1. A method for estimating electrical parameters of an interconnecting electrical network of a device, where the interconnecting network connects. one or more electrical excitation sources through one or more electrical excitation ports one or more electrical measurement apparatus through one or more electrical measurement ports, and one or more electrical loads through one or more electrical load ports of the device, comprising:
connecting one or more electrical sources to the one or more electrical excitation ports;
selecting a plurality of distinct electrical loads;
initially determining at least a subset of the electrical parameters for the plurality of distinct electrical loads;
measuring an electrical response via the electrical measurement ports for the plurality of electrical loads;
determining the electrical parameters of the interconnecting network using the initially determined subset of electrical parameters and the measured electrical responses corresponding to each of the plurality of electrical loads,
wherein at least one electrical load is connected to each of at least two electrical load ports of the interconnecting network and where each electrical load at each of the at least two electrical load ports is changed at least once.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the interconnecting network comprises a plurality of wires connecting a corresponding plurality of electrodes at the distal end of the device to one or more electrical sources which are in electrical communication with at least a subset of the plurality of wires at the proximal end of the device and one or more electrical measurement apparatus which are in electrical communication with at least the subset of the plurality of wires.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical parameters of the interconnecting network comprise a parameter correlating a relationship between applied voltages and currents at corresponding electrical terminals or ports.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical parameters of the interconnecting network comprise Z parameters correlating a relationship between applied voltages and currents at corresponding electrical terminals or ports.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical parameters of the interconnecting network comprise Y parameters correlating a relationship between applied voltages and currents at corresponding electrical terminals or ports.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical parameters of the interconnecting network comprise a set of polynomial coefficients each of which is associated with an electrical parameter of one load or a product of electrical parameters of two or more loads.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the electrical loads is comprised of a network of discrete electrical elements.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein initially determining comprises determining a corresponding electrical parameter of each discrete electrical element.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein initially determining comprises determining a corresponding electrical parameter of a subset of the discrete electrical elements.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein initially determining comprises determining a corresponding electrical parameter of a single one of the discrete electrical elements.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein determining further comprises determining corresponding electrical parameters of at least a subset of discrete electrical elements.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the loads is comprised of a plurality of distinct lumens filled with one or more conductive fluids and with each conductive fluid having a conductivity different from one another.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the conductivity of each fluid is predetermined.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein the conductivity of a subset of the fluids are predetermined.
15. The method of claim 12 wherein the conductivity of a single fluid is predetermined.
16. The method of claim 12 wherein determining comprises determining the conductivity of at least a subset of fluids along with the electrical parameters of the interconnecting network.
17. The method of claim 12 wherein each of the distinct lumens have a predetermined dimension.
18. The method of claim 12 wherein a subset of the distinct lumens have a predetermined dimension.
19. The method of claim 12 wherein determining comprises further determining at least a subset of the distinct lumens and the electrical parameters of the interconnecting network.
20. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrical load is comprised of a discrete electrical element.
21. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrical load is comprised of a distributed electrical network.
22. The method of claim 1 further comprising individually estimating the electrical parameters at each frequency at which electrical measurements are performed.
23. The method of claim 1 further comprising jointly estimating the electrical parameters at each frequency at which electrical measurements are performed.
24. The method of claim 1 wherein a number of electrical measurement ports comprise at least one more than a number of load ports.
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 semiconductor package comprising:
a semiconductor die having a plurality of die contacts;
a plurality of conductive bumps on the die contacts;
a flex circuit on the die comprising a polymer substrate having a plurality of external contacts, and a plurality of conductors in electrical communication with the external contacts aligned with and bonded to the conductive bumps; and
an electrically insulating adhesive layer attaching the flex circuit to the die.
2. The package of claim 1 wherein the bumps comprise a conductive polymer, a metal or a solder.
3. A semiconductor package comprising:
a semiconductor die comprising a plurality of die contacts;
a plurality of first bumps on the die contacts;
a polymer substrate attached to the die having a first side and a second side;
a plurality of external contacts on the first side;
a plurality of conductors on the second side in electrical communication with the external contacts;
a plurality of second bumps on the conductors aligned with and bonded to the first bumps; and
an electrically insulating adhesive layer between the second side and the die.
