International Business Machines Corporation

Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Matthew Stephen Kelly

Joseph Paul Kuczynski

Stephen Michael Hugo

Bruce John Chamberlin

Scott B King

Mark James Jeanson

Curtis T Grosskopf

Matthew Stephen Doyle

Mark Kenneth Hoffmeyer

Jeffrey N Judd

Ai Kiar Ang

Henry Michael Newshutz

Timothy Jerome Tofil

Mitchell G Ferrill

Wen Wei Low

Thomas H Lewis

Eric Vance Kline

John Richard Dangler

Layne A Berge

Thomas W Liang

Ahmad D Katnani

Jeffrey George Komatsu

WeiFeng Zhang

Jason J Bjorgaard

Kyle Schoneck

Matthew A Walther

Paul Anthony Zulpa

Lin Zhao

Feng Xue

Brian L Carlson

Wayne J Rothschild

Zhipeng Wang

Michk Huang

Thomas Stanley Truman

Willie Theodore Davis, Jr

Jeffrey A Taylor

Sebastien Gilbert

Kirit R Shah

Gregory S Killinger

Oswaldo Chacon

An apparatus for tin whisker isolation and detection includes a substrate having a plurality of pads for connecting to an electronic component placed on the substrate, and a shield placed on a surface of the substrate. The shield includes a plurality of cavities aligned over the plurality of pads. A plurality of sensing components each associated with one of the plurality of cavities are configured for sensing an electrically conductive growth from a corresponding pad of the plurality of pads. A plurality of circuit connections are each configured to connect one of the sensing components to detection circuitry. The detection circuitry is configured to receive one or more sensing signals from one or more of the sensing components and detect an electrically conductive growth from the corresponding pad based on the one or more sensing signals.

Apparatus and method for tin whisker isolation and detection

An electrical apparatus that includes: an electronic substrate having a plurality of pads for connecting to an electronic component placed on the electronic substrate; a shield placed on a surface of the electronic substrate, the shield having a plurality of openings with the plurality of openings aligned over the plurality of pads and at least a portion of each of the plurality of openings being conductive; connection means to connect the conductive portions of each of the plurality of openings to a fault detect and error handling circuit; and the fault detect and error handling circuit to detect a short circuit between at least one of the conductive portions and the pad aligned with the opening containing the at least one of the conductive portions.

Electrical apparatus having tin whisker sensing and prevention

A system and method to prevent eavesdropping by a device. An anti-eavesdrop component is installed on the device. The anti-eavesdrop component is configured to actively prevent the device from capturing audio from the environment. In response to installing the anti-eavesdrop component, the device recognizes the anti-eavesdrop component as a primary audio input for the device. The anti-eavesdrop component then proceeds to block the device from capturing outside audio by injecting noise or otherwise interfering with the primary audio input.

Anti-eavesdrop security device

A method comprises obtaining a plurality of 2-dimensional gray scale images of a portion of a printed circuit board assembly. Each 2-dimensional gray scale image corresponds to one of a plurality of parallel planes intersecting the portion of the printed circuit board assembly at respective different locations. The method further comprises converting the plurality of 2-dimensional gray scale images into a color image. Each of the plurality of 2-dimensional gray scale images corresponds to and is used as input for a respective color channel of the color image. The method further comprises analyzing the color image to detect variation in color that indicates a defect; and outputting an alert indicating the defect in response to detecting the variation in color.

Printed circuit board assembly defect detection

A computer-implemented method includes assigning an auditor weight to each user of a plurality of users. A plurality of audit data is received from the plurality of users, where each audit data is associated with a respective user and includes a set of user ratings for an audit. Final ratings are generated for the audit, with a respective final rating for each item in the audit. Generating the final rating of a first item in the audit includes identifying, in the audit data, user ratings for the first item. The user ratings for the first item include a respective user rating of the first item from each user. Generating the final rating of a first item further includes calculating the final rating of the first item based on a weighted combination of the plurality of user ratings for the first item, according to the respective auditor weight of each user.

Advising audit ratings in a multiple-auditor environment

A process of manufacturing a multiple-layer printed circuit board includes selectively applying a dielectric resin to a region of a circuitized core layer. The process also includes partially curing the dielectric resin prior to performing a lamination cycle to form the multiple-layer printed circuit board that includes the circuitized core layer.

