Tru-si Technologies, Inc.

Siemens Aktiengesellschaft

Patrick B Halahan

Sergey Savastiouk

Oleg Siniaguine

Sam Kao

Roy E Rand

A packaging substrate () includes a semiconductor interposer () and at least one other intermediate substrate (), e.g. a BT substrate. The semiconductor interposer has first contact pads (C) attachable to dies () above the interposer, and second contact pads () attachable to circuitry below the interposer. Through vias () are made in the semiconductor substrate () of the interposer (). Conductive paths going through the through vias connect the first contact pads (C) to the second contact pads (). The second contact pads () protrude on the bottom surface of the interposer. These protruding contact pads () are inserted into vias () formed in the top surface of the BT substrate. The vias provide a strong mechanical connection and facilitate the interposer handling, especially if the interposer is thin. In some embodiments, an interposer or a die () has vias in the top surface. Protruding contact pads () of another die () are inserted into these vias to provide a strong connection.

Integrated circuits and packaging substrates with cavities, and attachment methods including insertion of protruding contact pads into cavities

A packaging substrate () includes a semiconductor interposer () and at least one other intermediate substrate (), e.g. a BT substrate. The semiconductor interposer has first contact pads (C) attachable to dies () above the interposer, and second contact pads () attachable to circuitry below the interposer. Through vias () are made in the semiconductor substrate () of the interposer (). Conductive paths going through the through vias connect the first contact pads (C) to the second contact pads (). The dies () are attached to the interposer after the attachment of the interposer to the BT substrate. In sequential soldering operations, the solder hierarchy is maintained by dissolving some material (e.g. copper) in the solder during soldering to raise the solder's melting temperature. For example, all of the solders may initially have the same melting temperature, but each solder's melting temperature is increased during soldering to prevent the solder from melting in the subsequent soldering operations.

Packaging substrates for integrated circuits and soldering methods

In some embodiments, a circuit structure comprises a semiconductor substrate, an opening passing through the substrate between a first side of the substrate and a second side of the substrate, and a plurality of conductive layers in the opening. In some embodiments, one conductive layer provides an electromagnetic shield that shields the substrate from AC signals carried by a contact pad made from another conductive layer on a backside of the substrate. The conductive layers can also be used to form capacitor/rectifier networks. Manufacturing methods also provided.

Semiconductor structures having multiple conductive layers in an opening, and methods for fabricating same

Fabrication of semiconductor structures having multiple conductive layers in an opening

Semiconductor dies are bonded to contact pads formed in a substrate's cavity. Vias through the substrate open into the cavity. Conductive lines passing through the vias connect the contact pads in the cavity to contact pads on another side of the substrate. A passage in the substrate opens into the cavity and provides an escape or pressure relief path for material filling the cavity. The passage can also be used to introduce material into the cavity.

Structures having a substrate with a cavity and having an integrated circuit bonded to a contact pad located in the cavity

Method for manufacturing a structure comprising a substrate with a cavity and a semiconductor integrated circuit bonded to a contact pad located in the cavity

In some embodiments, a circuit structure comprises a semiconductor substrate, an opening passing through the substrate between a first side of the substrate and a second side of the substrate, and a plurality of conductive layers in the opening. In some embodiments, one conductive layer provides an electromagnetic shield that shields the substrate from AC signals carried by a contact pad made from another conductive layer on a backside of the substrate. The conductive layers can also be used to form capacitor/rectifier networks. Manufacturing methods are also provided.

A semiconductor wafer is diced before thinning. The wafer is diced only part of the way through, to form grooves which are at least as deep as the final thickness of each chip to be obtained from the wafer. Then the wafer backside is etched with a dry etch, for example, atmospheric pressure plasma etch. The wafer is thinned until the grooves are exposed from the backside. The dry etch leaves the chip's backside smooth. After the grooves have been exposed, the dry etch is continued to remove damage from the chip sidewalls and to round the chips' bottom edges and corners. The grooves' aspect ratio is large to reduce the lateral etch rate of the chip sidewalls and thus allow more area for on-chip circuitry.

Thinning and dicing of semiconductor wafers using dry etch, and obtaining semiconductor chips with rounded bottom edges and corners

An x-ray collimator is described which is useful in an electron beam (EB) computed tomography (CT) scanner of the type in which a rotating electron beam is directed to impinge upon a ring-shaped target and the x-rays generated in response thereto are directed to a ring shaped detector array spaced therefrom. The collimator consists of an x-ray blocking septum having an aperture therein, the septum being located in a fixed position substantially co-planer with the planes of the target and the detector, so as to block all x-rays directed from said target to said detector except those which pass through said aperture. Tomographic slice width is determined by the 'view' from the spot where the electron beam impinges upon the target, through the aperture, to the detector, and is variable by adjusting the position where the electron beam impinges upon the width of the x-ray target, and in a preferred embodiment, the position of a movable ring. In the preferred embodiment, a movable ring is provide which has a longitudinal axis positioned coaxial with the axis of the aperture and an end face opposed to and parallel with the septum. As well as forming part of the collimator, this ring acts as a pre-collimation radiation shield. This ring is moved concurrently when moving the position where the electron beam impinges upon the width of the x-ray target when the tomographic slice width is varied, by adjusting the spacing between the end face of the moveable ring and the septum.

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San Mateo, CA, United States of America

Patrick B Halahan