adjustment structure coupled thereto where the curvature adjustment structure may be configured to alter a curvature of a largest planar surface of the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. SEDDON, Francis J. CARNEY
  • Publication number: 20210343608
    Abstract: Implementations of a substrate carrier may include: a top ring configured to enclose an edge of a first side of a substrate; and a bottom support configured to enclose an entire second side and an edge of the second side of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Seddon
  • Patent number: 11164835
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer has an edge support ring around a perimeter of the semiconductor wafer and conductive layer formed over a surface of the semiconductor wafer within the edge support ring. A first stencil is disposed over the edge support ring with first openings aligned with the conductive layer. The first stencil includes a horizontal portion over the edge support ring, and a step-down portion extending the first openings to the conductive layer formed over the surface of the semiconductor wafer. The horizontal portion may have a notch with the edge support ring disposed within the notch. A plurality of bumps is dispersed over the first stencil to occupy the first openings over the conductive layer. A second stencil is disposed over the edge support ring with second openings aligned with the conductive layer to deposit a flux material in the second openings over the conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Seddon, Takashi Noma, Kazuhiro Saito
  • Publication number: 20210327843
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor package. Implementations include forming on a die backside an intermediate metal layer having multiple sublayers, each including a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, nickel, copper, silver, and combinations thereof. A tin layer is deposited onto the intermediate metal layer and is then reflowed with a silver layer of a substrate to form an intermetallic layer having a melting temperature above 260 degrees Celsius and including an intermetallic consisting of silver and tin and/or an intermetallic consisting of copper and tin. Another method of forming a semiconductor package includes forming a bump on each of a plurality of exposed pads of a top side of a die, each exposed pad surrounded by a passivation layer, each bump including an intermediate metal layer as described above and a tin layer coupled to the intermediate metal layer is reflowed to form an intermetallic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. SEDDON, Francis J. CARNEY
  • Patent number: 11152211
    Abstract: Semiconductor substrate thinning systems and methods. Implementations of a method of thinning a semiconductor substrate may include: providing a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface and inducing damage into a portion of the semiconductor substrate adjacent to the second surface forming a damage layer. The method may also include backgrinding the second surface of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Seddon, Thomas Neyer
  • Patent number: 11127634
    Abstract: Implementations of methods of singulating a plurality of die included in a substrate may include forming a groove through a backside metal layer through laser ablating a backside metal layer at a die street of a substrate and singulating a plurality of die included in the substrate through removing substrate material of the substrate in the die street.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Seddon
  • Patent number: 11121035
    Abstract: Implementations of a method of forming a plurality of semiconductor devices on a semiconductor substrate may include: providing a semiconductor substrate having a first surface, a second surface, a size, and a thickness where the second surface opposes the first surface and the thickness is between the first surface and the second surface. The method may include processing the semiconductor substrate through a plurality of semiconductor device fabrication processes to form a plurality of semiconductor devices on the first surface. The thickness may be between 100 microns and 575 microns and the size may be 150 mm. The semiconductor substrate may not be coupled with a carrier or support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Seddon
  • Patent number: 11114343
    Abstract: Implementations of methods of singulating a plurality of die included in a substrate may include forming a plurality of die on a first side of a substrate, forming a backside metal layer on a second side of a substrate, forming a groove only partially through a thickness of the backside metal layer, and singulating the plurality of die included in the substrate through removing backmetal material in the die street and removing substrate material in the die street. The groove may be located in a die street of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Seddon
  • Patent number: 11114329
    Abstract: Implementations of methods of loading an evaporator may include, using a robotic arm, removing a substrate from a cassette and centering the substrate on a substrate aligner. The method may include aligning the substrate using the substrate aligner. The substrate may also include removing the substrate from the substrate aligner using the robotic arm and loading the substrate into a first available pocket of a planet of an evaporator using the robotic arm. The method may also include rotating the planet to a second available pocket after detecting a presence of the substrate in the first available pocket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Seddon, Heng Chen Lee
  • Patent number: 11114402
    Abstract: Implementations of semiconductor devices may include a die having a first side and a second side, a contact pad coupled to the first side of the die, and a metal layer coupled to the second side of the die. A thickness of the die may be no more than four times a thickness of the metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Seddon, Takashi Noma, Kazuo Okada, Hideaki Yoshimi, Naoyuki Yomoda, Yusheng Lin
