Hermetic Sensor Co-Location with Electronic Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor packaging technologies face challenges in integrating electronic circuits with sensing elements in harsh environments, as oil-filled constructions can affect electronic circuit performance and limit temperature ranges due to oil temperature limitations, and alternative constructions are needed for accurate operation in harsh conditions.
Innovation Solution
A sensor assembly is configured with a semiconductor device and header assembly, where the sensing element and electronic circuit are hermetically sealed together using a contact glass or ceramic cover, allowing for simultaneous fabrication on a patterned silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer and integration with the sensing network, and the electronic circuit is electrically coupled to the sensing element using header pins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sensing element and electronic circuit are packaged separately, then the electronic circuit performance is maintained, but the package size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention places one hermetically sealed enclosure (containing the sensing element) inside or adjacent to another hermetically sealed enclosure (containing the electronic circuit) within a common package structure. This nested arrangement allows both components to be hermetically protected and independently sealed while minimizing the overall package volume. The compact integration reduces the size increase that would otherwise result from separate packaging.
2Volume of stationary object
If the sensing element and electronic circuit are integrated in the same enclosure, then the package size is reduced, but the electronic circuit is exposed to harsh environmental conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention maintains separate hermetically sealed enclosures for the sensing element and electronic circuit, preventing exposure of the electronic circuit to harsh environmental conditions while keeping the overall package compact through careful spatial arrangement. The segmentation ensures that harmful factors such as oil, moisture, and extreme temperatures only affect the sensing element enclosure, which is designed to withstand these conditions.
3Reliability
If oil is used as a protective medium, then the sensing element is protected from environmental conditions, but the temperature range is limited due to oil temperature limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the electronic circuit from the oil-filled environment and places it in a separate hermetically sealed enclosure. This removal eliminates the temperature limitations imposed by oil, allowing the electronic circuit to operate across a broader temperature range. The sensing element can remain in the protective medium or in its own sealed enclosure designed for high-temperature operation, while the electronic circuit is protected from thermal and chemical degradation.
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 configuration enhances the sensor's capability to operate in high-temperature and rugged applications by maintaining the integrity of both the sensing element and electronic circuit, improving signal-to-noise ratio and reducing package size while ensuring reliable performance across a broader temperature range.
Implementation Method 1
the sensing element and the electronic circuit may be hermetically sealed
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides example methods, devices, and systems for a sensor co-located with an electronic circuit. In one embodiment, a sensor assembly may comprise a semiconductor device configured to include a sensor having a sensing element, an electronic circuit and wherein the sensing element and the electronic circuit are hermetically sealed in the same sensor assembly; and wherein the sensor assembly is capable of outputting an environmental condition signal associated with an environmental condition measured by the sensor.