Hermetically closed transparent cavities and their enclosures

Abstract

A method is proposed for providing a plurality of hermetically sealed enclosures, wherein a recessed cavity is formed by each enclosure, which is enclosed by a rim, a lower side and an upper side, which surround the side of the enclosure, and wherein the recessed cavity is configured, inter alia, as a housing for receiving an electronic circuit, a sensor or a MEMS, the method having the following steps: providing at least two substrates, wherein at least one of the substrates is composed of a transparent material and is a transparent substrate, wherein the at least two substrates are arranged directly next to or on top of one another, and wherein the respective rim and the respective upper side of the respective enclosure of the recessed cavity to be sealed are formed by the at least one transparent substrate, and wherein the respective lower side of the respective enclosure is formed by the second substrate, and wherein a contact surface is formed at the contact surface between the at least two substrates, respectively, such that each enclosure has at least one contact surface; hermetically sealing the recessed cavity by joining the at least two substrates along the contact surface of each enclosure; separating the respective enclosure by means of a cutting or separating step, wherein a particle beam is used in the method in order to ablatively remove material from the transparent substrate by means of the particle beam.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for providing multiple hermetically sealed enclosures and to transparent enclosures. Background Technology

[0002] Hermetically sealed enclosures can be used to protect sensitive electronic devices, circuits, or, for example, sensors. Therefore, medical implants can be applied in areas such as the heart, the retina, or for bioprocessors. Bioprocessors with enclosures made of titanium are known to be used and applied.

[0003] For particularly harsh environmental conditions, the sensor can be protected by a casing according to the present invention. This also includes, for example, MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems), barometers, etc.

[0004] Another application of the casing according to the invention is in the casings of smartphones, virtual reality glasses, and similar devices. The casing according to the invention can also be used in the manufacture of flow cells, for example, in electric vehicles. However, the casing according to the invention can also be used in the aerospace field, in high-temperature applications, and in the field of micro-optics.

[0005] The common thread in these applications is the high demand for robustness (or stability) of electronic devices. This means protecting the devices from harsh environmental conditions. Where necessary, it also requires ensuring the exchange of radiation with the internal area of ​​the enclosure, i.e., the cavity formed by the enclosure, i.e., with radiation in the electromagnetic and / or microwave range, particularly within the visible range. This means the enclosure must be at least partially and / or at least partially transparent. For example, transparency at least for the wavelength range of electromagnetic radiation allows for communication methods, data or energy transmission, and measurements, especially optical measurements by electronic devices or sensors arranged within the cavity.

[0006] In principle, it is known to join multiple parts together and arrange them such that a receiving area is formed in a gap, in which components can be received. For example, European Patent EP 3 012 059 B1 by Hause Schott Primoceler Oy presents a method for manufacturing a transparent component for protecting optical elements. A novel laser method is used here. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention is based on advancements made by Schott AG. Therefore, the invention focuses on improving the enclosure and, in particular, constructing it to be more robust. This improves stability relative to environmental impacts and, for example, mechanical loads.

[0008] A further sub-embodiment of the present application is to improve the separation of the enclosure in order to reduce the probability of cracks occurring at the corners and edges of the enclosure, i.e. to also achieve a more robust enclosure.

[0009] On the basis of material properties, for example in terms of biocompatibility, and material combinations having a decisive influence on the subsequent application, a further sub-embodiment of the present application is ultimately to reduce the number of materials and / or composite materials to be used.

[0010] A further sub-embodiment of the present application is to provide an enclosure which can have an arbitrary outer contour.

[0011] By using, for example, a photolithographic process, a degree of freedom is opened up beyond the separation processes, for example wafer dicing, which are permitted. Thus, for example, an almost arbitrary geometric contour can be produced and thus be able to match existing complementary structures, as are often present in biology, in particular as an example are the cavities in bone structures.

[0012] In other words, a first object of the present application is to provide a better enclosure for cavities to withstand more adverse environmental conditions and influences, and in addition a second object is to be able to freely select the outer shape or contour and / or the dimensions of the enclosure as far as possible.

[0013] A further object of the present application is to provide an improved enclosure which is particularly cost-effective, but reliable and has a long service life, since the improved enclosure must also stand out in the market competition.

[0014] Thus, in the present application a method for providing a plurality of hermetically sealed enclosures is proposed. Although this method can be changed without difficulty such that only a single enclosure is produced by means of the method, it is economically meaningful to produce a plurality of enclosures in the same process flow, since time, effort and raw materials can thereby be saved.

[0015] The hermetically closed enclosure according to the present application comprises at least one base substrate and a cover substrate, i.e. a first substrate and a second substrate, which form at least one part of the enclosure. The enclosure further comprises at least one functional region, in particular a hermetically closed receiving cavity, which is surrounded by the enclosure and serves to receive a content, such as an electronic circuit, a sensor or a MEMS.

[0016] The cover substrate here preferably comprises a glass-like material, or at least a material which is transparent at least locally and at least for a wavelength range.

[0017] At least two parts of the enclosure are joined to form the hermetically closed enclosure by means of at least one laser bond.

[0018] The cover substrate here can be configured in one piece as a circumferential edge of the enclosure on the side and on the upper side of the enclosure, and the base substrate and the cover substrate are joined to one another hermetically by means of the same laser bond, so that each enclosure is formed from only two parts.

[0019] Alternatively or in addition, the hermetically closed enclosure can comprise an intermediate substrate which forms a circumferential edge or a portion thereof of the transparent enclosure. The circumferential edge of the side of the enclosure is thus formed by subcomponents on at least one side of the enclosure from the base substrate to the cover substrate. The circumferential edge at this side is not necessarily perpendicular to the (generally more planar) underside of the base substrate and / or to the (also generally more planar) upper side of the cover substrate, but has an angle of less than a right angle with respect to the cover substrate and / or the base substrate. Particularly preferably, the edge of the enclosure is shaped such that it has an angle of less than a right angle with respect to the cover substrate and the base substrate. This can be achieved when the edge is configured to be rounded or has a fillet or a break, whereby for example the edge section arranged on the underside of the base substrate transitions from the underside into the edge at an angle of less than 90° and the edge section arranged on the upper side of the cover substrate likewise transitions from the upper side into the edge at an angle of less than 90°. The edge thus has for example at least two sections which have surfaces oriented differently to each other.

[0020] In one embodiment of the application the enclosure has on its edge or on the circumferential edge and / or on its fillet a flank angle with respect to the perpendicular of the surface of the second portion which is between 10 and 45 degrees, preferably between 15 and 30 degrees, more preferably between 18 and 25 degrees.

[0021] The enclosure is thus not square, especially on its narrow sides, but the circumferential edge of the side of the enclosure has an angle of less than a right angle with respect to the perpendicular of the surface of the transparent substrate, for example the angle is less than a right angle. This angle is called the flank angle and the circumferential edge of the side or the narrow side is also called the flank of the enclosure. An enclosure of this configuration has various advantages. Thus the circumferential edge of the side has been "broken" such that the enclosure can have a smaller risk of splitting with an angle of less than a right angle with respect to the surface of the adjacent substrate, especially an angle of 10 to 45 degrees with respect to the perpendicular of the upper side. This prepared edge can also be characterized by a special biological activity or biocompatibility.

[0022] For example the circumferential edge of the side can be shaped from above and below. The circumferential edge of the side can have two sections which are oriented at an angle to each other. The circumferential edge of the side can also be rounded or concavely shaped from the material of the base substrate and / or the cover substrate or be removed therefrom.

[0023] In addition, the at least one laser bond wire can circumferentially encompass the functional area at a distance DF. The recess can also have a depth in the direction of the perpendicular of the surface of the transparent portion and the depth of the recess can fluctuate over the face of the recess, especially by less than 30%, preferably less than 15% of the depth. The depth of the recess can fluctuate over the face of the recess, if necessary, by more than 10%, or more than 5%, or more than 2%.

[0024] Preferably, at least one of the substrates, i.e. in particular the cover substrate, is at least partially transparent at least for a wavelength range. The radiation can then pass through this region, i.e. in particular through the cover substrate, in particular into the recessed cavity in order to be measured or processed there. The at least one transparent substrate, through which the radiation is intended to pass, is preferably composed of glass, glass ceramic, silicon or sapphire or a combination of the aforementioned materials.

