Patents

September 8, 2009 Issued

7,586,747 Scalable Subsystem Architecture having Integrated Cooling Channels

This patent describes a method for stacking layers of an electronic system, with optional cooling channels between them. The layers in the stack connect to each other through ball grid arrays (BGAs), and each layer can be independently tested and re-worked as required. For more details see the Semiconductor Packaging section. Read more on the issued patent...

 

May 19, 2009 Issued

7,535,107 Tiled Construction of Layered Materials

This patent describes a method for combining the diverse strengths of two materials in a tiled film construction. This is particularly useful when the desired thin film is thermally mis-matched in the application environment. For more details see "Novel Low-k Dielectric Material" in the Semiconductor Packaging section. Read more on the issued patent...

March 17, 2009 Issued

7,505,862 Apparatus and Method for Testing Electronic Systems

The patent is described at the System Functional Test page of this web site. It presents disruptive technology for system validation. It covers test access and high speed functional test in a manner that can be easily applied to any electronic system containing a microprocessor and a system bus. It is particularly useful for stacked architectures and dense chip configurations. Read more on the issued patent...

 

September 23, 2008 Issued

7,427,809 Repairable Three-dimensional Semiconductor Subsystem

This patent describes a general method for integrating semiconductor elements such as bare die into compact electronic systems. The method employs a new flip chip connector that does not require epoxy underfill and is easily re-workable. See the Semiconductor Packaging section for further information. Read more on the issued patent...

 

August 19, 2008 Issued

7,415,289 Apparatus and Method for Deploying an Information Retrieval System

This patent is further described under Wall Display. It can be used to retrieve information from dedicated servers, web sites, or broadcast services. The roll-up display includes a bottom strip containing electronic circuits that implement a wireless interface and speech recognition, in addition to the display drivers. Read more on the issued patent...

August 5, 2008 Issued

7,408,258 Interconnection Circuit and Electronic Module Utilizing Same

This patent describes a method for building a high-performance printed circuit board on a copper core, and for attaching components using stud bumps inserted into wells containing conductive material. For more details see the Semiconductor Packaging section. Read more on the issued patent...

August 7, 2007 Issued

7,254,024 Cooling Apparatus and Method

This patent describes a novel method for packaging arrays of high-powered systems such as servers and routers in a data center. Computational nodes are packaged in sealed copper "micro-blades", and these are cooled in water. For more details see the Semiconductor Packaging section. Read more on the issued patent...

January 16, 2007 Issued

7,163,830 Method for Temporarily Engaging Electronic Component for Test

This patent describes an electronic socket having wells filled with a liquid conductor. The wells can accept bumps or pillars of a flip-chip device. The required insertion force is almost zero, allowing hundreds or thousands of contacts to be made simultaneously. For more details see the Semiconductor Packaging section. Read more on the issued patent...

October 30, 2001 Issued

6,309,049 Printing Apparatus and Method for Imaging Charged Toner Particles Using Direct Writing Methods

This patent may be combined with published utility application 20080036842, Electronic Printing Press, to cover the most advanced technology for a digital printing press. The design of the digital printing press is further described at Printer Technology on this web site. Read more on the issued patent...

 

February 14, 2008 Published

20080036842 Electronic Printing Press

The technology behind this patent is further described at Printer Technology on this web site. Based on our work to date, we believe we can create a digital printing press capable of imaging 16.6 giga pixels per second, substantially more than any digital press available today. The business opportunity is further described in a recent article by Peter Salmon, Solid State Printing: A New High-Speed Printing Technology, published by Lyra Research in the Nov/Dec 2008 issue of the Hard Copy Observer. Read more on the published application...

 

February 1, 2007 Published

20070023923 Flip Chip Interface including a Mixed Array of Heat Bumps and Signal Bumps

This patent may be the first to differentiate between heat bumps and signal bumps at a chip interface. Accordingly, it may be critical to 3D interfaces, including TSV stacks. Read more on the published application...

 

February 1, 2007 Published

20070023889 Copper Substrate with Feedthroughs and Interconnection Circuits

This patent describes a method for building high-speed thin-film interconnection circuits on a copper-cored substrate. Thus it forms the basis for 3D electronic systems using copper as an effective heat spreader, and also as a water-impervious layer for forming cooling channels. Read more on the published application...

 

January 11, 2007 Published

20070007983 Semiconductor Wafer Tester

The technology behind this patent is further described in the Semiconductor Packaging section of this web site. The test method supports a product wafer having as many as 350,000 simultaneous probe points, and dissipating up to 20,000 watts. It represents a disruptive technology for probe-testing high powered wafers. Read more on the published application...

 

September 28, 2006 Published

20060214535 Energy Converter Utilizing Electrostatics

This patent describes a disk architecture for electrostatic motors. The technology is further described at Electrostatic Motor. These motors have the potential to be more compact and more energy efficient than regular electromagnetic motors. Read more on the published application...

 

March 13, 2003 Published

20030048256 Computing Device with Roll Up Components

The technology behind this patent is further described at the Mobile Computing page of this web site. A superelastic material is used to simplify the deployment of roll up devices, including displays and keyboards. This technology is well-suited to a new type of cell phone having a roll out display, for use on those occasions when a more substantial display is required. Read more on the published application...