Abstract: An optical fiber assembly and a method of assembly thereof. The optical fiber assembly includes a support plate defining an array of support plate through holes, and an alignment template plate defining an array of alignment template plate through holes. At least one support plate through hole or alignment template plate through hole may be flared. At least one support plate through hole or alignment template plate through hole may include a compliant film.

Abstract: Techniques for fabricating fine-pitch micro-bumps are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a fabrication process may comprise the following steps: depositing a dielectric layer on a wafer; forming a pattern of through holes in the dielectric layer; depositing a seed metal layer on top of the dielectric layer and inside the through holes; depositing a layer of UBM metal on top of the seed metal layer (including inside the holes), and further filling the holes with a low melting point metal; performing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) to remove conductive material(s) outside the holes and/or on the surface of the dielectric layer, such that the metal stacks of adjacent holes are insulated by the dielectric material between them; and etching the dielectric material surrounding the holes to cause the tip of the metal stacks to extend slightly higher than the surrounding dielectric surface, thereby forming fine-pitch micro-bumps.

Abstract: An optical fiber assembly and a method of assembly thereof. The optical fiber assembly includes a support plate defining an array of support plate through holes, and an alignment template plate defining an array of alignment template plate through holes. At least one support plate through hole or alignment template plate through hole may be flared. At least one support plate through hole or alignment template plate through hole may include a compliant film.

Abstract: A TSV exposing process is provided, including: performing a mechanical grinding process on the substrate back surface of a substrate with a TSV conductive column, a liner between the substrate and the TSV conductive column; performing a first and a second chemical mechanical polishing process on the grinded substrate back surface; then performing an etching on the substrate back surface, and making the TSV backside reveal more than 10 ?m.

Abstract: A method for defining regions with different surface liquid tension properties on a substrate is disclosed. The method includes: providing a substrate with a main surface having a first surface liquid tension property that is at least partially covered with a seed layer; forming at least one micro-bump on the seed layer leaving part of the seed layer exposed; patterning the exposed seed layer to expose part of the main surface; forming at least one closed-loop structure that encloses a region of the main surface and the at least one micro-bump; and chemically treating the main surface of the substrate to provide on a surface of at least one closed-loop structure and the at least one micro-bump a second surface liquid tension property. The second surface liquid tension property is substantially different from the first surface liquid tension property of the main surface and is liquid phobic.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method for producing hollow contact areas for insertion bonding, formed on a semiconductor substrate comprising a stack of one or more metallization layers on a surface of the substrate. Openings are etched in a dielectric layer by plasma etching, using a resist layer as a mask. The resist layer and plasma etch parameters are chosen to obtain openings with sloped sidewalls having a pre-defined slope, due to controlled formation of a polymer layer forming on the sidewalls of the resist hole and the hollow contact opening formed during etching. According to a preferred embodiment, metal deposited in the hollow contact areas and on top of the dielectric layer is planarized using chemical mechanical polishing, leading to mutually isolated contact areas. The disclosure is also related to components obtainable by the method and to a semiconductor package comprising such components.

Abstract: Techniques for fabricating fine-pitch micro-bumps are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a fabrication process may comprise the following steps: depositing a dielectric layer on a wafer; forming a pattern of through holes in the dielectric layer; depositing a seed metal layer on top of the dielectric layer and inside the through holes; depositing a layer of UBM metal on top of the seed metal layer (including inside the holes), and further filling the holes with a low melting point metal; performing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) to remove conductive material(s) outside the holes and/or on the surface of the dielectric layer, such that the metal stacks of adjacent holes are insulated by the dielectric material between them; and etching the dielectric material surrounding the holes to cause the tip of the metal stacks to extend slightly higher than the surrounding dielectric surface, thereby forming fine-pitch micro-bumps.

Abstract: A TSV backside reveal structure is provided, formed by a TSV conductive column on a substrate running throughout the substrate front surface and substrate back surface and stretching out of the substrate back surface; wherein, a sloping buffer is formed within the region between the substrate back surface and the TSV, and the height of the sloping buffer changes continuously; wherein the region close to the TSV has the highest height and the height of the buffer gradually decreases to that of the substrate back surface.

