METHOD FOR PRODUCE A SEMICONDUCTOR MODULE, SEMICONDUCTOR MODULE AND PACKAGED OR PACKAGED MEMS DEVICE

Abstract

Method for producing a semiconductor module (50), the method comprising: manufacturing a reconfigured wafer comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices (51) and a casting compound (52) in which the semiconductor devices (51) are embedded; manufacturing a cap plate (55) comprising a plurality of caps (55.1); bonding the cap plate (55) to the casting compound (52) of the wafer such that each of the caps (55.1) covers one or more of the semiconductor devices (51) and a rear volume is formed between each of the caps (55.1) and semiconductor devices (51); and singulating the connected cap plate (55) and reconfigured wafer to form a plurality of semiconductor modules (50); wherein each rear volume has side walls, wherein a lower part (51.1) of the side walls is formed in the wafer and an upper part of the side walls is formed in the cap plate (55).

Description

AREA The present disclosure relates to a method for producing a semiconductor module and a semiconductor module. BACKGROUND Microphones, pressure sensors, and gas sensors are implemented in electronic devices such as smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, automotive and medical devices, and wearable lifestyle devices, and can now be designed as silicon-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). In a microphone, a rear volume is formed beneath or behind a MEMS acoustic device. The term "rear volume" can refer to a space opposite a MEMS acoustic component, such as a diaphragm upon which sound waves impinge, and can also be described as a rear cavity. It is generally known that increasing the rear volume further enhances microphone sensitivity, e.g., the signal-to-noise ratio, and results in a better frequency response curve.The rear volume is limited on one side by a cap or cover that covers the microphone cavity. The present disclosure also relates to other sensors that may include a cap, such as vibration sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, gas sensors, humidity sensors, magnetic field sensors, electric field sensors, or optical sensors. To further reduce the manufacturing costs of these devices, those skilled in the art are constantly striving to develop more effective and applicable manufacturing processes. EP 2 573 514 B1 discloses a method for producing a semiconductor module, wherein the method comprises manufacturing a semiconductor board with a plurality of semiconductor devices, manufacturing a cap board with a plurality of caps, and bonding the cap board to the semiconductor board such that each cap covers one or more of the semiconductor devices.The connected plates are then separated into a large number of semiconductor modules. Comparable procedures are also found in DE 10 2013 106 353 A1, DE 10 2005 053 765 A1, DE 10 2014 019 445 A1, DE 199 62 231 A1, DE 10 2006 032 925 A1, DE 197 00 734 A1, DE 10 2015 106 442 A1, DE 10 2013 108 353 A1, DE 10 2014 216 223 A1, DE 10 2013 108 353 A1, DE 10 2014 216 223 A1 and US 2004 / 0 082 119 A1 revealed. SUMMARY According to a first aspect of the disclosure, a method for producing a semiconductor module comprises manufacturing a semiconductor plate comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices or semiconductor components, manufacturing a cap plate comprising a plurality of caps, binding the cap plate to the semiconductor plate such that each of the caps covers one or more of the semiconductor devices, and singulating the joined plates into a plurality of semiconductor modules. According to a second aspect of the disclosure, a semiconductor module comprises a semiconductor device or semiconductor component and a cap arranged over the semiconductor device, wherein the semiconductor module is manufactured by bonding a cap plate comprising a plurality of caps to a semiconductor plate comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices and singulating the joined plates to form a plurality of semiconductor modules. According to a third aspect of the disclosure, a packaged or enclosed MEMS device comprises an embedding arrangement, a MEMS device or MEMS component arranged in the embedding arrangement, a cap arranged over the MEMS device, wherein the enclosed MEMS device is manufactured by binding a cap plate comprising a plurality of caps onto a MEMS plate comprising a plurality of MEMS devices, and singulating the joined plates to form a plurality of packaged or enclosed MEMS devices. A specialist in the field will recognize additional features and advantages after reading the following detailed description and considering the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the examples and are incorporated into and form an integral part of this patent specification. The drawings illustrate examples and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the examples. Other examples and many of the intended advantages of the examples will be readily recognized by reference to the detailed description below. Fig. 1 shows a flowchart to illustrate a method for producing a semiconductor module according to an example. Fig. 2 includes Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B.Fig. 2B shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of a casting device to illustrate a method for producing a cap plate comprising a plurality of caps, according to an example in which foil-assisted die casting is used and a carrier is placed on a lower mold of the casting device. Fig. 3 includes Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B and shows schematic cross-sectional side view views of a casting