Patents by Inventor William David Sawyer

William David Sawyer 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).

  • Apparatus and method for forming alignment features for back side processing of a wafer
    Patent number: 9105644
    Abstract: A method for forming an alignment feature for back side wafer processing in a wafer fabrication process involves forming a trench into but not entirely through a wafer from a top side of the wafer; forming a contrasting material on surfaces of the trench; and grinding a bottom side of the wafer to expose the trench using the handling wafer to handle the wafer during such grinding, wherein the contrasting material lining the exposed trench provides an alignment reference for precise alignment of the wafer for back side processing the wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Christine H. Tsau, William David Sawyer, Thomas Kieran Nunan
  • Apparatus and Method for Forming Alignment Features for Back Side Processing of a Wafer
    Publication number: 20150028499
    Abstract: A method for forming an alignment feature for back side wafer processing in a wafer fabrication process involves forming a trench into but not entirely through a wafer from a top side of the wafer; forming a contrasting material on surfaces of the trench; and grinding a bottom side of the wafer to expose the trench using the handling wafer to handle the wafer during such grinding, wherein the contrasting material lining the exposed trench provides an alignment reference for precise alignment of the wafer for back side processing the wafer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2013
    Publication date: January 29, 2015
    Applicant: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Christine H. Tsau, William David Sawyer, Thomas Kieran Nunan
  • METHOD OF ANODICALLY BONDING A MULTILAYER DEVICE WITH A FREE MASS
    Publication number: 20030077876
    Abstract: A method of anodically bonding a multilayer device with a free mass includes positioning a support layer on either side of a free mass structure including a free mass with an electrode on each layer proximate the free mass; connecting both electrodes and the free mass to a node at a floating potential and applying a voltage across the layers and free mass structure to bond at least one of the layers to the free mass structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventor: William David Sawyer
  • Method of anodically bonding a multilayer device with a free mass
    Patent number: 6548321
    Abstract: A method of anodically bonding a multilayer device with a free mass includes positioning a support layer on either side of a free mass structure including a free mass with an electrode on each layer proximate the free mass; connecting both electrodes and the free mass to a node at a floating potential and applying a voltage across the layers and free mass structure to bond at least one of the layers to the free mass structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2003
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventor: William David Sawyer