1. A chip package comprising:
a substrate;
a semiconductor device over said substrate, wherein said semiconductor device comprises a silicon substrate, a dielectric layer under said silicon substrate, a first metal layer under said dielectric layer, wherein said first metal layer comprises a metal pad and a metal piece separate from said metal pad and neighboring said metal pad, and a polymer layer under said dielectric layer, under said metal pad, under said metal piece and in a gap between said metal pad and said metal piece, wherein an opening in said polymer layer is under a first contact point of said metal pad, and said first contact point is at a top of said opening;
a copper pillar between said first contact point and said substrate, wherein said copper pillar has a height between 10 and 100 micrometers, and wherein said copper pillar is connected to said first contact point through said opening;
a second metal layer between said first contact point and said copper pillar, wherein said second metal layer is on said first contact point, on a bottom surface of said polymer layer and in said opening, wherein said bottom surface has a first region directly over said second metal layer and directly under said metal pad and a second region directly under the middle of said gap, wherein said first region is at a substantially same horizontal level as said second region, and there is no significant step between said first region and said second region, and wherein said copper pillar is connected to said first contact point through said second metal layer;
a solder between said copper pillar and said substrate, wherein said solder is joined with said substrate, and wherein said solder is connected to said copper pillar; and
an underfill between said semiconductor device and said substrate, wherein said underfill contacts with said semiconductor device and said substrate and encloses said copper pillar.
2. The chip package of claim 1 further comprising a nickel-containing layer between said solder and said copper pillar.
3. The chip package of claim 2, wherein said nickel-containing layer has a thickness between 1 and 10 micrometers.
4. The chip package of claim 1, wherein said second metal layer comprises titanium.
5. The chip package of claim 1, wherein said metal pad comprises copper.
6. The chip package of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises a solder mask, a second contact point in a channel in said solder mask, a third contact point in said channel, wherein said second contact point is separate from said third contact point, and wherein said channel has a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite to and substantially parallel with said first sidewall, a first interconnect covered by said solder mask and connected to said second contact point through said first sidewall, and a second interconnect covered by said solder mask and connected to said third contact point through said second sidewall, wherein said solder is joined with said second contact point.
7. A chip package comprising:
a substrate;
a semiconductor device over said substrate, wherein said semiconductor device comprises a silicon substrate, a dielectric layer under said silicon substrate, a first metal layer under said dielectric layer, wherein said first metal layer comprises a metal pad and a metal piece separate from said metal pad and neighboring said metal pad, and a polymer layer under said dielectric layer, under said metal pad, under said metal piece and in a gap between said metal pad and said metal piece, wherein an opening in said polymer layer is under a first contact point of said metal pad, and said first contact point is at a top of said opening;
a copper-containing layer between said first contact point and said substrate, wherein said copper-containing layer is connected to said first contact point through said opening;
a second metal layer between said first contact point and said copper-containing layer, wherein said second metal layer is on said first contact point, on a bottom surface of said polymer layer and in said opening, wherein said bottom surface has a first region directly over said second metal layer and directly under said metal pad and a second region directly under the middle of said gap, wherein said first region is at a substantially same horizontal level as said second region, and there is no significant step between said first region and said second region, and wherein said copper-containing layer is connected to said first contact point through said second metal layer;
a solder between said copper-containing layer and said substrate, wherein said solder is joined with said substrate, and wherein said solder is connected to said copper-containing layer; and
an underfill between said semiconductor device and said substrate, wherein said underfill contacts with said semiconductor device and said substrate and encloses said solder.
8. The chip package of claim 7, wherein said second metal layer comprises titanium.
9. The chip package of claim 7, wherein said metal pad comprises copper.
10. The chip package of claim 7, wherein said copper-containing layer has a thickness between 10 and 100 micrometers.
11. The chip package of claim 7, wherein said substrate comprises a solder mask, a second contact point in a channel in said solder mask, a third contact point in said channel, wherein said second contact point is separate from said third contact point, and wherein said channel has a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite to and substantially parallel with said first sidewall, a first interconnect covered by said solder mask and connected to said second contact point through said first sidewall, and a second interconnect covered by said solder mask and connected to said third contact point through said second sidewall, wherein said solder is joined with said second contact point.
12. A chip package comprising:
a substrate;
a semiconductor device over said substrate, wherein said semiconductor device comprises a silicon substrate, a dielectric layer under said silicon substrate, a first metal layer under said dielectric layer, wherein said first metal layer comprises a metal pad and a metal piece separate from said metal pad and neighboring said metal pad, and a polymer layer under said dielectric layer, under said metal pad, under said metal piece and in a gap between said metal pad and said metal piece, wherein an opening in said polymer layer is under a first contact point of said metal pad, and said first contact point is at a top of said opening;
a copper-containing layer between said first contact point and said substrate, wherein said copper-containing layer is connected to said first contact point through said opening;
a second metal layer between said first contact point and said copper-containing layer, wherein said second metal layer is on said first contact point, on a bottom surface of said polymer layer and in said opening, wherein said bottom surface has a first region directly over said second metal layer and directly under said metal pad and a second region directly under the middle of said gap, wherein said first region is at a substantially same horizontal level as said second region, and there is no significant step between said first region and said second region, and wherein said copper-containing layer is connected to said first contact point through said second metal layer;
a solder between said copper-containing layer and said substrate, wherein said solder is joined with said substrate, and wherein said solder is connected to said copper-containing layer;
a nickel-containing layer between said copper-containing layer and said solder; and
an underfill between said semiconductor device and said substrate, wherein said underfill contacts with said semiconductor device and said substrate and encloses said solder.
