1. A method for manufacturing a bipolar junction transistor, said method comprising the steps of:
forming a shallow trench isolation structure in a collector structure, the shallow trench isolation structure surrounding a base active area and a collector contact area;
forming a window stack material over the collector structure, the window stack material covering the collector contact area and first portions of the shallow trench isolation structure, the window stack material not covering the base active area and second portions of the shallow trench isolation structure;
forming a first base layer over the base active area and the window stack material, the first base layer comprising silicon material mixed with an impurity material;
forming a second base layer that comprises substantially only silicon material over said first base layer;
forming an emitter layer over said second base layer, said emitter layer comprising substantially only silicon material;
placing a resist mask over a portion of said emitter layer;
applying an etch procedure to etch exposed portions of said emitter layer to form an emitter under said resist mask; and
continuing to apply said etch procedure to etch exposed portions of said second base layer down to said first base layer.
2. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shallow trench isolation structure is formed over a deep trench isolation structure.
3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein atoms of said impurity material replace atoms of silicon in a crystal lattice of silicon in said first base layer in a manner that maintains a form of said crystal lattice of silicon.
4. The method as set forth in claim 3 wherein said impurity material is selected from the group consisting of: germanium, boron, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony and carbon.
5. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said emitter layer comprises a plurality of layers including at least one dopant layer.
6. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of forming the emitter layer comprises:
forming at least one layer that comprises substantially only silicon material; and
forming at least one layer that comprises silicon material mixed with a dopant impurity material.
7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein said dopant impurity material is selected from the group consisting of: germanium, phosphorus, boron, arsenic, antimony and carbon.
8. A method for manufacturing a bipolar junction transistor, said method comprising the steps of:
forming a shallow trench isolation structure in a collector structure, the shallow trench isolation structure surrounding a base active area and a collector contact area;
forming a window stack material over the collector structure, the window stack material covering the collector contact area and first portions of the shallow trench isolation structure, the window stack material not covering the base active area and second portions of the shallow trench isolation structure;
forming a first base over the base active area and the window stack material, the first base layer comprising substantially only silicon material;
forming a second base layer over the first base layer, the second base layer comprising silicon material mixed with an impurity material;
forming a third base layer over the second base layer, the third base layer comprising substantially only silicon material;
forming an emitter layer over the third base layer;
placing a resist mask over a portion of said emitter layer;
applying an etch procedure to etch exposed portions of said emitter layer to form an emitter under said resist mask; and
continuing to apply said etch procedure to etch exposed portions of said third base layer down to said second base layer.
9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the shallow trench isolation structure is formed over a deep trench isolation structure.
10. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the deep trench isolation structure is filled with a silicon material.
11. The method as set forth in claim 10 wherein atoms of said impurity material replace atoms of silicon in a crystal lattice of silicon in said second base layer in a manner that maintains a form of said crystal lattice of silicon.
12. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein said impurity material is selected from the group consisting of: germanium, boron, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony and carbon.
13. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said emitter layer comprises substantially only silicon material.
14. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein said step of forming the emitter layer comprises:
forming at least one layer that comprises substantially only silicon material; and
forming at least one layer that comprises silicon material mixed with a dopant impurity material.
15. The method as set forth in claim 14 wherein said dopant impurity material is selected from the group consisting of: germanium, phosphorus, boron, arsenic, antimony and carbon.
16. A method for manufacturing a bipolar junction transistor, said method comprising the steps of:
forming a shallow trench isolation structure in a collector structure, the shallow trench isolation structure surrounding a base active area and a collector contact area;
forming a window stack material over the collector structure, the window stack material covering the collector contact area and first portions of the shallow trench isolation structure, the window stack material not covering the base active area and second portions of the shallow trench isolation structure;
forming a first base layer over at least the base active area and the window stack material, the first base layer comprising substantially only silicon material;
forming a second base layer over the first base layer, the second base layer comprising silicon material mixed with an impurity material;
forming a third base layer over the second base layer;
forming an emitter layer over the third base layer;
placing a resist mask over a portion of the emitter layer;
applying an etch procedure to etch exposed portions of the emitter layer to form an emitter under the resist mask; and
continuing to apply the etch procedure to etch exposed portions of the third base layer down to the second base layer.
17. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein the shallow trench isolation structure is formed over a deep trench isolation structure.
18. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein atoms of said impurity material replace atoms of silicon in a crystal lattice of silicon in said second base layer in a manner that maintains a form of said crystal lattice of silicon.
19. The method as set forth in claim 18 wherein said impurity material is selected from the group consisting of: germanium, boron, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony and carbon.