Selective dielectric resin application on circuitized core layers

Fabrication of a reliable circuit board assembly with soldered, plated through-hole structures is facilitated by characterizing plating of a plated through-hole of the circuit board using time-domain reflectance to obtain a base reflectance measurement, and applying solder to the plated through-hole. Based on applying the solder, the plating of the plated through-hole of the circuit board is re-characterized using time-domain reflectance to obtain a new reflectance value. Based on a deviation between the new reflectance measurement and the base reflectance measurement exceeding a threshold, dissolution, at least in part, of the plating of the plated through-hole due to applying the solder is identified.

Non-destructive identifying of plating dissolution in soldered, plated through-hole

A process of improving resistance to conductive anodic filament (CAF) formation is disclosed. The process includes dissolving a base resin material, a lubricant material, and a coupling agent in a solvent to form a functionalized sizing agent solution. The process also includes applying the functionalized sizing agent solution to individual glass fibers following a glass fiber formation process. The process further includes removing the solvent via a thermal process that partially converts the base resin material. The thermal process results in formation of coated glass fibers having a flowable resin coating that is compatible with a pre-impregnated (prepreg) matrix material utilized to form a prepreg material for manufacturing a printed circuit board. During one or more printed circuit board manufacturing operations, the flowable resin coating flows to fill voids between the individual glass fibers that represent CAF formation pathways.

Glass fiber coatings for improved resistance to conductive anodic filament formation

A compliant pin system includes a pin having a compliant section including a first leg and an opposing second leg. A first plurality of contact members extend along the first leg. A second plurality of contact members extend along the second leg. A pin validation system is operatively connected to the first plurality of contact members and the second plurality of contact members. The pin validation system detects a presence of an electrical signal passing between corresponding pairs of the first plurality of contact members and the second plurality of contact members to determine an integrity of the compliant pin.

Compliant pin with self sensing deformation

Disclosed herein are solder mask formulations that include a liquid photo imagable solution and a solution of functionalized diamondoids. Also disclosed are semiconductor fabrication methods that include applying a described solder mask formulation to a semiconductor device.

Ruggedized solder mask material

Bottom terminated components and methods of making bottom terminated components are provided. The bottom terminated component includes a die paddle and at least one die paddle structure configured to prevent wicking into a respective thermal via of a printed circuit board. The at least one die paddle structure includes a base defining an axis, the base having an axial thickness extending from the die paddle, and a contact surface configured to contact the printed circuit board at the thermal via of the printed circuit board to prevent wicking of solder into the respective thermal via.

Method of making integrated die paddle structures for bottom terminated components

Disclosed herein are solder mask formulations that include a liquid photo imageable solution and a solution of functionalized diamondoids. Also disclosed are semiconductor fabrication methods that include applying a described solder mask formulation to a semiconductor device.

A stubless via in printed wiring board may comprise one or more core layers. At least one core layer may be circuitized by including a copper trace and at least two other core layers may include copper laminations. The stubless via may further comprise one or more prepreg layers. The prepreg layers may be alternatively stacked between the core layers. the stubless via may further comprise a via. the via may be drilled through each of the alternatively stacked prepreg layers and core layers, exposing internal portions of the prepreg layers and core layers drilled through.

Via stub elimination by disrupting plating

A PWB may be drilled forming a via. The via may expose one or more internal portions of a core layer, a prepreg layer, and an anti-plate coating. A seed material may then be applied from a top portion of the PWB to the via, forming a seed layer in the via, the seed material not adhering to the anti-plate coating. Electroless metal may then be applied from the top portion of the PWB to the via, forming an electroless plate layer that adheres to the seed layer. Electrolytic copper may then be applied from the top portion of the PWB to the via, forming a copper layer that adheres to the electroless plate layer. A bottom portion of the electroless plate layer may then be removed.

An immersion weaving system includes a first drum immersed in a first bath of a liquid. The first drum is configured to form a glass strand from individual glass filaments. The immersion weaving system also includes a second drum immersed in the first bath of the liquid. The second drum is configured to form a yarn spool from the glass strand. The immersion weaving system further includes a loom immersed in a second bath of the liquid. The loom is configured to form a void-free glass cloth.

Growing community of inventors

Oakville, Canada

Matthew Stephen Kelly