[0025] By joining the base substrate, the cover substrate and, if necessary, one or more intermediate substrates to one another by means of at least one laser bond, a gastight closed housing is joined to a gastight closed enclosure, in particular by means of a laser joining method.

[0026] The functional region can advantageously be introduced into the cover substrate and / or into the base substrate by means of an etching method. In other words, material is separated from the substrate by means of an etching medium, so that a recess is formed in this region, which can serve as a functional region or as a recessed cavity. The gastight closed enclosure can also be separated from a further gastight closed enclosure by means of an etching method, i.e. using the etching medium as a separation medium or as a cutting medium.

[0027] Each enclosure has a functional region, in particular a recessed cavity, which is surrounded by a laterally surrounding edge, a lower side and an upper side of the enclosure. In other words, the functional region or the recessed cavity of the enclosure is surrounded on all sides. Here, the enclosure typically forms the surrounding edge, the lower side and the upper side for the recessed cavity with respect to the recessed cavity.

[0028] In the present application, the "lower side" or the "upper side" is a geometric structure which can also be an arbitrary other side in the final position of the enclosure. Alternatively, the upper side is described as a first side, the lower side is described as a second side opposite the first side and the "edge" is described as an intermediate region between the first side and the second side, wherein the edge is typically substantially perpendicular to the first side and / or the second side. In order to simply understand the present application and to bring the present application closer to a general description, "upper side", "lower side" and "surrounding edge" are also used as described.

[0029] The upper side of the recessed cavity can then be formed by an upper layer, such as a first substrate, wafer or plate, in particular a cover substrate. The surrounding edge of the recessed cavity can also be formed, for example, by a second or intermediate substrate, wafer or plate, wherein the second substrate has a "hole" and this hole represents the later recessed cavity. In the present application, the surrounding edge is preferably formed together with the upper layer or the cover substrate, wherein the recessed cavity is machined out of the upper layer. By arranging a lower layer below the intermediate layer, the lower side of the final recessed cavity is formed by the lower layer, substrate, wafer or plate. The recessed cavity or a sub-recessed cavity or generally a functional region can also be machined out of the lower layer.

[0030] The recesses are in particular configured as accommodation cavities; this means that in the respective recesses, for example, electronic circuits, sensors or MEMS can be placed. The aforementioned devices, in particular as electronic circuits, sensors or MEMS, are thus surrounded on all sides by the enclosure, since the aforementioned devices are arranged in the accommodation cavities.

[0031] In the method according to the application, at least one transparent substrate and a second substrate are provided, wherein the at least two substrates are arranged directly next to one another or stacked. In other words, the at least two substrates are arranged or mounted next to one another so that they lie flat against one another without further layers between the at least two substrates. A minimum air bubble between the substrate layers can not be avoidable for technical reasons, which can also be caused by possible unevennesses of the substrate layers. The amount of gas enclosed between the substrate layers lying flat, i.e. in particular the contact surfaces, can be further reduced, for example, by increasing the pressure, which is caused, in particular, by the at least two substrates pressing against one another or a surface treatment of the substrate layers, for example a grinding process. A prior evacuation is advantageous. Depending on the process parameters and the materials to be used, it can also be advantageous to fill a gas species or a liquid.

[0032] It is therefore particularly advantageous if the gap that can occur between the substrates is less than or equal to 5 pm thick, more preferably less than or equal to 1 pm. The jointing by means of a laser can take place in this case so that the jointing region has a thickness of between 10 and 50 pm, thus ensuring a gas-tight encapsulation.

[0033] The respective edge and the respective upper side of the respective enclosure of the recess to be sealed are formed by the at least one transparent substrate. The respective lower side of the respective enclosure is formed by the second substrate, wherein a contact surface or interface is formed between the at least two substrates, respectively, so that each enclosure has at least one contact surface. The contact surface can extend over the entire surface of the respective substrate. Here, at least one contact surface is assigned to each enclosure. This means that even if the transparent substrate is considered as a whole to have one contact surface, which extends over the entire surface of the substrate and lies against the second substrate, this contact surface is ideally divided or assigned to each enclosure so that a part of the contact surface is assigned to each enclosure.

[0034] The contact surface does not have to be optically transparent. If necessary, it is advantageous for the lower substrate to be configured to be non-transparent in the visible wavelength range. The upper substrate, through which the laser light passes to reach the contact surface, has at least one spectral "window" so that at least the wavelength of the laser used can pass through the substrate at least partially or at least locally. The contact surface is thus completed so that the laser can perform energy deposition on the contact surface. The surfaces of the two substrates, which are pressed against one another, for example, can be attached and, in addition, have a roughness in the nm range, for example. The laser light is at least partially absorbed on this surface so that energy can be introduced here. In general, a contact surface is understood in this application to be a surface on which the incident laser beam can deposit energy and thus can carry out a joining process along the contact surface. A simple case of such an interface is the contact surface between two substrates pressed against one another.

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, all substrate layers are transparent so that the underside, the edge and the upper side and the envelope are completely composed of transparent material.

[0036] The substrates are joined to one another to form a common envelope and to seal the recess airtight. The step of sealing the recess airtight can be carried out by joining the at least two substrates along the contact surface of each envelope. This can advantageously be carried out by means of a laser joining method. In other words, energy can be deposited in the region of the contact surface by means of a laser, precisely locally, so that it is referred to as a cold joining method. The thermal energy provided for the joining thus points in the course of the contact surface and only relatively slowly diffuses into the remaining material of the envelope, so that a significant temperature increase does not occur, in particular in the recess. This protects the electronic device arranged in the recess from overheating.

[0037] Here, the material of the two substrates is locally melted along the contact surface in the region of the respective envelope by means of a laser, so that the at least two substrates are locally connected. The skilled person can refer to EP 3 012 059 B1 for this, for example, which is incorporated by reference.

[0038] The substrates can be at least temporarily connected to one another by means of attachment before the step of joining the at least three substrates along the interface of each envelope.

[0039] The at least one transparent substrate can comprise two transparent substrates pressed against one another. In the case of the use of two transparent substrates, one of which serves to form the edge of the recess and the second to form the upper side, two circumferential contact surfaces are assigned to each envelope. In this case, the respective recess is preferably sealed airtight by joining along the two interfaces by means of a laser joining method. The two transparent substrates and the second substrate are thus fixedly welded to one another and the recess is sealed airtight.

[0040] The respective envelope is separated by means of a cutting or separating step. This means that the substrates are cut or separated so that each envelope is separated from the remaining material.

[0041] In the method a particle beam is used to ablatively remove material from the transparent substrate by means of the particle beam.

[0042] In one example at least two substrates are provided in the form of a wafer stack having at least two wafers. From the wafers or wafer stack a plurality of hermetically sealed enclosures can be manufactured in the same process run collectively. It has been found that this process is particularly economical, since the wafer scrap is particularly low, and thus the material loss is particularly low. In other words, a plurality of hermetically sealed enclosures is cut out of the wafer stack, with a certain amount of material loss accompanying the cutting, depending on the cutting. The type of cutting method, such as the size and arrangement of the enclosures, can be such that the material loss is minimized.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment the transparent substrate is etched by means of the particle beam to produce a corresponding cavity. The particle beam here comprises in particular a beam medium which is ablatively etchable for the transparent substrate, such as silicon carbide (SiC), corundum (AI2O3), a garnet, a carbide such as WC or TiC, or the like, i.e. a material which is harder than the material of the transparent substrate, for example.

[0044] The beam current, the beam shape (beam profile) or the beam quantity can be set depending on the target size, in particular the size of the wafer or the substrate used to manufacture the enclosure.

[0045] In other words, the particle beam is oriented on the transparent substrate such that the particle beam removes material from the transparent substrate and produces a cavity in the transparent substrate by this etching. In this embodiment the transparent substrate can advantageously have a greater thickness to provide a greater space in the interior of the substrate for the etching of the cavity, whereby the depth of the cavity can be increased in a thicker substrate. Here the particle beam is moved over the surface of the transparent substrate in order to ablate material as uniformly as possible from the transparent substrate, and thus to set a removal depth in the transparent substrate which is as uniform as possible. The size or area of the cavity can be set here over which the particle beam can be moved over the transparent substrate. Here the particle beam is oriented on the transparent substrate from one side and moved, for example gradually, over the surface of the transparent substrate, such that a cavity is machined in the transparent substrate. In the example in which the transparent substrate is provided in the form of a wafer, a plurality of cavities can be produced in the wafer by means of the particle beam in such a way that the particle beam is directed at the wafer at different locations and at the same time leaves a gap over which the particle beam is not directed. The gap later forms a surrounding wall of the cavity.

