Abstract:
A superconducting Josephson junction, circuit and method of manufacture is provided for maintaining optimal chemical and structural compositions at the interface region between an insulating barrier (12) and a pair of superconductor electrodes (14) and (16). Each superconductor electrode of the Josephson junction comprises a chemical selected from the group consisting of Ba1-xKxBiO3 and Ba1-xRbxBiO3. In addition, the insulating barrier (12), formed between the electrode pair (14) and (16), is made of a chemical compound including an alkali element. The alkali element within the barrier region serves to eliminate or reduce ion migration from the BKBO or BRBO superconducting electrodes. The alkali element in the barrier (12) as well as the superconductor electrodes (14) and (16) also provides good structural matching at the barrier-electrode interface regions. As a result of the chemical and structural matching between the superconductor electrodes and the barrier, an SIS Josephson tunnel junction and integrated circuit is formed having high quality histeretic properties.
Abstract:
A method of forming recessed patterns in insulators is described. One embodiment of the invention is directed to ceramic green sheet fabrication by providing a sculptured plastic tape mold which includes a floor, a plurality of sidewalls adjacent to and extending above the floor and a plurality of protrusions on and extending above the floor, casting a ceramic slurry into the mold such that the slurry contacts the floor, the sidewalls and the protrusions, and drying the slurry so as to produce a ceramic green sheet with a recessed pattern that replicates the shapes of the protrusions. The ceramic green sheet may be removed from the mold and filled with a conductor before firing; alternatively, the ceramic green sheet can be fired before removing the mold to form a rigid ceramic substrate which is then filled with a conductor.
Abstract:
A method for forming via holes in a multilayer structure in a single step. The invention includes disposing over a base a first layer comprising first metal lines beneath a first dielectric, disposing over the first layer a second layer comprising second metal lines beneath a second dielectric such that a portion of each first metal line is not beneath any second metal line, and forming via holes which extend through the second dielectric to the second metal lines and through the second dielectric and the first dielectric to the portions of the first metal lines. Thereafter conductive metal can be deposited in the via holes. The method is particularly well suited for fabricating copper/polymer substrates.
Abstract:
The excise and lead form of TAB leads bonded to an integrated circuit chip. Leads extending beyond a sidewall are clamped between a first clamp and a form anvil at a first portion spaced from the chip. The leads are also clamped between an excise/form tool and a second clamp at a second portion spaced further from the chip than the first portion. An excise blade cuts the leads outside the second portion. Then the excise/form tool, second clamp and excise blade move downwards in a curved path toward the chip to form a first lead corner against the form anvil and a second lead corner against the excise/form tool without splaying or galling the leads.
Abstract:
A method for electrolessly plating an overcoat metal on a metal conductor disposed on a dielectric surface of a substrate. The method includes removing carbonized film from the dielectric surface by applying a plasma discharge, acid treating the metal conductor by dipping the substrate in a first acid solution in order to clean the surface of the metal conductor, activating the metal conductor to allow electroless plating thereon by dipping the substrate in a metal activator solution, deactivating the dielectric surface to prevent electroless plating thereon without deactivating the metal conductor by dipping the substrate in a second acid solution, and plating an overcoat metal on the metal conductor by dipping the substrate in an electroless plating solution so that the overcoat metal plates on and coats the metal conductor without plating on the dielectric surface.
Abstract:
A method for fabricating metal pillars in an electronic component. The method includes providing a base with spaced vias in a top surface, depositing an electrically conductive metal into the vias and over the top surface of the base so that a metal layer with an uneven top surface forms over the base, and planarizing the metal by polishing. The polishing can remove the entire metal layer leaving metal pillars in and aligned with the base. Or the polishing can be completed before removing the metal layer and metal above the base between the vias can be etched to form metal pillars with uniform heights which extend above the base. The invention is well suited for fabricating high-density multilayer copper/polyimide electrical interconnects.
Abstract:
Solder reflow on an electrical interconnect substrate between a plurality of electrical contacts. The method includes coating the contacts with tin/lead solder, depositing a wetting metal between the contacts, and heating the substrate to at least the melting point of the solder so that the solder melts, reflows across the wetting metal and connects or links the contacts. The entire surface of a customizable copper/polyimide substrate can be personalized by solder links and TAB leads from surface-mounted integrated circuits can simultaneously be soldered to the substrate.
Abstract:
A process for fabricating integrated resistors in high density interconnect substrates for multi-chip modules. In addition, the resistor material can be connected selectively into an insulator for optionally allowing for the simultaneous fabrication of integrated resistors and capacitors in relatively few steps. The process is well suited for cooper/polyimide substrates.
Abstract:
A neural network includes an input layer comprising a plurality of input units (24) interconnected to a hidden layer with a plurality of hidden units (26) disposed therein through an interconnection matrix (28). Each of the hidden units (26) is a single output that is connected to output units (32) in an output layer through an interconnection matrix (30). Each of the interconnections between one of the hidden units (26) to one of the output units (32) has a weight associated therewith. Each of the hidden units (26) has an activation in the i'th dimension and extending across all the other dimensions in a non-localized manner in accordance with the following equation: ##EQU1## that the network learns by the Back Propagation method to vary the output weights and the parameters of the activation function .mu..sub.hi and .sigma..sub.hi.
Abstract:
Channels extending partially through and vias extending completely through an insulating layer in an electrical interconnect such as a substrate or integrated circuit can be formed in a relatively few steps with low cost etching and patterning techniques. The channels and vias can then be filled with an electrical conductor in a relatively few steps. In one embodiment a non-erodible hard mask exposing the vias and channels is placed over a polyimide layer, an erodible soft mask exposing the vias but covering the channels is placed over the hard mask, and a plasma etch is applied. The via regions are etched until the soft mask completely erodes and then both the via and channel regions are etched to provide partially etched channels and fully etched vias. Thereafter a seed layer is deposited over the interconnect, and an electrically conductive layer is electrolytically deposited over the seed layer substantially filling the channels and vias. The interconnect surface is then planarized by polishing until the electrical conductor remains only in the channels and vias.