Thick Film Technology For Today's Hearing Products

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 000325-000330
Author(s):  
John Dzarnoski ◽  
Susie Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Thick Film ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Electronic Packaging ◽  
Flip Chip ◽  
Telecommunications Industry ◽  
Passive Devices ◽  
3D Packaging ◽  
History Of ◽  
Vertical Interconnect

There has been continuous worldwide effort to increase the volumetric efficiency of electronic packaging. Much of this effort has been driven by the telecommunications industry that has succeeded in reducing cell phone size while simultaneously increasing functionality. The hearing aid business has always had the need to use extremely small electronic packaging because hearing aids pack electronics into the ear canal. The first commercial product using the transistor in 1952 was a hybrid vacuum tube-transistor hearing instrument. Today's hearing aids, such as Starkey's 3-Series product, have significant computing power and run complex hearing algorithms that have enormous impact on a patient's quality of life. The industry trend is to put more memory, more signal processing capability and more wireless capability into hearing aids to increase functionality and to improve performance. In order to achieve this increase in performance, the hearing business has had to develop and execute 3D packaging well ahead of other industries. This paper will examine the history of ceramic hybrid packaging at Starkey. The challenges and drivers for major technology steps will be addressed. The following technical advancements, transitions, considerations and limitations will be examined: changing ASIC technologies, impact of chip metallization, solder interconnect temperature hierarchy, impact of RoHS legislation, overcoming routing design limits, miniaturization realized by flip chip attach, impact of chip stacking on size, migration to stacked thick film ceramic interconnect layers using vertical interconnect channels, advances in thick film materials to support higher interconnect density, and incorporation of integrated passive devices.

scholarly journals Hearing more to Hear less: a scoping review of hearing aids for tinnitus relief

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laure Jacquemin ◽  
Annick Gilles ◽  
Raj Shekhawat
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Guidelines Development ◽  
History Of ◽  
Sound Amplification ◽  
Positive Results

AbstractBackgroundTinnitus, the perception of a sound in absence of an external auditory source, can significantly impact ones’ quality of life. As tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, hearing aids have been proposed for tinnitus relief in literature for more than 70 years. While there is a long history of clinical work and research on this topic, there is a need for recent literature to be reviewed and guide decision making in tinnitus management.ObjectiveThe aim of this scoping review is to provide an update of the available evidence on hearing aids for tinnitus, focusing on the effect of sound amplification, to draw conclusions for clinical practice and identify gaps in the field. A consultation exercise was included to discuss current issues that practitioners and carers themselves face but remain under-researched.DesignThis scoping review was conducted based on the six-stage framework of Arksey et al. (2005). Studies were included if they investigated hearing aids for tinnitus and were published after 2011. Databases of PubMed and Scopus were explored on the 16th of November 2020. The search was limited to English manuscripts. A total of 28 primary research studies were selected.ResultsPositive results of hearing aids for tinnitus relief were shown by 68 % of the studies, whereas 14 % demonstrated no change in tinnitus perception. As the quality of the evidence across studies was variable, no consensus can be reached regarding the use of hearing aids as a treatment for tinnitus. Nevertheless, recent studies were more likely to focus on optimizing the effect of hearing aids and better predicting which tinnitus patients benefit from hearing aids. The experts stated that the findings were in agreement with their view on the scientific evidence and they emphasized the importance of reaching consensus.ConclusionsThe majority of the studies supported the use of hearing aids for tinnitus relief. Hence, there was some scientific support for it, but the quality of evidence was questioned. Stronger methodology in future studies is needed to reach consensus and support clinical guidelines development.