device to illustrate a method for producing a cap plate comprising a plurality of caps, according to an example in which foil-assisted die casting is used and an additional foil is used instead of a carrier. Fig. 4 includes Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B and shows a schematic representation of the produced cap plate comprising a plurality of caps, comprising a circular wafer shape (A) and a rectangular or square shape (B). Fig. 5 includes Fig.Figures 5A and 5B show schematic cross-sectional side views of a section of a reconfigured wafer comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices (A), and of the same section after bonding the cap plate, comprising a plurality of caps, to the reconfigured wafer (B). Figure 6 comprises Figures 6A and 6B and shows a schematic cross-sectional side view of a section of the cap plate (A) and a bottom view of the section (B). Figure 7 comprises Figures 7A and 7B and shows a schematic cross-sectional side view (A) and a bottom view from a plane, designated BB in Figure 7A, of a semiconductor module comprising a microphone device without any other electrical devices (B). Figure 8 comprises Figures 7A and 7B.Figures 8A to 8D show a schematic cross-sectional side view of a semiconductor module comprising a pressure sensor device without encapsulation (A), a semiconductor module comprising a pressure sensor device with encapsulation and a membrane suspended between encapsulation walls (B), a semiconductor module comprising a pressure sensor device and an ASIC with encapsulation (C), and a semiconductor module comprising two pressure sensor devices with encapsulation and a cap separating the two cavities (D). DETAILED DESCRIPTION The aspects and examples are now described with reference to the drawings, in which, generally, the same reference numerals are used throughout to refer to the same elements. For explanatory purposes, numerous specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of one or more aspects of the examples. However, it may be obvious to a person skilled in the art that one or more aspects of the examples can be implemented with a lesser degree of specific detail. In other cases, known structures and elements are presented schematically to facilitate the description of one or more aspects of the examples. It is understood that other examples may be used and structural or logical modifications may be made without departing from the scope of protection of this disclosure.It should also be noted that the drawings are not to scale or not necessarily to scale. The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings, which form part thereof and illustrate specific aspects in which the disclosure can be put into practice. In this respect, directional terminology such as "top," "bottom," "front," "back," etc., may be used with reference to the orientation of the figures being described. Since components of the described devices can be arranged in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology may be used for illustrative purposes and is in no way restrictive. It is understood that other aspects may be used and structural or logical modifications may be made without departing from the scope of protection of this disclosure.The following detailed description is therefore not to be understood in a restrictive sense, and the scope of protection of the present disclosure is defined by the attached claims. Furthermore, while a particular feature or aspect of an example may be disclosed with respect to only one of several implementations, such feature or aspect may be combined with one or more other features or aspects of the other implementations as desired or as is advantageous for a given or particular application. Moreover, to the extent that the terms "contain," "include," "with," or other variations thereof are used in either the detailed description or the claims, such terms shall be understood to mean inclusive in a manner similar to the term "comprise." The terms "coupled" and "connected," together with derivatives, may be used.It is understood that these terms can be used to indicate whether two elements cooperate or interact with each other, regardless of whether they are in direct physical or electrical contact, or whether they are not in direct contact with each other. Furthermore, the term "exemplary" is meant merely as an example and not as the best or optimal. The following detailed description is therefore not to be understood in a restrictive sense, and the scope of protection of this disclosure is defined by the accompanying claims. The examples of a method for producing a semiconductor module and the examples of a semiconductor module and a packaged or encapsulated MEMS device can include a first casting compound in which the semiconductor devices are embedded and a second casting compound that is the material of the cap plate comprising the plurality of caps. The first and second casting compounds can be any electrically insulating material, such as any type of casting material, any type of resin material, any type of epoxy material, a bismaleimide, or a cyanate ester. The first and second casting compounds can also be polymeric materials, polyimide materials, or thermoplastic materials. Furthermore, the first and second casting compounds can include any of the aforementioned materials and may also contain embedded filler materials, such as thermally conductive increments.These filler increments can be made of SiO, SiC, Al₂O₃, ZnO, AlN, BN, MgO, Si₃N₄, ceramic, or a metallic material such as Cu, Al, Ag, or Mo. Furthermore, the filler increments can be in the form of fibers and can be made, for example, of