Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices

• US 10,640,369 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Chien-Hua, Mourey, Devin Alexander, Cumbie, Michael W., Choy, Si-lam J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Everhart, Caridad
• Application Number:
  US16/094,287
• Publication Number:
  US 20190119104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0214 Biosensors; Chemical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0242 Gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/036 Micropumps
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/058 Microfluidics not provided for in B81B2201/051 - B81B2201/054
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/07 Interconnects
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/04 Networks or arrays of similar microstructural devices
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00119 Arrangement of basic structures like cavities or channels, e.g. suitable for microfluidic systems
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0184 Digital lithography, e.g. using an inkjet print-head
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/00 Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details

Abstract

One example provides a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device that includes a number of silicon die over-molded with an overmold material, a number of active areas formed on the silicon die, the active areas including at least one sensor to sense a number of attributes of a fluid introduced to the at least one sensor, and a fan-out layer coupled to the silicon die, the fan-out layer including a number of fluid channels formed therein that interface with active areas of the silicon die and allow the fluid to flow to the at least one sensor.

Claims

1. A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device comprising:

a number of silicon dies overmolded with an overmold material;

a number of active areas formed on the silicon dies, the active areas comprising at least one sensor to sense a number of attributes of a fluid introduced to the at least one sensor; and

a fan-out layer coupled to the silicon dies, the fan-out layer comprising a number of fluid channels formed therein that interface with the active areas of the silicon dies and allow the fluid to flow to the at least one sensor, the fan-out layer further comprising a number of fluid input/output ports spaced laterally so as to extend beyond a nearest edge of a corresponding silicon die in the overmold material, the input/output ports being fluidly connected through the number of fluid channels of the fan-out layer to the active areas of the number of silicon dies.

2. The MEMS device of claim 1, wherein two of the fluid input/output ports defined in the fan-out layer are spaced farther apart than a width of a corresponding silicon die to which they are fluidly coupled.

3. The MEMS device of claim 1, wherein the active areas further comprise a number of actuators to cause the fluid introduced into the fluid channels to interact with the sensors.

4. The MEMS device of claim 1, wherein the active areas comprise a reagent storage to store a number of reagents to react with the fluid introduced into the fluid channels.

5. The MEMS device of claim 1, wherein the MEMS device comprises a surface area comprising at least a majority of the overmold material relative to silicon of the silicon dies.

6. The MEMS device of claim 1, wherein the overmold material is an epoxy mold compound (EMC).

7. The MEMS device of claim 1, further comprising two input/output ports located on opposite sides of a silicon die to which both of the two input/output ports are fluidly connected via the fluid channels, the two input/output ports being spaced farther apart than a width of the silicone die between them.

8. The MEMS device of claim 1, wherein the number of fluid channels of the fan-out layer comprise channels that move fluid over a boundary between the overmold material and an edge of one of the silicon dies.

9. The MEMS device of claim 1, wherein one of the number of silicon dies comprises both an actuator to move fluid and a sensor to sense fluid.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the actuator comprises a fluid mixer.

11. The MEMS device of claim 9, wherein the actuator comprises a fluid pump.

12. A method of forming a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device comprising:

overmolding a number of dies with an overmold material to form a coplanar package, the dies comprising a number of electrically active devices; and

forming a fan-out layer on the coplanar package to increase distances between a number of features of the dies, the fan-out layer comprising a number of fluid channels formed therein that interface with the electrically active devices of the dies and cause a fluid to flow to the electrically active devices, the fan-out layer further comprising a number of fluid input/output ports spaced laterally so as to extend beyond a nearest edge of a corresponding die in the overmold material, the input/output ports being fluidly connected through the number of fluid channels of the fan-out layer to the active devices of the number of dies.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

coupling a carrier to the dies via a releasable adhesive;

overmolding the dies using the carrier to handle the dies;

removing the carrier; and

forming the fan-out layer on the dies.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising coupling an electrical redistribution layer (RDL) to the dies between the fan-out layer and the dies to electrically couple the electrically active devices to an external circuit.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein forming the fan-out layer comprises depositing material via photolithography deposition processes.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the fan-out layer comprises a radiation-sensitive chemical photoresist; and

the photolithography deposition process comprises;

depositing a layer of the photoresist;

irradiating the layer of the photoresist with a pattern of radiation; and

remove un-irradiated portions of the photoresist using a developer.

17. A lab-on-chip system comprising:

a plurality of silicon dies;

a number of electrically active devices disposed on a first side of the silicon dies;

an overmold material overmolded over all sides of the silicon dies other than the first side;

a fan-out layer coupled to each of the silicon dies, the fan-out layer comprising a number of fluid channels formed therein that interface with the electrically active devices; and

an electrical redistribution layer (RDL) positioned between the fan-out layer and the silicon dies to electrically couple the electrically active devices to an external circuit;

wherein the active devices further comprise a number of actuators and a number of sensors, the number of actuators to cause fluid introduced into the fluid channels to interact with number of sensors.

18. The lab-on-chip system of claim 17, further comprising a number of reagents disposed within the lab-on-chip system to react with a fluid introduced into the lab-on-chip system.

19. The lab-on-chip system of claim 17, wherein the number of fluid channels formed in the fan-out layer comprises a plurality of the fluid channels.

20. The lab-on-chip system of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of fluid input/output ports defined in the fan-out layer coupling the fluid channels to an exterior environment, wherein the fluid input/output ports are spaced out with respect to one another a greater distance than a dimension of a plane of the silicon dies that interfaces with the fan-out layer.