Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim
56 words
A hermetically sealed body comprising: a substantially continuous exterior surface; an electroplated hermetic metal layer covering any non-hermetic portions of said exterior surface; and if said hermetic layer has an aperture therein over any hermetic portion of said exterior surface, then said hermetic layer forming a hermetic seal with that hermetic portion of said exterior surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
35 words
The hermetically sealed body recited in claim 1 wherein said hermetic layer comprises: a thin adhesion promoting layer disposed on said exterior surface; a thicker, electroplated metal sealing layer disposed on said adhesion promoting layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
The hermetically sealed body recited in claim 2 wherein: said adhesion promoting layer is selected from the group consisting of titanium, chromium and electroless plating catalysts .
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The hermetically sealed body recited in claim 3 wherein: said metal sealing layer is selected from the group consisting of copper, chromium, nickel, chromium-nickel, lead and lead solder .
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The hermetically sealed body recited in claim 2 wherein said hermetic layer further comprises: an environmentally stable passivating layer disposed over said metal sealing layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The hermetically sealed body recited in claim 5 wherein: said passivating layer is selected from the group consisting of chromium, nickel, titanium, lead, solder and organic polymers
Claim 7
Independent Claim
42 words
A method of forming a hermetic seal comprising: providing a continuous surface to be sealed; electroplating a ductile layer over at least the non-hermetic portion of said surface and enough of the hermetic portion of said surface to provide a hermetic seal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method recited in claim 7 wherein: said electroplated layer is at least 25µm thick.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method recited in claim 7 wherein: said electroplated layer is formed on a adhesion promoting layer which provides a sufficiently continuous electrically conductive layer to facilitate said electroplating.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
An electronic system comprising: a substrate having a plurality of electronic components disposed thereon; a multilayer interconnect structure comprising interleaved layers of dielectric material and conductive material disposed over said substrate and said electronic components; and a continuous metal layer disposed on said multilayer interconnect structure.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The electronic system recited in claim 10 wherein: said continuous metal layer extends into alignment with each of said electronic components.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The electronic system recited in claim 11 wherein: said continuous metal layer extends across each of said electronic components.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system recited in claim 10 wherein: said continuous metal layer includes one or more metals selected from the group consisting of chromium, copper, nickel and titanium.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system recited in claim 10 wherein: said continuous metal layer is disposed in electrical contact with a portion of a metal layer of said multilayer interconnect structure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
69 words
The system recited in claim 14 wherein: said multilayer interconnect structure includes an outermost dielectric layer; said outermost dielectric layer has at least one via extending therethrough in alignment with a portion of a conductive layer of said multilayer interconnect structure; and said continuous metal layer extends into said via and into electrical contact with said portion of said conductive layer which is disposed in alignment with said via.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
158 words
The system recited in claim 14 wherein: said multilayer interconnect structure includes an outermost dielectric layer; said outermost dielectric layer has at least one via extending therethrough in alignment with a portion of a conductive layer of said multilayer interconnect structure; a conductive material is disposed over said outermost dielectric layer in the vicinity of said via and extends into said via and into electrical contact with said portion of said conductive layer which is disposed in alignment with said via; and a dielectric material is disposed in said via over said conductive material whereby said dielectric material, the part of said conductive material disposed on said outermost dielectric layer outside said via and said outermost dielectric layer in the vicinity of said conductive material together form a substantially planar surface on which said continuous metal layer is disposed, said continuous metal layer being disposed in electrical contact with said conductive material in the vicinity of said via.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
50 words
An electronic system comprising: a substrate having a plurality of electronic components disposed thereon; a multilayer interconnect structure comprising interleaved layers of dielectric material and conductive material disposed over said substrate and said electronic components; and a continuous metal covering disposed on the outermost surface of said multilayer interconnect structure.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
97 words
In an electronic high density interconnect structure of the type including a substrate having a plurality of electronic components disposed thereon, a layer of dielectric material laminated over said substrate and said electronic components, said dielectric layer having a plurality of vias therein, a patterned layer of conductive material disposed over said dielectric layer and extending into said vias and into electrical contact with contact pads disposed on said electronic components and a second layer of dielectric material disposed over said patterned layer of conductive material; a continuous metal layer disposed on said high density interconnect structure.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The electronic system or structure recited in claim 17 or 18 therein: said continuous metal layer or covering extends into alignment with and across each of said electronic components.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
The electronic system or structure recited in claim 12 or 19 wherein: said continuous metal layer or covering extends across substantially the entire outer surface of said multilayer interconnect structure.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
43 words
The electronic system or structure recited in claim 15, 16, 19 or 20 wherein: said multilayer interconnect structure is set back from the edges of said substrate; said continuous metal layer or covering extends beyond said multilayer interconnect structure on all sides thereof.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
56 words
The electronic system or structure recited in claim 21, wherein: said substrate is impervious to liquids and gases; and said continuous metal layer or covering is hermetically sealed to said substrate whereby said electronic components and said multilayer interconnect structure are hermetically sealed within a hermetic enclosure formed by said substrate and said continuous metal covering.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
56 words
The invention recited in claim 22 wherein: said substrate includes a sealing conductor disposed on the surface thereof, said sealing conductor encircling said multilayer interconnect structure; said multilayer interconnect structure is set back from at least part of said sealing conductor; and said continuous metal layer or covering is disposed in contact with said sealing conductor.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
The invention recited in claim 22 wherein: said continuous metal layer or covering is disposed in contact with said substrate on all sides of said multilayer interconnect structure.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
33 words
The invention recited in claim 24 wherein: said substrates includes hermetically sealed electrical feedthroughs for conducting electrical signals between the interior of said hermetically sealed enclosure and the region outside of said enclosure.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
78 words
The invention recited in claim 22 wherein: said structure includes a plurality of feedthrough electrical leads, each extending from within said hermetic enclosure to outside of it; at least one of said feedthrough leads is disposed on the upper surface of said substrate; an electrically insulating sealing material over lies and hermetically seals said at least one feedthrough lead; said continuous metal layer or covering is disposed over said electrically insulating sealing material and hermetically sealed to it.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
42 words
In combination: an electrically insulating substrate having an aperture therein; an electrically conducting lead extending through said aperture; and an electroplated metal sealing layer extending from said lead to said substrate for effecting a hermetic seal between said lead and said substrate.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
24 words
The combination recited in claim 27 wherein: any gap within said aperture between said lead and said substrate is filled with an insulating material.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
12 words
The combination recited in claim 28 wherein: said insulating material is polymeric.