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The advantage provided by the spherical shape dramatically expands the range of applications, which may be addressed with semiconductor technology. Our 1 mm spheres provide greater than three times the usable surface area when compared to a conventional flat chip of equal footprint, and do not require the additional bulk of packaging. Ball Semiconductor Inc.'s vision is to produce semiconductor spheres down to 20 microns in diameter in the future.
Unique to the spherical geometry is the ability to place a circuit winding on the sphere's surface to create the property of inductance. The added dimension of height provides for much greater inductance values than that which is achievable on flat chip surfaces. These windings can also act as an antenna, enabling wireless RF communication between sensors implanted in the human body and peripheral devices.
Imagine sensors with true three-dimensional acquisition capabilities! Sensors placed on the surface of a sphere may be multi-directional, providing comprehensive information about their environment. Three-dimensional accelerometers, multi-directional stress and flow measurement sensors, even CCD imaging with three-dimensional capabilities are possible.
Development of high-tech applications, which require disposable devices due to contamination, degradation, or device recovery issues, has been limited in the past by the high cost of producing such devices. BALL's processing technology will significantly lower costs, making it feasible to produce disposable microscopic sensing and cataloging devices |
