National Semiconductor Corporation

Intersil Americas Inc.

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Viraj Ajit Patwardhan

Nikhil Vishwanath Kelkar

Hau Thanh Nguyen

Shahram Mostafazadeh

Lynn Karl Wiese

Mathew D Clopp

John A Barton

John E Sell

Lian Hee Tan

Luu Thanh Nguyen

You Chye How

Tian Oon Goh

King Tong Lim

A Tharumalingam Sri Ganesh

Soi Chong Low

Nikhil K Kelkar

An image capture device includes a plurality of stacked ceramic circuit boards, an image sensor, signal conditioning electronics, and a connector. Each ceramic circuit board is parallel and directly coupled to at least one other circuit board. The image sensor is mounted to a first ceramic circuit board. The signal conditioning electronics are mounted to one or more of the stacked ceramic circuit boards and are coupled to receive electrical signals generated by the image sensor. The image capture device is enclosed by a shaft and the stacked ceramic circuit boards are stacked along a length of the shaft. The connector is mounted to a second ceramic circuit board that is on an opposite side of the plurality of stacked ceramic circuit boards from the first ceramic circuit board. The connector is mounted to a side of the second ceramic circuit board facing away from the first ceramic circuit board.

Compact binocular image capture device

A binocular image capture device includes a plurality of stacked circuit boards, a front-facing dual image sensor mounted to a first circuit board of the plurality of stacked circuit boards, and signal conditioning electronics mounted to one or more of the plurality of stacked circuit boards and coupled to receive electrical signals generated by the dual image sensor. The dual image sensor is enclosed in a hermetic housing. In some examples, the hermetic housing may be formed by the first circuit board, a transition ring secured to the first circuit board, and an optics mount secured to the transition ring. In some examples, the hermetic housing may be formed using materials having matching coefficients of thermal expansion. In some examples, the binocular image capture device is enclosed by a shaft, the plurality of stacked circuit boards being stacked along a length of the shaft.

A packaged semiconductor device includes at least first and second lead-fingers. A molded structure forms a cavity and is molded around portions of each of the first and second lead-fingers to thereby mechanically attach each of the first and second lead-fingers to the molded structure. A semiconductor structure (e.g., a IC, chip or die) is attached within the cavity. First and second bond wires respectively providing electrical connections between the semiconductor structure and the first and second lead-fingers. A further portion of each of the first and second lead-fingers is mechanically attached to a bottom surface of the semiconductor structure to inhibit relative mechanical motion between the semiconductor structure, the molded structure and the first and second lead-fingers.

Packaged semiconductor devices including pre-molded lead-frame structures, and related methods and systems

An optical sensor device, according to an embodiment of the present invention, includes a light source and a light detector. The light source includes one or more light emitting elements, and the light detector includes one or more light detecting elements. A first opaque light barrier portion, between the light source and the light detector, is configured to block light from being transmitted directly from the light source to the light detector. A second opaque light barrier portion, extending from the first opaque light barrier portion in a direction towards the light source, is configured to reduce an amount of specular reflections that would occur if a light transmissive cover plate were placed over the optical sensor device. A third opaque light barrier portion, extending from the first light barrier portion in a direction towards to the light detector, is configured to reduce an amount of specular reflections that would be detected by the light detector, if a light transmissive cover plate were placed over the optical sensor device.

Optical sensors that reduce specular reflections

An optical sensor device comprises a light source, a light detector, and an opaque light barrier including a first portion to block light from being transmitted directly from the source to the detector. A second portion of the light barrier extends from the first portion in a direction towards the light source, such that a portion of the second portion covers at least a portion of light emitting element(s) of the source, to reduce an amount of specular reflections, if a light transmissive cover plate were placed over the sensor. Additionally, a third portion of the barrier can extend from the first portion, in a direction towards to the detector, such that a portion of the third portion covers at least a portion of light detecting element(s) of the detector, to reduce an amount of specular reflections that would be detected by the detecting element(s) of the detector, if a light transmissive cover plate were placed over the sensor. Additionally, an off-centered lens can cover a portion of the light source.

Improved protective metallization is described for bumped copper-top semiconductor chips. The semiconductor device includes a top wafer fabrication passivation layer with openings through which contact pads are exposed. A patterned copper layer is formed over the passivation layer and is electrically coupled to the contact pads through the openings. A metallic barrier layer is provided between the contact pads and the patterned copper layer. A titanium metallization layer overlies the patterned copper layer and cooperates with the barrier layer to envelop the copper layer in the regions of the contact pads. An aluminum metallization layer overlies the titanium metallization layer. An electrically insulating protective layer overlies the aluminum metallization and passivation layers. The protective layer includes openings in which underbump metallization stacks are formed. Each underbump metallization stack electrically connects to the aluminum metallization layer through an opening in the protective layer. Solder bumps adhere to the underbump metallization stacks.

