Over-under sensor packaging with air gap
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of electronic systems requires smaller, more reliable, and sensitive sensor packages with multiple microphones and sensors, which is challenging due to space constraints and thermal-mechanical stress issues in traditional side-by-side arrangements of sensors and control chips.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for packaging sensors and control chips vertically within a shielded enclosure, with the sensor spaced apart from the control chip by an air gap, allowing for a smaller footprint and reducing thermal-mechanical stress through separate elements with matched coefficients of thermal expansion, and using conductive interconnects for electrical communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If sensors and control chips are arranged side-by-side in traditional packaging, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device footprint area increases and thermal-mechanical stress problems worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a planar side-by-side arrangement to a vertical stacked arrangement, utilizing the third dimension (height) to position the sensor and control chip on opposite sides of a substrate. This dimensional change reduces the footprint area while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through vertical interconnect structures.
2Volume of stationary object
If sensors and control chips are placed in close proximity, then device size is reduced, but thermal-mechanical stress increases due to mismatched coefficients of thermal expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer or structure between the sensor and control chip that accommodates their different coefficients of thermal expansion. This intermediary element absorbs thermal stress and prevents direct stress transmission, enabling close proximity placement without excessive thermal-mechanical stress.
3Reliability
If sensor is vertically spaced apart from control chip by air gap, then thermal-mechanical stress is reduced and sensitivity is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional spacing structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the package into distinct regions: a sensor region, a control chip region, and an intermediate air gap region. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently while the air gap provides thermal isolation and stress relief, improving reliability without requiring complex integrated structures.
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment device includes a body structure having an interior cavity, a control chip disposed on a first interior surface of the interior cavity, and a sensor attached, at a first side, to a second interior surface of the interior cavity opposite the first interior surface. The sensor has a mounting pad on a second side of the sensor that faces the first interior surface, and the sensor is vertically spaced apart from the control chip by an air gap, with the sensor is aligned at least partially over the control chip. The device further includes an interconnect having a first end mounted on the mounting pad, the interconnect extending through the interior cavity toward the first interior surface, and the control chip is in electrical communication with the sensor by way of the interconnect.