Capped Substrate Cavities for Isolated MEMS Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for improved structures that can be readily constructed and integrated into electronic and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) with enhanced performance, particularly for components like acoustic wave filters that require mechanical manipulation and signal processing.
Innovation Solution
The development of enclosed cavity structures within substrates, where components such as MEMS devices are housed within cavities and covered by caps, allowing for mechanical isolation and improved performance through precise etching and micro-transfer printing techniques, enabling the integration of components with enhanced mechanical motion and signal processing capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If components are assembled on substrate using individually packaged surface-mount devices, then device functionality is achieved, but device size and integration density increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the component from its traditional packaged form and relocates it into an enclosed cavity structure formed directly in the substrate. This extraction eliminates the need for external packaging and allows direct integration into the substrate architecture, thereby reducing overall device size while maintaining functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nesting by placing the component inside an enclosed cavity that is formed within the substrate itself. The cavity acts as a nested structure that houses the component, allowing multiple functional elements to be integrated within the substrate volume rather than requiring additional external space
2Ease of manufacture
If components are transferred using pick-and-place tools, then assembly is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the component transfer process with the substrate fabrication process. Instead of using separate pick-and-place operations, the component is transferred and positioned during the same manufacturing sequence used to form the cavity structure, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing process and reducing the number of discrete steps required
3Reliability
If cavities are formed to house MEMS components, then mechanical isolation is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cavity formation process into multiple controllable steps, including forming the cavity walls and creating the enclosed space. This segmentation allows each step to be optimized independently, reducing the overall manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining the integrity of the final cavity structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-forming the cavity structure and preparing the substrate before component placement. This preliminary preparation ensures that the cavity is ready to receive the component with proper mechanical isolation, reducing the precision requirements during the actual component integration step
Data Source
AI summary
An example of a cavity structure comprises a cavity substrate comprising a substrate surface, a cavity extending into the cavity substrate, the cavity having a cavity bottom and cavity walls, and a cap disposed on a side of the cavity opposite the cavity bottom. The cavity substrate, the cap, and the one or more cavity walls form a cavity enclosing a volume. A component can be disposed in the cavity and can extend above the substrate surface. The component can be a piezoelectric or a MEMS device. The cap can have a tophat configuration. The cavity structure can be micro-transfer printed from a source wafer to a destination substrate.