Magneto-impedance Sensor Trench Structure for Alignment-Free Manufacturing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The manufacturing process of electromagnetic impedance sensing devices is time-consuming and prone to defects due to the difficulty in fixing magneto-conductive wires on ceramic substrates, leading to alignment issues and non-uniform coating, which hinders miniaturization and sensitivity enhancement.
Innovation Solution
A trench is formed on a substrate with a magneto-conductive wire disposed within, encapsulated by an insulation adhesive, and sandwiched between patterned conductive layers to form a coil circuit, eliminating the need for precise alignment and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If magneto-conductive wire is fixed on ceramic substrate by stacking patterned conductive layers and insulating layers, then the device structure is formed, but the manufacturing process becomes time-consuming due to multiple alignment steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a planar stacking approach to a three-dimensional trench structure. The magneto-conductive wire is embedded within a trench in the substrate, allowing conductive layers to be formed on the trench walls and bottom without requiring precise alignment between separate layers. This dimensional change eliminates the need for multiple alignment steps while maintaining device structure integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the magneto-conductive wire from the planar stacking sequence and places it within a trench structure. This separation allows the wire to be positioned independently within the substrate, eliminating its role as an alignment reference for subsequent layer deposition and removing the time-consuming alignment steps entirely.
2Reliability
If magneto-conductive wire is fixed on ceramic substrate, then device structure is formed, but step height causes non-uniform photoresist coating and defocus problems
Solution Approach 1:
By embedding the magneto-conductive wire within a trench rather than placing it on the substrate surface, the patent creates a recessed structure that eliminates step height issues. The trench walls provide a continuous surface for photoresist coating, ensuring uniform thickness and eliminating defocus problems in photolithography processes.
3Reliability
If magneto-conductive wire is fixed on ceramic substrate, then device structure is formed, but critical dimension cannot be miniaturized due to alignment and coating issues
Solution Approach 1:
The trench structure enables miniaturization by providing a confined three-dimensional space for the magneto-conductive wire and conductive layers. This allows precise control of feature dimensions without being constrained by alignment tolerances or photoresist coating uniformity, enabling critical dimensions to be reduced while maintaining manufacturing precision.
4Reliability
If multiple alignment steps are performed for patterned layers, then device structure is formed, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the alignment function from the manufacturing process by extracting the magneto-conductive wire from the layer stacking sequence and embedding it in a trench. This eliminates the need for multiple alignment steps between conductive layers and the wire, significantly simplifying the manufacturing process while maintaining device structure integrity.
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
This approach reduces manufacturing time and complexity, increases accuracy, allows for miniaturization of the device, and enhances sensitivity by eliminating step height issues and enabling multiple devices to be processed on a single wafer.
Implementation Method 1
The magneto-conductive wire is encapsulated by the encapsulation layer to make the magneto-conductive wire electrically isolated from the first and second patterned conductive layers
Implementation Method 2
at least one coil circuit surrounding the magneto-conductive wire is formed by the first and second patterned conductive layers
Data Source
AI summary
An electromagnetic impedance sensing device includes a substrate, a first patterned conductive layer, a second patterned conductive layer, a magneto-conductive wire and an encapsulation layer. The substrate has a surface and a trench extending into thereof. The first patterned conductive layer is formed on the surface, as well as a bottom and sidewalls of the trench. The magneto-conductive wire is disposed in the trench. The second patterned conductive layer extending across the trench and electrically in contact with the first patterned conductive layer is formed on the first patterned conductive layer to make the magneto-conductive wire sandwiched between the first and the second patterned conductive layers. The magneto-conductive wire is encapsulated by the encapsulation layer to make the magneto-conductive wire electrically isolated from the first and second patterned conductive layers. At least one coil circuit surrounding the magneto-conductive wire is formed by the first and second patterned conductive layers.