Enclosed Cavity Structures for MEMS Mechanical Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for improved structures and methods to integrate high-performance components into electronic and micro-electro-mechanical systems, particularly for resonant devices like acoustic wave filters, that offer mechanical isolation and enhanced performance.
Innovation Solution
The development of cavity structures with enclosed cavities on substrates, where components such as acoustic wave transducers can be disposed wholly or partially within the cavity, supported by component supports and enclosed by a cap, allowing for mechanical isolation and improved performance through precise positioning and encapsulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If components are assembled on substrate using individually packaged surface-mount devices, then device performance is improved, but device size and integration density worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the component from its traditional packaged form and integrates it directly into the substrate cavity, eliminating the need for separate surface-mount packaging while maintaining performance benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The component is nested within the substrate cavity structure, with the cavity providing mechanical isolation and the cap providing encapsulation, creating a compact integrated assembly that reduces overall device footprint
2Area of stationary object
If thin-film circuits are used instead of packaged devices, then device size is reduced, but component performance and transistor size worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing mechanical isolation specifically for the component region through the cavity structure, allowing the component to operate with enhanced performance characteristics while maintaining compact overall device size
3Ease of manufacture
If components are placed directly on substrate without enclosure, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but mechanical isolation and performance worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The cavity structure is formed in the substrate before component placement, preliminarily establishing the mechanical isolation environment needed for optimal component performance while maintaining a straightforward manufacturing process
4Reliability
If cavity structures with caps are used to enclose components, then mechanical isolation and performance are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure is segmented into the cavity portion formed in the substrate and the cap portion that seals the opening, allowing each element to be optimized independently while working together to provide mechanical isolation
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.