Intel Corporation

International Business Machines Corporation

Krishna Seshan

Dominic Joseph Schepis

Sanjay Dabral

Raschid Jose Bezama

M Lawrence Dass

M Lawrence A Dass

Amir Roggel

David Clifford Long

Qing Ma

Jin Hyung Lee

Neal R Mielke

Harry H Fujimoto

Travis M Eiles

Changhong Dai

Kevin Jeng

Shiuh-Wuu Lee

Jeffrey P Gambino

Fay Hua

Eric DiStefano

Albert T Wu

Isaura S Gaeta

Geoffrey L Bakker

Soupin Yan

Kenneth D Karklin

Louis L Hsu

David Carroll Challener

James Marc Leas

Prosenjit Ghosh

Arunava Gupta

Thomas N Marieb

Joseph M Harvilchuck

James R Lloyd

Kuljeet Singh

Horatio Quinones

Haiping Dun

Mirng-Ji Lii

Theodore Doros

Chaoyang Li

Eric B Selvin

Donald L Scharfetter

Keith F Beckham

Alvin Sugerman

Yves Andr&eacute; Volckaert

Morris Shatzkes

Michael A Lee

Francis E Turene

Geoffery L Bakker

Lawrence Dass

Jeffrey M Hicks

A ball-limiting metallurgy (BLM) stack is provided for an electrical device. The BLM stack resists tin migration toward the metallization of the device. A solder system is also provided that includes a eutectic-Pb solder on a substrate that is mated to a high-Pb solder, and that withstands higher temperature reflows and other higher temperature processes.

Ball-limiting metallurgies, solder bump compositions used therewith, packages assembled thereby, and methods of assembling same

An electrical device includes electrical contact pads, a supply voltage bus and an interconnection circuit. The electrical contact pads receive a supply voltage, and the bus is electrically connected to the electrical contact pads. For each electrical contact pad, the interconnection circuit forms a redundant connection between the bus and the electrical contact pad. The electrical device may include a passivation layer that includes windows to establish electrical contact between the electrical contact pads and the supply voltage bus. This window may be elongated in a path that is generally aligned with the path along which the supply voltage bus extends.

Power gridding scheme

Selectable capacitors are used to modify performance characteristics of functional circuit elements of an integrated circuit (IC). In an embodiment, the decoupling capacitors are implemented as additional or alternative mounting pads on a surface of the IC. At least one selectable capacitor is provided for each IC circuit element, such as a logic network, whose operational characteristic(s) is predicted to be and is actually identified as sub-optimal through IC testing, particularly following a process change, a mask shrink, operation of the IC at higher clock frequency, or the like. Expensive redesign is avoided by selectively coupling capacitors into the IC circuit element as needed, under control of selector logic that is responsive to control signals. Methods of operation, as well as application of the apparatus to an electronic assembly and an electronic system, are also described.

Selectable decoupling capacitors for integrated circuits and associated methods

An apparatus and methods for modifying isolation structure configurations for MOS devices to either induce or reduce tensile and/or compressive stresses on an active area of the MOS devices. The isolation structure configurations according to the present invention include the use of low-modulus and high-modulus, dielectric materials, as well as, tensile stress-inducing and compressive stress-inducing, dielectric materials, and further includes altering the depth of the isolation structure and methods for modifying isolation structure configurations, such as trench depth and isolation materials used, to modify (i.e., to either induce or reduce) tensile and/or compressive stresses on an active area of a semiconductor device.

Isolation structure configurations for modifying stresses in semiconductor devices

Embodiments of the present invention form a weight-compensating/tuning layer on a structure (e.g., a silicon wafer with one or more layers of material (e.g., films)) having variations in its surface topology. The variations in surface topology take the form of thick and thin regions of materials. The weight-compensating/tuning layer includes narrow and wide regions corresponding to the thick and thin regions, respectively.

Method to make a weight compensating/tuning layer on a substrate

A method and apparatus for a linearized output driver and terminator is described. In one embodiment the method includes forming a gate electrode on a substrate, the portion of the substrate covered by the gate electrode defining a channel. The method further includes forming a first source/drain doped region on laterally opposed sides of the gate electrode in the substrate. The method also includes forming a spacer on laterally opposed sides of the gate electrode on the substrate. The method also includes forming a linearized drain contact region at a location within the first source/drain doped region sufficiently distant from the gate electrode to define a series resistor in the first source/drain doped region disposed between the gate electrode and the linearized drain contact area based on an expected resistivity of the source/drain doped region, the series resistor coupled electrically to the channel.

Method of fabricating a linearized output driver and terminator

A method of passivating an integrated circuit (IC) is provided. An insulating layer is formed onto the IC. An adhesion layer is formed onto a surface of the insulating layer by treating the surface of the insulating layer with a gas. A first passivation layer is formed upon the adhesion layer, the first passivation layer and the gas including at least one common chemical element.

Semiconductor passivation deposition process for interfacial adhesion

In one embodiment, the present invention includes an apparatus having a metal layer with a pad disposed above a substrate; and a cap disposed above the metal layer having a first portion to provide for contact with a probe and a second portion to provide a bonding surface, and the cap is electrically coupled to the pad.

Forming a cap above a metal layer

The present invention discloses a novel layout and process for a device with segmented BLM for the I/Os. In a first embodiment, each BLM is split into two segments. The segments are close to each other and connected to the same overlying bump. In a second embodiment, each BLM is split into more than two segments. In a third embodiment, each segment is electrically connected to more than one underlying via. In a fourth embodiment, each segment is electrically connected to more than one underlying bond pad.

Device with segmented ball limiting metallurgy

Method of forming segmented ball limiting metallurgy

An integrated circuit including a performance circuit occupying a first area of an integrated circuit substrate and a protection circuit coupled to the performance circuit and occupying a second area of an integrated circuit substrate separate from the first area. Also, a method of forming an integrated circuit including the steps of: Forming a performance circuit occupying a first area of an integrated circuit substrate, forming a protection circuit occupying a second area of an integrated circuit separate from the first area, and coupling the protection circuit to the performance circuit.

Diode and transistor design for high speed I/O

Selectable capacitors are used to modify performance characteristics of functional circuit elements of an integrated circuit (IC). In one embodiment, the decoupling capacitors are implemented as additional or alternative mounting pads on a surface of the IC. At least one selectable capacitor is provided for each IC circuit element, such as a logic network, whose operational characteristic(s) is predicted to be and is actually identified as sub-optimal through IC testing, particularly following a process change, a mask shrink, operation of the IC at higher clock frequency, or the like. Expensive redesign is avoided by selectively coupling capacitors into the IC circuit element as needed, under control of selector logic that is responsive to control signals. Methods of operation, as well as application of the apparatus to an electronic assembly and an electronic system, are also described.

Selectable decoupling capacitors for integrated circuit and methods of use

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Krishna Seshan