carbon fibers or nanotubes. The casting compounds can also contain additional additives to adjust manufacturing properties. Insofar as a method for producing a semiconductor module is described as having a specific sequence of process steps, it should be mentioned that any other suitable sequence of process steps can be used by a person skilled in the art. It should further be mentioned that any comments, annotations, or features mentioned in connection with a described method are to be understood as also disclosing a device that is obtained or results from such comments, annotations, or features, even if such a device is not explicitly described or illustrated in the figures. Furthermore, any comments, annotations, or features mentioned in connection with a device are to be understood as also disclosing a process step for providing or producing the respective device feature. Fig. 1 shows a flowchart illustrating a method for producing a semiconductor module according to a first aspect. The method comprises manufacturing a semiconductor board comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices (s1), manufacturing a cap board comprising a plurality of caps (s2), bonding the cap board to the semiconductor board such that each of the caps covers one or more of the semiconductor devices (s3), and separating the bonded boards into a plurality of semiconductor modules (s4). The cap plate can be manufactured by a variety of different processes, as will be explained below. According to one example of the first aspect of the process, manufacturing the cap plate includes molding. According to another example, manufacturing the cap includes casting, in particular compression molding, transfer molding, and injection molding, each of which is either film-supported or film-free. A particular example of a casting process will be further illustrated and explained below in conjunction with Figures 2 and 3. According to an example of the first aspect of the process, manufacturing the cap plate involves abrading, punching, cutting, punching, or embossing. For example, a precursor plate can first be provided, and then specific sections of the precursor plate can be removed by abrading, punching, cutting, punching, or embossing to obtain a cap plate of a desired shape and structure. In particular, those sections are removed that are intended to be the cavities covered by the caps. According to an example of the procedure of the first aspect, manufacturing the cap plate involves deep drawing. According to an example of the procedure of the first aspect, manufacturing the cap plate includes any further type of generating shaping of the cap plate, such as providing a suitable powder and forming the cap plate from the powder, in particular with the assistance of heat and / or pressure. According to an example of the first aspect of the process, the cap plate can be manufactured by any of the aforementioned methods using any suitable materials. The cap plate can be made from any type of casting compound, as mentioned above, but also from semiconductor materials such as silicon, glass, ceramics, or metals. According to one example of the method of the first aspect, each of the semiconductor devices comprises a sensor device. According to another example thereof, each of the semiconductor devices comprises one or more pressure sensors, vibration sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, gas sensors, humidity sensors, magnetic field sensors, electric field sensors, or optical sensors. According to an example of the procedure of the first aspect, each of the semiconductor devices includes a MEMS device. In particular, in the case of a microphone or pressure sensor, the semiconductor device comprises a MEMS-manufactured diaphragm. According to the inventive process of the first aspect, the semiconductor wafer is a reconfigured wafer produced by advanced wafer-level technology, i.e., obtained by processing a multitude of semiconductor chips into a semiconductor wafer, cutting out the semiconductor chips, and embedding the semiconductor chips in an encapsulation material. The resulting reconfigured wafer can have any desired shape. It can be circular, rectangular, or square. According to a non-inventive example of the method of the first aspect, the semiconductor wafer is a semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices or components processed therein. In this case, the semiconductor wafer does not include any casting material between the individual semiconductor devices. According to an example of the first aspect of the procedure, the multitude of caps manufactured on the board corresponds to the multitude of semiconductor devices on the semiconductor board. It may be the case that each of the semiconductor modules comprises no more than one semiconductor device, such as a specific sensor from the variety of sensors listed above. Alternatively, it may also be the case that each semiconductor module comprises more than one semiconductor device. For example, a sensor device and another electrical device, such as any type of control device connected to the sensor device, may be present. The control device may, for example, be an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) that can be used to, for example, control the sensor.The control device or ASIC provides a power supply for the sensor and / or readout functionality to supply an electrical signal corresponding to a specific parameter or its measured value. The ASIC can also function as an amplifier and / or an analog-to-digital converter. As another example, the semiconductor module can include two sensor devices. The two sensor devices