Ceramic MEMS Support Cavity for Smaller Sensor Footprints
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing MEMS components face challenges in reducing the device footprint due to assembly and manufacturing tolerances, particularly when using materials like plastic, metal, or ceramic for the walls and lid.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing a ceramic material for both the substrate and walls/lid, ensuring a similar coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) to minimize stress, and employing a machined ceramic cavity array with thinner walls and lids, allowing for precise manufacturing and assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional materials (plastic, metal, or ceramic) are used for walls and lid, then the device can be manufactured, but the footprint cannot be significantly decreased due to assembly and manufacturing tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the substrate and walls into a single integrated ceramic component. The substrate serves dual functions as both the mounting base for the MEMS component and as the structural wall forming the encapsulation cavity. This integration eliminates the need for separate wall components and their associated assembly tolerances, enabling significantly reduced footprint while maintaining manufacturing precision.
2Area of stationary object
If the wall thickness is decreased to reduce footprint, then the device dimensions are reduced, but the structural integrity and reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs ceramic material for the integrated substrate-wall structure, utilizing its inherent high strength-to-weight ratio and mechanical properties. The ceramic material provides sufficient structural integrity even with reduced wall thickness, maintaining reliability while enabling footprint reduction. The material selection is critical to achieving both miniaturization and structural adequacy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different materials are used for substrate and walls, then design flexibility is improved, but stress due to different coefficients of thermal expansion occurs during assembly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the same ceramic material for both the substrate and the walls, ensuring homogeneous material properties throughout the structure. This homogeneity guarantees matching coefficients of thermal expansion, eliminating thermal stress during assembly and operation. The unified material approach simplifies the design while ensuring structural reliability under thermal conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves a significantly reduced device footprint, enabling production of MEMS components with dimensions as small as 1.5 mm x 1.5 mm, while maintaining structural integrity and ease of manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
the walls and/or the lid have a similar coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) with regard to the substrate
Data Source
Figure 1~3
AI summary
The invention relates to a device for supporting a MEMS component, especially a pressure sensor, having a substrate formed of a ceramic, a MEMS component on the substrate and walls forming a cavity for surrounding the MEMS component, in which the walls are formed from a machined ceramic cavity array.