The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 16, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 20, 2001
Masaki Hara, Kanagawa, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In fabricating bonded substrate structures having a device-housing space therein, microstructures in the bonded substrates are prevented from being broken or damaged, and the yield of the bonded substrate structures fabricated is increased. A through-groove capable of connecting the device-housing space to the outside is formed in the bonded surface of one substrate. Thus configured, the atmosphere inside the device-housing space is kept the same as the outside atmosphere while openings that reach the device-housing space are formed through the bonded substrate structure by etching the structure, and the device-housing space is prevented from being subjected to any rapid pressure change in the process of forming the openings. The depth of the through-groove may be the same as that of the recess for the device-housing space. Thus configured, the through-groove may be formed in one and the same etching treatment for forming the device-housing space. The through-groove may be partly sealed with a Pb bump or the like, and the atmosphere inside the device-housing space can be insulated from the outside atmosphere in any stage of processing the bonded substrate structure.