The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 15, 2001
Filed:
May. 26, 2000
Jonathan D. Halderman, San Jose, CA (US);
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
An instrument and method for accurately measuring and displaying the length of time that the instrument spends at temperatures between a predetermined first temperature and a predetermined second temperature. The instrument includes a capillary tube, a plug and an indicator material that is liquid at temperatures below the predetermined second temperature and quickly solidifies at temperature equal to or above the predetermined second temperature. The plug melts at a temperature equal to the predetermined first temperature to allow the indicator material to move by capillary action into and through the capillary tube. When the indicator material reaches the predetermined second temperature, it solidifies. The amount of indicator material that moves into the capillary tube between the time at which the instrument reaches the predetermined first temperature at the time at which it attains the predetermined second temperature is proportional to the amount of time that the instrument spends at temperatures intermediate between the predetermined first and second temperatures. The method according to the present invention employs an instrument according to the present invention to measure the amount of time that the instrument spends between a predetermined first and second temperatures. The instrument and method may be used in the manufacture of integrated circuits, for instance in determining how much time an integrated circuit package spends between an equilibration temperature and a reflow temperature.