can have different functionalities; for example, one sensor can be a pressure sensor and the other a temperature sensor. They can also have the same functionalities but different sensitivities; for example, one sensor has a relatively high sensitivity and the other has a relatively low sensitivity.In the case of a pressure sensor, for example, it might be intended that one pressure sensor has a relatively large rear volume and therefore relatively high sensitivity, while another pressure sensor has a relatively small rear volume and therefore low sensitivity. The following section will describe how the dimensions of the rear volume could be adjusted. According to one example of the first aspect of the process, manufacturing the cap plate involves providing the caps, or sections thereof, with electrical conductivity. According to one example, an electrically conductive layer can be applied to a wall of the caps, i.e., an inner or outer wall, or it can be integrated into the caps. According to another example, the caps can also be manufactured from electrically conductive material, i.e., by incorporating electrically conductive increments into a host material, such as a casting material. The electrical conductivity can provide at least one of the following functionalities: shielding the semiconductor device, shielding the interconnection with a control device, e.g., an ASIC, or shielding underlying redistribution layers. According to an example of the first aspect of the method, an opening is formed in each of the caps so that, in the case of a microphone or pressure sensor, a sound wave or a gaseous medium can enter the cavity of the sensor device. In the case of an optical sensor, for example, a lens can be mounted in the opening to focus a light wave into the interior of the sensor. Alternatively, in the semiconductor module, an opening is not necessarily formed in the cap, but rather in the semiconductor device or in the encapsulation material. According to an example of the first aspect of the process, bonding the cap plate to the semiconductor board can be accomplished by gluing or bonding, or by soldering in the case of metallic surfaces. The adhesive or bonding agent can be applied to one or both surfaces, for example, by printing. Fig. 2 includes Fig. 2A and Fig. 2B and presents an example of a method for manufacturing the cap plate, wherein a casting device 10 comprises an upper casting tool 1 and an attachment 2, attached to the upper casting tool 1, and a lower casting tool 3, wherein the attachment 2 comprises a lower surface 2.1 having a surface structure that is the inverse of the surface structure of the plurality of caps to be produced. The casting device 10 further comprises rollers 4A and 4B for introducing a film 5, which is to be applied to the lower surface 2.1 of the attachment 2. A carrier 6 is applied to the lower casting tool 3, and an adhesive film or bonding film 7 is adhered to an upper surface of the carrier 6. Fig. 2A shows the beginning of the casting process. In this example, pressure casting is used. A certain quantity of a casting compound 8 is placed on the carrier 6, specifically on the adhesive film 7. The upper casting tool 1 is then moved downwards so that, upon reaching the casting compound 8, the compound spreads laterally and flows into the various depressions formed in the lower surface 2.1 of the attachment 2. The casting compound then hardens or solidifies, and the finished plate 8.1 is removed from the casting device. It should be mentioned that the process described above can in principle also be carried out without using the film 5, which is applied to the attachment part 2. It should also be mentioned that other casting processes such as transfer casting or injection molding can be used. Fig. 3 includes Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B and depicts a similar process for producing a plate comprising a plurality of caps using a casting device 20. A difference from the casting device 10 of Fig. 2 is that the carrier 6, as shown in Fig. 2, is omitted and instead another film 15 is introduced into the casting device 20 by rollers 14A and 14B. As shown in Fig. 3A, the casting compound 8 is applied to an upper surface of the film 15, and thereafter the process is similar to that described in conjunction with Fig. 2. The examples in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 show a so-called cavity-top mode, meaning that the upper casting tool 1 includes the attachment 2 that determines the shape of the cap plate to be produced. However, the casting device can also have a cavity-bottom mode, in which the lower casting tool includes the attachment that determines the shape of the cap plate to be produced. Fig. 4 includes Fig. 4A and Fig. 4B, with Fig. 4A showing an example of a plate comprising a plurality of caps, wherein the plate has a circular shape or the shape of a typical wafer. It should be noted that the plate can also have any other shape, such as a rectangular or square shape, as shown in Fig. 4B. In the same way as outlined above, the semiconductor plate can also have a typical wafer shape, but also any other shape, such as a rectangular or square shape. The cap plate 40, as shown in Fig. 4, comprises a plurality of caps or cavities 41, wherein the number of caps can be in the range of 1000 or several thousand, in particular in a range between 1000 and 10,000. The cap plate 40 can further comprise a peripheral edge section 42 in which no caps are formed and which serves to stiffen and stabilize the cap plate 40. Fig. 5 includes Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B and shows in more detail a section of the