Patents by Inventor Stephen L. James

Stephen L. James 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: 6734372
    Abstract: A method and device for providing a relief area on the surface of a molded I/C package. Specifically, a method of reducing delamination at the gate area of a molded I/C package by disposing an area of patterned metal traces on the substrate surface to form a relief area. The relief area will permit the I/C package to be broken away form the molding apparatus while reducing the possibility of delamination or Au/Cu burs at the gate area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. James, Richard W. Wensel, Brad D. Rumsey
  • Patent number: 6690086
    Abstract: A method for inhibiting damage caused to semiconductor die packages during a molding process, and the semiconductor die packages formed therefrom, is described. One or more openings are provided in a die carrier which are filled with a material which is more resistant to compressive forces than the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. James, Brad D. Rumsey
  • Publication number: 20040007781
    Abstract: An efficient adhesive system and method for a ball grid array semiconductor device package which allows for better encapsulation are disclosed. A material is added between a die and a circuit board tape, which is oriented perpendicular to a conventional two-piece tape system used to attached the die to the circuit board. The material is located across from a gate which injects encapsulation material to form a package and acts as a diversion dam causing a compound injected during encapsulation to fill a wirebond slot last and avoid a compound overflow which might otherwise damage the ball gird array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2003
    Publication date: January 15, 2004
    Inventor: Stephen L. James
  • Patent number: 6657132
    Abstract: An adhesive system and a method of adhesion for a ball grid array semi-conductor device package facilitate the encapsulation of a die attached to a circuit board. A material is added between a die and a circuit board tape, and is oriented perpendicular to a conventional two-piece tape system used to attach the die to the circuit board. The material, which is located across from a gate through which an encapsulation compound is injected to form a package, acts as a diversion dam. The material thereby enables the injected encapsulation compound to fill a wirebond slot last and avoid an overflow which might otherwise damage the ball grid array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen L. James
  • Publication number: 20030201525
    Abstract: A semiconductor device, semiconductor die package, mold tooling, and methods of fabricating the device and packages are provided. In one embodiment, the semiconductor device comprises a pair of semiconductor dies mounted on opposing sides of a flexible tape substrate, the outer surfaces of the dies having one or more standoffs disposed thereon. The standoffs can be brought into contact with an inner surface of the mold plates of a mold tooling when the device is positioned between the mold plates to maintain the flexible tape substrate in a centralized position within a mold chamber and inhibit the tape from bending as a molding compound flows into the chamber during encapsulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Publication date: October 30, 2003
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. James, Vernon M. Williams
  • Publication number: 20030085472
    Abstract: A method for inhibiting damage caused to semiconductor die packages during a molding process, and the semiconductor die packages formed therefrom, is described. One or more openings are provided in a die carrier which are filled with a material which is more resistant to compressive forces than the carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2002
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Inventors: Stephen L. James, Brad D. Rumsey
  • Patent number: 6518678
    Abstract: A method for inhibiting damage caused to semiconductor die packages during a molding process, and the semiconductor die packages formed therefrom, is described. One or more openings are provided in a die carrier which are filled with a material which is more resistant to compressive forces than the carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2003
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. James, Brad D. Rumsey
  • Publication number: 20030017651
    Abstract: A leadframe comprising a downset formed adjacent to an edge of the leadframe so as to direct the molding compound to flow evenly inside the mold cavity. The downset has an upward slope extending from the edge of the frame and levels off with the rest of the frame at a first transition point. The upward slope facilitates the upward flow of the molding compound entering from a bottom gate. Likewise, the leadframe also directs flow in a top gated mold by reversing the orientation of the leadframe or by forming a reverse downset on the leadframe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2002
    Publication date: January 23, 2003
    Inventor: Stephen L. James
  • Publication number: 20020175399
    Abstract: Packaged microelectronic devices, interconnecting units for packaged microelectronic devices, and methods and apparatuses for packaging microelectronic devices with pressure release elements. In one aspect of the invention, a packaged microelectronic device includes a microelectronic die, an interconnecting unit coupled to the die, and a protective casing over the die. The interconnecting unit can have a substrate with a first side and a second side to which the die is attached, a plurality of contact elements operatively coupled to corresponding bond-pads on the die, and a plurality of ball-pads on the first side of the substrate electrically coupled to the contact elements. The protective casing can have at least a first cover encapsulating the die on the first side of the substrate. The packaged microelectronic device can also include a pressure relief element through at least a portion of the first cover and/or the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Publication date: November 28, 2002
