2324results about "Microstructural devices" patented technology

Break-away tethers to secure electronic, mechanical, optical, or other microstructures, during release from one substrate and transfer to another. Microstructures are fabricated with integrated tethers attaching them to a first substrate. The structures are undercut by etching and contacted and bonded to a second substrate. First and second substrates are separated, breaking the tethers.

A low-k dielectric sacrificial material is formed within a microelectronic structure covered with a layer defining an exhaust vent. At an appropriate time, the underlying sacrificial material is decomposed and exhausted away through the exhaust vent. Residue from the exhausted sacrificial material accumulates at the vent location during exhaustion until the vent is substantially occluded. As a result, an air gap is created having desirable characteristics as a dielectric.

In a method for producing a cover for a region of a substrate, first a frame structure is produced in the region of the substrate, and then a cap structure is attached to the frame structure so that the region under the cap structure is covered. Thus, sensitive devices may be protected easily and at low cost from external influences and particularly from a casting material for casting the entire packaged device, which results when a diced chip is cast.

The present invention provides methods and devices for fabricating 3D structures and patterns of 3D structures on substrate surfaces, including symmetrical and asymmetrical patterns of 3D structures. Methods of the present invention provide a means of fabricating 3D structures having accurately selected physical dimensions, including lateral and vertical dimensions ranging from 10 s of nanometers to 1000 s of nanometers. In one aspect, methods are provided using a mask element comprising a conformable, elastomeric phase mask capable of establishing conformal contact with a radiation sensitive material undergoing photoprocessing. In another aspect, the temporal and/or spatial coherence of electromagnetic radiation using for photoprocessing is selected to fabricate complex structures having nanoscale features that do not extend entirely through the thickness of the structure fabricated.

A highly sensitive silicon micro-machined sensor package is provided for use in a micro-g environment that can also resist high shock in excess of 5000 g. The sensor is provided to measure acceleration in cooperation with associated electronics which are required to have electrical contact with sensor elements. The sensor is sealed in a high vacuum environment, and is arranged and designed to be free of temperature induced stress to the sensor. The sensor die package assembly comprises a silicon micro-machined sensor die, a ceramic package, two contact springs, a shorting clip, solder preform, a metal lid and a getter foil for ensuring a good vacuum for an extended period. The sensor die comprises a moving mass with eight supporting flexures on both sides of the proof mass. The proof mass's movement is protected on both sides by a top and a bottom cap. Acceleration applied to the package and the die causes the proof mass to move vertically in relation with the adjacent caps. The changes in distance between the proof mass and the caps in turn generate a change in an electrical signal which corresponds to the capacitance changes between the gaps. The sensor die package arrangement provides that the sensor die be secured within an evacuated ceramic case. Electrical connections made between external contacts of the case and contacts of the sensor die within the case are made through conductive springs, thereby minimizing materials in the interior of the case which would outgass in the vacuum environment.

A method of forming and handling an array of micro-devices such as thin film devices that enables simultaneous mass handling and processing of these thin film devices. A plurality of micro-devices and links are simultaneously formed on a wafer, with the links interconnecting the micro-devices for maintaining a unitary array structure. A matrix of magnetic strips is then formed to impart added overall tensile strength to the array. The magnetic strips are secured to the links and form a planar support grid therewith. The array of micro-devices is then released from the wafer and lifted therefrom by means of a magnetic pick-up tool. Using the pick-up tool, the array is transferred onto a magnetic chuck which securely retains the array. Conductive wires are bonded to a row of micro-devices which are then separated from the array into individual micro-devices.

MEMS microphone packages and fabrication methods thereof are disclosed. A MEMS microphone package includes a cavity that houses a MEMS sensing element, an IC chip and other passive elements supported by a common substrate. The cavity is formed by a top cover member, a housing wall surrounds and supports the top cover member and the common substrate supports the housing wall. A conductive casing encloses and surrounds the cavity, and is electrically connected to a common analog ground lead on a PCB board. The top cover member and the housing wall are non-conductive. And the conductive casing is not connected directly to the ground leads of the package. An acoustic absorption layer is sandwiched between the conductive casing and the cavity which is formed by the top cover member, the housing wall and the substrate.

A micromachined ultrasonic transducer array that focuses in the elevation direction. A curved lens is used to narrow the beam width in the elevation direction so that contrast resolution is improved and clinically relevant. Alternatively, a curved probe is formed by bending a micromachined substrate to have a predetermined curvature. The invention is further directed to methods of manufacturing such transducers.

A method and structure for stabilizing an array of micro devices is disclosed. The array of micro devices is held within an array of staging cavities on a carrier substrate. Each micro device is laterally surrounded by sidewalls of a corresponding staging cavity.

Methods and apparatus are provided for sealing and reducing warpage in a microsystem device. The microsystem device is assembled with a substrate and packaged.