[0046] Alternatively or additionally, lacquer can be applied over a region of the surface of the substrate, in particular structured lacquer, more particularly by means of photolithography. For example, lacquer can be applied in thin ribs. The lacquer protects the substrate surface from ablation, such that a cavity is formed with continued ablation in the unprotected region and the ribs, for example, are preserved in the region protected by the lacquer.

[0047] The transparent substrate has a substrate thickness. Preferably, the particle beam removes at least 30% of the substrate thickness, preferably at least 50%, more preferably 70% or more of the substrate thickness in the area of the respective cavity from the transparent substrate to produce the cavity in the transparent substrate. In one embodiment the particle beam removes at least 100 μm, preferably at least 150 μm, more preferably at least 200 μm, particularly preferably at least 250 μm of the substrate thickness from the transparent substrate.

[0048] In this embodiment the particle beam is guided such that in the transparent material a removal depth is achieved which provides all cavities in one substrate with a depth which is as uniform as possible. Here the depth of the cavities preferably fluctuates over the face of the cavity by less than 30%, more preferably by less than 15% of the depth. If necessary the depth of the cavities fluctuates over the face of the cavity by more than 5%, possibly more than 2%, similarly the depth of different cavities within one substrate can fluctuate.

[0049] The at least one transparent substrate is preferably composed of glass, glass ceramic, silicon, sapphire or a combination of the aforementioned materials. For example such a glass combination is a glass / silicon combination, a glass / silicon / sapphire combination or a silicon / sapphire combination. The substrate or a further substrate can also comprise or be composed of AI2O3, sapphire, Si3N4 or AIN. Through the combination of the transparent substrate with different types of substrate, for example semiconductor properties can be achieved; it is also possible to use coatings, for example piezoresistive Si layers, especially for pressure sensing mechanisms, or thicker layers for micromechanical applications, such as pulse measurement on MEMS.

[0050] Alternatively, the at least one substrate or wafer is composed of a different material to the transparent substrate. Thus the substrate which forms the underside of the cavity is provided by an optically opaque material which, if necessary, has different properties, such as in particular electrical conductivity or electrical insulation. Whereas the edge and the upper side of the capsule are preferably provided by a transparent material. It is also preferred that all substrates are provided by a transparent material. In a transparent capsule composed of glass or mainly of glass, especially borosilicate glass, it is particularly advantageous that this is chemically inert.

[0051] The substrate or substrates can also have a coating. For example it is possible to use AR coatings, protective coatings, biologically active films, optical filters, electrically conductive layers composed of ITO or gold, as long as transparency or at least partial transparency for the laser wavelength used is ensured in the area of the laser entry.

[0052] The separation step of the respective capsule can preferably be carried out by means of a particle beam cutting process. Here material is ablatively removed from the capsule until the capsule is separated.

[0053] For example a particle beam can be used here, which is directed around the recess and, if necessary, several times until the track of the particle beam ablated on the envelope reaches the thickness of the envelope and thus achieves a separation from the material surrounding the envelope. With the aid of such a particle beam it is possible to act point-like or line-like on the substrate in order to intensify the ablation here and thus to achieve the cutting action more quickly.

[0054] It is preferable to use a particle beam with a planar ablation action. The particle beam preferably has a good uniformity on the coated surface, wherein the coated surface can be large compared to the size of the individual recess. In other words, it is preferable to use an ablation method such that the entire surface or a large part of the side of the substrate to be ablated is simultaneously ablated, i.e. the surface is not ablated locally but entirely. For this purpose a particle beam with a large surface action can be used. In order to protect areas which should not be ablated in this case, these areas can be provided with a protective medium, for example a protective lacquer.

[0055] The particle beam can be directed alternately on the upper side of the transparent substrate and on the lower side of the substrate, such that the envelope is separated or the material is ablated here not only from the upper side but also from the lower side. In other words the particle beam acts as a cutting device with the aid of which a cut can be made in the substrate. The cutting action is formed when the beam of the particle beam, for example the beam size and the beam intensity, is sufficiently guided, wherein material is continuously ablated from the envelope.

[0056] The particle beam thus functions as a cutting process in one example and is directed planarly to the transparent substrate, whereby an ablation and cutting action is achieved on the coated surface of the substrate, preferably the entire side of the substrate. A planar irradiation method can be used for example with the aid of a combination with the aforementioned coating lacquer, wherein the areas protected by the lacquer are not ablated. If necessary the depth of the recesses can be better balanced when using the planar irradiation method.

[0057] It is particularly preferable that the particle beam in the cutting method has a flank angle relative to the perpendicular of the surface of the transparent substrate, which flank angle is between 10 and 45°, preferably between 15 and 30°, more preferably between 18 and 25°, relative to the perpendicular of the surface of the transparent substrate. In other words the envelope produced with the aid of the method preferably has a flank angle relative to the perpendicular of the surface of the transparent substrate, which flank angle is between 10 and 45°, preferably between 15 and 30°, more preferably between 18 and 25°.

[0058] The particle beam can be directed such that the outer contour of the envelope can be freely determined. In other words the contour of the envelope is only related to how the particle beam is moved on the substrate. Here for example unlike the prior art and the known cutting methods it is possible to create a free form, i.e. not only a square but for example a circle, which is advantageous for example for the production of prisms. In addition it is also possible to produce an oval or a hexagonal, rectangular and any outer contour of the envelope.

[0059] The transparent substrate typically has a thickness of less than 500 pm. Preferably, the thickness of the transparent substrate is below 300 pm, more preferably below 120 pm, more preferably below 80 pm.

[0060] At least one of the side-surrounding edge, the lower side or the upper side is here at least partially transparent for a wavelength range. In other words, it is sufficient if at least one sub-element of the capsule is transparent for a preferred wavelength range at least in a sub-area of the sub-element, wherein the wavelength range is known in advance and the material is set accordingly based on the wavelength to be used by the laser, if this is desired.

[0061] The capsule is joined into a gastight closure by means of a laser joining method. In other words, the edge, the lower side and the upper side are preferably composed of more than one part, for example two or three parts or more parts, and wherein these parts are joined to one another to complete the manufacture of the capsule.

[0062] In another embodiment the capsule can be at least partially and / or locally chemically hardened, for example this is described in the own patent application DE 10 2019 119 195 of SCHOTT, wherein the aforementioned disclosure is included by reference therein. For example, the surface of the capsule, i.e. for example the upper side, is chemically hardened. It is also possible to chemically harden the upper side and the edge. It is particularly preferred that the upper side, the edge and also the lower side are chemically hardened, so that the respective surface of the upper side or the lower side and the respective edge, i.e. the edge, are chemically hardened.

[0063] In the present application there is also referred to a transparent capsule having a gastight, closed receiving chamber for receiving a content. The content is for example an electronic circuit, a sensor or a MEMS.

[0064] Such a capsule can be used for example as a medical implant or a sensor, in particular as a barometer, a blood gas sensor or a glucose sensor.

[0065] Of particular interest here is the use of the gastight, transparent capsule as a medical implant. The use of a biologically inert material as encapsulation material is also particularly advantageous here: Mentioned here in particular are borosilicate glasses, quartz glasses and bioglasses, for example 45S5.

[0066] Since the human body is not a stationary system, implants can move away from their initial placement position during their service life. If tissue grows with the covering material of the implant, such migration can be prevented. In other words, the capsule can be arranged in such a way in any case that the substrate of the capsule grows together with the tissue.

[0067] This growth can be more advantageous if the respective surface is roughened and the effective surface is increased. In particularly thorough or highly roughened and corresponding substrate or glass surfaces can even be integrated into the biomass as a "frame". In other words the enclosure or at least one substrate of the enclosure can be provided to form or provide a support structure, so that the tissue can be connected to or surround the support structure. The enclosure thus has an anchoring portion in the tissue.

