1. A load sensor comprising:
first means for providing an output signal that draws a non-linear input load curve with a change in magnitude of a shock caused by a hit on an object;
second means including a plurality of amplifiers having respective prescribed gains and being connected with said first means to provide respective linear functions, whereby each of the linear functions corresponds to a portion of the input load curve at a prescribed gain and together with the other linear functions forms an approximation of the input load curve; and
third means for converting the linear functions to digital data.
2. The load sensor according to claim 1, wherein said first means comprises a light emitting element, a light sensing element, an optical fiber connecting said light emitting element and said light sensing element, and fourth means for deforming said optical fiber in response to the shock.
3. The load sensor according to claim 1, wherein said third means is for separately receiving and converting each of the linear functions to the digital data.
4. A pedestrian protection system comprising:
a load sensor including first means for providing an output signal that draws an input load curve with change in magnitude of a shock caused by a hit on an object, second means having a plurality of amplifiers having respective prescribed gains and connected with said first means to provide respective linear functions each corresponding to a portion of the input load curve at a prescribed gain thereby approximating the input load curve, and third means for providing digital data that corresponds to the linear functions;
an object examining unit for providing an output signal when discriminating a pedestrian according to the digital data; and
an air bag control unit for providing an airbag operating signal when receiving the output signal from said object examining unit.
5. The pedestrian protection system according to claim 4, wherein said second means comprises a lower load amplifier and a higher load amplifier.
6. The pedestrian protection system according to claim 4, further comprising a single communication line for sending the digital data from said third means to said airbag control unit.
7. The pedestrian protection system according to claim 4, wherein said third means is for separately receiving and converting each of the linear functions to the digital data.
8. A method of detecting a load caused by hitting an object comprising:
providing an output analog signal that draws an input load curve with a change in magnitude in response to various shocks caused by object hits;
dividing the input load curve into a plurality of linear portions;
amplifying each of the linear portions at a gain specific to each of the linear portions to approximate the input load curve; and
separately converting to digital data each of the amplified linear portions for subsequent digital processing.
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 fabricating a through interconnect on a semiconductor substrate comprising:
forming a via in a first side of the substrate part way through the substrate;
forming an electrically insulating layer on the first side and in the via;
forming a conductive layer on the insulating layer at least partially lining the via;
forming a first contact on the first side of the substrate comprising a flowable metal filling the via in electrical contact with the conductive layer; and
thinning a second side of the substrate at least to the insulating layer.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a second contact on the second side of the substrate in electrical contact with the first contact.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the conductive layer comprises a metallization layer and the first contact comprises a bump or a pad.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the thinning step comprises a method selected from the group consisting of grinding, chemical mechanical planarization, and etching.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the forming the first contact step comprises deposition of solder or metal paste through a mask.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the forming the first contact step comprises a solder bump bonding (SBB) process or a solder jetting process.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the forming the first contact step comprises a two step process wherein the via is filled by deposition of the flowable metal, followed by a bump or ball forming step.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the forming the first contact step comprises reflow of the flowable metal into the via using a reflow oven.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the via includes a bottom surface and the thinning step is performed to remove at least a portion of the conductive layer on the bottom surface.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the via includes a bottom surface and the thinning step is performed to leave at least a portion of the conductive layer on the bottom surface.
11. A method for fabricating a through interconnect on a semiconductor substrate comprising:
providing the semiconductor substrate with a first side and a second side;
forming a via in the first side having sidewalls and a bottom surface in the substrate;
forming an electrically insulating layer on the first side, on the sidewalls and on the bottom surface of the via;
forming an electrically conductive layer on the insulating layer;
forming a first contact in the via in electrical contact with the conductive layer; and
thinning the substrate from the second side at least to the insulating layer on the bottom surface of the via.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising forming a second contact on the second side in electrical contact with the first metal bump.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the first contact and the second contact comprise metal bumps.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein the first contact and the second contact comprise pads.
15. The method of claim 11 wherein the forming the first contact step comprises a method selected from the group consisting of deposition through a mask, stud bumping ball bonding and solder jetting.
16. The method of claim 11 wherein the forming the via step comprises crystalgraphic etching and the via has sloped sidewalls.
17. The method of claim 11 wherein the thinning step comprises a method selected from the group consisting of grinding, chemical mechanical planarization, and etching.
18. A method for fabricating a plurality of through interconnects on a semiconductor substrate comprising:
providing a semiconductor wafer having a first side and a second side;
forming a hard mask on the first side having a plurality of openings;
etching a plurality of vias aligned with the openings part way through the substrate;
forming an electrically insulating layer on the first side and in the vias;
forming a metallization layer on the insulating layer at least partially lining the vias;
forming a plurality of first contacts on the first side filling the vias in electrical contact with the metallization layer lining the vias; and
thinning the wafer from the second side to expose the metallization layer or the first contacts in the vias.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising forming a plurality of second contacts on the second side in electrical contact with the first contacts.
20. The method of claim 18 wherein the first contacts comprise solder or metal paste deposited into the vias.
21. The method of claim 18 wherein the forming the first contacts step comprises reflowing a metal of the first contacts into the vias using a reflow oven.
22. The method of claim 18 wherein the forming the first contacts step comprises a solder bump bonding (SBB) process or a solder jetting process.
23. The method of claim 18 wherein the forming the first contacts step comprises a two step process wherein the vias are filled by deposition of a flowable metal, followed by a bump or ball forming step.
24. An interconnect component comprising:
a thinned semiconductor substrate having a first side and a second side;
a via through the thinned semiconductor substrate from the first side to the second side;
a first electrically insulating layer on the first side and in the via;
a metallization layer on the first electrically insulating layer at least partially lining the via;
a first contact comprising a first metal bump on the first side and within the via in electrical contact with the metallization layer;
a second electrically insulating layer on the second side; and
a second contact comprising a second metal bump on the second electrically insulating layer in electrical contact with the first contact in the via.
25. The interconnect of claim 24 wherein the first metal bump and the second metal bump comprise solder.
26. The interconnect of claim 24 wherein the via includes sidewalls and a bottom surface, and the under bump metallization layer is on the sidewalls and the bottom surface.
27. The interconnect of claim 24 wherein the via includes sidewalls and a bottom surface, and the under bump metallization layer is on the sidewalls but not on the bottom surface.