semiconductor wafer before and after the cap plate is bonded to it. In the example of Fig. 5, the semiconductor wafer is a reconfigured wafer. Fig. 5A shows two adjacent semiconductor devices 50, each of which comprises a semiconductor body 51, including side walls 51.1 and a microphone diaphragm 51.2 connected between the side walls 51.1. The side walls 51.1 can be configured to include four peripherally connected outer surfaces and one inner surface that is circular in cross-section, see, for example, Fig. 7B. In any case, the side walls 51.1 surround an interior space 51.3 above the microphone diaphragm 51.2. The semiconductor devices 50 further comprise a casting compound (first casting compound) 52 arranged such that it embeds each of the semiconductor bodies 51 on all four sides. The semiconductor devices 50 further comprise electrical contact pads 53 applied to a rear surface of the reconfigured wafer 50 and connected to one or more of the microphone diaphragms 51.2 and any other electrical devices contained in the semiconductor body 51. Fig. 5B shows an intermediate product (bonded plates) obtained after applying a cap plate 55 to a top surface of the reconfigured wafer. The cap plate 55 can correspond to the cap plate 40, as shown in Fig. 4, and can comprise a plurality of caps 55.1, each cap 55.1 being precisely positioned over one of the semiconductor devices 50, with the vertical walls of the cap plate 55 being precisely and centrally placed on the walls of the casting compound 52. In the example shown in Fig. 5B, the inner wall of the caps 55.1 comprises a flat horizontal wall and flat side walls adjoining the horizontal wall. Furthermore, it can be seen in Fig. 5B that the side walls are inclined such that an angle other than 90° exists between the horizontal wall and the side walls, in the present example greater than 90°.Such a configuration helps to avoid shear forces when bonding the cap plate 55 to the reconfigured wafer and thus avoid perpendicular pressing of the cap plate 55 onto the reconfigured wafer 50. Furthermore, the inclined walls are advantageous when removing the cap plate 8.1 from the casting tools 1 and 2, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3. To obtain the inclined side walls, the attachment 2 on the upper casting tool 1 must have a correspondingly inverse surface structure. The example shown in Fig. 5B also allows for a sharp or abrupt connection between the horizontal wall and the side walls of the cap 55.1 with a clearly defined angle between them. However, it is also possible for the connection between the horizontal wall and the side walls to be smooth or curved with a specific radius of curvature. According to another example, it is also possible that the inner walls of the caps do not comprise a flat wall, but a completely curved surface such as a spherical surface or an ellipsoidal surface. The example shown in Fig. 5B further illustrates that the inner walls of the caps 55.1 comprise a thin layer 55.2 of an electrically conductive material such as Cu or Al, which serves to electrically shield the semiconductor device from the outside. Alternatively, it is also possible to omit the layer 55.2 and instead manufacture the cap plate 55 from an electrically conductive material. As mentioned above, the cap plate 55 comprises a casting compound (second casting compound) whose material may be different from, similar to, or identical with the material of the first casting compound 52. In particular, it may be the case that the first and second casting compounds comprise completely identical materials, meaning that they comprise identical host materials and also identical quantities and types of incorporated filler increments. This is advantageous because the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of the first and second casting compounds are the same, so that no problems will arise at the interface between the casting compounds due to different CTEs during operation of the microphone device. However, it may also be the case that the first and second casting compounds comprise similar or identical host materials, but one or more different quantities or different types of incorporated filler increments.This may be the case, in particular, if an electrically conductive cap 55.1 is desired to avoid the application of layer 55.2, in which case a sufficient quantity of conductive filler increments must be incorporated into the second casting compound. Since the first casting compound 52 must be insulating, the first and second casting compounds will necessarily be different in this case. After bonding the cap plate 55 to the reconfigured wafer, the resulting intermediate product can be singulated to obtain a plurality of individual microphone devices. The vertical dashed line in Fig. 5B indicates the plane along the adjacent microphone devices, which can be separated from each other by, for example, cutting, stealth dicing, sawing, etching, laser ablation, or any suitable combination thereof. The cap plate 55, as shown in the example of Fig. 5B, comprises a flat upper surface. However, it should be mentioned that during the manufacture of the cap plate, the upper surface can also be shaped or structured in any desired way for various reasons, such as increasing the stability of the cap, facilitating singulation by forming grooves at the boundaries of the semiconductor modules, or forming markings such as numbers or crosses on the upper surface. Fig. 6 includes Fig. 6A and Fig. 6B and illustrates the spatial dimensions of the caps arranged in the cap plate. Fig. 6 shows a section of the cap plate comprising a plurality of caps, the section of two adjacent