[0068] It has been found that the edges roughened or shaped or stripped by the erosive "sandblasting" method presented here can be prepared for connection with tissue, so that they can have particularly advantageous properties for a fixed connection or growth with tissue. The separation method described in this application allows the edges and surfaces of the biological implant to be equipped with surfaces that are advantageously prepared or provided for later tissue connection. In other words, the erosive separation method can prepare surfaces and / or provide support structures for later use in the organism or tissue. The enclosure flanks that have been broken or prepared for this purpose are thus designed to be biologically active, as they provide an increased adhesion for tissue and facilitate the "rooting" of the enclosure in the tissue. The flanks thus have a tissue support structure.

[0069] It is particularly advantageous that the process step of masking can dispense with the surface for optical functions that can be required for the functional capability of the hermetically closed implant. This means that the implant separated from the wafer by means of the method can have an optimized smooth surface for optical communication, which can be designed to be transparent. At the same time, the enclosure can also have a surface for tissue connection, so that the two surface shapes can be combined in the same enclosure.

[0070] The (at least partially transparent) enclosure according to the application comprises a circumferential edge made of a first part of a transparent material and a lower side made of a second part, the edge and the lower side together completely enclosing a receiving cavity. The at least two parts of the enclosure are joined by means of a laser joining method into a hermetically closed enclosure.

[0071] The first part is configured in one piece with the circumferential edge and the upper side of the enclosure, so that each enclosure is formed only from two parts. In other words, two substrates are provided, of which the first substrate has a sunken recess on its inside and the sunken recess is closed by the two substrates. The transparent substrate forming the circumferential edge and the upper side of the recess together with the second substrate providing the lower side of the recess jointly form the transparent enclosure consisting of two parts.

[0072] In one example the envelope has a flank angle between 10 and 45°, preferably between 15 and 30°, more preferably between 18 and 25°, with respect to the perpendicular of the surface of the second part, at its edges or at the surrounding edges. The same angle can be provided at the edges of the envelope, wherein it is preferred that a continuous flank is formed at all surrounding edges and at the edges, having the aforementioned angle, thereby blunting the edges of the envelope.

[0073] The envelope can for example have dimensions of 3x3 mm or less, especially the accommodation cavity has a diameter of less than or equal to 2 mm. The envelope can also for example have dimensions of 0.2x0.2 mm or less. On the other hand the envelope can also be manufactured larger according to the field of application, several centimeters long or more are possible. The actual dimensioning due to the preferred manufacturing method is only the dimension of the wafer to be cut, but this dimensioning itself should not be interpreted as a size limitation. However the manufacturing using wafers is only to be understood as an example. It is completely possible to manufacture the envelope for example using glass plates, which can also have larger dimensions than typical wafer dimensions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0074] wherein is shown:

[0075] Figure 1 a a top view showing the opened accommodation cavity,

[0076] Figure 1 b a 3D view showing the closed envelope,

[0077] Figure 1 c another view showing the opened accommodation cavity,

[0078] Figure 2 a detail section showing the joining area of the envelope with three substrates,

[0079] Figure 3 a top view showing another embodiment of the envelope,

[0080] Figures 4a to 6 is shown Figure 3 a section along the line A->B or C->D of the embodiment of the envelope shown in

[0081] Figure 7 a method of separating the envelope according to the invention is shown,

[0082] Figure 8 another method of manufacturing the envelope according to the invention is shown,

[0083] Figure 9 a section view of the envelope with three substrate layers is shown,

[0084] Figure 10 a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of an enclosure with two substrate layers is shown,

[0085] Figure 11 a cross-sectional view of a typical edge profile is shown,

[0086] Figure 12a an exemplary shape of one wafer with freeform is shown,

[0087] Figure 12b an exemplary round enclosure is shown,

[0088] Figure 12c an exemplary oval enclosure is shown,

[0089] Figure 13a an exemplary design with two wafers with freeform is shown,

[0090] Figure 13b an exemplary second wafer of a round enclosure is shown,

[0091] Figure 13c an exemplary second wafer of an oval enclosure is shown,

[0092] Figure 14 a microscopic image of a transparent substrate with a recessed cavity and a grainy edge with freeform is shown,

[0093] Figure 15 a microscopic image of the surface roughness of a grainy recessed cavity is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0094] Figure 1 a A content 2 to be protected on a lower substrate 3 is shown, which is embedded by an intermediate substrate 4. The content 2 is covered by an upper substrate 5 to close the recessed cavity 12. The three substrates 3, 4, 5 thus jointly form an enclosure 1 around the content 2 arranged in the recessed cavity 12. In other words, a closed content cavity 12 is formed in the example when the upper substrate 5 is placed on the intermediate substrate 4, which can be hermetically closed in a subsequent step. The intermediate substrate 4 can here be made of a different material than the lower substrate 3 and the upper substrate 5. Preferably, the intermediate substrate 4 and the upper substrate 5 have the same material. The shown layers 3, 4, 5 can be wafer discs, whereby the enclosure is formed by stacking the three wafer discs one after the other to a wafer stack and joining or soldering them. Figure 1 a

[0095] Figure 1 b ​This illustrates a hermetically sealed enclosure 1 formed in this manner. The enclosure 1 has a lower substrate 3, a middle substrate 4, and an upper substrate 5 stacked on top of each other, wherein contact surfaces 25 are provided on one side between the lower substrate 3 and the middle substrate 4, and on the other side between the middle substrate 4 and the upper substrate 5. (Also available from...) Figure 1 a As can be seen, the intermediate substrate layer 4 is constructed as a non-planar continuous structure, and a receiving cavity 12 is formed at the height of the intermediate substrate layer.

[0096] Figure 1 c Another embodiment of the cover 1 is shown, wherein a receptacle 2 is arranged on a lower substrate 3. An upper substrate 4 is designed such that its interior is recessed, thus forming a collar, wherein the collar 4a surrounds the receptacle 2 when the cover 1 is closed. Therefore, the collar 4a of the substrate 4 forms the edge and upper side of a cavity 12 in which the receptacle 2 is arranged.

[0097] Figure 2 A detailed partial view of the bonding area is shown, in which the laser-bonded interface area 7 and the laser-bonded area 8 are visible. The laser-bonded area 8 is located in the area of ​​the contact surface 25. Environmental influences can act on the housing 1 from the outside, particularly on the corner 6 of the laser-bonded stack 18. The laser-bonded area 8 also prevents, for example, chemical solvents from penetrating the substrate stack 18 to the receiving cavity 12 and to the containment 2.

[0098] Figure 3 A top view of the enclosure 1 according to the invention is shown, wherein the surrounding laser-bonded area 8 surrounds the functional region 13. The functional region 13 can be constructed differently. Examples of designs for the functional region 13 and other options for the enclosure are shown in... Figures 4a to 8 In section b. Different design schemes for functional area 13 can be found here. Figure 3 The diagrams are combined because all top views can be schematically shown identically. Lines AB or C->D show the diagrams based on... Figures 4a to 8 The sectional view reproduced in b.

[0099] The functional area can serve different purposes; for example, it can be an optical receiver or a technical, electromechanical, and / or electronic component arranged in the functional area 13. Multiple such purposes can also be achieved in the functional area 13. The casing 8 is covered on the upper side by the upper substrate 5. The laser bonding area 8 extends into the upper substrate 5.

[0100] refer to Figure 4a A first cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the enclosure 1 is shown, the enclosure having a base substrate 3 and a cover substrate 5. In other words, the enclosure is composed of two layers, namely the base layer 3 and the cover layer 5. Figure 4aIt is also shown the configuration of the laser bond 8 consisting of a plurality of laser pulse impact areas 16 arranged next to each other, the laser pulse impact areas being arranged closely next to each other such that the material of the base substrate 3 and the cover substrate 5 are seamlessly fused to each other.

