Prolinx Labs Corporation

National Semiconductor Corporation

Jigsaw Tek, Inc.

William H Shepherd

Steve S Chiang

James J Lan

John Y Xie

Joseph T Evans, Jr

William D Miller

Richard J Nathan

Wayne I Kinney

Hang Jiang

Norman E Abt

One or more integrated circuit chips each containing conductive pads on one surface, are embedded in a substrate such that the conductive pads are exposed and the one surface of each chip is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the substrate. Electrically conductive material is placed over the one surface, including conductive pads, of each chip and the top surface of the substrate and patterned, using standard semiconductor or printed circuit photolithographic and processing techniques to form an electrically conductive interconnect pattern connecting the one or more integrated circuit chips into an electronic system. When a single integrated circuit chip is to be embedded in a substrate, the invention makes possible the simultaneous manufacture of a plurality of such packaged integrated circuit chips in a single large substrate using standard semiconductor or printed circuit photolithographic and processing techniques and then singulating the large substrate into a plurality of smaller substrates, each containing a single integrated circuit chip. Likewise, when more than one integrated circuit chip is embedded in a substrate, a plurality of such structures can be manufactured in a single large substrate and then singulated into a plurality of smaller substrates, each containing more than one integrated circuit chips.

Integrated package and methods for making same

An integrated circuit (IC) package substrate has a dielectric layer and a micro filled via formed substantially in the center of a hole in the dielectric layer. The IC package substrate has at least one chip bonding pad and one ball attach pad that are electrically coupled to each other by the micro filled via. The micro filled via is formed of a material called a 'micro filled via material' that includes a binding material and optionally includes a number of particles (between 0%-90% by volume) dispersed in the binding material. The binding material can be any material, such as a polymer that is either conductive or nonconductive. The particles can be formed of any conductive material, such as a conductive polymer or a conductive metal (e.g. copper or gold). An electrical conductor can be originally formed simply by contact between conductive particles located adjacent to each other. In an optional step, the micro filled via is subjected to a programming current (in a step called 'programming') to lower the resistance of an originally formed electrical conductor, or to originally form an electrical conductor by break down of a dielectric material. The IC package substrate can be formed in either a cavity up or a cavity down configuration.

Ball grid array structure and method for packaging an integrated circuit

A multilayered structure, such as a printed circuit board, includes a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer that are separated from each other by a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is formed of a first material, such as a photoimagible polyimide and epoxy resin. The dielectric layer has a number of via holes that extend from the first conductive layer to the second conductive layer. The via holes are filled with a second material having a breakdown voltage less than a breakdown voltage of the first material included in the dielectric layer to form an antifuse. The second material in the via holes can be, for example, a conductive epoxy resin or a polymer loaded with conductive particles (also referred to as 'conductive paste').

Antifuse interconnect between two conducting layers of a printed circuit

A micro filled material includes a binding material and optionally includes a number of particles. The binding material and the particles can be formed of any conductive or nonconductive material. Using such a micro filled via material, an electrical conductor is formed in a substrate for supporting one or more electronic components using the following steps: placing the micro filled via material between two conductive layers at various locations in a substrate at which an electrical conductor is to be formed; and optionally programming the micro filled via material to reduce the resistance of, or to form an electrical conductor.

Method and structure to interconnect traces of two conductive layers in

In one embodiment, the steps for forming an electrical conductor between conductive layers of a printed circuit board include the following steps: (1) applying a first dielectric material on a first conductive layer; (2) forming a number of via holes at each of the predetermined locations in the first dielectric material at which an electrical conductor is to be formed; (3) selectively applying a second dielectric material to at least fill each of the via holes, to form a composite dielectric layer; (4) applying a second conductive layer on the composite dielectric layer; (5) etching the first conductive layer to form a first electrode; (6) etching the second conductive layer to form a second electrode; and (7) applying a programming voltage across the second dielectric material in each of the via holes to form an electrical conductor in each of the via holes, each electrical conductor connecting an electrode in the first conductive layer to an electrode in the second conductive layer.

Programmable/reprogrammable structure using fuses and antifuses

A novel antifuse includes a composite of conductive particles dispersed throughout a nonconductive matrix, which composite is located inside an antifuse via. The antifuse via is defined by a dielectric layer that separates two electrodes. The electrodes can be located in the same conductive layer plane (typically parallel to and isolated from one another) or in two different conductive planes (typically formed transverse to one another and separated by a dielectric with an antifuse via formed therein). The electrodes can be coupled to, for example, active or passive regions of the integrated circuit. One embodiment of an antifuse (also called 'composite antifuse') has only the composite in an antifuse via between the two conductive layers. Another embodiment of an antifuse (also called 'hybrid antifuse') includes in addition to the composite, one or more thin dielectric layers also located in the antifuse via between the two conductive layers.

Use of conductive particles in a nonconductive body as an integrated

Two types of programmable elements, fuses and antifuses, are disclosed for forming an electrically programmable burn-in board in one embodiment and an electrically programmable device-under-test (DUT) card in another embodiment. Both types of programmable elements can also be used in a reconfiguration device for interconnecting electrical contacts in a first configuration to electrical contacts in a second configuration. The various embodiments of this invention include, for example, a component socket, a socket adapter, a cable, a cable adapter, a scrambler card for a burn-in board and a device-under-test card for a burn-in board. A method for forming a fuse is also disclosed.

Programmable/reprogramable structure using fuses and antifuses

A ferroelectric capacitor structure is designed for fabrication together with MOS devices on a semiconductor substrate. The ferroelectric capacitor includes a diffusion barrier above the surface of the substrate for preventing the materials of the ferroelectric capacitor from contaminating the substrate or MOS devices. The ferroelectric capacitor comprises a bottom electrode, a thin film ferroelectric layer and a top electrode. An interlayer dielectric is formed to cover portions of the ferroelectric thin film and provide an opening therethrough for the top electrode. A ferroelectric memory cell comprises a field effect transistor together with a ferroelectric capacitor fabricated on a semiconductor substrate. In one configuration, the ferroelectric capacitor is offset from the field effect transistor, while in another configuration, the ferroelectric capacitor is substantially above the field effect transistor to provide greater density.

Fabrication of ferroelectric capacitor and memory cell

The present invention provides a process for patterning ruthenium. A layer of ruthenium is formed on a substrate. The ruthenium is masked. The ruthenium is exposed to an oxygen plasma.

Method for plasma etch of ruthenium

A ferroelectric capacitor structure is designed for fabrication together with MOS devices on a semiconductor substrate. The ferroelectric capacitor includes a diffusion barrier layer above the surface of the substrate for preventing the materials of the ferroelectric capcacitor from contaminating the substrate or MOS devices. The ferroelectric capacitor comprises a bottom electrode, a thin film ferroelectric layer and a top electrode. An interlayer dielectric is formed to cover portions of the ferroelectric thin film and provide an opening therethrough for the top electrode. A ferroelectric memory cell comprises a field effect transistor together with a ferroelectric capacitor fabricated on a semiconductor substrate. In one configuration, the ferroelectric capacitor is offset from the field effect transistor, while in another configuration, the ferroelectric capacitor is substantially above the field effect transistor to provide greater density.

Ferroelectric capacitor and memory cell including barrier and isolation

Electrodes composed of ruthenium, iridium, osmium, or rhodium and the electrically conductive oxides of these metals are particularly well-suited to use in electrical ceramic oxide devices because of the low resistivity of the oxides and the stability of the oxides under the processing conditions necessary to optimize performance of electrical ceramic oxide materials.

Growing community of inventors

Placitas, NM, United States of America

William H Shepherd