caps as shown in Fig. 5B, and designated by reference numeral 55.1. The letters a to h denote various length dimensions, where a refers to the height of the cap plate or the caps, b refers to the height or clear height of the cap cavity, c refers to the thickness of the upper horizontal wall (with a = b + c), d refers to the thickness of the side wall, e refers to the thickness of the wall separating two adjacent cavities, f refers to the portion of e reserved for the saw line, g refers to the length of the cavity, and h refers to the width of the cavity.The ranges of b and c can be as follows: b: 50 µm to 500 µm c: 50 µm to 300 µm. Fig. 7 includes Fig. 7A and Fig. 7B and shows a schematic cross-sectional side view (A) and a bottom view from a plane, designated BB in Fig. 7A, (B) of a semiconductor module according to a second aspect. The semiconductor module 50 comprises a semiconductor device 51 and a cap 55 arranged over the semiconductor device 51. The semiconductor module 50 is manufactured by bonding a cap plate comprising a plurality of caps to a semiconductor plate comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices and separating the bonded plates into a plurality of semiconductor modules. Separation of the bonded plates is achieved by separating adjacent semiconductor modules 50 along the vertical dashed line, as shown in Fig. 5B, for example by cutting. As a result, an outer side wall of the semiconductor module 50 is completely smooth and exhibits no lateral step or shoulder at the boundary 57 between the cap 55 and the encapsulation material 52. This feature applies to all further examples of the semiconductor modules shown here. As shown in Figures 5 and 7, the semiconductor module 50 can be configured in the form of a microphone device 50. The microphone device 50, as shown in Figure 7, is the left of the two devices shown in Figure 5B; accordingly, the reference numerals from Figure 5B have been adopted. The microphone device 50 can therefore comprise a semiconductor body 51, comprising side walls 51.1 and a microphone diaphragm 51.2 connected between the side walls 51.1, a first casting compound 52 embedding the side walls 51.1, and a cap 55.1 connected to the first casting compound 52, the cap 55.1 being made from a second casting compound. According to an example of the semiconductor module of the second aspect, the semiconductor device can include any type of sensor device. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the sensor device is a pressure sensor or microphone. However, the semiconductor device can also include one or more vibration sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, gas sensors, humidity sensors, magnetic field sensors, electric field sensors, or optical sensors. According to the example of the semiconductor module as shown in Fig. 7, the semiconductor device includes a MEMS device containing the membrane 51.2. However, it should be noted that the semiconductor device does not necessarily include a MEMS device. According to one example of the semiconductor module of the second aspect, the semiconductor module comprises two or more semiconductor devices. According to one such example, the semiconductor module comprises a sensor device and another electronic device, wherein the other electronic device is connected to the sensor device and configured to provide power to the sensor device and / or to read electrical signals from the sensor device. The other electronic device could, for example, be an ASIC device. According to an example of the semiconductor module of the second aspect, one or more of the first and second casting masses comprise a host material comprising one or more of a resin, in particular an epoxy resin, an epoxy silicone, an epoxy polyimide, a bismaleid, a cyanate ester or a thermoplastic. According to one example of the semiconductor module of the second aspect, the first and second castings comprise different, similar, or identical materials, in particular different, similar, or identical host materials. According to another example thereof, the first and second castings comprise different, similar, or identical host materials, and one or more of the first and second castings comprise a host material and embedded filler increments, wherein the filler increments are made in particular from SiO, Al₂O₃, ZnO, MgO, AlN, Si₃N₄, BN, a ceramic material, or a metallic material, in particular Cu, Al, Ag, or Mo. According to an example of the semiconductor module of the second aspect, the semiconductor module further comprises an electrically conductive layer applied to an inner wall of the cap 55.1. According to one example of the semiconductor module of the second aspect, the cap 55.1 comprises internal walls, including a flat horizontal wall and flat side walls adjoining the horizontal wall. According to another example, the side walls are inclined such that an angle other than 90° exists between the horizontal wall and the side walls, in particular an angle greater than 90°. According to an example of the semiconductor module of the second aspect, the connection between the horizontal wall and the side walls is either sharp or abrupt, or smooth or curved. According to an example of the semiconductor module of the second aspect, the semiconductor module comprises at least one further electronic device. The further electronic device can be, for example, a microcontroller, a processor, an ASIC, etc. Fig. 8 includes Figs. 8A to 8D and shows further examples of semiconductor modules according to the second aspect. Fig. 8A shows a semiconductor module 100 comparable to that of Fig. 7, but without encapsulation. All other reference