[0101] Figure 4b A cross-sectional view along the line C->D as shown in Fig. 1 1 of an embodiment of the enclosure 1 is shown. The cover substrate 5 has a first hardening layer 47 on its upper or outer side, the first hardening layer extending into the material of the cover substrate 5 with a thickness DoL. In other words the cover substrate 5 and thus the enclosure 1 is hardened on the upper side or has a hardening zone 47 there, such that the enclosure 1 is locally, i.e. on one side, hardened. Figure 3

[0102] Figure 4b It is also shown a cross-section of the functional area 13, 13a, the functional area extending for example as a continuous hollow chamber or recess in the enclosure 1. In other words the recess extends from the base substrate 3 into the cover substrate 5 and is for example present in the form of a recess in the base substrate 3 and / or the cover substrate 5. The functional area 13a can also comprise an active layer, for example a conductive layer and the functional area 13 comprises a recess, for example. The laser bond 8 is arranged around the functional area 13, 13a, the functional area 13, 13a being closed on the sides by means of the laser bond 8. It is conceivable to leave open areas in the laser bond 8 such that the functional area 13, 13a is not closed in a ring shape, for example to open a communication channel by means of which for example a fluid communication with the surroundings can be configured. In other words it is possible to leave pre-planned sites or locations open to the focused laser beam 9 and here to establish a gas-tight closure by means of other means, for example an adhesive. It is preferred that the functional area 13, 13a is closed on all sides and seamlessly.

[0103] Reference is made to Fig. 1 1 showing another embodiment in which the laser bond 8 is provided along the contact face 25 by means of the laser pulse impactor 16, the laser bond 8 being such that the cover substrate 5 is welded or bonded to the base substrate 3. This embodiment has the further particularity that the surfaces of the first substrate 3 and the second substrate 5 are ring-shapedly hardened, i.e. have the hardening layers 47, 48 and 49. Figure 5a

[0104] ​​For example, the cover substrate 5 is immersed in a curing bath with its upper side before or after it is connected to the base substrate 3, such that the formed cover 1 is chemically cured, i.e., has at least one cured surface 47 and / or has at least one cured layer. In other words, the formed cover 1 is at least partially or at least partially cured, such as, in particular, chemically cured. Compressive stress is formed on the cover substrate 5 during chemical curing. The first cured layer 47 has a height DoL. The bonding region 8 has a height HL. A minimum material thickness MM is left between the cured region 47 and the bonding region 8. At this time, the total thickness of the cover substrate 5 can consist of HL + MM + DoL.

[0105] Functional regions 13 and 13a extend within hardened layers 47, 48, and 49, wherein hardened layer 48 is arranged on an annular region surrounding functional regions 13 and 13a. That is, in Figure 5a , Figure 5b In the illustrated embodiment, the cover substrate 5 and the base substrate 3 have been cured in a curing solvent, particularly chemically cured, on their two long sides. In other words, the substrates 3 and 5 have been immersed in a curing solvent for chemical curing on their respective long sides, i.e., the respective upper and lower sides, thereby causing the long sides to cure.

[0106] exist Figure 5a In the illustrated embodiment, the casing 1 is hardened on all its outer sides; that is, not only do the two opposing long sides have hardened layers 47 and 49, but the surrounding edges 14 of the casing also have hardened layers 48, wherein the surrounding edges 14 extend circumferentially around the casing 1. In other words, in the case of a square casing, all four narrow sides of the square constitute the edges 14. The edges 14 can also be generally referred to as the edges 21 of the casing, which extend around the cavity 12. For example, the casing 1 shown in FIG. 5 can be obtained by immersing the completed casing, including the cover substrate 5 and the base substrate 3, in a hardening solvent and, in particular, by chemically hardening it. Thus, the hardened layers 47, 48, and 49 are arranged directly adjacent to the outer side of the casing 1. Therefore, an area for the bonding line 8 is left on the inner side of the hardened layers 47, 48, and 49, which is introduced with a gap from the hardened layers 47, 48, and 49 if necessary.

[0107] Figure 5b An embodiment of the casing 1 is shown, with a cross-section along line C->D. Functional regions 13, 13a are also arranged in this embodiment such that they extend from the base substrate 3 into the cover substrate 5, for example, as recesses in the respective substrates. These recesses 13, 13a can be achieved, in particular, by a sandblasting method (see...). Figures 7 to 14 (Introduction). A joint line 8 is arranged around the recesses 13 and 13a so that the recesses 13 and 13a are airtightly closed on all sides.

[0108] The cover 1 is also like Figure 5aThe implementation method is the same as chemically cured on all sides, in other words, it has cured regions 47, 48, 49 on all surfaces. For example, a first cured layer 47 is disposed on a first long side that may be the upper side of the cover substrate 5, a third cured layer 49 is disposed on a second long side that may be the lower side of the base substrate 3, and a second cured layer 48 is disposed on the surrounding edge 21 or the surrounding edge 14. The upper side 23 of the cavity is disposed inside the first cured layer 47, the edge 21 of the cavity is disposed inside the second cured layer 48, and the lower side 22 of the cavity is disposed inside the third cured layer 49. Therefore, the cavities or functional regions 13, 13a are surrounded on all sides by the cured material 47, 48, 49.

[0109] Figure 6 Another embodiment of the cover 1 is shown along section line C->D, in which, in this example, the functional region 13 or cavity 12 is arranged in the cover substrate 5. For example, in this example, only the cover substrate 5 can be recessed by sandblasting, while the base substrate 3 does not require further processing. Therefore, it can be manufactured more simply because fewer parts of the cover need to be processed.

[0110] exist Figure 6 In this example, the cover substrate 5 has a hardening layer 27 on its long side and a hardening layer 28 on its edge 14. For example, the cover substrate 5 has been chemically hardened by immersing itself in the hardening solvent, either alone or in a hardening solvent, on its upper side, specifically by immersion to the height of the second hardening layer 48. In this example, the base substrate 3 has no hardening area. In this example, the hardening area 48 on the side terminates directly in the area of ​​the contact surface 25 between the cover substrate 5 and the base substrate 3. The joint along the bonding line 8 has been introduced into the inside of the hardening area 48, i.e., in the relaxed material. In other words, the first long side of the cover 1 has a hardening layer 47 and the first narrow side 14 has a hardening layer 48 locally. The hardening layer 48 may extend around the cover 1, for example, around the functional region 13. Figure 3 The cross-section shown here, from line C to D, passes through functional region 13. In this embodiment, functional region 13 is defined within the dimensions of the cover substrate 5, i.e., it does not extend into the base substrate 3. The base substrate 3 is directly and tightly bonded to the cover substrate 5, i.e., no other layers or substrates are disposed between the base substrate 3 and the cover substrate 5. Functional region 13 is implemented as a cavity. The cavity can be introduced into the cover substrate 5, for example, by sandblasting, generally by etching, and chemical etching is also possible, to introduce the cavity into the substrate.

[0111] refer to Figure 7A first embodiment of a method for manufacturing an enclosure according to the application is shown. In step A the substrates 3, 4, 5 and the contents 2 to be accommodated are aligned. Here the upper substrate 5 is placed on the middle substrate 4 and the middle substrate in turn on the lower substrate 3 so that a substrate stack 18 is formed. Since the middle substrate 4 comprising the recess with the concave cavity 12 formed therein is arranged in the middle, the accommodation cavity 12 is surrounded by the substrate material on all sides in the substrate stack 18. In other words an all-side surrounding of the edge 21, the lower side 22 and the upper side 23 of the concave cavity 12 is formed when the substrates 3, 4, 5 are aligned in step A. If necessary the substrates can be at least preliminarily connected to one another by means of adhesion, i.e. for example for the purpose of positioning.

[0112] Figure 7 Step B of the method shown presents the stacked substrate stack 18 and the concave cavities 12 located therein for accommodating the contents 2. If necessary the substrate stack 18 is bonded, wherein for example water is used on the surfaces and hydrogen bridges are produced. The substrate stack 18 can be transported in its closed form to the joining method, wherein the substrate layers 3, 4, 5 are joined into a fixedly connected joined stack 18 so that from this substrate stack 18 the enclosure 1 is obtained. The substrates 3, 4, 5 can for example be wafer discs, whereby the enclosure is formed by enclosing the accommodation cavities 12 by means of the wafers as a wafer stack 18 together and forming the enclosure 1.

[0113] Step C presents the laser joining of the respective accommodation cavities 12, i.e. so that the concave cavities 12 are closed on all sides along the contact face 25. For this a laser unit 15 is directed from above the substrate stack 18 on the surface of the substrate stack 18 and at the same time the focused laser beam 8 is directed spot-like on the region to be joined. The laser joining line can for example be implemented as a grid of intersecting lines. Parallel drawing of two or more laser joining lines can also be used in this, for example if this proves to be advantageous for the subsequent separation depending on the material. After completion of step C of the manufacturing method all concave cavities 12 are hermetically closed.

