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:
Aug. 28, 2007
Filed:
Jun. 28, 2006
Farrel David Benton, Raleigh, NC (US);
Shane Christopher Branch, Raleigh, NC (US);
Robert J. Kapinos, Durham, NC (US);
Alberto Jose Rojas, Morrisville, NC (US);
James Stephen Rutledge, Durham, NC (US);
James C. Salembier, Cary, NC (US);
Simon David Nicholas Taylor, Cary, NC (US);
Sean Michael Ulrich, Morrisville, NC (US);
Farrel David Benton, Raleigh, NC (US);
Shane Christopher Branch, Raleigh, NC (US);
Robert J. Kapinos, Durham, NC (US);
Alberto Jose Rojas, Morrisville, NC (US);
James Stephen Rutledge, Durham, NC (US);
James C. Salembier, Cary, NC (US);
Simon David Nicholas Taylor, Cary, NC (US);
Sean Michael Ulrich, Morrisville, NC (US);
Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd, Singapore, SG;
Abstract
A system and method for sensing the formation of tin whiskers is presented. An assembly substrate includes whisker detectors at various locations for detecting tin whiskers in an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction relative to the assembly substrate. Each whisker detector includes sense traces and a trace bridge that produce 'planar gaps' and 'orthogonal gaps' that are smaller than trace gaps produced by other traces on the assembly substrate. As such, tin whiskers short across the planar gaps and orthogonal gaps before they short across trace gaps. When the assembly substrate is finished with processing steps, a system tester performs a continuity test on the whisker detectors. When the continuity test fails, an operator is notified to check for tin whiskers on the assembly substrate. Once shipped, a processor monitors the whisker detectors for shorts throughout the product's lifecycle.