4. The package of claim 3 wherein the die and the polymer substrate have a same peripheral outline.
5. The package of claim 3 wherein the first bumps comprise a conductive polymer and the second bumps comprise a solder.
6. The package of claim 3 wherein the first bumps comprise solder and the second bumps comprise a metal.
7. A semiconductor package comprising:
a semiconductor die having a die contact;
a polymer substrate attached to the die having an opening there through;
an external contact on the polymer substrate;
a conductor on the polymer substrate in electrical communication with the external contact having a portion aligned with the opening; and
a bonded connection between the die contact and the portion.
8. The package of claim 7 further comprising an adhesive member between the polymer substrate and the die.
9. The package of claim 7 wherein the polymer substrate and the die have a same peripheral outline.
10. A semiconductor package comprising:
a semiconductor die having a die contact;
a metal layer on the die contact;
a flex circuit attached to the die comprising a polymer substrate, an external contact on the polymer substrate, a conductor on the polymer substrate in electrical communication with the external contact, and an opening in the polymer substrate configured to permit access to a portion of the conductor; and
a bonded connection between the conductor and the die contact comprising the portion of the conductor bonded to the metal layer.
11. The package of claim 10 wherein the metal layer comprises a non-oxidizing metal.
12. A semiconductor package comprising:
a semiconductor die having a plurality of bumps;
a flex circuit attached to the die comprising a polymer substrate having a first side, a second side, a plurality of external contacts on the first side, and a plurality of conductors on the second side in electrical communication with the external contacts aligned with the bumps; and
an anisotropic conductive polymer layer between the die and the second side configured to attach the flex circuit to the die and to provide separate electrical paths between the bumps and the conductors.
13. The package of claim 12 wherein the bumps comprise a material selected from the group consisting of solders, conductive polymers and plated metals.
14. A semiconductor package comprising:
a semiconductor die comprising a plurality of die contacts;
a flex circuit attached to the die comprising a polymer substrate having a first side, a second side, a plurality of external contacts on the first side, and plurality of conductors on the second side in electrical communication with the external contacts, each conductor comprising a bump aligned with a die contact; and
an anisotropic conductive polymer layer between the die and the second side configured to attach the flex circuit to the die and to provide separate electrical paths between the die contacts and the conductors.
15. The package of claim 14 wherein the die contacts comprise bond pads.
16. The package of claim 14 wherein the die contacts comprise bumps.
17. A semiconductor package comprising:
a semiconductor die comprising a plurality of die contacts comprising a plurality of first bumps;
a flex circuit attached to the die comprising a polymer substrate having a first side, a second side, and a plurality of first openings aligned with the first bumps, a plurality of external contacts on the first side, and a plurality of conductors on the second side in electrical communication with the external contacts comprising a plurality of second openings aligned with the first openings and the first bumps; and
a plurality of bonded connections between the conductors and the die contacts comprising compressed second bumps in the first openings comprising shoulder portions proximate to the second openings bonded to the conductors and portions bonded to the first bumps.
18. The package of claim 17 wherein the first bumps and the second bumps comprise a material selected from the group consisting of gold and palladium.
19. The package of claim 17 wherein the shoulder portions are formed around a periphery of the second openings.
20. The package of claim 17 wherein the external contacts are arranged in an area array.
21. The package of claim 17 wherein the first bumps and the second bumps comprise compressed metal wire.
22. A semiconductor package comprising:
a semiconductor die comprising a plurality of die contacts comprising bumps;
a polymer substrate attached to the die having a first side and a second side;
a plurality of external contacts on the first side;
a plurality of conductors on the second side in electrical communication with the external contacts having portions aligned with and bonded to the bumps; and
an electrically insulating adhesive layer between the second side and the die.
23. The package of claim 22 wherein the bumps comprise a conductive polymer.
24. The package of claim 22 wherein the bumps comprise a solder.
25. The package of claim 22 wherein the bumps comprise a metal.