[0114] At the latest after step C, if necessary also in advance, the surface of the substrate 5 on which the particle beam 28 is shot in the later process can be treated with a protective medium 32. For example lacquer is applied with the protective lacquer 32 on the substrate 5 at the points where no material should be removed. In this example the majority of the surface is provided with the protective lacquer 32 since only the separation or isolation of the concave cavities 12 is to be achieved by means of the particle beam method. Preferably the surface can then be treated with the protective medium 32 for the photolithography step.

[0115] Step D presents the step of segmentation or cutting of the substrate stack 18 to separate the capsule 1. The medium particle beam 28 performs the cutting, the particle beam being provided by a particle beam generator 27. The particle beam 28 can be directed, for example, along the segmentation or cutting line 10 and the ablation action of the particle beam 28 on the substrate of the substrate stack cuts or separates. It has been found to be advantageous if the particle beam 28 is provided as a wide range of compressed air beams, which are directed on the surface of the capsule 1. By means of a lacquer, for example a photoresist, being applied on the ribs on the area, for example the surface of the capsule 1 to be irradiated, a retention area is defined, i.e. such an area which is not ablated or significantly less ablated by the particle beam 28. The particle beam 28 can comprise SiC particles. The photoresist can be applied, for example, in a layer thickness of 17 μm, in particular 5 to 25 μm, and for example in relation to the depth in which the recess or functional area 13 should be sunken.

[0116] The final step E presents the separated, hermetically encapsulated capsule 1 and the accommodation cavity 12 arranged therein.

[0117] Reference is made to Figure 8 A further embodiment of the method for manufacturing the capsule 1 according to the application is shown. The provided substrate 4 has been provided with a protective medium 32 on the surface subjected to the particle beam 28, for example by means of spin coating, and subjected to a photolithography step. In step A, the recess can be produced in the substrate 4 by means of the particle beam 28 and the particle beam generator 27. The particle beam 28 is directed on the substrate 4 such that the recess is separated from the substrate 4, wherein the particles of the particle beam ablatively remove small particles of the substrate 4. The penetration depth or ablation depth of the particle beam increases with the time of action of the particle beam 28 on the substrate 4. In the case of a narrow particle beam 28, the particle beam is directed on the area in which the recess 12 is to be produced. The size of the recess 12 can also be set by the emission area of the particle beam 28 and the respective depth of the respective recess 12 by the duration of the action of the particle beam 28 on the respective recess 12. Here, a large-area particle beam 28 is preferably used and the protective medium 32 is applied to the substrate 4 such that the size of the respective functional area 13, 13a is released by means of the ablation method.

[0118] In other words, the recesses 12 can be produced by means of the method presented here, which can be freely designed in terms of their geometry and their depth. For example, by orienting the particle beam 28 only briefly in the middle region of the recess or in the case of lacquering by protecting an area here with lacquer, so that more material remains here than in the particle beam 28 arrangement of the recess 12 for a longer period of time or without lacquer-coated adjacent areas, the recess can also have protrusions on its upper side. In terms of shape, the recesses 12 can be matched to the requirements, so that in addition to the typical square shape, circular, oval, polygonal and any other shaped recesses can also be provided. The aforementioned shapes can be achieved as before for the other embodiments, but also by means of the advantageous lacquering, so that the lacquered areas are not removed by the particle beam 28, but rather form a retention area.

[0119] In step B, the two substrates 3 and 4 are aligned with one another, wherein on the lower substrate 3 the receptacle 2 has already been arranged, which receptacle is to be arranged in the recess 12 in the substrate 4.

[0120] Step C shows the stacked substrate stack 18, wherein the receptacle 2 sinks in alignment into the recess 12, so that the receptacle is surrounded on all sides by the substrate material.

[0121] Step D of the method shows the hermetic closure of the respective individual recess 12, wherein a laser bonding method is used, wherein the laser beam 9 of the laser beam generator 15 is guided along the interface 25 around each recess 12. In other words, the bonding method according to the application is used by means of the laser 9 to bond the substrate material to one another around each recess 12. Then in step D, the protective medium 32 can be reapplied to protect the areas of the substrate, which should not be removed or should be removed in small amounts of substrate material.

[0122] Step E shows the separation of the wafer 18 or the capsule 1, wherein the substrate can be cut using, for example, the laser 9, which was also used in step D for laser bonding the receptacle 12, or the capsule 1 can be separated using the particle beam 28.

[0123] Step F shows the separated hermetically sealed capsule 1 and the receptacle 12 arranged therein.

[0124] Figure 9A cross-section of a hermetically closed capsule 1 is shown. The lower substrate 3 forms the lower side 22 of the recess 12, the middle substrate 4 forms the edge 21 of the recess 12, and the upper substrate 5 forms the upper side 23 of the recess 12. In other words, the lower substrate 3, the middle substrate 4 and the upper substrate 5 jointly enclose the receiving cavity 12 as a substrate stack 18. A content 2 is arranged in the recess 12. In this example all 3 substrates 3, 4, 5 are glass substrates, i.e. optically transparent. The middle substrate 4 can be a Flexiniti wafer, among others. The three substrates 3, 4, 5 are joined to each other by means of microbonding. The typical thickness of the substrate stack 18 is between 1 and 3 mm, a typical substrate format can have a typical wafer format of between 1 inch and 12 inches, for example.

[0125] On the lower side 21 of the recess 12 a so-called through-via (TGV) can be arranged, i.e. a hermetically electrically conductive connection for electrically contacting the content 2, for example. Here, for example, a wafer can be used which can contain a vertical pin made of tungsten or platinum (so-called HERMES wafer) or a glass substrate with a hole drilled by means of a laser, for example, which is filled with metal by means of a screen or stencil printing process, for example. A second substrate is connected on the left side of the substrate.

[0126] The separation area between the two substrates is cut open by means of the particle beam 28. A flank 37 is formed on the outside of the substrate stack 18 when the substrate stack 18 is split in the separation area 35 by means of the particle beam 28.

[0127] Reference Figure 10 Another embodiment is shown in a cross-sectional view, in which the lower substrate 3 is joined to the upper substrate 4 by means of a laser joining method. Two contents 2 are arranged in the recess 12, in which the recess 12 has been etched out of the upper substrate 4 by means of the particle beam 28. The method of etching the recess out of the upper substrate 4 by means of the particle beam 28 makes it possible to further reduce the components of the capsule for later application purposes, i.e. micro-sensors or biological implants, for example. In this example only two substrate layers are required, here without the need for using an etching method which usually requires at least three substrate layers.

[0128] The edge is also cut by means of the particle beam method, so that a flank 37 according to the application is formed on the side of the capsule 1.

[0129] Figure 11 The flank angle a of the flank 37 is shown exemplarily as a result of the blasting process by means of the particle beam 28. It has been found in practice that a typical flank angle a is 20° with respect to the perpendicular of the substrate surface, which can be set between 10 and 45°, in particular inclined from the perpendicular towards the substrate surface.

[0130] It is also possible to etch the recesses 12 in a substrate, for example in the wafer 4, 5, by means of a corresponding solvent, but in which better control of the shape and distribution of the recesses 12 has been shown by means of the particle beam method using the particle beam 28, since the shape and depth of the recesses can be set by means of the beam parameters.

[0131] In summary, the invention shows a clear improvement over known methods of manufacturing capsules, in which less material can be used, i.e. in particular one substrate layer or wafer is used less, in which also auxiliary materials, for example adhesives, can be dispensed with. Alternatively or additionally, the invention proposes manufacturing a wing angle at the outer edge of the capsule 1, which can be used for better material compatibility, i.e. in particular biocompatibility. Furthermore, the edges provided with the wing 37 are less prone to breaking, so that the resistance and stability properties with respect to mechanical influences are also improved. Sharp edges are more prone to breaking during handling and use. The separation of the individual capsules 1 using the particle beam 28 also allows the production of arbitrary contours or shapes of the capsules 1, for example circular, oval, square. This is a further advantage over known weighing methods, in general breaking methods.

[0132] Figure 12a An exemplary design of the upper substrate 4 is shown, in which recesses 12 have been introduced in the upper substrate by means of the particle beam 28. The individual recesses differ in shape and size, in this example circular and oval shapes have been chosen. The wafer 4 shown as an example has an exemplary total diameter of 100, in the corner shown on the wafer a receiving point for a holder is provided, which holds the wafer during the joining and / or separation step.

