Centipede Systems, Inc.

Ppg Industries Ohio, Inc.

Decision Track LLC

Palo Alto Research Center Inc.

Clockspeed, Inc.

Thomas H Di Stefano

Peter T Di Stefano

Konstantine N Karavakis

Alan E Wang

Kevin C Olson

David Kirtland Fork

Jurgen Hans Daniel

Anthony B Faraci

Gordon Todd Jagerson, Jr

A connector includes a metal cylinder with three or more slots cut from a first end and three or more slots cut from a second end which are intercalated between the slots from the first end, whereby the connector is radially compressible along its entire length. The connector is adapted for insertion at one end into a hole in a circuit board, thereby making electrical contact to traces in the circuit board.

Connectors for interconnecting microelectronic circuits

Apparatus to control device temperature wherein a thermal fluid path transfers a thermal transfer fluid to heat or cool the device; wherein a first path in thermal contact with a heating assembly is fluidly connected at a first end to the thermal fluid path, a second path in thermal contact with a cooling assembly is fluidly connected at a first end to the thermal fluid path, a third path is fluidly connected at a first end to the thermal fluid path, and a valve assembly regulates flow of thermal transfer fluid flow through the first, the second, and the third paths.

Apparatus to control device temperature utilizing multiple thermal paths

One embodiment is a transport apparatus for moving carriers of microelectronic devices along a track, the transport apparatus including: (a) a track with two rails adapted to support the carriers; (b) a trolley adapted to be transported in a direction along the track by a linear actuator; and (c) a first and a second engagement feature attached to the trolley wherein the first engagement feature is adapted to engage temporarily with a first of the carriers, and the second engagement feature is adapted to engage temporarily with a second of the carriers; wherein a predetermined movement of the trolley slidably moves the first carrier onto a test position and slidably moves the second carrier off the test position simultaneously.

Transport apparatus for moving carriers of test parts

A carrier for one or more microelectronic devices, for example and without limitation, bare semiconductor chips, that are releasably held on their edges in apertures in a planar body. A device may be released from an aperture by resilient distortion of the aperture in the plane of the planar body.

Precision carrier for microelectronic devices

Apparatus to control device temperature includes a thermal head fluid path in thermal contact with the device, a pump assembly, a temperature sensor in communication with a controller, and first, second and third valves operable in response to the controller wherein the fluid path receives thermal transfer fluid from a combined path and outputs it to the pump assembly, the pump assembly outputs the fluid to a first, a second and a third path, all connected to the combined path wherein the first path is in thermal contact with a heat assembly and the second path is in thermal contact with a cooling assembly, the temperature sensor senses a temperature of the fluid path, and the first, second and third valves are disposed in the first, second and third paths to control fluid flow therethrough, respectively.

One embodiment of the present invention is a heat sink apparatus for cooling a semiconductor device includes: (a) a rigid support ring having a top surface and a bottom surface; (b) a thermally conductive bottom sheet having a top and a bottom surface, wherein the top surface of the sheet is attached to the bottom surface of the rigid support ring; and (c) a channel for cooling fluid formed by a volume contained by the rigid support ring, the sheet, and an enclosure; wherein the sheet is held in tension by the rigid support ring, thereby reducing the macroscopic coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the sheet. In use, thermally induced mechanical stress in a semiconductor device attached to the bottom surface of the sheet may be ameliorated by the reduction in macroscopic CTE, thereby increasing reliability of an assembly as it is cycled in temperature during normal operation.

Heat sink apparatus for microelectronic devices

One embodiment is a carrier for holding devices that includes a tray having one or more sites in which a device may be held, and a frame resiliently coupled to the tray so the tray is movable with respect to the frame.

