Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of forming a conductive bump contact, comprising: providing a conductive material extending from a surface of a substrate, one end of the conductive material supported on the surface of the substrate and an other end of the conductive material being elevated above the surface of the substrate; forming a concave depression in the other end of the conductive material, said concave depression being perpendicular to the surface of the substrate and extending completely through the conductive material and sized and shaped to receive and align with a corresponding conductive bump contact having a convex end; and forming a vent opening through the conductive material between the concave depression and an external surface of the conductive material.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of forming a conductive bump contact, comprising: providing a conductive material extending from a surface of a substrate, one end of the conductive material supported on the surface of the substrate and an other end of the conductive material being elevated above the surface of the substrate; forming a concave depression in the other end of the conductive material, said concave depression being perpendicular to the surface of the substrate and extending completely through the conductive material and sized and shaped to receive and align with a corresponding conductive bump contact having a convex end; and forming a vent opening through the conductive material between the concave depression and an external surface of the conductive material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 1, wherein: the conductive material is a heat re-flowable material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 1, wherein: the conductive material is a non-flowable material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 1, wherein: the conductive material has substantially straight vertical exterior walls.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 1, wherein: the conductive material has tapered exterior walls.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 1, wherein: the conductive material has a generally rounded, convex shape outside of the area of the concave depression.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 1, wherein: the conductive material is formed over a bond pad.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 1, wherein: the conductive material is formed by a plating process.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 1, wherein: the conductive material has a castellated shape.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 1, further comprising: disposing a conductive bond pad on the surface of the substrate between the conductive material and the substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 10, wherein: the conductive bond pad has a ring-shaped body with a generally centrally located opening.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 10, wherein: the conductive bond pad has a ring-shaped body with a generally centrally located interior opening, an exterior, and a vent in the ring structure extending between the interior opening to the exterior of the ring-shaped body.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 1, further comprising: disposing flux within the concave depression.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
88 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, comprising: providing a substrate; disposing a ring-shaped bond pad with a generally centrally located opening on a surface of the substrate; disposing a conductive material on the ring-shaped bond pad such that a concave depression is formed in a surface of the conductive material over the generally centrally located opening of the bond pad, thereby forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact having a ring-shaped body; and providing a vent gap in the ring-shaped body of the conductive bump contact.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
88 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, comprising: providing a substrate; disposing a ring-shaped bond pad with a generally centrally located opening on a surface of the substrate; disposing a conductive material on the ring-shaped bond pad such that a concave depression is formed in a surface of the conductive material over the generally centrally located opening of the bond pad, thereby forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact having a ring-shaped body; and providing a vent gap in the ring-shaped body of the conductive bump contact.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
94 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact, according to claim 14, wherein: the step of disposing a conductive material on the bond pad further comprises: providing a masking material around the bond pad on the surface of the substrate, thereby forming substantially vertical walls of masking material around a periphery of the bond pad; plating the conductive material onto the bond pad using an electro-plating process run in a chemically diffusion-limited fashion such that plate-up of the conductive material is accelerated in the vicinity of the vertical walls of the masking material.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
68 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact according to claim 14, wherein: the ring-shaped body of the conductive bump contact has a generally centrally located opening; and the step of disposing the conductive material on the bond pad further comprises: disposing a heat re-flowable material onto the ring-shaped bond pad; and re-flowing the re-flowable material to form a raised conductive structure on the ring-shaped bond pad.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact according to claim 14, wherein: the ring-shaped body of the conductive bump contact has a generally centrally located opening; and the step of disposing the conductive material on the bond pad further comprises: disposing a heat re-flowable material over the bond pad; and re-flowing the re-flowable material.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