numerals have been adopted from Fig. 7. As explained above, such a semiconductor module 100 can be obtained in cases where the semiconductor plate is a semiconductor wafer in which the semiconductor devices are fabricated, and then the cap plate is bonded to the semiconductor wafer, and the bonded plates are finally separated by one of the methods described above. As a result, smooth sidewalls without a step or shoulder at the boundary between the cap 55.1 and the sidewall 51.1 of the semiconductor body 51 are obtained. Due to the fabrication process, an outer sidewall of the semiconductor module 100 is completely smooth and shows no lateral step or shoulder at the boundary 58 between the cap 55 and the encapsulation material 52. Fig. 8B shows a semiconductor module 200 comparable to that of Fig. 7, but without the side walls 51.1. Instead, the membrane 51.2 is suspended directly between the walls of the encapsulation material 52. All other reference numerals have been adopted from Fig. 7. Fig. 8C shows a semiconductor module 300 comparable to that of Fig. 7, but with an additional electronic device also covered by the cap 55.1. In this example, the additional electronic device is a silicon chip 60 comprising an electronic circuit 61 on an upper main face thereof. The electronic circuit 61 can be any type of control circuit, in particular an ASIC, connected to the sensor device 51 and configured, for example, to supply electrical power to the sensor device 51 or to read signals from the sensor device 51 and perform analog-to-digital conversion of the read signals. An electrical through-connection 62 can be formed in one of the walls of the encapsulation material 52. The through-connection 62 connects the contact surface 53 of the sensor device 51 to the contact surface 63 formed on an upper main face of the silicon chip 60. Fig. 8D shows a semiconductor module 100 comparable to that of Fig. 7, but with an additional sensor device 71 attached to the sensor device 51 and separated from it by a wall of the encapsulation material 52. The additional sensor device 71 is also covered by a cap 75.1, the cap 75.1 being likewise coated with an electrically conductive layer 75.2 on its inner walls. The difference between the sensor devices 51 and 71 lies in the different thicknesses of their respective caps 55.1 and 75.1. While cap 55.1 has a relatively small thickness d1, cap 75.1 has a relatively large thickness d1. As a result, the cavity of sensor device 51 has a larger volume than the cavity of sensor device 71 and consequently exhibits a higher signal-to-noise ratio and greater sensitivity. The present disclosure also relates to a housing-enclosed or packaged MEMS device according to a third aspect. The housing-enclosed MEMS device according to the third aspect comprises an embedding arrangement, a MEMS device arranged in the embedding arrangement, and a cap arranged over the MEMS device. The housing-enclosed MEMS device is manufactured by bonding a cap plate comprising a plurality of caps to a MEMS plate comprising a plurality of MEMS devices and singulating the bonded plates to form a plurality of housing-enclosed MEMS devices. According to an example of a housing-equipped MEMS device, the MEMS device includes a sensor device. According to an example of an enclosed MEMS device, the MEMS device includes one or more pressure sensors, vibration sensors, accelerometers, temperature sensors, gas sensors, humidity sensors, magnetic field sensors, electric field sensors, or optical sensors. According to one example of an enclosed MEMS device, the MEMS device comprises two or more semiconductor devices. According to another example, the MEMS device comprises a sensor device and another electronic device, wherein the other electronic device is connected to the sensor device and configured to supply power to the sensor device and / or read electrical signals from the sensor device. According to yet another example, the other electronic device is an ASIC device. According to an example of the enclosed MEMS device of the third aspect, the cap includes internal walls comprising a flat horizontal wall and flat side walls adjacent to the horizontal wall. According to an example of the enclosed MEMS device of the third aspect, the side walls are inclined such that the angle between the horizontal wall and the side walls is different from 90°, in particular greater than 90°. According to an example of the enclosed MEMS device of the third aspect, the connection between the horizontal wall and the side walls is sharp or abrupt. Further examples of the packaged MEMS device of the third aspect can be formed by incorporating examples or features described above in connection with the method for producing a semiconductor module of the first aspect or the semiconductor module of the second aspect. While the invention has been illustrated and described with respect to one or more embodiments, modifications and / or alterations to the illustrated examples may be made without departing from the essence and scope of protection of the appended claims. In particular, with regard to the various functions performed by the components or structures (assemblies, devices, circuits, systems, etc.) described above, the terms (including any reference to a "means") used to describe such components shall, unless otherwise specified, correspond to any component or structure that performs the specified function of the described component (which is, for example, functionally equivalent), although not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure that performs the function in the exemplary implementations of the invention illustrated herein.

