Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

Commissariat a L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives

Hanking Electronics, Ltd.

Hemant D Desai

Lisa H Karlin

Woo Tae Park

Mark Edward Schlarmann

Yizhen Lin

Viresh Patel

Kemiao Jia

Lianjun Liu

Stephen Ryan Hooper

Bishnu Prasanna Gogoi

Andrew C McNeil

Peter R Harper

William G McDonald

Raymond Mervin Roop

Vincent Larrey

Audrey Berthelot

Jean-Philippe Polizzi

Arvind S Salian

Demetre Kondylis

Heinz Loreck

Marie-Hélène Vaudaine

The invention relates to sensors, and more particularly, a sensor device having accelerometer and gyroscope integrated into a low cost compact package. The device includes: MEMs wafer; and an ASIC wafer bonded to the MEMs wafer; a wafer-level-package redistribution layer (WLP RDL) formed on a surface of the ASIC wafer; and a ball grid array having a plurality of solder balls that electrically connect the package to a circuit board. The MEMs wafer includes the accelerometer and gyroscope, while the ASIC wafer includes two separate cavities corresponding to the accelerometer and gyroscope, respectively. The ASIC wafer includes electrical circuits/components to process the readout signals received from the accelerometer and gyroscope.

Wafer level micro-electro-mechanical systems package with accelerometer and gyroscope

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for an isolating structure. Embodiments of the present invention provide a robust packaging process and a mechanical filter to reduce the mechanical shock from impact. The mechanical filter can be integrated within the package substrate as part of the packaging process, reducing the assembly complexity.

Method and apparatus for an isolating structure

This invention relates generally to semiconductor manufacturing and packaging and more specifically to semiconductor manufacturing in MEMS (Microelectromechanical systems) inertial sensing products. Embodiments of the present invention provide a robust packaging process and a mechanical filter to reduce the mechanical shock from impact. The mechanical filter can be integrated within the package substrate as part of the packaging process, reducing the assembly complexity.

Method and apparatus for an integrated isolation mechanical filter with substrate based package

A semiconductor device is formed such that a semiconductor substrate of the device has a non-uniform thickness. A cavity is etched at a selected side of the semiconductor substrate, and the selected side is then fusion bonded to another substrate, such as a carrier substrate. After fusion bonding, the side of the semiconductor substrate opposite the selected side is ground to a defined thickness. Accordingly, the semiconductor substrate has a uniform thickness except in the area of the cavity, where the substrate is thinner. Devices that benefit from a thinner substrate, such as an accelerometer, can be formed over the cavity.

Semiconductor device including accelerometer devices

An assembly () includes a MEMS die () and an integrated circuit (IC) die () attached to a substrate (). The MEMS die () includes a MEMS device () formed on a substrate (). A packaging process () entails forming the MEMS device () on the substrate () and removing a material portion of the substrate () surrounding the device () to form a cantilevered substrate platform () suspended above the substrate () at which the MEMS device () resides. The MEMS die () is electrically interconnected with the IC die (). A plug element () can be positioned overlying the platform (). Molding compound () is applied to encapsulate the die (), the IC die (), and substrate (). Following encapsulation, the plug element () can be removed, and a cap () can be coupled to the substrate () overlying an active region () of the MEMS device ().

MEMS device assembly and method of packaging same

A method for forming a semiconductor device includes providing a substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface, removing a first portion of the substrate to form a cavity at the first major surface of the substrate, bonding the first major surface of the substrate to a carrier substrate after forming the cavity, and reducing a thickness of the substrate. The method further includes forming a first accelerometer device at the second major surface such that at least a portion of the first accelerometer device is over the cavity and forming a second accelerometer device at the second major surface such that the second accelerometer device is not disposed over the cavity.

Method of forming an integrated circuit having varying substrate depth

A device being a micro-system and/or a nano-system which includes a first substrate, having at least one lower electrode and at least one dielectric layer, and includes an intermediate substrate extending across a main plane of the device and including a moving portion. The intermediate substrate is attached, outside the moving portion, by molecular bonding to the first substrate. The moving portion faces at least a portion of the lower electrode. The device also includes an upper substrate, attached to the intermediate substrate. The moving portion is movable between the lower electrode and the upper substrate. The first, intermediate, and upper substrates extend in a plane parallel to the main plane of the device. The lower electrode detects a component of the movement of the moving portion perpendicular to the plane of the device.

