Semiconductor Sensor Housing With Segmented Through-Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor devices with semiconductor sensor chips are vulnerable to environmental factors like sunlight and dust due to their design, which increases complexity in manufacturing and reduces reliability.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates a housing with a plurality of through-holes forming a large opening area in a prescribed region, not opposite to the sensor chip, allowing pressure variations to enter while minimizing exposure to environmental factors, or uses a porous cover member to prevent dust and sunlight ingress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the opening area is increased to adequately introduce pressure variations into the cavity, then pressure variations can be sufficiently transmitted to the semiconductor sensor chip, but negative influences from environmental factors such as sunlight and dust will be correspondingly increased
Solution Approach 1:
The opening is divided into multiple through-holes instead of a single large opening. This segmentation allows the total opening area to be sufficient for pressure variation transmission while each individual through-hole remains small enough to prevent dust ingress and reduce sunlight exposure to the sensor chip.
2Reliability
If a single circular opening is formed at a prescribed position of the cover member, then pressure variations can be introduced into the cavity, but small foreign matters smaller than the diameter of the opening may be easily introduced into the cavity
Solution Approach 1:
The single circular opening is segmented into multiple through-holes. This allows the cumulative area to maintain adequate pressure variation introduction while each individual through-hole's small diameter prevents small foreign matters from entering the cavity.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If environmental barriers are equipped to protect semiconductor sensor chips from negative influences due to environmental factors, then the sensor chips can be protected from dust and sunlight, but it becomes complex to produce semiconductor devices in manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The environmental barrier function is extracted from the sensor chip area and relocated to the opening structure itself. The through-holes in the cover member serve dual purposes: allowing pressure variation transmission while inherently blocking environmental factors, eliminating the need for separate barrier components and simplifying manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover member with through-holes performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, enables pressure variation transmission through the through-holes, and acts as an environmental barrier by preventing dust and sunlight from reaching the sensor chip. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity.
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 design effectively reduces the impact of environmental factors on semiconductor sensor chips without the need for an independent environmental barrier, enhancing reliability and allowing for downsizing of the device.
Implementation Method 1
at least a prescribed part of the cover member is composed of a porous material. The porous material includes numerous small cavities, which mutually communicate with each other and by which the cavity communicates with the external space
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device is equipped with a semiconductor sensor chip for detecting pressure variations that is arranged inside of a hollow cavity of a housing, wherein an opening is formed in a prescribed region of the housing, which is not positioned opposite to the semiconductor sensor chip, so as to allow the hollow cavity to communicate with an external space. The opening is formed using at least one through-hole having a thin slit-like shape. Alternatively, the opening is formed using plural through-holes each having a desired shape such as a thin slit-like shape, a circular shape, and a sectorial shape. Thus, it is possible to reduce negative influences due to environmental factors such as dust and sunlight with respect to the semiconductor sensor chip.