Effect on Reliability of Bending Flexible Circuits

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 (DPC) ◽  
pp. 002104-002130
Author(s):  
John Dzarnoski ◽  
Kexia Sun
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Electronic Packaging ◽  
Cell Phone ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Failure Mechanisms ◽  
Telecommunications Industry ◽  
Bend Angle ◽  
Microelectronic Packaging ◽  
Bend Radius ◽  
Device Applications

There has been enormous worldwide effort to increase the volumetric efficiency of electronic packaging. Much of this effort has been driven by the telecommunications industry that has succeeded in reducing cell phone size while simultaneously increasing functionality. The hearing aid business has always had the need to use extremely small electronic packaging because hearing aids pack electronics into the ear canal. In recent years hearing aid microelectronic packaging has moved from ceramic hybrid based packaging to a flexible circuit based technology. Due to the size and shape of all types of hearing aids, flexible circuits need to be folding and bent to fit inside hearing aid cases. In order to reduce space, bends and folds are pushing conventional wisdom on the limits of mechanical integrity. There is little published information regarding bendability of multilayer flexible circuits for class I medical device applications. This paper will examine bending and folding effects on a Polyimide/Adhesive/Copper/Polyimide/Copper/Adhesive/Polyimide structural stack-up on a test coupon and a HDI flexible circuit. A forming tool that controls every aspect of bend testing will be discussed. A variety of factors were investigated including bend angle, thickness of the circuit, bend radius, foil weight, copper materials, construction, and frequency of flexing. The circuit electrical resistance, microstructure and crack initiation were monitored during the process and will be examined. Failure mechanisms will be discussed as well as their impact on design.

Adult Cleft Palate Repair: It’s Worth a Shot

2020 ◽  
pp. 105566562097457
Author(s):  
Nicholas Haydon ◽  
Harriet Semple ◽  
Melissa Parkin ◽  
Michael Taplin ◽  
Catherine Boorer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cleft Palate ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Marked Improvement ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Velopharyngeal Incompetence ◽  
Cleft Palate Repair ◽  
History Of ◽  
Palate Repair

Repair of cleft palate in the adult population is controversial. We present a case of a 66-year-old woman who underwent secondary cleft palate repair. The patient was born with a cleft palate and at age 15 years underwent palate repair that subsequently broke down. She had profound velopharyngeal incompetence, was difficult to understand in conversation, and had a long history of hearing issues requiring hearing aids. She underwent revision palatoplasty and insertion of bilateral grommets. Postoperatively she had marked improvement in her speech, hearing, and quality of life. This case demonstrates the utility of secondary repair of cleft palate in the adult population.

Development of Reliable Electronic Packaging Solutions for Spacecraft Avionics Miniaturization Using Embedded Passive Devices

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don Schatzel
Keyword(s):  
Thin Film ◽  
Thermal Cycling ◽  
Electronic Packaging ◽  
Flip Chip ◽  
Dielectric Materials ◽  
Electrical Performance ◽  
Passive Devices ◽  
Die Attach ◽  
Space Environments ◽  
Viable Approach

Miniaturization of electronic packages will play a key role in future space avionics systems. Smaller avionics packages will reduce payloads while providing greater functionality for information processing and mission instrumentation. Current surface mount technology discrete passive devices not only take up significant space but also add weight. To that end, the use of embedded passive devices, such as capacitors, inductors and resistors will be instrumental in allowing electronics to be made smaller and lighter. Embedded passive devices fabricated on silicon or like substrates using thin film technology, promise great savings in circuit volume, as well as potentially improving electrical performance by decreasing parasitic losses. These devices exhibit a low physical profile and allow the circuit footprint to be reduced by stacking passive elements within a substrate. Thin film technologies used to deposit embedded passive devices are improving and costs associated with the process are decreasing. There are still many challenges with regard to this approach that must be overcome. In order to become a viable approach these devices need to work in conjunction with other active devices such as bumped die (flip chip) that share the same substrate area. This dictates that the embedded passive devices are resistant to the subsequent assembly processes associated with die attach (temperature, pressure). Bare die will need to be mounted directly on top of one or more layers of embedded passive devices. Currently there is not an abundant amount of information available on the reliability of these devices when subjected to the high temperatures of die attach or environmental thermal cycling for space environments. Device performance must be consistent over time and temperature with minimal parasitic loss. Pretested and assembled silicon substrates with layers of embedded capacitors made with two different dielectric materials, Ta2O5 (Tantalum Oxide) and benzocyclobutene (BCB), were subjected to the die attach process and tested for performance in an ambient environment. These assemblies were subjected to environmental thermal cycling from −55°C to 100°C. Preliminary results indicate embedded passive capacitors and resistors can fulfill the performance and reliability requirements of space flight on future missions. Testing results are encouraging for continued development of integrating embedded passive devices to replace conventional electronic packaging methods.

