Abstract: The invention provides a manufacturing process for making chip-size semi-conductor packages (“CSPs”) at the wafer-level without the added size, cost, and complexity of substrates in the packages or the need to overmold them with plastic. One embodiment of the method includes the provision of a semiconductor wafer with opposite top and bottom surfaces and a plurality of dies integrally defined therein. Each die has an electronic device formed in a top surface thereof, and one or more electrically conductive vias extending therethrough that electrically connect the electronic device to the bottom surface of the die. The openings for the vias are formed ablatively with a laser and plated through with a conductive material. In a BGA form of the CSP, the vias connects the electronic device to lands on the bottom surface of the die. The lands may each have a bump of a conductive metal, e.g., solder, attached to it that functions as an input-output terminal of the CSP.

Abstract: An electronic device, such as a sensor die, is packaged by first forming a hole through a substrate. The hole is made large enough to position the entire electronic device within the hole. A tape is then applied to the second surface of the substrate to cover a second side of the hole, thereby creating a tape surface at the bottom of the hole. The electronic device is then positioned within the hole such that the electronic device is in contact with, and adhered to, the tape surface at the bottom of the hole. Electronic connections are made between the electronic device and the substrate and a layer of encapsulant is applied. In one embodiment, the electronic device is a sensor die and an optical element is positioned over an active region of the sensor die before the encapsulant is applied. The encapsulant then surrounds and holds the optical element in position over the active region of the sensor die.

Abstract: A wafer is singulated from the back-side surface of the wafer using laser ablation, thus protecting the front-side surface of the wafer and, more particularly, the integrated circuits and/or functional units on the front-side surface. Since, according to the invention, no saw blade is used, the width of the scribe lines does not need to be any larger than the width of the beam from the laser plus some minimal tolerance for alignment. As a result, using the invention, the width of scribe lines is on the order of twenty-four times smaller than the width of scribe lines required by the prior art methods.

Abstract: A thin image sensor package includes an image sensor having an active area which is responsive to radiation. The image sensor is mounted to a substrate which is transparent to the radiation. The image sensor is mounted such that the active area of the image sensor faces the substrate. Of importance, the substrate serves a dual function. In particular, the substrate is the window which covers the active area of the image sensor. Further, the substrate is the platform upon which the image sensor package is fabricated. As a result, the image sensor package is thin, lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture.

Abstract: Image sensor packages are fabricated simultaneously to minimize the cost associated with each individual image sensor package. To fabricate the image sensor packages, windows are molded in molding compound to form a molded window array. A substrate includes a plurality of individual substrates integrally connected together in an array format. Image sensors are attached and electrically connected to corresponding individual substrates. An adhesive layer attaches the molded window array to the substrate. The substrate and attached molded window array are singulated into a plurality of individual image sensor packages.

Abstract: Electrically conductive interior traces and exterior traces are formed on interior and exterior surfaces, respectively, of a window. The interior traces are electrically connected to the exterior traces by electrically conductive vias extending through the window. To mount the window to an image sensor, the interior traces are aligned with bond pads on a front surface of the image sensor. Flip chip bumps are formed between the interior traces and the bond pads thus mounting the window to the image sensor. A sealer is applied to form a seal between the window and the image sensor and to protect an active area of the image sensor.

Abstract: A method includes identifying and determining a position of a scribe grid on a front-side surface of a wafer with a camera. Based on this information, a laser is fired to form an alignment mark on the back-side surface of the wafer. Advantageously, the alignment mark is positioned with respect to the scribe grid to within tight tolerance. The wafer is then cut from the backside surface using the alignment mark as a reference. Of importance, the wafer is cut from the back-side surface thus protecting the front-side surface of the wafer. Of further importance, the wafer is precisely cut such that the scribe line is not fabricated with the extra large width of scribe lines of conventional wafers designed to be cut from the back-side surface.

Abstract: Image sensor packages are fabricated simultaneously to minimize the cost associated with each individual image sensor package. To fabricate the image sensor packages, windows are molded in molding compound to form a molded window array. A substrate includes a plurality of individual substrates integrally connected together in an array format. Image sensors are attached and electrically connected to corresponding individual substrates. An adhesive layer attaches the molded window array to the substrate. The substrate and attached molded window array are singulated into a plurality of individual image sensor packages.

Abstract: A device for measuring free acid concentrations in a solution bearing an ionic constituent therein, forms a test sample of the solution and measures the concentration of the ionic constituent in solution in the test sample. The device measures conductivity of the test sample and calculates the concentration of free acid in the test sample based on the conductivity and the concentration of the ionic constituent in solution.

Abstract: A controlled multi-stage process for the stripping of uranium includes the introduction at one end of a solvent extraction device a uranium loaded organic solution. A concentrated stripping acidic aqueous solution is introduced at the other end of the solvent extraction device so that the aqueous solution and the organic solution are contacted counter-currently in the solvent extraction device at a temperature not substantially exceeding 35.degree. C.

Abstract: An improved safety control mechanism for a pulley apparatus of the type comprising main support bars having at least two wheels mounted at their centers a spaced distance apart between the bars and a swing arm assembly pivotally connected to the bars at a point between the centers of the wheels, the swing arm assembly comprising a pair of arms straddling opposing surfaces of the bars and pivotally connected to the bars by a main pivot mechanism extending through complementary aligned apertures in the arms and the bars, the improvement comprising a second bolt mechanism extending through a second complementary aperture disposed in either the bars or the arms and a slot disposed in the other of the bars or the arms; the second aperture or the slot provided in the bars being disposed in the second distance between the center mountings of the wheels; the second aperture or the slot provided in the arms being aligned with the other of the second aperture or the slot provided in the bars with the arms and the bars