Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
244 words
A method of laying out bond pads on a semiconductor die, each bond pad having a major axis and an orientation of its major axis, comprising: providing an array of composite, elongated bond pads along a side of a semiconductor die, each of the bond pads having a major axis, wherein the side of the die is a straight edge; the orientation of the major axes of the bond pads is such that they form a radial pattern fanning outward in a direction away from the edge of the semiconductor die; the major axes of bond pads near a midpoint of the edge of the die have an orientation which is substantially perpendicular to the edge; and arranging the orientation of each bond pad such that its major axis aligns with an expected approach angle of a conductive line; wherein the composite bond pad is formed by: forming a lower bond pad having a top surface; forming an insulating component over said top surface of said lower bond pad; forming at least one opening through said insulating component, said opening extending to said top surface of said lower bond pad, wherein said opening is located above a peripheral region of said lower bond pad; filling said opening with conductive material; forming an upper bond pad above said insulating component, wherein said upper bond pad is electrically connected to said conductive material and said lower bond pad and is exposed for receiving the conductive line.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
244 words
A method of laying out bond pads on a semiconductor die, each bond pad having a major axis and an orientation of its major axis, comprising: providing an array of composite, elongated bond pads along a side of a semiconductor die, each of the bond pads having a major axis, wherein the side of the die is a straight edge; the orientation of the major axes of the bond pads is such that they form a radial pattern fanning outward in a direction away from the edge of the semiconductor die; the major axes of bond pads near a midpoint of the edge of the die have an orientation which is substantially perpendicular to the edge; and arranging the orientation of each bond pad such that its major axis aligns with an expected approach angle of a conductive line; wherein the composite bond pad is formed by: forming a lower bond pad having a top surface; forming an insulating component over said top surface of said lower bond pad; forming at least one opening through said insulating component, said opening extending to said top surface of said lower bond pad, wherein said opening is located above a peripheral region of said lower bond pad; filling said opening with conductive material; forming an upper bond pad above said insulating component, wherein said upper bond pad is electrically connected to said conductive material and said lower bond pad and is exposed for receiving the conductive line.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising: adapting the semiconductor die to be mounted to a substrate having conductive lines approaching a die-receiving area at a range of approach angles in a radial fan out pattern, each conductive line corresponding to a particular bond pad on the die; and aligning the major axis of each bond pad with the approach angle of the corresponding conductive line.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein: the conductive line is a bond wire.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein: the conductive line is a conductive trace.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising: providing a contact footprint shape; providing an elongated bond pad shape which encloses the contact footprint shape; forming and sizing the bond pads according to the elongated bond pad shape.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 5, further comprising: providing a safety zone shape around the contact footprint shape; wherein: the elongated bond pad shape further encloses the safety zone shape.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein: the elongated bond pad shape is an elongated rectangle.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 5, wherein: the elongated bond pad shape is a parallelogram.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 5 wherein: the elongated bond pad shape is a trapezoid.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 5 wherein: the elongated bond pad shape is a tapered shape.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method according to claim 5 wherein: the elongated bond pad shape is a non-polygonal curved shape.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1, wherein: said upper bond pad and said conductive material are deposited in a single step.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1, wherein: said conductive material is selectively deposited in said opening.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
168 words
Method of forming "certain non-square" composite bond pads for a semiconductor die, comprising: defining a contact footprint shape; defining a pivot point within the contact footprint shape; defining a swept contact area by sweeping the contact footprint shape through a range of angles about the pivot point; providing a bond pad shape, for a composite bond pad, which encloses the swept contact area; wherein the composite bond pad is formed by: forming a lower bond pad having a top surface; forming an insulating component over said top surface of said lower bond pad; forming at least one opening through said insulating component, said opening extending to said top surface of said lower bond pad, wherein said opening is located above a peripheral region of said lower bond pad; filling said opening with conductive material; forming an upper bond pad above said insulating component, wherein said upper bond pad is electrically connected to said conductive material and said lower bond pad and is exposed for receiving the conductive line.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
168 words