Embedding Active and Passive Devices in Medical Electronics

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (DPC) ◽  
pp. 000786-000814
Author(s):  
John Dzarnoski ◽  
Susie Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Telecommunications Industry ◽  
The United States ◽  
Size Reduction ◽  
Circuit Board ◽  
Vacuum Tube ◽  
Passive Devices ◽  
Hearing Instruments ◽  
Wafer Test

Efforts to increase the packaging efficiency of microelectronic systems have been extensive and continuous over the past few decades. Evidence of this can be seen even before the expansion of the space program by the United States in 1961 and the race to the moon; one of the first settings where size was truly limited and miniaturization of electronics was a necessity. In the 1950's the world saw its first major size reduction of electronic component with the phase out of the vacuum tube in favor of the transistor. The transistor saw its first major commercial use in 1952 via hybrid vacuum tube transistor technology. While many industries benefitted from the shift, in 1954 the hearing aid industry specifically experienced major improvements owing to the implementation of transistors, becoming smaller, requiring less power and having better functionality. The first 4-transistor AM radio product followed shortly thereafter. Much of today's effort since 1978 has been driven by the telecommunications industry that has succeeded in reducing cell phone size while simultaneously increasing functionality. Just as in the 1950's, hearing aid technology continues to be at the forefront when it comes to miniaturization. The hearing aid business has always had the need to use extremely small electronic packaging. The first completely in the canal (CIC) hearing aids were produced in 1993 and required all electronic components to be small enough that they fit entirely inside the ear canal. The introduction of wireless systems into hearing aids has sharply increased component count. Due to the size and shape of a multitude of types of hearing aids, flexible circuits need to be folded and bent to fit inside hearing aid cases, with essentially all available space being used. More powerful processors and more memory are enabling sophisticated algorithms that are able to greatly improve sound quality. There is also a strong market desire to add more features to hearing products while at the same time making them smaller and less visible. The latest hearing aids have succeeded in the later demand, constructed so small they are not visible and consequently are called invisible in the canal (IIC). In order to continue meeting the markets want for smaller and more features, a new packaging method needed to be developed. One such option is embedded die packaging. This paper will examine the use of embedded die packaging (or chip-in-flex) to drive significant further size reduction in custom and standard hearing instruments over what can be achieved using chip-on-flex or traditional ceramic hybrid based technologies. The historical drivers, available circuit board technologies, use of integrated passive devices, performance improvement, size reduction, device reliability, changes in supply chain, impact on wafer test, impact on device test, and challenges of working with wafers instead of die will be discussed.

Scanning Electron Microscopy in Hybrid Microelectronics

1976 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
pp. 456-457
Author(s):  
S. Khadpe ◽  
R. Faryniak
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Thick Film ◽  
Integrated Circuit ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Circuit Components ◽  
Hybrid Microcircuit ◽  
Electrical Connections ◽  
Scanning Electron

The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) is an important tool in Thick Film Hybrid Microcircuits Manufacturing because of its large depth of focus and three dimensional capability. This paper discusses some of the important areas in which the SEM is used to monitor process control and component failure modes during the various stages of manufacture of a typical hybrid microcircuit.Figure 1 shows a thick film hybrid microcircuit used in a Motorola Paging Receiver. The circuit consists of thick film resistors and conductors screened and fired on a ceramic (aluminum oxide) substrate. Two integrated circuit dice are bonded to the conductors by means of conductive epoxy and electrical connections from each integrated circuit to the substrate are made by ultrasonically bonding 1 mil aluminum wires from the die pads to appropriate conductor pads on the substrate. In addition to the integrated circuits and the resistors, the circuit includes seven chip capacitors soldered onto the substrate. Some of the important considerations involved in the selection and reliability aspects of the hybrid circuit components are: (a) the quality of the substrate; (b) the surface structure of the thick film conductors; (c) the metallization characteristics of the integrated circuit; and (d) the quality of the wire bond interconnections.

