International Business Machines Corporation

Vincent P Peterson

Govindarajan Natarajan

Krishna Gandhi Sachdev

Robert William Pasco

Charles Hampton Perry

Richard Francis Indyk

Mukta S Farooq

Kathleen M Wiley

Benjamin V Fasano

Jon Alfred Casey

Thomas Edward Lombardi

Paul F Bodenweber

Yuet-Ying Yu

Charles J Hendricks

Terence W Spoor

Philo B Hodge

Hai Pham Longworth

Ralph R Comulada

Robert N Wiggin

Anthony L Plachy

This invention relates generally to a new method of forming semiconductor substrates with defect-free surface metallurgical features. In particular, the invention related to a method for providing surface protected ceramic green sheet laminates using at least one thermally depolymerizable surface layer. More particularly, the invention encompasses a method for fabricating semiconductor substrates wherein a thermally depolymerizable/decomposable surface film is placed over a ceramic green sheet stack or assembly prior to lamination and caused to conform to the surface topography of the green sheet during lamination. The invention also encompasses a method for fabricating surface protected green sheet laminates which can be sized or diced without causing process related defects on the ceramic surface. After lamination the thermally depolymerizable/decomposable film is conveniently and cleanly removed due to thermal depolymerization and burn-off of volatile species during the sintering process, thus providing surface defect-free ceramic substrates.

Method of forming defect-free ceramic structures using thermally depolymerizable surface layer

The present invention relates generally to a new apparatus and method for forming cavities in semiconductor substrates without the necessity of using an insert. More particularly, the invention encompasses an apparatus and a method for fabricating cavities in semiconductor substrates wherein a coated membrane sheet is placed over the cavity prior to lamination and caused to conform to the contour of the cavity, thus preventing collapse of, or damage to, the cavity shelves during the lamination process. After the lamination process, the coated membrane is conveniently removed without causing damage to the cavity shelves or paste pull-outs.

Apparatus and insertless method for forming cavity substrates using coated membrane

Multilayer substrates, are fabricated with the incorporation therein of non-destructive test structures utilized to provide visual and electrical test data to facilitate the ascertainment and assessment of potential electrical interface failures. Furthermore, there are provided embedded structures in multilayer substrates, such as are employed in chip carrier packaging, so as to facilitate electrical testing for via to via alignment and interface layer alignment, and to enable the testing of conductive interface electrical integrity of multilayer electrical devices.

Embedded structures to provide electrical testing for via to via and interface layer alignment as well as for conductive interface electrical integrity in multilayer devices

Disclosed is an interposer and test structure for making contact between a substrate and a test bed. One embodiment of the interposer has a floating, rigid conductive element in a nonconductive body which makes temporary contact between the test bed and the substrate. In another embodiment of the invention, the interposer includes two layers of material, in which one layer includes pogo pins for contacting the substrate and the other layer includes pads for contacting the test bed. The pogo pins are on a grid spacing corresponding to that of the substrate input/output pads while the interposer pads are on a grid spacing corresponding to that of the pogo pin contactors of the test bed.

Interposer for maintaining temporary contact between a substrate and a test bed

A system for locating electrically conductive contact points on an integrated circuit semiconductor substrate utilizes capacitance and line continuity measurements to control and direct the movement of a two-point probe tester in order to locate and precisely align each test probe with designated contact points. The system is capable of testing for continuity conditions or defects and perform other related electrical measurements.

Search routine for 2-point electrical tester

The present invention relates generally to a new apparatus and method for forming cavities in semiconductor substrates without the necessity of using an insert. More particularly, the invention encompasses an apparatus and a method for fabricating cavities in semiconductor substrates wherein a cured thick compressible elastic pad is placed over the cavity prior to lamination and caused to conform to the contour of the cavity, thus preventing collapse of, or damage to, the cavity shelves or corners during the lamination process. After the lamination process, the cured thick compressible elastic pad is conveniently removed from the cavity area without causing any damage to the cavity shelves or corners or having any paste pull-outs. This pad can be reused multiple number of times to form these MLC cavity substrates.

Apparatus for forming cavity substrates using compressive pads

Method of forming cavity substrates using compressive pads

After a metallic insert has been used precisely to define a cavity for a microelectronic chip in a laminated, multi-sheet, predominantly ceramic substrate having metallic features, any green sheet and metal-polymer composite paste residues are removed from the metallic insert by immersing the metallic insert in an ultrasonically agitated bath containing a first solvent having a relatively high boiling point for about five to fifteen minutes, replacing the first solvent with a second solvent having a relatively low boiling point, and drying the metallic insert in hot air or hot nitrogen to remove the second solvent. Preferably, the first solvent is an alkoxy alcohol, such as 1-methoxy-2-propanol or 3-methoxy-1-butanol, or a hydroxy ester, such as ethyl lactate, and the second solvent is a lower alkyl alcohol, such as isopropanol. Alternatively, the first solvent may be a ketone or an alkyl ester. The metallic insert is rinsed in the second solvent, preferably in an ultrasonically agitated bath, to replace the first solvent with the second solvent before the metallic insert is dried to remove the first solvent.

Removal of residues from metallic insert used in manufacture of

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Poughkeepsie, NY, United States of America

Vincent P Peterson