13. The chip package of claim 12, wherein said second metal layer comprises titanium.
14. The chip package of claim 12, wherein said metal pad comprises copper.
15. The chip package of claim 12, wherein said copper-containing layer has a thickness between 10 and 100 micrometers.
16. The chip package of claim 12, wherein said nickel-containing layer has a thickness between 1 and 10 micrometers.
17. A chip package comprising:
a substrate;
a semiconductor device over said substrate, wherein said semiconductor device comprises a silicon substrate, a dielectric layer under said silicon substrate, a first metal layer under said dielectric layer, wherein said first metal layer comprises a metal pad and a metal piece separate from said metal pad and neighboring said metal pad, and a polymer layer under said dielectric layer, under said metal pad, under said metal piece and in a gap between said metal pad and said metal piece, wherein an opening in said polymer layer is under a first contact point of said metal pad, and said first contact point is at a top of said opening;
a nickel-containing layer between said first contact point and said substrate, wherein said nickel-containing layer is connected to said first contact point through said opening;
a second metal layer between said first contact point and said nickel-containing layer, wherein said second metal layer is on said first contact point, on a bottom surface of said polymer layer and in said opening, wherein said bottom surface has a first region directly over said second metal layer and directly under said metal pad and a second region directly under the middle of said gap, wherein said first region is at a substantially same horizontal level as said second region, and there is no significant step between said first region and said second region, and wherein said nickel-containing layer is connected to said first contact point through said second metal layer;
a solder between said nickel-containing layer and said substrate, wherein said solder is joined with said substrate, and wherein said solder is connected to said nickel-containing layer; and
an underfill between said semiconductor device and said substrate, wherein said underfill contacts with said semiconductor device and said substrate and encloses said solder.
18. The chip package of claim 17, wherein said second metal layer comprises titanium.
19. The chip package of claim 17, wherein said metal pad comprises copper .
20. The chip package of claim 17, wherein said nickel-containing layer has a thickness between 1 and 10 micrometers.
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 for synchronizing at least one database of a portable electronic device including first data records with at least one other database including second data records, the method comprising:
receiving information representative of said first data records
comparing said information representative of said first data records with information representative of said second data records to determine if changes made to either said first data records or said second data records are not reflected in the other of said first and second data records;
if changes made to said second data records are not reflected in said first data records, transmitting to the portable electronic device only partial content of ones of changed second data records, said partial content including key fields of data sufficient to uniquely identify said ones of changed second data records in which said key fields of data are contained; and
after transmitting only partial content of said ones of changed second data records to said portable electronic device, transmitting full content of said ones of changed second data records for which only partial content has been transmitted until either:
full content of each of said ones of changed second data records is transmitted; or
a low memory condition is determined at the portable electronic device.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said receiving information representative of said first data records comprises receiving hash information representative of said first data records.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said comparing comprises comparing said hash information representative of said first data records with hash information representative of said second data records.
4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising generating said hash information representative of said second data records prior to said comparing.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein generating said hash information comprises generating hash information representative of key fields of data only for said ones of changed second data records for which only partial content is transmitted to said portable electronic device.
6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising associating said second data records with an identifier for identifying said ones of changed second data records for which only partial content is transmitted to said portable electronic device.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said full content of said ones of changed second data records is transmitted in response to receiving a request.
8. The method according to claim 1, comprising transmitting full content of other ones of changed data records that are indicated for full content transmission, prior to transmitting full content of said ones of changed second data records for which only partial content has been transmitted to said portable electronic device.
9. The method according to claim 1, wherein full content of said ones of changed second data records is transmitted according to an assigned priority.
10. An apparatus for synchronizing at least one database of a portable electronic device including first data records with at least one other database including second data records, the apparatus comprising:
a memory device for storing said at least one other database including said second data records;
a receiver for receiving information representative of said first data records
a processor for comparing said information representative of said first data records with information representative of said second data records to determine if changes made to either said first data records or said second data records are not reflected in the other of said first and second data records;
a transmitter for transmitting to said portable electronic device, only partial content of ones of changed second data records, said partial content including key fields of data sufficient to uniquely identify said ones of changed second data records in which said key fields of data are contained, if changes made to said ones of changed second data records are not reflected in said first data records, and for transmitting full content of said ones of changed second data records for which only partial content has been transmitted until either:
full content of each of said ones of changed second data records is transmitted; or
a low memory condition is determined at the portable electronic device.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said information representative of said first data records comprises hash information representative of said first data records, and said information representative of said second data records comprises hash information representative of said second data records.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said processor is configured to generate said hash information representative of said second data records prior to said comparing and said hash information representative of said ones of changed second data records for which only partial content has been transmitted comprises hash information representative of key fields of data only.
13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein an identifier is associated with said ones of changed second data records for which only partial content is transmitted.
14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said transmitter is configured for transmitting full content of other ones of changed second data records that are indicated for full content transmission.
15. A computer-readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for:
receiving information representative of said first data records
comparing said information representative of said first data records with information representative of said second data records to determine if changes made to either said first data records or said second data records are not reflected in the other of said first and second data records; and
if changes made to said second data records are not reflected in said first data records, transmitting to said portable electronic device only partial content of ones of changed second data records, said partial content including key fields of data sufficient to uniquely identify said ones of changed second data records in which said key fields of data are contained; and
after transmitting only partial content of said ones of changed second data records to said portable electronic device, transmitting full content of said ones of changed second data records for which only partial content has been transmitted until either:
full content of each of said ones of changed second data records is transmitted; or
a low memory condition is determined at the portable electronic device.