Abstract: A TSV exposing process is provided, including: performing a mechanical grinding process on the substrate back surface of a substrate with a TSV conductive column, a liner between the substrate and the TSV conductive column; performing a first and a second chemical mechanical polishing process on the grinded substrate back surface; then performing an etching on the substrate back surface, and making the TSV backside reveal more than 10 ?m.

Abstract: A method for defining regions with different surface liquid tension properties on a substrate is disclosed. The method includes: providing a substrate with a main surface having a first surface liquid tension property that is at least partially covered with a seed layer; forming at least one micro-bump on the seed layer leaving part of the seed layer exposed; patterning the exposed seed layer to expose part of the main surface; forming at least one closed-loop structure that encloses a region of the main surface and the at least one micro-bump; and chemically treating the main surface of the substrate to provide on a surface of at least one closed-loop structure and the at least one micro-bump a second surface liquid tension property. The second surface liquid tension property is substantially different from the first surface liquid tension property of the main surface and is liquid phobic.

Abstract: A device and a method for realizing reliable electrical contacts at low temperature and low pressure between conducting materials on, for example, different substrates are disclosed. In one aspect, a rough and brittle intermetallic layer is formed on a conducting material on a first substrate. A soft solder material layer on the other substrate is used for contacting the brittle and rough intermetallic layer that will break. As the solder material is relatively soft, contact between the broken intermetallic layer and the solder material can be realized over a large portion of the surface area. At that stage, a second intermetallic layer is formed between the solder material and the first intermetallic layer realizing electrical contact.

Abstract: A mobile terminal is provided with a network lock functionality for a network. The mobile terminal includes a subscriber identity module (SIM) slot configured to host a SIM card or an unlocking device, a control chip, an encryption chip, and a network locking module. The control chip is coupled to the SIM slot through a first interface, the encryption chip is coupled to the SIM slot through the first interface to communicate with a module inserted into the SIM slot, and the network locking module is coupled to the encryption chip through a second interface. Further, the network locking module is configured to perform the network lock functionality. The network locking module also has an “open” state supporting a network unlocking operational mode and a “close” state supporting a network locking operational mode.

Abstract: A mobile terminal is provided with a network lock functionality for a network. The mobile terminal includes a subscriber identity module (SIM) slot configured to host a SIM card or an unlocking device, a control chip, an encryption chip, and a network locking module. The control chip is coupled to the SIM slot through a first interface, the encryption chip is coupled to the SIM slot through the first interface to communicate with a module inserted into the SIM slot, and the network locking module is coupled to the encryption chip through a second interface. Further, the network locking module is configured to perform the network lock functionality. The network locking module also has an “open” state supporting a network unlocking operational mode and a “close” state supporting a network locking operational mode.

Abstract: A device and a method for realizing reliable electrical contacts at low temperature and low pressure between conducting materials on, for example, different substrates are disclosed. In one aspect, a rough and brittle intermetallic layer is formed on a conducting material on a first substrate. A soft solder material layer on the other substrate is used for contacting the brittle and rough intermetallic layer that will break. As the solder material is relatively soft, contact between the broken intermetallic layer and the solder material can be realized over a large portion of the surface area. At that stage, a second intermetallic layer is formed between the solder material and the first intermetallic layer realizing electrical contact.

Abstract: A method for searching music based on music segment information inquiry comprises: a) analyzing certain music or song to obtain music rhythm and note information of any segment, and converting it to digital data as a basis for searching the music or the song after quantification; b) storing indexes of any segment of music rhythm and note information for the music or song in database; c) Take the inquiry requirement as a basis for searching and comparing to find the required music or song. The advantage of the invention is to search music via a segment of music melody or song without knowing text information like music name or singer, which extremely extends the flexibility of music searching, and therefore the subscriber's requirements for music searching is satisfied and fuzzy searching is achieved. When searching and comparing, the matching degree between music rhythm and note information in a segment and in index database may be configured to improve searching hit-the-target rate or searching accuracy.

Abstract: An information subscribing system for portable terminal device 20 having autonomous network access, wherein the portable terminal device 20 communicates to the transmission authentication control protocols platform 2 in conjunction with the information distribution platform 1 over a network connection, the transmission authentication control protocols platform 2 permits the portable terminal device 20 to perform subscribing and searching for the information stored on the information distribution platform 1.