Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090146011 | DOCKING SYSTEM - A capture mechanism provides for receiving a necked coupling element within a socket, providing for the necked coupling element to slide therewith, biasing a latch lever in an open position so as to provide for receiving the necked coupling element within the socket adjacent to the latch lever, rotating the latch lever with the necked coupling element from the open position to a closed position as the necked coupling element is slid within the socket towards a bottom of the socket, biasing a latch lock against the latch lever, engaging the latch lock with the latch lever when the latch lever is in the closed position so as to provide for latching the latch lever in the closed position and capturing the necked coupling element within the socket, and providing for unlatching the latch lever by releasing the latch lock from engagement with the latch lever. | 06-11-2009 |
20090173832 | DOCKING SYSTEM - A convex forward surface of a forward-biased probe head of a first portion of a docking system engages a central concave conical surface of a second portion of the docking system. A first linear actuator moves a flexible docking cable assembly relative to a support structure through bores therein and through the probe head. An aftward retraction of the docking cable assembly causes a linearly-actuated cam element thereof to rotate a rotary cam follower pivoted from the support structure, which engages an aft edge portion of the probe head, forcing the probe head forward. A plurality of distal coupling elements operatively coupled to the support structure around a central axis thereof engage with and become releasably captured by a corresponding socket and associated capture mechanism of a mating second portion of the docking system, and rigidized when the probe head is forced against the central concave conical surface. | 07-09-2009 |
20090173833 | DOCKING SYSTEM - First and second releasably connectable portions of a docking system are moved together. A relatively central concave element of the second portion of the docking system contacts a corresponding relatively central mating convex element of the first portion of the docking system. A plurality of relatively distal coupling elements rigidly connected to one of the first and second portions of the docking system are inserted into a corresponding plurality of relatively distal sockets of the other of the first and second portions of the docking system. The plurality of relatively distal coupling elements are captured with a corresponding plurality of relatively distal latch mechanisms associated with the plurality of relatively distal sockets responsive to inserting the plurality of relatively distal coupling elements into the corresponding plurality of relatively distal sockets. | 07-09-2009 |
20110004717 | DOCKING SYSTEM - First and second portions of a docking system are releasably connected with one another using at least one latch mechanism that can be reusably released either from the first portion of the docking system or from the second portion of the docking system. | 01-06-2011 |
20110008102 | DOCKING SYSTEM - A convex forward surface of a forward-biased probe head of a first portion of a docking system engages a central concave conical surface of a second portion of the docking system. A first linear actuator moves a flexible docking cable assembly relative to a support structure through bores therein and through the probe head. An aftward retraction of the docking cable assembly causes a linearly-actuated cam element thereof to rotate a rotary cam follower pivoted from the support structure, which engages an aft edge portion of the probe head, forcing the probe head forward. A plurality of distal coupling elements operatively coupled to the support structure around a central axis thereof engage with and become releasably captured by a corresponding socket and associated capture mechanism of a mating second portion of the docking system, and rigidized when the probe head is forced against the central concave conical surface. | 01-13-2011 |
20110058892 | DOCKING SYSTEM - An end effector operatively coupled to an extendable tensile element extended from a first vehicle engages a primary receptacle of a second vehicle. The first and second vehicles are drawn together by retracting the extendable tensile element into the first vehicle until contact therebetween, after which roll axes of the first and second vehicles become substantially aligned responsive to a further retraction of the extendable tensile element into the first vehicle and a resulting tension in the extendable tensile element. At least one alignment post of at least one of the first and second vehicles engages with at least one surface of at least one corresponding secondary receptacle so as to at least substantially align the first and second vehicles in roll responsive to the tension in the extendable tensile element. | 03-10-2011 |
20120291241 | DOCKING SYSTEM - For each capture mechanism of a plurality of three capture mechanisms, a necked coupling element received by a corresponding socket slides therealong and engages a corresponding latch lever biased in an open position and rotates the latch lever to a closed position as the necked coupling element is slid within the socket towards a bottom thereof. A latch locked biased against the latch lever engages a notch in the latch lever when the latch lever is closed so as to latch the latch lever in the closed position and thereby capture the necked coupling element within the socket. The latch lever is unlatched by releasing the latch lock from engagement with the latch. Different latch levers incorporate different shaped surfaces that engage different corresponding necked coupling elements captured thereby so as to provide for respectively constraining in one, two and three degrees-of-freedom, respectively. | 11-22-2012 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090246892 | SENSOR, METHOD, AND DESIGN STRUCTURE FOR A LOW-K DELAMINATION SENSOR - The invention generally relates to a design structure of a circuit design, and more particularly to a design structure of a delamination sensor for use with low-k materials. A delamination sensor includes at least one first sensor formed in a layered semiconductor structure and a second sensor formed in the layered semiconductor structure. The at least one first sensor is structured and arranged to detect a defect, and the second sensor is structured and arranged to identify an interface where the defect exists. | 10-01-2009 |
20110147922 | STRUCTURES AND METHODS TO REDUCE MAXIMUM CURRENT DENSITY IN A SOLDER BALL - Structures and methods to reduce maximum current density in a solder ball are disclosed. A method includes forming a contact pad in a last wiring level and forming a plurality of wires of the contact pad extending from side edges of the contact pad to respective ones of a plurality of vias. Each one of the plurality of wires has substantially the same electrical resistance. | 06-23-2011 |
