Patents by Inventor Steven A. Tower

Steven A. Tower 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: 20060286358
    Abstract: A substrate for an integrated circuit device includes a low coefficient of thermal expansion material having opposing first and second surfaces with an array of through holes extending from the first surface to the second surface. A high thermal conductivity substrate is adjacent to the second surface of the low coefficient of thermal expansion material and a wettable material bonds the low coefficient of thermal expansion material to the high thermal conductivity substrate while also substantially filling said array of through holes. An integrated circuit device, such as a light emitting diode, may be bonded to the first surface of the low coefficient of thermal expansion material by a compliant die attach material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Publication date: December 21, 2006
    Inventor: Steven Tower
  • Publication number: 20040046247
    Abstract: A package for encasing one or more semiconductor devices includes a composite base component with opposing first and second surfaces formed from a mixture of metallic powders. A first metallic powder is copper or a copper-base alloy and a second metallic powders is a metal or metal alloy with a coefficient of thermal expansion less than that of copper. There is sufficient copper or copper-base alloy present for the composite base to preferably have a coefficient of thermal expansion of at least 9×10−6/° C. A ring frame formed from a nickel/iron-based alloy having a plurality of interconnections extending through sidewalls thereof is bonded to the composite base by a braze with a melting temperature in excess of 700° C. In an alternative embodiment, the composite base brazed to a frame formed from a ceramic having a coefficient of thermal expansion in excess of 8×10−6/° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2003
    Publication date: March 11, 2004
    Applicant: Olin Corporation, a corporation of the Commonwealth of Virginia
    Inventor: Steven A. Tower
  • Patent number: 6531680
    Abstract: A cube corner laser beam retroreflector apparatus for a beam path external to a laser reduces the effect of small deviations in flatness of optical carriage mounting elements and/or linear ways that pitch, yaw and roll the carried retroreflector apparatus. Small changes in pitch, yaw and roll are converted to a small translation in position of the beam reflected from the apparatus. Since the reflected beam remains parallel to the incoming beam, the length of the beam path does not magnify such small deviations in position and system pointing stability is greatly improved. The cube corner retroreflector comprises a welded frame and three mirror holders, the welded frame consisting of plasma, laser or abrasive water jet cut tabbed and slotted flat plates welded together. Each mirror holder is adjustably attached to the welded frame and houses a removable mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: W. A. Whitney Co.
    Inventors: Michael A. Tomlinson, Steven A. Tower
  • Publication number: 20020144987
    Abstract: A cube corner laser beam retroreflector apparatus for a beam path external to a laser reduces the effect of small deviations in flatness of optical carriage mounting elements and/or linear ways that pitch, yaw and roll the carried retroreflector apparatus. Small changes in pitch, yaw and roll are converted to a small translation in position of the beam reflected from the apparatus. Since the reflected beam remains parallel to the incoming beam, the length of the beam path does not magnify such small deviations in position and system pointing stability is greatly improved. The cube corner retroreflector comprises a welded frame and three mirror holders, the welded frame consisting of plasma, laser or abrasive water jet cut tabbed and slotted flat plates welded together. Each mirror holder is adjustably attached to the welded frame and houses a removable mirror.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2001
    Publication date: October 10, 2002
    Applicant: W.A. Whitney Co.
    Inventors: Michael A. Tomlinson, Steven A. Tower
  • Patent number: 6145731
    Abstract: To hermetically seal an optically transparent ceramic or glass member to a metallic housing, an aperture with a diameter less than the diameter of the member is formed through the metallic housing. The member is then press-fit into the aperture, partially displacing metal from the walls of the aperture, forming an inner burr circumscribing the aperture. The walls of the aperture and the circumscribing burr are then coated with a second metal, preferably electroless nickel. The resultant seal maintains hermeticity following thermal cycling and is particularly suited for the manufacture of a hybrid electronic package having an optical or opto-electronic coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2000
    Assignee: Olin Corporation
    Inventors: Steven A. Tower, Brian Mravic
  • Patent number: 6111198
    Abstract: A conductive feedthrough for providing electrical current to semiconductor packages. A conductive wall portion of a semiconductor package contains an insulating material disposed in an aperture in the conductive wall. The insulating material has an axial bore into which an electrical conductor is inserted. The conductor has a reduced diameter in the portion inside the axial bore and enlarged portions on either side of the axial bore.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2000
    Assignee: Olin Aegis
    Inventor: Steven A. Tower
  • Patent number: 6020628
    Abstract: To hermetically seal an optically transparent ceramic or glass member to a metallic housing, an aperture with a diameter less than the diameter of the member is formed through the metallic housing. The member is then press-fit into the aperture, partially displacing metal from the walls of the aperture, forming an inner burr circumscribing the aperture. The walls of the aperture and the circumscribing burr are then coated with a second metal, preferably electroless nickel. The resultant seal maintains hermeticity following thermal cycling and is particularly suited for the manufacture of a hybrid electronic package having an optical or opto-electronic coupling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2000
    Assignee: Olin Corporation
    Inventors: Steven A. Tower, Brian Mravic
  • Patent number: 4855808
    Abstract: A hermetically sealed glass chip carrier includes an outer glass ring and an inner glass base in which leads to the inner glass base pass between the ring and the base, with the ring, base and leads being sealed together by melting the glass in the vicinity of the seal. In one embodiment, the base includes a stepped annular lip with the leads protruding between the space between the base and the lip and onto the top surface of the lip. In an alternative embodiment, a Kovar substrate pad may be secured to the base. Complete hermetic sealing is accomplished through the use of a lid which contacts the top surface of the ring and is hermetically sealed thereto. The external leads may be formed and trimmed in various configurations to provide an elevated pad, a plug-in, or a socket-type configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Inventors: Steven A. Tower, Jay S. Greenspan
  • Patent number: 4649229
    Abstract: A flat package for electric microcircuits has an iron-nickel-cobalt alloy frame which is brazed to a molybdenum bottom at a temperature below about 400.degree. C. The molybdenum bottom has successive layers of copper, nickel and gold plating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 1985
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1987
    Assignee: Aegis, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy D. Scherer, Steven A. Tower
  • Patent number: 4547624
    Abstract: An offset weld ring is brazed or soldered to the top surface of a flat pack frame to provide an offset weld surface for the welding of a lid to the package in which the heat applied during the welding process is moved away from the glass feedthroughs in the package, thereby permitting closer spacing of the lid to the glass feedthrough for minimizing overall package height and obtaining a low profile package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1985
    Assignee: Isotronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven A. Tower, Jay S. Greenspan
  • Patent number: 4453033
    Abstract: A microcircuit package in which one or more leads can be grounded to the package by a simple procedure which is performed on a package of usual construction. A braze preform is placed over a lead to be grounded, a metal washer is disposed over the lead and preform, and the assembly is brazed to cause fusing of the washer to the lead and to the header to provide a low resistance grounding connection between the lead and package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1982
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1984
    Assignee: Isotronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond J. Duff, Steven A. Tower, Jay S. Greenspan