The invention provides a sensor probe which has: one or more microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors configured to sense one or more parameters and a communication bus in electrical communication therewith. The one or more sensors and communication bus are disposed on a substrate. The sensor probe includes a digital storage module in which a unique probe identifier is stored and which is in electrical communication with the communication bus. The probe includes, a cable, a first end of which is in electrical communication with the communication bus and a second end of which is in electrical communication with a remote monitoring unit. The cable is configured to provide electrical power received from the remote monitoring unit to the one or more sensors, via the communication bus, and to communicate data received from the one or more sensors, via the communication bus, to the remote monitoring unit.

A manufacturing method of an electronic component package, includes: forming electrode pads on a main surface of a first electronic component; forming first bonding wires shaped in loop so as to be electrically connected with the electrode pads and elongated upward from the electrode pads and such that both ends of the first bonding wires are on the electrode pad, respectively; forming a resin layer over the main surface of the first electronic component so as to embed the first bonding wires; removing the resin layer so as to expose ends of the first bonding wires from the resin layer and removing the end of each of the first bonding wires so that two wires are elongated from on each of the electrode pads; and forming a metallic layer on the surface of the resin layer after removing so that the first bonding wires are electrically connected with the metallic layer.

A bi-level, multilayered package with an integral window for housing a microelectronic device. The device can be a semiconductor chip, a CCD chip, a CMOS chip, a VCSEL chip, a laser diode, a MEMS device, or a IMEMS device. The multilayered package can be formed of a low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) or high-temperature cofired ceramic (HTCC) multilayer processes with the window being simultaneously joined (e.g. cofired) to the package body during LTCC or HTCC processing. The microelectronic device can be flip-chip bonded and oriented so that the light-sensitive side is optically accessible through the window. A second chip can be bonded to the backside of the first chip, with the second chip being wirebonded to the second level of the bi-level package. The result is a compact, low-profile package, having an integral window that can be hermetically-sealed.

An encapsulated MEMS device and a method to form an encapsulated MEMS device are described. An apparatus includes a first substrate having a silicon-germanium seal ring disposed thereon and a second substrate having a metal seal ring disposed thereon. The metal seal ring is aligned with and bonded to the silicon-germanium seal ring to provide a sealed cavity. A MEMS device is housed in the sealed cavity. A method includes forming a silicon-germanium seal ring on a first substrate and forming a metal seal ring on a second substrate. The metal seal ring is bonded to the silicon-germanium seal ring to provide a sealed cavity that houses a MEMS device.

An electrical interconnect apparatus has a mounting member with a plurality of sides. The mounting member is formed from an insulator as a cuboid. Moreover, the mounting member also may be formed from a flexible circuit. Among other things, the plurality of sides includes an interface side. At least two of the plurality of sides are in electrical communication with the interface side.

An infinitely stackable interconnect device and method having the capability for electrical, thermal, optical, and fluidic interconnections to various layers. Through-substrate vias in the interconnect device are filled to enable electrical and thermal connection or optionally hermetically sealed relative to other surfaces to enable fluidic or optical connection. Optionally, optical components may be placed within the via region in order to manipulate optical signals. Redistribution of electrical interconnection is accomplished on both top and bottom surfaces of the substrate of the interconnect chip. The method for fabricating the interconnect device includes the steps of: forming, insulating, and at least partially filling vias with conductive material; connecting vias to conductive traces on a top surface of the interconnect chip; connecting vias to conductive traces on a bottom surface of the interconnect chip; providing bump regions for electrical and mechanical interconnection to a subsequent interconnect device; and forming recessed regions to accommodate a subsequent die in a stack. The method simultaneously accomplishes interconnection and packaging of multiple semiconductor die to form a stack.

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor device (184) includes a sensor portion (180) and a sensor portion (182) that are coupled together to form a vertically integrated configuration having a hermetically sealed chamber (270). The sensor portions (180, 182) can be formed utilizing different micromachining techniques, and are subsequently coupled utilizing a wafer bonding technique to form the sensor device (184). The sensor portion (180) includes one or more sensors (186, 188), and the sensor portion (182) includes one or more sensors (236, 238). The sensors (186, 188) are located inside the chamber (270) facing the sensors (236, 238) also located inside the chamber (270). The sensors (186, 188, 236, 238) are configured to sense different physical stimuli, such as motion, pressure, and magnetic field.

A micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device having a pair of spaced apart top and bottom substrates or cover plates having mutually opposing inner surfaces structured to cooperate with a micro-machined electromechanical device mechanism, such as a micro-machined sensor or actuator mechanism. Such a micro-machined electromechanical device mechanism is coupled to the inner surface of one of the top and bottom substrates. A metal chip bond pad is formed on the inner surface of the bottom substrate and is electrically coupled to an electrical path; another metal chip bond pad formed on the inner surface of the top substrate in a complementary position opposite the chip bond pad on the bottom substrate; and an electrically conductive gold stud bump is mechanically and electrically coupled between the metal chip bond pads on the top and bottom substrates.