185 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact pair, comprising: forming a "socket"-shaped conductive bump contact from a first conductive material extending from a surface of a first substrate, one end of the first conductive material supported on the surface of the first substrate, an other end of the conductive material being elevated above the surface of the first substrate; forming a "pin"-shaped conductive bump contact from a second conductive material, extending from a surface of a second substrate, one end of the second conductive material supported on the surface of the second substrate, an other end of the conductive material being elevated above the surface of the second substrate in a generally convex pin shape; forming a concave depression in the other end of the first conductive material, sized and shaped to receive and align the pin shape of the "pin" conductive bump contact; and forming a vent opening through the first conductive material between the concave depression and the exterior of the "socket" conductive bump contact; wherein: at least one of the first and second conductive materials is a heat re-flowable material.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
185 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact pair, comprising: forming a "socket"-shaped conductive bump contact from a first conductive material extending from a surface of a first substrate, one end of the first conductive material supported on the surface of the first substrate, an other end of the conductive material being elevated above the surface of the first substrate; forming a "pin"-shaped conductive bump contact from a second conductive material, extending from a surface of a second substrate, one end of the second conductive material supported on the surface of the second substrate, an other end of the conductive material being elevated above the surface of the second substrate in a generally convex pin shape; forming a concave depression in the other end of the first conductive material, sized and shaped to receive and align the pin shape of the "pin" conductive bump contact; and forming a vent opening through the first conductive material between the concave depression and the exterior of the "socket" conductive bump contact; wherein: at least one of the first and second conductive materials is a heat re-flowable material.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact pair, according to claim 18, wherein: both of the first and second conductive materials are heat re-flowable materials.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method of forming a self-aligning conductive bump contact pair, according to claim 18, further comprising: disposing flux within the concave depression.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
231 words
A method of forming a self-aligned micro-bump bond, comprising: providing a first substrate; providing a second substrate; forming a "socket" conductive bump contact from a first conductive material extending from a surface of the first substrate, one end of the first conductive material supported on the surface of the first substrate, an other end of the first conductive material being elevated above the surface of the first substrate; forming a "pin" conductive bump contact from a second conductive material, extending from a surface of the second substrate, one end of the second conductive material supported on the surface of the second substrate, an other end of the second conductive material being elevated above the surface of the second substrate in a generally convex pin shape; forming a concave depression in the other end of the first conductive material, sized and shaped to receive and align the pin shape of the "pin" conductive bump contact; forming a vent opening through the first conductive material between the concave depression and the exterior of the "socket" conductive bump contact; positioning the first substrate relative to the second substrate such that the pin shape of the "pin" conductive bump contact extends into the concave depression in the "socket" conductive bump contact; and forming a connection between the first substrate and the second substrate with the "pin" conductive bump contact and the "socket" conductive bump contact.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
231 words
A method of forming a self-aligned micro-bump bond, comprising: providing a first substrate; providing a second substrate; forming a "socket" conductive bump contact from a first conductive material extending from a surface of the first substrate, one end of the first conductive material supported on the surface of the first substrate, an other end of the first conductive material being elevated above the surface of the first substrate; forming a "pin" conductive bump contact from a second conductive material, extending from a surface of the second substrate, one end of the second conductive material supported on the surface of the second substrate, an other end of the second conductive material being elevated above the surface of the second substrate in a generally convex pin shape; forming a concave depression in the other end of the first conductive material, sized and shaped to receive and align the pin shape of the "pin" conductive bump contact; forming a vent opening through the first conductive material between the concave depression and the exterior of the "socket" conductive bump contact; positioning the first substrate relative to the second substrate such that the pin shape of the "pin" conductive bump contact extends into the concave depression in the "socket" conductive bump contact; and forming a connection between the first substrate and the second substrate with the "pin" conductive bump contact and the "socket" conductive bump contact.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method of forming a self-aligned micro-bump bond, according to claim 21, wherein: at least one of the first and second conductive materials is a heat re-flowable material; and the connection is formed by applying heat to re-flow the heat re-flowable material.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method of forming a self-aligned micro-bump bond, according to claim 21, wherein: both of the first and second conductive materials are heat re-flowable materials; and the connection is formed by applying heat to re-flow the heat re-flowable material.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method of forming a self-aligned micro-bump bond, according to claim 21, further comprising: disposing flux within the concave depression.