20. The method as set forth in claim 16 wherein said emitter layer comprises substantially only silicon material.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of designing a surgical instrument matched to a particular anatomic structure, wherein the surgical instrument comprises an anatomy facing side including at least one anatomy contacting portion and at least one recessed portion that is recessed relative to parts of the at least one anatomy contacting portion proximate the at least one recessed portion, the method comprising:
(a) accessing a three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure, the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure including at least one portion corresponding to the at least one anatomy contacting portion of the surgical instrument;
(b) using a computer comprising a processor, modifying the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure to create a modified three-dimensional computer model including at least one portion corresponding to the at least one recessed portion of the surgical instrument; and
(c) using the modified three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure to modify a computer model of an instrument blank to correspond to the surgical instrument.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure comprises creating a raised portion on the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure comprises positioning a mesh relative to the three dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising creating an expanded mesh from the mesh.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein positioning the mesh comprises positioning a first mesh relative to an anterior portion of the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure and positioning a second mesh relative to a distal portion of the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure, wherein the three dimensional computer model is a model of a distal femur.
6. The method of claim 3, wherein positioning the mesh comprises wrapping the mesh around a portion of the three dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure.
7. The method of claim 3, wherein positioning the mesh comprises positioning a mesh having a uniform grid pattern.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure comprises accessing a three-dimensional computer model of an anatomic structure of a particular patient.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein using the modified three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure to modify the computer model of the instrument blank comprises merging the computer model of the instrument blank with the modified three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein using the modified three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure to modify the computer model of the instrument blank further comprises subtracting an intersecting volume of the modified three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure from a volume of the computer model of the instrument blank.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising manufacturing the surgical instrument.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting the modified computer model of the instrument blank to a device configured to manufacture the surgical instrument.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the computer model of the instrument blank comprises removing portions from a computer model of an oversized instrument blank.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the computer model of the instrument blank to correspond to the surgical instrument comprises modifying the computer model of the instrument blank to correspond to a surgical instrument comprising a plurality of discrete, physically separate anatomy contacting portions, wherein the plurality of anatomy contacting portions are at least one of: (i) non-uniform in distribution; (ii) non-uniform in shape; or (iii) non-uniform in surface area.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the computer model of the instrument blank to correspond to the surgical instrument comprises modifying the computer model of the instrument blank to correspond to a surgical instrument wherein the at least one anatomy contacting portion defines a first total area of the anatomy facing side and wherein the at least one recessed portion defines a second total area of the anatomy facing side; wherein the second total area is greater than the first total area.
16. A method of designing a surgical instrument matched to a particular anatomic structure, wherein the surgical instrument comprises an anatomy facing side including at least one anatomy contacting portion and at least one recessed portion that is recessed relative to parts of the at least one anatomy contacting portion proximate the at least one recessed portion, the method comprising:
(a) accessing a three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure, the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure including at least one portion corresponding to the at least one anatomy contacting portion of the surgical instrument;
(b) using a computer comprising a processor, modifying the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure to create a modified three-dimensional computer model including at least one portion corresponding to the at least one recessed portion of the surgical instrument, wherein modifying the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure comprises positioning a mesh relative to the three dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure; and
(c) using the modified three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure to modify a computer model of an instrument blank to correspond to the surgical instrument.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein positioning the mesh comprises positioning a first mesh relative to an anterior portion of the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure and positioning a second mesh relative to a distal portion of the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure, wherein the three dimensional computer model is a model of a distal femur.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein positioning the mesh comprises wrapping the mesh around a portion of the three dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein positioning the mesh comprises positioning a mesh having a uniform grid pattern.
20. A method of designing a surgical instrument matched to a particular anatomic structure, wherein the surgical instrument comprises an anatomy facing side including at least one anatomy contacting portion and at least one recessed portion that is recessed relative to parts of the at least one anatomy contacting portion proximate the at least one recessed portion, the method comprising:
(a) accessing a three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure, the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure including at least one portion corresponding to the at least one anatomy contacting portion of the surgical instrument;
(b) using a computer comprising a processor, modifying the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure to create a modified three-dimensional computer model including at least one portion corresponding to the at least one recessed portion of the surgical instrument, wherein modifying the three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure comprises positioning a mesh relative to the three dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure;
(c) using the modified three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure to modify a computer model of an instrument blank to correspond to the surgical instrument by:
(i) merging the computer model of the instrument blank with the modified three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure; and
(ii) subtracting an intersecting volume of the modified three-dimensional computer model of the anatomic structure from a volume of the computer model of the instrument blank; and
(d) outputting the modified computer model of the instrument blank to a device configured to manufacture the surgical instrument.