Wafer Level Package Getter Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wafer level packages lack flexibility in maintaining a vacuum or specific gas filling throughout the device's lifetime, requiring process adaptations for different types of devices and increasing manufacturing costs due to individual getter fixation.
Innovation Solution
A wafer level package comprising self-supporting elements connected to form a hollow inside space with an opening to the outside and a getter material deposited on the outside main face, allowing for collective getter deposition and reduced manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual getter fixation on package cover is used, then device reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the getter material directly with the package cover structure by providing the getter material on the outer surface of the package cover itself, rather than fixing it separately. This integration eliminates the need for individual getter fixation steps while maintaining the vacuum-sealing function, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while preserving device reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The package cover serves multiple functions: it provides structural enclosure, maintains the vacuum seal, and carries the getter material for gas absorption. By making the package cover multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for separate getter components and their associated fixation processes, reducing manufacturing steps and costs while maintaining reliable vacuum maintenance.
2Reliability
If process is specifically adapted for particular device type, then device performance is improved, but flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal package structure where the package cover integrates the getter material and can accommodate different types of microelectronic or micromechanical devices. The same basic package design with getter-integrated cover can be used across various device types, eliminating the need for device-specific process adaptations while maintaining optimal performance through the universal vacuum-sealing mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the package into modular components (package cover with integrated getter, package base, and opening structure) that can be manufactured separately and assembled. This modular approach allows the same package design to be adapted to different device types by simply changing the contents rather than redesigning the entire package structure, thereby maintaining flexibility across applications.
3Reliability
If getter material is provided inside the hollow space, then vacuum maintenance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the getter material inside the hollow vacuum space and trying to seal it in, the patent inverts the approach by providing the getter material on the outer surface of the package cover. This allows the getter to be applied before assembly using standard deposition techniques, and the subsequent sealing process naturally traps the getter in the correct position, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining vacuum maintenance capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The getter material is deposited on the package cover in advance, before the final sealing assembly. This preliminary action allows the getter to be applied using conventional vacuum deposition techniques on a accessible surface, and the subsequent sealing process automatically positions the getter correctly without requiring complex in-situ getter placement procedures, thereby reducing manufacturing 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
The solution enables the maintenance of a vacuum or specific gas filling during the device's lifetime, reducing manufacturing costs and enhancing flexibility across various device types by using self-supporting elements and a getter material to manage gas molecules effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a getter material provided at an outside main face of the at least two of the self-supporting elements... a getter material attracting gas molecules that come out from the inside space and from the housing encapsulating the package
Data Source
AI summary
A wafer level package comprises at least two self-supporting elements (1, 5) connected to each other for forming a hollow inside space (8.1, ..., 8.7). An opening (3.1, ..., 3.7) connects the hollow inside space to an outside surface of the at least two elements (1, 5). A getter material (4.1, ..., 4.7) is provided at an outside main surface (1.1) of the two self-supporting elements (1, 5). The getter material (4.1, ..., 4.7) may be provided at the outer main face of the cap element and may form a layer covering the predominant part of the said outer surface. The wafer level package may be used for housing a mobile structure (7.1, ..., 7.7) of a MEMS device. The wafer level package is placed in a sealed housing with a housing space.