[0133] Figure 12b An exemplary design of the upper substrate 4 is shown, in which recesses 12 have been introduced in the upper substrate by means of the particle beam 28. The individual recesses differ in shape and size, in this example circular and oval shapes have been chosen. The wafer 4 shown as an example has an exemplary total diameter of 100, in the corner shown on the wafer a receiving point for a holder is provided, which holds the wafer during the joining and / or separation step. Figure 12a The recess introduced in the upper substrate 4 is shown in Figure 12c Another exemplary design of the upper substrate 4 is shown in Figure 12a The recess 12 arranged in the upper substrate 4 is shown in

[0134] The recess introduced in the upper substrate 4 is shown in Figure 13a The lower substrate 3 is shown, which is used to receive the container 2 at a predetermined location in the wafer, for example using a separation line. The separation line can advantageously also be used for the laser joining method. Reference is made to Figure 13b The recess arranged in the lower substrate 3 is shown in Figure 13a The recess arranged in the lower substrate 3 is shown in

[0135] The recess introduced in the lower substrate 3 is shown in Figure 13c The recess 12 shown with the number 2 is shown.

[0136] The recess introduced in the lower substrate 3 is shown in Figure 14 A view of the substrate 4 taken with a microscope is shown, in which the recesses 12 have been introduced by means of the particle beam and separated by means of the particle beam 28, so that the wing 37 according to the invention is formed.

[0137] Reference is made to Figure 15 A microscopic image is shown which presents the recess 12 from one side, so that the micro-irregularities of the upper side of the recess 12 are apparent. The surface roughness of the recess shown, for example, on its upper side 23 can be due to a fine dust load. In the present application it can be shown that rinsing or wetting with a liquid is sufficient to make the recess optically transparent.

[0138] The person skilled in the art understands that the preceding embodiments are to be understood as examples and that the application is not limited to these embodiments, but can be varied in many ways without leaving the scope of protection of the claims. It is also clear that these features, whether they are disclosed in the description, in the claims, in the drawings or in another way, can define essential parts of the application, even if they are described together with other features. Identical reference signs in all the drawings represent identical objects, and objects which are only mentioned in one drawing or in none of the drawings at all can also be transferred to the drawings in which they are not explicitly described.

[0139] List of reference signs

[0140] 1 hermetically closed, chemically hardened enclosure

[0141] 2 content

[0142] 3 lower substrate, lower wafer, lower cover

[0143] 4 intermediate substrate, intermediate wafer

[0144] 5 upper substrate, upper wafer, upper cover

[0145] 6 corner of the laser-bonded stack 18

[0146] 7 laser-bonded interface region

[0147] 8 laser-bonded region

[0148] 9 focused laser beam

[0149] 10 separation or cutting line

[0150] 12 accommodation cavity

[0151] 13 functional region

[0152] 13a second functional region

[0153] 14 edge

[0154] 15 laser unit for bonding and / or cutting

[0155] 16 laser pulse impact region

[0156] 18 stack

[0157] 21 edge

[0158] 22 underside of the recess

[0159] 23 upper side of the recess

[0160] 25 contact surface or interface

[0161] 27 particle beam generator

[0162] 28 particle beam

[0163] 30 microchannel

[0164] 35 separation site or separation zone

[0165] 37 flanks

[0166] 47 hardened region or first hardened layer

[0167] 48 hardened region or second hardened layer

[0168] 49 hardened region or third hardened layer

Claims

1. An hermetically sealed enclosure (1), the enclosure comprising: A base substrate (3) and a cover substrate (5), wherein the base substrate and the cover substrate form at least a portion of the enclosure. At least one functional area (12, 13, 13a) is surrounded by the enclosure. At least the cover substrate comprises a glassy material. The at least two substrates of the enclosure are joined together by at least one laser bonding wire (8) to form a hermetically sealed enclosure. One of (a) and (b): (a) The cover substrate integrally defines the side perimeter of the cavity of the hermetically sealed enclosure and the upper side of the cavity, and the base substrate and the cover substrate are hermetically bonded by the at least one laser bonding wire, such that the hermetically sealed enclosure is formed by only two of the at least two substrates, the hermetically sealed enclosure further comprising a side perimeter having a wing angle perpendicular to the surface of the base substrate and having a wing, the wing comprising an upper segment and a lower segment, the upper segment and the lower segment being angled relative to each other and relative to a plane perpendicular to the base substrate, thereby forming the wing angle, the wing angle comprising a vertex, the upper segment being above the vertex, the lower segment being below the vertex, the upper segment and the lower segment of the wing contacting each other at the vertex, the cover substrate, but not the base substrate, defining the upper segment, the cover substrate partially and the base substrate partially defining the lower segment; or (b) The hermetically sealed enclosure has a flank angle relative to a perpendicular line to the surface of the base substrate, the flank angle being between 10 and 45 degrees relative to the perpendicular line to the surface of the base substrate. The hermetically sealed enclosure further includes an intermediate substrate, wherein the flank angle of the hermetically sealed enclosure has a flank comprising an upper section and a lower section, the upper section and the lower section being angled relative to each other and relative to a plane perpendicular to the base substrate. The cover substrate and the intermediate substrate partially define the upper section. The intermediate substrate and the base substrate partially define the lower segment. The intermediate substrate includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper and lower segments of the side wing are angled relative to each other to form the side wing angle, which includes a vertex. The upper segment is located above the vertex, and the lower segment is located below the vertex, such that the upper portion of the intermediate substrate is located above the vertex, and the lower portion of the intermediate substrate is located below the vertex. The upper and lower segments of the side wing are in contact with each other at the vertex.

2. The hermetically sealed enclosure (1) according to claim 1, wherein the perpendicularity of the side wing angle to the surface of the base plate (3) is between 15 and 30 degrees.

3. The hermetically closed capsule (1) according to claim 1, wherein the flank angle is between 18 and 25 degrees with respect to a perpendicular of a surface of the base substrate (3).

4. The hermetically closed capsule (1) according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate substrate forms a surrounding edge (21) of the capsule, and / or wherein the at least one laser bond wire (8) surrounds the functional area (12, 13, 13a) perimetrally with a distance DF.

5. The hermetically closed capsule (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one functional area (12, 13, 13a) is a hermetically closed receiving cavity for receiving a content (2).

6. The hermetically closed capsule (1) according to claim 1, wherein the functional area (12, 13, 13a) comprises a hermetically closed recessed cavity (12) configured as a hermetically closed receiving cavity for receiving a content (2), wherein the recessed cavity (12) has a depth in direction of a perpendicular of a surface of the cover substrate (5), and wherein the depth of the recessed cavity fluctuates over the face of the recessed cavity by less than 30% of the depth, and / or wherein the depth of the recessed cavity fluctuates over the face of the recessed cavity by more than 10%.

7. The hermetically closed capsule (1) according to claim 1, wherein the functional area (12, 13, 13a) comprises a hermetically closed recessed cavity (12) configured as a hermetically closed receiving cavity for receiving a content (2), wherein the recessed cavity (12) has a depth in direction of a perpendicular of a surface of the cover substrate (5), and wherein the depth of the recessed cavity fluctuates over the face of the recessed cavity by less than 15%, and / or wherein the depth of the recessed cavity fluctuates over the face of the recessed cavity by more than 5%.

8. The hermetically closed capsule (1) according to claim 1, wherein the functional area (12, 13, 13a) comprises a hermetically closed recessed cavity (12) configured as a hermetically closed receiving cavity for receiving a content (2), wherein the recessed cavity (12) has a depth in direction of a perpendicular of a surface of the cover substrate (5), and wherein the depth of the recessed cavity fluctuates over the face of the recessed cavity by more than 2%.

9. The hermetically closed capsule (1) according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the content (2) is an electronic circuit, a sensor or a MEMS.

10. The hermetically closed capsule (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least one of the substrates (3, 4, 5) is transparent at least locally and at least for a wavelength range.

11. The hermetically closed capsule (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cover substrate (5) is transparent at least locally and at least for a wavelength range.

