Ultrasonic Touch Sensor Packaging for Metal Casing Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ultrasonic touch sensors face challenges in being easily attached to casings, particularly those made of metal, due to requirements for good acoustic coupling and compatibility with various materials.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic touch sensor design featuring a semiconductor chip with an ultrasonic transducer element, an acoustic coupling medium, and electrical contact elements arranged on the component side, allowing for easy attachment to casings using solder balls or other contact elements, and providing effective acoustic coupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an ultrasonic touch sensor is designed to work with various casing materials including metal, then the adaptability of the sensor is improved, but achieving good acoustic coupling becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an acoustic coupling medium as an intermediary substance between the ultrasonic transducer element and the casing surface. This coupling medium (which may be a gel, liquid, or other acoustic transmission material) facilitates reliable acoustic coupling across different casing materials including metal, plastic, and glass, resolving the contradiction between material versatility and coupling reliability.
2Device complexity
If the ultrasonic transducer element is integrated directly onto the casing, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of attachment and replacement becomes worse
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ultrasonic touch sensor into a separate modular unit comprising the semiconductor chip with ultrasonic transducer element and electrical contact elements, which can be attached to the casing using standard mounting techniques. This segmentation maintains relatively low device complexity while significantly improving ease of attachment and replacement, as the sensor module can be independently installed or removed without modifying the casing structure.
3Ease of operation
If the electrical contact elements are arranged on the component side of the semiconductor chip, then the ease of attachment is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements become more stringent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by concentrating the electrical contact elements in a specific region on the component side of the semiconductor chip, optimized for attachment to the casing. The contact elements are positioned and configured to match the specific attachment interface geometry, which simplifies the attachment process while maintaining manufacturing precision through localized optimization rather than requiring high precision across the entire component.
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
The proposed ultrasonic touch sensor enables reliable detection of touch events on various casing materials, including metal, with improved ease of attachment and maintenance of effective acoustic coupling.
Implementation Method 1
a semiconductor chip (810) which has one substrate side (811) and one component side (812), wherein the semiconductor chip (810) comprises at least one ultrasonic transducer element (813)
Implementation Method 2
an acoustic coupling medium (820) covering the semiconductor chip (810) at least in the region of the ultrasonic transducer element (813)
Data Source
AI summary
An ultrasonic touch sensor is proposed for attachment to a casing, having a semiconductor chip including a substrate side and a component side, the semiconductor chip including an ultrasonic transducer element and the ultrasonic transducer element being arranged at the component side, having an acoustic coupling medium covering the semiconductor chip at least in the region of the ultrasonic transducer element, having electrical contact elements for controlling the ultrasonic transducer element, the electrical contact elements being laterally displaced outward from the semiconductor chip, and having conductor tracks electrically coupled to the semiconductor chip and the electrical contact elements.