Method of forming "certain non-square" composite bond pads for a semiconductor die, comprising: defining a contact footprint shape; defining a pivot point within the contact footprint shape; defining a swept contact area by sweeping the contact footprint shape through a range of angles about the pivot point; providing a bond pad shape, for a composite bond pad, which encloses the swept contact area; wherein the composite bond pad is formed by: forming a lower bond pad having a top surface; forming an insulating component over said top surface of said lower bond pad; forming at least one opening through said insulating component, said opening extending to said top surface of said lower bond pad, wherein said opening is located above a peripheral region of said lower bond pad; filling said opening with conductive material; forming an upper bond pad above said insulating component, wherein said upper bond pad is electrically connected to said conductive material and said lower bond pad and is exposed for receiving the conductive line.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
514 words
A method of connecting bond wires to bond pads on a semiconductor die, comprising: providing a semiconductor die having an edge; providing a first set of composite bond pads having a "certain non-square" shape which is wide on one end and narrow on an opposing end; providing a second set of composite bond pads having a "certain non-square" shape which is narrow on one end, wide on an opposing end, and which is complementary to the shape of the bond pads in the first set of composite bond pads; defining an anchor point on each bond pad positioned near the narrow end of the bond pad; providing a first set of bond wires, each having a connecting end, for connection on a one-to-one basis to the bond pads in the first set of composite bond pads; providing a second set of bond wires, each having a connecting end for connection on a one-to-one basis to the bond pads in the second set of composite bond pads; defining a first pivot point located a first distance from the connecting end of each bond wire in the first set of composite bond pads; defining a second pivot point located a second distance from the connecting end of each bond wire in the second set of composite bond pads, where the second distance is greater than the first distance; providing the first and second sets of composite bond pads in an alternating interleaved array, oriented such that the wide ends of the bond pads in the first set of composite bond pads are adjacent to the edge of the semiconductor die, and the narrow ends of the bond pads in the second set of composite bond pads are adjacent to the edge of the semiconductor die; connecting the bond wires in the first set of bond wires on a one-to-one basis to the bond pads in the first set of composite bond pads such each first pivot point on each such bond wire is aligned with the anchor point on the bond pad to which it is connected; and connecting the bond wires in the second set of bond wires on a one-to-one basis to the bond pads in the second set of composite bond pads such each second pivot point on each such bond wire is aligned with the anchor point on the bond pad to which it is connected; wherein the composite bond pads of the first and second sets of composite bond pads are each formed by: forming a lower bond pad having a top surface; forming an insulating component over said top surface of said lower bond pad; forming at least one opening through said insulating component, said opening extending to said top surface of said lower bond pad, wherein said opening is located above a peripheral region of said lower bond pad; filling said opening with conductive material; forming an upper bond pad above said insulating component, wherein said upper bond pad is electrically connected to said conductive material and said lower bond pad and is exposed for receiving the conductive line.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
514 words
A method of connecting bond wires to bond pads on a semiconductor die, comprising: providing a semiconductor die having an edge; providing a first set of composite bond pads having a "certain non-square" shape which is wide on one end and narrow on an opposing end; providing a second set of composite bond pads having a "certain non-square" shape which is narrow on one end, wide on an opposing end, and which is complementary to the shape of the bond pads in the first set of composite bond pads; defining an anchor point on each bond pad positioned near the narrow end of the bond pad; providing a first set of bond wires, each having a connecting end, for connection on a one-to-one basis to the bond pads in the first set of composite bond pads; providing a second set of bond wires, each having a connecting end for connection on a one-to-one basis to the bond pads in the second set of composite bond pads; defining a first pivot point located a first distance from the connecting end of each bond wire in the first set of composite bond pads; defining a second pivot point located a second distance from the connecting end of each bond wire in the second set of composite bond pads, where the second distance is greater than the first distance; providing the first and second sets of composite bond pads in an alternating interleaved array, oriented such that the wide ends of the bond pads in the first set of composite bond pads are adjacent to the edge of the semiconductor die, and the narrow ends of the bond pads in the second set of composite bond pads are adjacent to the edge of the semiconductor die; connecting the bond wires in the first set of bond wires on a one-to-one basis to the bond pads in the first set of composite bond pads such each first pivot point on each such bond wire is aligned with the anchor point on the bond pad to which it is connected; and connecting the bond wires in the second set of bond wires on a one-to-one basis to the bond pads in the second set of composite bond pads such each second pivot point on each such bond wire is aligned with the anchor point on the bond pad to which it is connected; wherein the composite bond pads of the first and second sets of composite bond pads are each formed by: forming a lower bond pad having a top surface; forming an insulating component over said top surface of said lower bond pad; forming at least one opening through said insulating component, said opening extending to said top surface of said lower bond pad, wherein said opening is located above a peripheral region of said lower bond pad; filling said opening with conductive material; forming an upper bond pad above said insulating component, wherein said upper bond pad is electrically connected to said conductive material and said lower bond pad and is exposed for receiving the conductive line.