Metallurgy for copper plated wafers

A polymer stencil is applied to the active surface of a wafer. The stencil has openings that at least partially overlay associated metallization pads on the wafer and divider strips positioned between adjacent openings. The divider strips are arranged to overlay portions of associated metallization pads so that at least two adjacent openings overlay portions of each metallization pad. After the stencil has been positioned, a solder paste is applied to the stencil openings. The solder paste may then be reflowed with the polymer stencil remaining in place. The solder naturally creeps under the stencil so that unitary solder bumps are formed on each metallization pad. The described methods and arrangements can be used to create low profile solder bumps that are not attainable using conventional solder bump formation techniques.

Solder bump formation in electronics packaging

A wafer level method of forming a protective coating on the back surface of integrated circuit devices is described. In one aspect, a tape having a backcoat layer and a mount layer is applied to the back surface of a wafer. The backcoat layer is cured or set such that the backcoat layer is affixed to the back surface of the wafer. Thereafter, the mount layer of the backcoat/mount tape is removed while leaving the backcoat layer affixed to the back surface of the integrated circuit devices. In some embodiments, the mount layer includes an ultraviolet (UV) sensitive adhesive material that releases when exposed to UV light. The described arrangements can be used to form integrated circuits having very thin protective backcoatings. By way of example, opaque protective films having thickness in the range of 5 to 50 microns are readily obtainable.

Semiconductor devices having a back surface protective coating

A Micro SMDxt package is provided that configured for mounting to a circuit board. The SMDxt package includes a silicon-based IC having an array of contact pads on one side of thereof, and a die electrically attached to the silicon-based IC. A plurality of solder balls is included, each of which has a polymeric core surrounded by a metallic shell that in turn is surrounded by a layer of solder material. Further, each solder ball is positioned in contact with a corresponding contact pad of the package. An intertwined intermetallic fusion layer is formed through the fusion between material components of the contact pads and the solder material, via heat treatment. The intermetallic fusion extends between and from an outer surface of the metallic shell of each solder to an outer surface of a corresponding contact pad to form a high strength intermetallic solder joint therebetween.

High strength solder joint formation method for wafer level packages and flip applications

An apparatus and method for increasing integrated circuit device package reliability is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a support coating is added to a wafer after solder bumps have been added but prior to dicing. This support coating or underfill layer provides added strength to the eventual reflowed solder connections, such that the operational lifetime of these connections is increased with respect to failure due to temperature cycling.

Integrated circuit device package having a support coating for improved reliability during temperature cycling

An apparatus and method for enhancing the formation of fillets around the periphery of assembled wafer-level chip scale packages when mounted onto substrates. The method includes fabricating a plurality of integrated circuit die on a first surface of a semiconductor wafer, each of the integrated circuit die being separated by scribe lines on the wafer. Once the circuitry has been fabricated, grooves are formed along the scribe lines on the first surface of the semiconductor wafer. The first surface of the semiconductor wafer is then covered with a layer of underfill material, including within the grooves formed along the scribe lines on the first surface of the semiconductor wafer. After the wafer is singulated, the resulting die includes a first top surface and a second bottom surface and four side surfaces. Integrated circuitry is formed on the first surface of the die. Recess regions created by cutting the grooves are formed on all four side surfaces of the die and filled with the underfill material. When the die is mounted to a substrate, the additional underfill material in the recess regions helps form more robust fillets than otherwise possible.

Apparatus for forming a pre-applied underfill adhesive layer for semiconductor wafer level chip-scale packages

An apparatus and method for forming a layer of underfill adhesive on an integrated circuit in wafer form is described. In one embodiment, the layer of underfill adhesive is disposed and partially cured on the active surface of the wafer. Once the underfill adhesive has partially cured, the wafer is singulated. The individual integrated circuits or die are then mounted onto a substrate such as a printed circuit board. When the solder balls of the integrated circuit are reflowed to form joints with corresponding contact pads on the substrate, the underfill adhesive reflows and is completely cured. In an alternative embodiment, the underfill adhesive is fully cured after it is disposed onto the active surface of the wafer.

Growing community of inventors

Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Viraj Ajit Patwardhan