International Business Machines Corporation

James G Balz

David Clifford Long

Mark J LaPlante

Joshua Monroe Cobb

Uldis Artis Ziemins

Donald Rene Wall

Candace J Freedenberg

Daniel Guilford Patterson

Thomas Weiss

Jon Alfred Casey

Mark William Kapfhammer

Glenn A Pomerantz

Brenda Lee Peterson

Thomas Anthony Wassick

Krystyna Waleria Semkow

Brian Richard Sundlof

Robert Anthony Rita

Richard Francis Indyk

Keith C O'Neil

Kathleen M Wiley

Lori A Maiorino

Patrick E Spencer

Arthur Gilman Merryman

Michael Berger

Charles J Hendricks

Richard Philip Surprenant

Jerome D Cohen

John Ulrich Knickerbocker

Gregory M Johnson

Robert P Westerfield, Jr

Daniel S Mackin

John R Lankard

Cynthia J Calli

Ferdinand D DiMaria

A multilayer ceramic repair process which provides a new electrical repair path to connect top surface vias. The repair path is established between a defective net and a redundant repair net contained within the multilayer ceramic substrate. The defective net and the repair net each terminate at surface vias of the substrate. A laser is used to form post fired circuitry on and in the substrate. This is followed by the electrical isolation of the defective net from the electrical repair structure and passivation of the electrical repair line.

Electronic package repair process

A method and structure to form surface plating metallization on a substrate. Two layers of tape are applied to the surface of the substrate. A first path is cut through both layers of tape exposing the substrate surface. The first path connects at least one conductive via on the top surface of the substrate. A second path is cut through the second layer of tape exposing the first layer of tape. The second path is routed from the first path to an edge of the substrate A seed layer is deposited over the surface of the second layer of tape thereby creating a seeded plating path in the first path and a sacrificial seeded conduction path in the second path. Connecting the sacrificial seeded conduction path to a plating potential at the edge of the substrate creates a plated path on the surface of the substrate. The sacrificial path is removed when the tape is removed.

Method of selective plating on a substrate

A die and method of gang punching selective holes in thin sheet materials such as greensheets are provided in which slugs of greensheet material formed during the punching operation easily fall through the die and are removed. The die uses a number of plates one of which is a window plate having openings corresponding to openings in a die plate disposed thereon. The window plate openings have a larger diameter than the die plate openings and also a plurality have an oval shape which oval shape openings provide less resistance to the falling slugs and facilitate removal of the slugs from the die. The window plate also preferably has a central grid open area with the remainder of the plate having vertical through-holes corresponding to the through-holes of the die plate. The die also preferably employs a die plate made from at least two sheets of material, i.e., an upper disposable sheet (die plate) and a lower sheet (sub-die plate) wherein the upper die plate is made from a wear-resistant material such as molybdenum. The upper die plate is preferably made by photolithography techniques.

Die set with disposable molybdenum die plate and improved window plate for universal gang-punch tool

The present invention is a workpiece support apparatus and method of making of using the same. A holding fixture frame supports the workpiece about the perimeter and also locates the workpiece. A series of support wires keep the workpiece from sagging inside the holding fixture frame. The support wires provide support while allowing top and bottom access to the workpiece. The workpiece remains flat at the point of the machining operation.

Support apparatus for positioning a workpiece

A gang-punch pin apparatus for punching selected hole patterns in thin sheet materials such as greensheets is provided. The gang-punch pin apparatus uses program plates in the punch apparatus which plates are positioned intermediate the non-punching end of the punch pins and a clearance plate wherein punch pins not used for punching a particular layer of the MLC are retracted into during punching. At the other punch pin locations, the punch pins, upon activation of the punch apparatus by compressing an expandable chamber, usually by application of a force on the punch apparatus, are extended through the lower portion of the punch apparatus to form vias in a greensheet. A die apparatus is also provided for use with the punch assembly to form the vias and to remove the punched material (slugs) from the die apparatus. The gang punch-pin may be shorter than conventional pins and be made at a low cost because of the thin sheet metal plates preferably used to make the component parts of the punch and die apparatus.

Low-cost high-density gang punch

Exposure masks and inspection masks for use in the electronics field may be made using laser beams wherein the mask comprises a substrate which is substantially unaffected by exposure to the laser beam and an opaque pattern forming layer on the substrate, which pattern forming layer absorbs the laser beam and is selectively etched when exposed to the laser beam. A preferred mask has an overcoat transparent layer. A cavity inspection mask is provided having a series of openings in the form of lines formed in the opaque pattern forming layer, the lines bounding the cavity walls, is the mask being used for determining if the cavity is centrally positioned on the substrate and/or that the cavity is of the desired size. Substrates containing identifying masks thereon which cannot be seen by the unaided eye for theft deterrence are also provided.

Formation of punch inspection masks and other devices using a laser

Method of visually inspecting positioning of a pattern on a substrate

An apparatus for accurately positioning and retaining at least one component, comprising a substantially rigid frame comprising a side having at least one opening therein that is larger in size than the component, a layer of compliant material attached to the side of the frame and having at least one opening therein, the frame opening and the layer opening cooperating to define a component receiving opening sized for receiving the component, said component receiving opening having an inner sidewall having at least a portion thereof consisting of compliant material, the compliant material being in substantially uniform contact with the side of the frame.

Component retainer

A method for sorting two-dimensional graphics data into raster lines is described. The method decomposes the graphic images into vector line and arc segments with their associated two-dimensional coordinates. A vector or sub-shape list is then established containing the coordinates of all the vector lines and arcs. Sorting is then performed on the vector data by organizing each vector based upon its X- or Y- coordinate information. Pixels that make up each sub-shape are then computed. This computation is performed for each sub-shape in the order given by the sorted, sub-shape list. The resultant pixel list is ordered according to the X- or Y- dimensional sort previously performed. Pixels generated in a partially pre-sorted arrangement are arranged in a pixel array. The stored pixel array is then used to form raster lines.

Method of sorting two-dimensional graphic images for converting into

An apparatus and method is provided for vacuum screen printing a greensheet having vias and both vias and open areas whereby vacuum leakage in the apparatus is minimized and avoids bowing of the screen over the open area of the greensheet. An interposer apparatus is provided comprising at least two layers having vertical through openings in registration with the via openings of the greensheet and screen. The interposer also comprises vertical through openings communicating with the open area of the greensheet and with vent channels of the interposer. A porous membrane is also used either alone or in conjunction with the interposer to provide enhanced screening results.

Process for via fill

A method for marking a surface with high-density indicia comprising the steps of providing a marking device, providing input data defining indicia to be marked on the surface wherein the indicia comprises characters and the input data further defines a font for each character of the indicia, determining pixels for each character in accordance with the font, forming raster lines in accordance with the pixels, and traversing each raster line with the marking device to mark the surface according to the pixels of the raster line. If a laser is used as the marking device, the laser may need time to recharge in between marking closely spaced pixels. Thus, the laser may pass over certain pixels while the laser is recharging. Therefore, the laser may have to make an additional pass over the raster line to mark the pixels that were skipped over while the laser was recharging.

Method for marking substrates

Growing community of inventors

Maybrook, NY, United States of America

James G Balz