Structure with a moving portion and a buried electrode for movement detection included in a multi-substrate configuration

A MEMS is attached to a bonding wafer in part by forming a support layer over the MEMS. A first eutectic layer is formed over the support layer. The eutectic layer is patterned into segments to relieve stress. A second eutectic layer is formed over the bonding wafer. A eutectic bond is formed with the segments and the second eutectic layer to attach the bonding wafer to the MEMS.

Attaching a MEMS to a bonding wafer

A disclosed semiconductor fabrication process includes forming a first bonding structure on a first surface of a cap wafer, forming a second bonding structure on a first surface of a device wafer, and forming a device structure on the device wafer. One or more eutectic flow containment structures are formed on the cap wafer, the device wafer, or both. The flow containment structures may include flow containment micro-cavities (FCMCs) and flow containment micro-levee (FCMLs). The FCMLs may be elongated ridges overlying the first surface of the device wafer and extending substantially parallel to the bonding structure. The FCMLs may include interior FCMLs lying within a perimeter of the bonding structure, exterior FCMLs lying outside of the bonding structure perimeter, or both. When the two wafers are bonded, the FCMLs and FCMCs confine flow of the eutectic material to the region of the bonding structure.

Eutectic flow containment in a semiconductor fabrication process

A device () includes sensors () that sense different physical stimuli. A pressure sensor () includes a reference element () and a sense element (), and an inertial sensor () includes a movable element (). Fabrication () entails forming () a first substrate structure () having a cavity (), forming a second substrate structure () to include the sensors (), and coupling () the substrate structures so that the first sensor () is aligned with the cavity () and the second sensor () is laterally spaced apart from the first sensor (). Forming the second structure () includes forming () the sense element () from a material layer () of the second structure () and following coupling () of the substrate structures, concurrently forming () the reference element () and the movable element () in a wafer substrate () of the second structure ().

MEMS sensor device with multi-stimulus sensing

A device structure is made using a first conductive layer over a first wafer. An isolated conductive region is formed in the first conductive layer surrounded by a first opening in the conductive layer. A second wafer has a first insulating layer and a conductive substrate, wherein the conductive substrate has a first major surface adjacent to the first insulating layer. The insulating layer is attached to the isolated conductive region. The conductive substrate is thinned to form a second conductive layer. A second opening is formed through the second conductive layer and the first insulating layer to the isolated conductive region. The second opening is filled with a conductive plug wherein the conductive plug contacts the isolated conductive region. The second conductive region is etched to form a movable finger over the isolated conductive region. A portion of the insulating layer under the movable finger is removed.

Device structures for in-plane and out-of-plane sensing micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) pressure sensor device () includes a substrate structure () having a cavity () formed therein and a substrate structure () having a reference element () formed therein. A sense element () is interposed between the substrate structures () and is spaced apart from the reference element (). The sense element () is exposed to an external environment () via one of the cavity () and a plurality of openings () formed in the reference element (). The sense element () is movable relative to the reference element () in response to a pressure stimulus () from the environment (). Fabrication methodology () entails forming () the substrate structure () having the cavity (), fabricating () the substrate structure () including the sense element (), coupling () the substrate structures, and subsequently forming () the reference element () in the substrate structure ().

MEMS pressure sensor device and method of fabricating same

Method of producing a microelectromechanical (MEMS) sensor device

A method for making a MEMS structure comprises patterning recesses in a dielectric layer overlying a substrate, each recess being disposed between adjacent mesas of dielectric material. A conformal layer of semiconductor material is formed overlying the recesses and mesas. The conformal layer is chemical mechanically polished to form a chemical mechanical polished surface, wherein the chemical mechanical polishing is sufficient to create dished portions of semiconductor material within the plurality of recesses. Each dished portion has a depth proximate a central portion thereof that is less than a thickness of the semiconductor material proximate an outer portion thereof. A semiconductor wafer is then bonded to the chemical mechanical polished surface. The bonded semiconductor wafer is patterned with openings according to the requirements of a desired MEMS transducer. Lastly, the MEMS transducer is released. Releasing advantageously exposes anti-stiction features formed from outer edges of the dished portion of semiconductor material.

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Chandler, AZ, United States of America

Hemant D Desai