What is Claimed is:
1. A spherical semiconductor device comprising a spherical semiconductor element, said element comprising:
one or more electrodes on a surface of said element; and
spherical conductive bumps formed at the positions of said electrodes,
wherein said one or more electrodes have an area equivalent to an area of a circle having a diameter not less than 3% of a diameter of said spherical semiconductor element, and
wherein said area equivalent ensures that a joining strength sufficient to resist a pressure load during a bump joining process is obtained.
2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said electrodes are so arranged as to contact a common plane.
3. A device according to claim 1, wherein said spherical bumps constituting a group to be connected to the outside, protrude above said spherical semiconductor element such that there is formed one of no gap and a predetermined gap between one of a plane and a spherical surface capable of contacting said group of spherical bumps, and the surface of said spherical semiconductor element.
4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said spherical bump is made of a refractory metal having a melting point of not less than 550C.
5. A device according to claim 4, wherein said electrode is made of a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, and an alloy containing at least one of aluminum and copper, and said spherical bump is made of a material selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium, silver, copper, aluminum, nickel, and an alloy containing at least one of gold, platinum, palladium, silver, copper, aluminum, and nickel.
6. A device according to claim 1, wherein said electrode is connected through said spherical bump to an electrode selected from the group consisting of a ceramics substrate, a film carrier, a silicon substrate, a printed circuit board, a lead frame, a semiconductor chip, and a spherical semiconductor element.
7. A device according to claim 6, wherein said spherical bump comprises a refractory metal and is connected through a low-melting metal to an electrode selected from the group consisting of a ceramics substrate, a film carrier, a silicon substrate, a printed circuit board, a lead frame, a semiconductor chip, and a spherical semiconductor element,
wherein a difference in melting point between said refractory metal and said low-melting metal is not less than 50C.
8. A device according to claim 1, wherein said spherical semiconductor element is encapsulated with an encapsulating material.
9. A device according to claim 1, wherein said electrode has a shape selected from the group consisting of a trapezoid, a polygon having at least five sides, and a circle.
10. A device according to claim 1, wherein said spherical comprises a refractory metal coated with a low-melting metal.
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 vehicle seat and integrated side impact protection system comprising:
a seat comprising a seat bottom and a seat back attached to the seat bottom for movement relative thereto between a seating configuration and a fold-flat configuration, the seat having an outboard side and an inboard side;
an airbag module disposed within the seat back adjacent the outboard side thereof and comprising a side airbag and an inflator supplying gasses to inflate the side airbag;
a lap belt extending between the inboard and the outboard sides of the seat and having an inflatable belt airbag adjacent an outboard end of the lap belt disposed adjacent the outboard side of the seat; and
a gas conduit extending between the airbag module and the lap belt for conducting a portion of the gasses released by the inflator to the belt airbag, the gas conduit having at least one flexible portion to permit movement of the seat back between the seating configuration and the fold-flat configuration.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:
a seatbelt anchor attached to the outboard end of the lap belt, an outlet end of the gas conduit adjacent the inflatable belt portion being secured to the seatbelt anchor.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the seatbelt anchor is attached to a floor rail for securing the seat to a floor of the vehicle.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the inflator is disposed inside the side airbag.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4 further comprising an airbag fill tube having an inlet end in fluid communication with the inflator and an outlet end in fluid communication with the gas conduit, the airbag fill tube further having at least one nozzle for discharging the gasses released by the inflator into the airbag.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the gas conduit comprises:
a first connection fitting terminating a first portion of the gas conduit adjacent the airbag module and having a first portion of an optically scanned code imprinted thereon; and
a second connection fitting terminating a second portion of the gas conduit adjacent the seat belt and having a second portion of an optically scanned code imprinted thereon, the first and second connection fittings mating with one another to achieve fluid communication between the first and second portions of the gas conduit and to place the first and second portions of the optically scanned code in a condition indicating proper connection between the first and second fittings when read by an optical scanning device.
7. A vehicle seat and integrated side impact protection system comprising:
a seat comprising a seat bottom, a seat back movably attached to the seat bottom, and a folding mechanism disposed within a lower portion of the seat back for enabling movement of the seat back relative to the seat bottom between a seating configuration and a fold-flat configuration, the seat having an outboard side and an inboard side;
an airbag module disposed within an upper portion of the seat back adjacent the outboard side thereof and comprising a side airbag and an inflator supplying gasses to inflate the side airbag;
a lap belt extending between the inboard and the outboard sides of the seat and having a belt airbag adjacent an outboard end of the lap belt disposed adjacent the outboard side of the seat; and
a gas conduit extending between the airbag module and the lap belt for conducting gasses supplied by the inflator to the belt airbag, the gas conduit having at least one flexible portion to permit movement of the seat back between the seating configuration and the fold-flat configuration.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7 further comprising:
a seatbelt anchor attached to the outboard end of the lap belt, an outlet end of the gas conduit adjacent the inflatable belt portion being secured to the seatbelt anchor.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the seatbelt anchor is attached to a floor rail for securing the seat to a floor of the vehicle.
10. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the inflator is disposed inside the side airbag.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising an airbag fill tube having an inlet end in fluid communication with the inflator and an outlet end in fluid communication with the gas conduit, the airbag fill tube further having at least one nozzle for discharging the gasses released by the inflator into the airbag.
12. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the gas conduit comprises:
a first connection fitting terminating a first portion of the gas conduit adjacent the airbag module and having a first portion of an optically scanned code imprinted thereon; and
a second connection fitting terminating a second portion of the gas conduit adjacent the seat belt and having a second portion of an optically scanned code imprinted thereon, the first and second connection fittings mating with one another to achieve fluid communication between the first and second portions of the gas conduit and to place the first and second portions of the optically scanned code in a condition indicating proper connection between the first and second fittings when read by an optical scanning device.
13. A side-impact protection system for use in combination with a vehicle seat comprising a seat bottom and a seat back attached to the seat bottom for movement between a seating configuration and a fold-flat configuration, the system comprising:
an airbag module mountable to the seat back adjacent an outboard side thereof and comprising a side airbag and an inflator supplying gasses to inflate the side airbag;
a lap belt usable in combination with the seat and having a belt airbag adjacent a first end of the lap belt adapted to be secured to the vehicle adjacent an outboard side of the seat; and
a gas conduit conducting a portion of the gasses supplied by the inflator to the belt airbag, the gas conduit having at least one flexible portion to permit folding movement of the seat back between the seating configuration and the fold-flat configuration.
14. The apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising:
a seatbelt anchor attached to the outboard end of the lap belt, an outlet end of the gas conduit adjacent the inflatable belt portion being secured to the seatbelt anchor.
15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the seatbelt anchor is attached to a floor rail for securing the seat to a floor of the vehicle.
16. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the inflator is disposed inside the side airbag.
17. The apparatus according to claim 16 further comprising an airbag fill tube having an inlet end in fluid communication with the inflator and an outlet end in fluid communication with the gas conduit, the airbag fill tube further having at least one nozzle for discharging the gasses released by the inflator into the airbag.
18. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the gas conduit comprises:
a first connection fitting terminating a first portion of the gas conduit adjacent the airbag module and having a first portion of an optically scanned code imprinted thereon; and
a second connection fitting terminating a second portion of the gas conduit adjacent the seat belt and having a second portion of an optically scanned code imprinted thereon, the first and second connection fittings mating with one another to achieve fluid communication between the first and second portions of the gas conduit and to place the first and second portions of the optically scanned code in a condition indicating proper connection between the first and second fittings when read by an optical scanning device.