20120139123 | OFFSET SOLDER VIAS, METHODS OF MANUFACTURING AND DESIGN STRUCTURES - Semiconductor structures, methods of manufacture and design structures are provided. The structure includes at least one offset crescent shaped solder via formed in contact with an underlying metal pad of a chip. The at least one offset crescent shaped via is offset with respect to at least one of the underlying metal pad and an underlying metal layer in direct electrical contact with an interconnect of the chip which is in electrical contact with the underlying metal layer. | 06-07-2012 |
20120292779 | SEMICONDUCTOR STRUCTURE HAVING OFFSET PASSIVATION TO REDUCE ELECTROMIGRATION - A semiconductor structure which includes a plurality of stacked semiconductor chips in a three dimensional configuration. There is a first semiconductor chip in contact with a second semiconductor chip. The first semiconductor chip includes a through silicon via (TSV) extending through the first semiconductor chip; an electrically conducting pad at a surface of the first semiconductor chip, the TSV terminating in contact at a first side of the electrically conducting pad; a passivation layer covering the electrically conducting pad, the passivation layer having a plurality of openings; and a plurality of electrically conducting structures formed in the plurality of openings and in contact with a second side of the electrically conducting pad, the contact of the plurality of electrically conducting structures with the electrically conducting pad being offset with respect to the contact of the TSV with the electrically conducting pad. | 11-22-2012 |
20130234329 | STRUCTURES AND METHODS TO REDUCE MAXIMUM CURRENT DENSITY IN A SOLDER BALL - Structures and methods to reduce maximum current density in a solder ball are disclosed. A method includes forming a contact pad in a last wiring level and forming a plurality of wires of the contact pad extending from side edges of the contact pad to respective ones of a plurality of vias. Each one of the plurality of wires has substantially the same electrical resistance. | 09-12-2013 |
20140262458 | UNDER BALL METALLURGY (UBM) FOR IMPROVED ELECTROMIGRATION - An interconnect structure that includes a substrate having an electrical component present therein, and a under-bump metallurgy (UBM) stack that is present in contact with a contact pad to the electrical component that is present in the substrate. The UBM stack includes a metallic adhesion layer that is direct contact with the contact pad to the electrical component, a copper (Cu) seed layer that is in direct contact with the metallic adhesion layer, a first nickel (Ni) barrier layer that is present in direct contact with copper (Cu) seed layer, and a layered structure of at least one copper (Cu) conductor layer and at least one second nickel (Ni) barrier layer present on the first nickel (Ni) barrier layer. A solder ball may be present on second nickel (Ni) barrier layer. | 09-18-2014 |
20140339699 | UNDER BALL METALLURGY (UBM) FOR IMPROVED ELECTROMIGRATION - An interconnect structure that includes a substrate having an electrical component present therein, and a under-bump metallurgy (UBM) stack that is present in contact with a contact pad to the electrical component that is present in the substrate. The UBM stack includes a metallic adhesion layer that is direct contact with the contact pad to the electrical component, a copper (Cu) seed layer that is in direct contact with the metallic adhesion layer layer, a first nickel (Ni) barrier layer that is present in direct contact with copper (Cu) seed layer, and a layered structure of at least one copper (Cu) conductor layer and at least one second nickel (Ni) barrier layer present on the first nickel (Ni) barrier layer. A solder ball may be present on second nickel (Ni) barrier layer. | 11-20-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090032909 | SEMICONDUCTOR CHIPS WITH CRACK STOP REGIONS FOR REDUCING CRACK PROPAGATION FROM CHIP EDGES/CORNERS - Structures and a method for forming the same. The structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a transistor on the semiconductor substrate, and N interconnect layers on top of the semiconductor substrate, N being a positive integer. The transistor is electrically coupled to the N interconnect layers. The structure further includes a first dielectric layer on top of the N interconnect layers and P crack stop regions on top of the first dielectric layer, P being a positive integer. The structure further includes a second dielectric layer on top of the first dielectric layer. Each crack stop region of the P crack stop regions is completely surrounded by the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer. The structure further includes an underfill layer on top of the second dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer is sandwiched between the first dielectric layer and the underfill layer. | 02-05-2009 |
20100233872 | SEMICONDUCTOR CHIPS WITH CRACK STOP REGIONS FOR REDUCING CRACK PROPAGATION FROM CHIP EDGES/CORNERS - A chip fabrication method. A provided structure includes: a transistor on a semiconductor substrate, N interconnect layers on the semiconductor substrate and the transistor (N>0), and a first dielectric layer on the N interconnect layers. The transistor is electrically coupled to the N interconnect layers. P crack stop regions and Q crack stop regions are formed on the first dielectric layer (P, Q>0). The first dielectric layer is sandwiched between the N interconnect layers and a second dielectric layer that is formed on the first dielectric layer. Each P crack stop region is completely surrounded by the first and second dielectric layers. The second dielectric layer is sandwiched between the first dielectric layer and an underfill layer that is formed on the second dielectric layer. Each Q crack stop region is completely surrounded by the first dielectric layer and the underfill layer. | 09-16-2010 |
20120248604 | SELECTIVE ELECTROMIGRATION IMPROVEMENT FOR HIGH CURRENT C4S - The invention includes embodiments of a method for designing a flip chip and the resulting structure. The starting point is a flip chip with a semiconductor substrate, one or more wiring levels, and a plurality of I/O contact pads (last metal pads/bond pads) for receiving and sending electrical current. There is also a plurality of C4 bumps for connecting the I/O contact pads to another substrate. Then it is determined which of the C4s of the plurality of C4 bumps have a level of susceptibility to electromigration damage that meets or exceeds a threshold level of susceptibility, and in response, plating a conductive structure with a high electrical current carrying capacity (such as a copper pillar, copper pedestal, or partial copper pedestal) onto the corresponding I/O contact pads and adding a solder ball to a top portion of the conductive structure. The resulting structure is a flip chip wherein only a select few C4 bumps use enhanced C4s (such as copper pedestals) reducing the chance of defects. | 10-04-2012 |