Claims

Method for producing a semiconductor module (50), the method comprising: manufacturing a reconfigured wafer comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices (51) and a casting compound (52) in which the semiconductor devices (51) are embedded; manufacturing a cap plate (55) comprising a plurality of caps (55.1); bonding the cap plate (55) to the casting compound (52) of the wafer such that each of the caps (55.1) covers one or more of the semiconductor devices (51) and a rear volume is formed between each of the caps (55.1) and semiconductor devices (51); and singulating the connected cap plate (55) and reconfigured wafer to form a plurality of semiconductor modules (50); wherein each rear volume has side walls, wherein a lower part (51.1) of the side walls is formed in the wafer and an upper part of the side walls is formed in the cap plate (55). Method according to claim 1, wherein each of the semiconductor devices (51) comprises a sensor device. Method according to claim 2, wherein each of the semiconductor devices (51) comprises one or more of a pressure sensor, a shock sensor, an acceleration sensor, a temperature sensor, a gas sensor, a humidity sensor, a magnetic field sensor, an electric field sensor or an optical sensor. Method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each of the semiconductor devices (51) comprises a MEMS device. Method according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: manufacturing the cap plate (55) comprises providing the caps (55.1) or parts thereof having an electrical conductivity. Semiconductor module (50) comprising: a semiconductor device (51); and a cap (55.1) arranged over the semiconductor device (51); wherein the semiconductor module (50) is produced by bonding a cap plate (55) comprising a plurality of caps (55.1) to a casting mass (52) of a reconfigured wafer comprising a plurality of semiconductor devices (51) embedded in the casting mass (52), and singulating the joined cap plate (55) and reconfigured wafer to form a plurality of semiconductor modules (50); wherein a rear volume is formed between the cap (55.1) and the semiconductor device (51); wherein the rear volume has side walls, a lower part (51.1) of the side walls being formed in the wafer and an upper part of the side walls being formed in the cap plate (55). Semiconductor module (50) according to claim 6, wherein the semiconductor device (51) comprises a sensor device. Semiconductor module (50) according to claim 7, wherein the semiconductor device (51) comprises one or more of a pressure sensor, a shock sensor, an acceleration sensor, a temperature sensor, a gas sensor, a humidity sensor, a magnetic field sensor, an electric field sensor or an optical sensor. Semiconductor module (50) according to one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the semiconductor device (51) comprises a MEMS device. Semiconductor module (50) according to one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the semiconductor module (50) comprises two or more semiconductor devices (51). Semiconductor module (50) according to claim 10, wherein the semiconductor module (50) comprises a sensor device and a further electronic device (60), wherein the further electronic device (60) is connected to the sensor device and is configured to provide power to the sensor device and / or to read electrical signals from the sensor device. Semiconductor module (50) according to claim 11, wherein the further electronic device (60) is an ASIC device. A housing-equipped or packaged MEMS device comprising: an embedding arrangement; a MEMS device arranged in the embedding arrangement; a cap (55.1) arranged over the MEMS device; wherein the housing-equipped MEMS device is produced by bonding a cap plate (55) comprising a plurality of caps (55.1) to a casting (52) of a reconfigured MEMS wafer comprising a plurality of MEMS devices embedded in the casting (52), and singulating the joined cap plate (55) and reconfigured MEMS wafer to form a plurality of housing-equipped MEMS devices; wherein a rear volume is formed between the cap (55.1) and the MEMS device; wherein the rear volume has side walls, a lower part (51.1) of the side walls being formed in the MEMS wafer and an upper part of the side walls being formed in the Cap plate (55) is formed. MEMS device provided with a housing according to claim 13, wherein the MEMS device comprises a sensor device. MEMS device provided with a housing according to claim 14, wherein the MEMS device comprises one or more of a pressure sensor, a vibration sensor, an acceleration sensor, a temperature sensor, a gas sensor, a humidity sensor, a magnetic field sensor, an electric field sensor or an optical sensor. MEMS device provided with a housing according to one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the MEMS device comprises one or more semiconductor devices (51). MEMS device provided with a housing according to claim 16, wherein the MEMS device comprises a sensor device and a further electronic device (60), wherein the further electronic device (60) is connected to the sensor device and is configured to provide power to the sensor device and / or to read electrical signals from the sensor device. MEMS device provided with housing according to claim 17, wherein the further electronic device (60) is an ASIC device.

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