12. The hermetically closed capsule (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the base substrate (3), the cover substrate (5) and one or more intermediate substrates (4) are joined to one another by means of at least one laser bond line, such that the capsule (1) is joined by means of a laser joining method into a gastight closed capsule (1), and / or wherein the base substrate (3), one or more intermediate substrates (4) and / or the cover substrate (5) consist of glass, glass ceramic, silicon or sapphire or a combination of the aforementioned materials.

13. The gastight closed capsule (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the functional area (12, 13, 13a) is introduced into the cover substrate (5) by means of an etching method, and / or wherein the gastight closed capsule (1) is separated from a further gastight closed capsule by means of an etching method.

14. The gastight closed capsule (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further having a tissue support structure for providing a connection of the capsule to tissue, wherein the tissue support structure is arranged at a laterally surrounding edge of the capsule.

15. A method for providing a plurality of gastight sealed capsules (1), wherein from each capsule a functional area (12, 13, 13a) is formed, the method having the following steps: - providing at least two substrates (3, 4, 5), wherein at least one of the substrates is a transparent substrate, wherein the at least two substrates (3, 4, 5) are arranged directly next to or on top of one another, and wherein a respective edge and a respective upper side of the respective capsule is formed from the at least one transparent substrate, and wherein a respective lower side of the respective capsule is formed from a second substrate of the at least two substrates (3, 4, 5), and wherein a contact surface (7, 25) is formed at the contact surface between the at least two substrates, respectively, - sealing the functional area (12, 13, 13a) gastight by joining the at least two substrates (3, 4, 5) along the contact surface of each capsule, - separating the respective capsules by means of a cutting or separating step, wherein in the method a particle beam is used in order to ablatively remove material from the transparent substrate by means of the particle beam.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the functional area (12, 13, 13a) is sealed gastight by means of a laser joining method, and / or wherein from each capsule a functional area (12, 13, 13a) in the form of a recess (12) is formed, which is enclosed by a laterally surrounding edge (21), a lower side (22) and an upper side (23) of the capsule.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the recess is configured as a containment cavity for receiving an electronic circuit, a sensor or a MEMS.

18. The method according to claim 16, comprising the following steps: - sinking the transparent substrate (4, 5) by means of the particle beam (28) to produce the respective functional area (12, 13, 3a), and / or wherein the particle beam (28) comprises a beam medium which is etchable with respect to the transparent substrate (4, 5), and / or wherein the particle beam (28) comprises a beam medium which is etchable with respect to the transparent substrate (4, 5), and / or wherein the respective gas-tight closed enclosure (1) is separated from the further gas-tight closed enclosure by means of the etching method step.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the functional area (12, 13, 13a) is introduced into the cover substrate (5) of the at least two substrates (3, 4, 5) by means of the etching method step.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the beam medium is silicon carbide.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the transparent substrate (4, 5) has a substrate thickness, and wherein the particle beam (28) removes at least 30% of the substrate thickness from the transparent substrate (4, 5) to generate the recess cavity (12) in the transparent substrate (4, 5), and / or wherein the particle beam (28) removes at least 100 pm of the substrate thickness from the substrate thickness of the transparent substrate (4, 5) to generate the recess cavity (12) in the transparent substrate (4, 5).

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the transparent substrate (4, 5) has a substrate thickness, and wherein the particle beam (28) removes at least 50% of the substrate thickness from the transparent substrate (4, 5) to generate the recess cavity (12) in the transparent substrate (4, 5), and / or wherein the particle beam (28) removes at least 150 pm of the substrate thickness from the substrate thickness of the transparent substrate (4, 5) to generate the recess cavity (12) in the transparent substrate (4, 5).

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein the transparent substrate (4, 5) has a substrate thickness, and wherein the particle beam (28) removes 70% or more of the substrate thickness from the transparent substrate (4, 5) to generate the recess cavity (12) in the transparent substrate (4, 5), and / or wherein the particle beam (28) removes at least 200 pm of the substrate thickness from the substrate thickness of the transparent substrate (4, 5) to generate the recess cavity (12) in the transparent substrate (4, 5).

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein the transparent substrate (4, 5) has a substrate thickness, and wherein the particle beam (28) removes at least 250 pm of the substrate thickness from the substrate thickness of the transparent substrate (4, 5) to generate the recess cavity (12) in the transparent substrate (4, 5).

25. The method according to claim 18, wherein the transparent substrate (4, 5) has a substrate thickness, and wherein the particle beam (28) removes less than 300 pm of the substrate thickness from the substrate thickness of the transparent substrate (4, 5) to generate the recess cavity (12) in the transparent substrate (4, 5).

26. The method according to any one of claims 18 to 25, wherein the particle beam (28) is directed such that a removal depth is achieved in the transparent substrate (4, 5) that provides a depth of the recess cavity (12) that is as uniform as possible.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the depth of the recesses fluctuates over the face of the recesses by less than 30% of the depth, and wherein the depth of the recesses fluctuates over the face of the recesses by more than 5%.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein the depth of the recesses fluctuates over the face of the recesses by less than 15% of the depth, and / or wherein the depth of the recesses fluctuates over the face of the recesses by more than 2%.

29. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the at least two substrates (3, 4, 5) are provided as wafer stack (18) with at least two wafers to jointly manufacture a plurality of hermetically sealed enclosures (1) from the wafers in the same work process.

30. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the at least two substrates (3, 4, 5) are provided as wafer stack (18) with three wafers to jointly manufacture a plurality of hermetically sealed enclosures (1) from the wafers in the same work process.

31. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the at least two substrates (3, 4, 5) comprise a base substrate (3), an intermediate substrate (4) and a cover substrate (5), which base substrate (3), intermediate substrate (4) and / or cover substrate (5) are composed of glass, glass ceramic, silicon or sapphire or a combination of the aforementioned materials, and / or wherein either at least one substrate (3, 4, 5) comprises a different type of material than the transparent substrates (4, 5) or all substrates (3, 4, 5) are composed of a transparent material.

32. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein at least one transparent substrate (3, 4, 5) comprises a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate, wherein the first transparent substrate forms the respective edge (21) of the functional area (12, 13, 13a) and the second transparent substrate forms the respective upper side (23).

33. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the separation step of the respective enclosure (1) is carried out by means of a particle beam cutting process, wherein material is ablatively removed from the enclosure until the enclosure is separated.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the particle beam (28) is directed around the functional area (12, 13, 13a), and / or wherein the particle beam (28) is alternately oriented on the upper side of the transparent substrate (4, 5) and on the lower side of the transparent substrate, so that the enclosure (1) is separated not only from the upper side but also from the lower side.

35. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the particle beam (28) is oriented with a flank angle (a) on the enclosure (1) relative to the perpendicular of the surface of the transparent substrate (4, 5), which flank angle is between 10 and 45 degrees relative to the perpendicular of the surface of the transparent substrate.

36. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, ​ wherein the particle beam (28) is directed on the capsule (1) with a flank angle (a) to the perpendicular of the surface of the transparent substrate (4, 5), which flank angle is between 15 and 30 degrees to the perpendicular of the surface of the transparent substrate.

37. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the particle beam (28) is directed on the capsule (1) with a flank angle (a) to the perpendicular of the surface of the transparent substrate (4, 5), which flank angle is between 18 and 25 degrees to the perpendicular of the surface of the transparent substrate.

38. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the particle beam (28) can be directed such that the outer contour of the capsule (1) can be freely determined.

39. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the transparent substrate (4, 5) has a thickness of less than 500 pm.

40. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the transparent substrate (4, 5) has a thickness of less than 300 pm.

41. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the transparent substrate (4, 5) has a thickness of less than 120 pm.

42. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the transparent substrate (4, 5) has a thickness of less than 80 pm.

43. The method according to any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein lacquer is applied locally on the capsule such that the lacquer protects the capsule from erosion at the areas provided with lacquer during material stripping.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein lacquer is applied locally on the capsule by means of a photolithographic method.

45. A capsule (1) manufactured according to the method of any one of claims 15 to 44, having an air-tightly closed containing cavity enclosed therein.

46. Use of a capsule (1) manufactured according to the method of any one of claims 15 to 44 and of an air-tightly closed containing cavity enclosed therein as a medical implant or as a sensor.

47. Use of a capsule (1) manufactured according to the method of any one of claims 15 to 44 and of an air-tightly closed containing cavity enclosed therein as a pressure gauge.

48. An air-tightly closed capsule (1) manufactured according to the method of any one of claims 15 to 44.

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