  • Publication number: 20210272847
    Abstract: Implementations of a method singulating a plurality of semiconductor die. Implementations may include: forming a pattern in a back metal layer coupled on a first side of a semiconductor substrate where the semiconductor substrate includes a plurality of semiconductor die. The method may include etching substantially through a thickness of the semiconductor substrate at the pattern in the back metal layer and jet ablating a layer of passivation material coupled to a second side of the semiconductor substrate to singulate the plurality of semiconductor die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. SEDDON
  • Publication number: 20210272920
    Abstract: Implementations of semiconductor devices may include a die having a first side and a second side, a contact pad coupled to the first side of the die, and a metal layer coupled to the second side of the die. A thickness of the die may be no more than four times a thickness of the metal layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. SEDDON, Takashi NOMA, Kazuo OKADA, Hideaki YOSHIMI, Naoyuki YOMODA, Yusheng LIN
  • Publication number: 20210257208
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer has a base material. The semiconductor wafer may have an edge support ring. A grinding phase of a surface of the semiconductor wafer removes a portion of the base material. The grinder is removed from or lifted off the surface of the semiconductor wafer during a separation phase. The surface of the semiconductor wafer and under the grinder is rinsed during the grinding phase and separation phase to remove particles. A rinsing solution is dispensed from a rinsing solution source to rinse the surface of the semiconductor wafer. The rinsing solution source can move in position while dispensing the rinsing solution to rinse the surface of the semiconductor wafer. The grinding phase and separation phase are repeated during the entire grinding operation, when grinding conductive TSVs, or during the final grinding stages, until the final thickness of the semiconductor wafer is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. SEDDON
  • Patent number: 11075103
    Abstract: Implementations of a method for wafer alignment may include: providing a wafer having a first side and a second side and forming a seed layer on a second side of the wafer. The method may include applying a glop to the seed layer at two or more predetermined points and plating a metal layer over the seed layer and around the glop. The method may include removing the glop to expose the seed layer and etching the seed layer to expose a plurality of alignment features on the second side of the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Seddon, Takashi Noma
  • Patent number: 11075118
    Abstract: Implementations of a method of singulating a plurality of die may include: providing a semiconductor wafer including a plurality of die where the plurality of die include a desired thickness. A passivation material may cover at least a portion of the plurality of die and the semiconductor wafer. The method may include clearing the passivation material from one or more die streets located between each of the plurality of die. The method may also include etching a plurality of trenches into the semiconductor wafer only from the first side of the semiconductor wafer. A depth of the plurality of trenches may be greater than the desired thickness of the plurality of die. The method may also include thinning a second side of the semiconductor wafer to a predetermined distance to the depth of the plurality of trenches to singulate the plurality of die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Seddon
  • Patent number: 11075129
    Abstract: Implementations of a substrate carrier may include: a top ring configured to enclose an edge of a first side of a substrate; and a bottom support configured to enclose an entire second side and an edge of the second side of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Seddon
  • Patent number: 11069585
    Abstract: Implementations of a method for healing a crack in a semiconductor substrate may include identifying a crack in a semiconductor substrate and heating an area of the semiconductor substrate including the crack until the crack is healed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. Seddon
  • Publication number: 20210217664
    Abstract: Implementations of methods of singulating a plurality of die included in a substrate may include forming a plurality of die on a first side of a substrate, forming a backside metal layer on a second side of a substrate, applying a photoresist layer over the backside metal layer, patterning the photoresist layer along a die street of the substrate, and etching through the backside metal layer located in the die street of the substrate. The substrate may be exposed through the etch. The method may also include singulating the plurality of die included in the substrate through removing a substrate material in the die street.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael J. SEDDON
  • Patent number: 11049833
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor package. Implementations include forming on a die backside an intermediate metal layer having multiple sublayers, each including a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, nickel, copper, silver, and combinations thereof. A tin layer is deposited onto the intermediate metal layer and is then reflowed with a silver layer of a substrate to form an intermetallic layer having a melting temperature above 260 degrees Celsius and including an intermetallic consisting of silver and tin and/or an intermetallic consisting of copper and tin. Another method of forming a semiconductor package includes forming a bump on each of a plurality of exposed pads of a top side of a die, each exposed pad surrounded by a passivation layer, each bump including an intermediate metal layer as described above and a tin layer coupled to the intermediate metal layer is reflowed to form an intermetallic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Seddon, Francis J. Carney