Probiotics in gastroenterology – from a different angle

2013 ◽  
Vol 154 (8) ◽  
pp. 294-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
György Miklós Buzás
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Beneficial Effect ◽  
Analytical Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Gastrointestinal Diseases ◽  
Convincing Evidence ◽  
Probiotic Treatment ◽  
History Of ◽  
Irritable Bowel

After a short overview of the history of probiotics, the author presents the development of human intestinal microflora based on the newest genetic data and the microbiological features of main probiotics. The indications of probiotic administration have been defined and extended in recent years. The author reviews significant results of probiotic treatment in some gastrointestinal diseases based on meta-analytical data. Probiotics are useful in preventing and treating diarrhoea caused by antibiotics and Clostridium difficile caused diarrhoea. In the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection, preparations containing certain Lactobacillus,Bifidobacterium strains or Saccaromyces boulardii could enhance by 5–10% the rate of successful eradication and reduce the incidence and severity of the side effects. Some symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and thus the quality of life can be improved by probiotics. Their beneficial effect in ulcerative colitis was proven, while in Crohn’s disease has not yet been defined. The use of probiotics is not included in guidelines, with the exception of the Maastricht IV/Florence consensus. For each disease it is advisable to use probiotics containing strains only with proven beneficial effect. The efficiency of preparations containing mixed strains has not yet been properly investigated. The author reviews the rare but potentially serious side effects of probiotics. In Hungary, there are many probiotic preparations available which can be purchased in pharmacies without prescription: their use is more empirical than evidence-based. The European Food Safety Authority has recently rejected claims for probiotics to be classed as medicines given the lack of convincing evidence on the effects of probiotics on human health and well-being. Clearly, further research is needed to collect evidence which could be incorporated into the international guidelines. Orv. Hetil., 2013, 154, 294–304.

EXPLORING HEALTHCARE ARCHITECTURE THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF FILM: Motives and Techniques

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Stephen Verderber
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
The Real ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Behavior Setting ◽  
Physical Environments ◽  
Scant Attention ◽  
History Of

The interdisciplinary field of person-environment relations has, from its origins, addressed the transactional relationship between human behavior and the built environment. This body of knowledge has been based upon qualitative and quantitative assessment of phenomena in the “real world.” This knowledge base has been instrumental in advancing the quality of real, physical environments globally at various scales of inquiry and with myriad user/client constituencies. By contrast, scant attention has been devoted to using simulation as a means to examine and represent person-environment transactions and how what is learned can be applied. The present discussion posits that press-competency theory, with related aspects drawn from functionalist-evolutionary theory, can together function to help us learn of how the medium of film can yield further insights to person-environment (P-E) transactions in the real world. Sampling, combined with extemporary behavior setting analysis, provide the basis for this analysis of healthcare settings as expressed throughout the history of cinema. This method can be of significant aid in examining P-E transactions across diverse historical periods, building types and places, healthcare and otherwise, otherwise logistically, geographically, or temporally unattainable in real time and space.

A Sample Preparation on Decapsulation Methodology for Effective Failure Analysis on Thin Small Leadless (TSLP) Flip Chip Package with Copper Pillar (CuP) Bump Interconnect Technology

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwee Hoon Yen ◽  
Ng Kiong Kay
Keyword(s):  
Sample Preparation ◽  
Failure Analysis ◽  
Flip Chip ◽  
Fault Localization ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Fault Isolation ◽  
Voltage Contrast ◽  
Interconnect Technology

Abstract Today, failure analysis involving flip chip [1] with copper pillar bump packaging technologies would be the major challenges faced by analysts. Most often, handling on the chips after destructive chemical decapsulation is extremely critical as there are several failure analysis steps to be continued such as chip level fault localization, chip micro probing for fault isolation, parallel lapping [2, 3, 4] and passive voltage contrast. Therefore, quality of sample preparation is critical. This paper discussed and demonstrated a quick, reliable and cost effective methodology to decapsulate the thin small leadless (TSLP) flip chip package with copper pillar (CuP) bump interconnect technology.

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