    Inventors: Stephen L. James, Chad A. Cobbley
  • Publication number: 20020166695
    Abstract: A method and device for providing a relief area on the surface of a molded I/C package. Specifically, a method of reducing delamination at the gate area of a molded I/C package by disposing an area of patterned metal traces on the substrate surface to form a relief area. The relief area will permit the I/C package to be broken away form the molding apparatus while reducing the possibility of delamination or Au/Cu burs at the gate area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2002
    Publication date: November 14, 2002
    Inventors: Stephen L. James, Richard W. Wensel, Brad D. Rumsey
  • Patent number: 6473311
    Abstract: A method and device for providing a relief area on the surface of a molded I/C package. Specifically, a method of reducing delamination at the gate area of a molded I/C package by disposing an area of patterned metal traces on the substrate surface to form a relief area. The relief area will permit the I/C package to be broken away form the molding apparatus while reducing the possibility of delamination or Au/Cu burs at the gate area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Micro Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen L. James, Richard W. Wensel, Brad D. Rumsey
  • Publication number: 20020129973
    Abstract: An efficient adhesive system and method for a ball grid array semiconductor device package which allows for better encapsulation are disclosed. A material is added between a die and a circuit board tape, which is oriented perpendicular to a conventional two-piece tape system used to attached the die to the circuit board. The material is located across from a gate which injects encapsulation material to form a package and acts as a diversion dam causing a compound injected during encapsulation to fill a wirebond slot last and avoid a compound overflow which might otherwise damage the ball gird array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2001
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Inventor: Stephen L. James
  • Patent number: 6451629
    Abstract: A leadframe comprising a downset formed adjacent to an edge of the leadframe so as to direct the molding compound to flow evenly inside the mold cavity. The downset has an upward slope extending from the edge of the frame and levels off with the rest of the frame at a first transition point. The upward slope facilitates the upward flow of the molding compound entering from a bottom gate. Likewise, the leadframe also directs flow in a top gated mold by reversing the orientation of the leadframe or by forming a reverse downset on the leadframe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen L. James
  • Publication number: 20020084538
    Abstract: A method for inhibiting damage caused to semiconductor die packages during a molding process, and the semiconductor die packages formed therefrom, is described. One or more openings are provided in a die carrier which are filled with a material which is more resistant to compressive forces than the carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2000
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventors: Stephen L. James, Brad D. Rumsey
  • Patent number: 6396133
    Abstract: A semiconductor device assembly is provided. The semiconductor device assembly includes a heat-dissipating lead-frame, a semiconductor chip coupled to the heat-dissipating lead-frame, and an insulating package encapsulating the semiconductor chip and an internal portion of the heat-dissipating lead-frame. The heat-dissipating lead-frame is constructed of a single material. A process is provided for fabricating a semiconductor device assembly. The process includes providing a lead-frame that includes a paddle with external and internal portions, providing a semiconductor chip, thermally coupling the semiconductor chip to the internal portion. The process also includes encapsulating the semiconductor chip and the internal portion in an insulating material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen L. James
  • Publication number: 20010053566
    Abstract: A leadframe comprising a downset formed adjacent to an edge of the leadframe so as to direct the molding compound to flow evenly inside the mold cavity. The downset has an upward slope extending from the edge of the frame and levels off with the rest of the frame at a first transition point. The upward slope facilitates the upward flow of the molding compound entering from a bottom gate. Likewise, the leadframe also directs flow in a top gated mold by reversing the orientation of the leadframe or by forming a reverse downset on the leadframe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2001
    Publication date: December 20, 2001
    Inventor: Stephen L. James
  • Patent number: 6278175
    Abstract: A leadframe comprising a downset formed adjacent to an edge of the leadframe so as to direct the molding compound to flow evenly inside the mold cavity. The downset has an upward slope extending from the edge of the frame and levels off with the rest of the frame at a first transition point. The upward slope facilitates the upward flow of the molding compound entering from a bottom gate. Likewise, the leadframe also directs flow in a top gated mold by reversing the orientation of the leadframe or by forming a reverse downset on the leadframe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen L. James