Carrier for holding microelectronic devices

Method for stacking microelectronic devices using two or more carriers, each holding microelectronic devices in an array so they may be registered. Each device is releasably held by its edges in a carrier to allow access to top and bottom surfaces of the device for joining. Arrays of devices held in two or more carriers are juxtaposed and joined to form an array of stacked devices. A resulting stacked device is released from the juxtaposed carriers holding each device by releasing forces of the corresponding carrier urging upon edges of the device, thereby permitting removal of the stacked device.

Method for stacking microelectronic devices

One embodiment is a carrier for releasably holding devices that includes a body having at least one site having a first portion adapted to hold a device, a second portion, and first and second resilient prongs wherein: (a) the first and second resilient prongs each has a distal end extending into the second portion, which distal ends are juxtaposed; and (b) the distal ends are disposed so that movement thereof apart enables a device to be inserted into or to be released from the first portion.

Method and apparatus for holding microelectronic devices

One embodiment is an apparatus for holding a device that includes a body having at least one aperture bounded by edges between a top and a bottom surface and having a holding portion wherein: (a) a first and a second resilient prong extend into the aperture, each prong has a movable end extending beyond the holding portion and having an actuating surface thereon; (b) the first and the second resilient prongs are disposed to urge the device against aperture edges; (c) the actuating surfaces of the first and second prongs are juxtaposed; and (d) a movable cam is interposed between the actuating surfaces of the prongs.

A socket cartridge including: a contactor holder adapted to hold one or more electrical contactors disposed therein; and one or more pairs of spring structures; wherein each spring structure (a) is attached at a proximal end to the contactor holder, (b) includes an engagement feature disposed at a distal end thereof and a spring member attached to the engagement feature, and (c) the spring member is adapted to urge the engagement feature in a direction that points outward from a distal end of the contactor holder. A socket assembly that includes: (a) a mounting plate having one or more pairs of mating guides disposed on opposite sides of an aperture; and (b) the socket cartridge disposed in the aperture.

Socket cartridge and socket cartridge assembly

One embodiment of the present invention is a method for aligning a first workpiece to a second work piece that includes: (a) placing the first workpiece on an alignment apparatus including: (i) two or more fluid chambers disposed in fixed relation to each other, the chambers having a movable wall and one or more apertures for admitting or releasing fluid; (ii) fluid channels coupled to the one or more apertures that enable fluid to flow between at least two of the fluid chambers; and (iii) one or more valves disposed to enable or to stop the flow of fluid through one or more of the one or more fluid channels; (b) pumping incompressible fluid into the fluid chambers; (c) opening the one or more valves; (d) bringing the first and second workpieces into contact; (e) waiting a predetermined time for fluid flow in the fluid channels; (f) determining whether the first and second workpieces are aligned; (g) if they are aligned, shutting the valves; and (h) if they are not aligned, moving the second workpiece a predetermined amount in a predetermined direction, and returning to waiting.

Method and apparatus for aligning and/or leveling a test head

Apparatus to control a temperature of a device that includes: a thermal head adapted to be thermally contacted to the device; a combined path to the thermal head; a first path maintained at a first temperature and connected to the combined path; a second path maintained at a second temperature different from the first temperature and connected to the combined path; a third path connected to the combined path; a pump assembly operable to circulate thermal transfer fluid: from the thermal head, through each of the first, second and third paths, from each of the first, second and third paths, through the combined path, and from the combined path, to and through the thermal head; and a valve assembly operable to control amounts of thermal transfer fluid that flow into the first and second paths, thereby controlling the temperature.

Method and apparatus for controlling temperature

One embodiment is a connector for making electrical connection to a bulbous terminal, the connector including: a metal tube with a cylindrical wall extending from a mating end, wherein: (a) two or more slots perforate the wall and extend from the mating end along the tube; (b) two or more apertures perforate the wall and are disposed in a circumferential array disposed a distance from the mating end; and (c) each of the two or more slots transects one of the two or more apertures to divide the mating end of the tube into resilient prongs.

Growing community of inventors

Monte Sereno, CA, United States of America

Thomas H Di Stefano