Micro-sensor

• US 20050067695A1
• Filed: 10/08/2002
• Published: 03/31/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ScioSense B.V. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Austriamicrosystems AG (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Brandl, Manfred, Csernicska, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,427,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/724
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00238 Joining a substrate with an electronic processing unit and a substrate with a micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 3/001 Bonding of two components
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/131 with electrostatic counterbalancing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0828 the mass being of the paddle type being suspended at one of its longitudinal ends
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48463 the connecting portion on the bonding area of the semiconductor or solid-state body being a ball bond
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]

Abstract

The present invention describes a microsensor with a sensor element (2) and an integrated circuit (1), containing a semiconductor body (11) with an integrated circuit (4), the sensor element (2) being positioned on a main surface (12) of the semiconductor body (11) and there being a eutectic connection (3) formed between the semiconductor body (11) and the sensor element (2).

Claims

1. A microsensor comprising:

a sensor element; and

a first integrated circuit comprising;

a semiconductor body; and

a second integrated circuit;

wherein the sensor element is on a main surface of the semiconductor body; and

wherein a eutectic connection couples the semiconductor body and the sensor element.

2. The microsensor of claim 1, wherein the second integrated circuit is on a side of the semiconductor body facing the sensor element.

3. The microsensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor element comprises a semiconductor material, a semiconductor layer, or a semiconductor substrate.

4. The microsensor of claim 3, wherein the semiconductor body and the sensor element contain similar semiconductor materials.

5. The microsensor of claim 4, wherein the semiconductor body and the sensor element both contain silicon.

6. The microsensor of claim 1, wherein the eutectic connection comprises a metal layer between the main surface of the semiconductor body and a semiconductor material of the sensor element.

7. The microsensor of claim 1, wherein the eutectic connection comprises a metal layer between the sensor element and the semiconductor body.

8. The microsensor of claim 6, wherein the metal layer comprises gold.

9. The microsensor of claim 8, wherein the second integrated circuit is at least partly covered by the metal layer.

10. The microsensor of claim 6, further comprising at least one of a barrier layer and a bonding layer between the metal layer and the second integrated circuit.

11. The microsensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor element includes a barrier layer.

12. The microsensor of claim 10, wherein the barrier layer contains silicon oxide or silicon nitride.

13. The microsensor of claim 1, wherein the eutectic connection contains a silicon-gold eutectic.

14. The microsensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor element comprises a micromechanical sensor element.

15. The microsensor of claim 14, wherein the sensor element comprises a movable component, the movable component and the semiconductor body defining a gap, a measurement signal being produced across the gap.

16. The microsensor of claim 15, wherein the measurement signal is produced inductively or capacitively across the gap.

17. The microsensor of claim 15, wherein the movable component comprises at least one of a spring strip, a movable membrane, and a structure capable of vibrating.

18. The microsensor of claim 7, wherein the metal layer comprises gold.

19. The microsensor of claim 18, wherein the second integrated circuit is at least partly covered by the metal layer.

20. The microsensor of claim 7, further comprising at least one of a barrier layer and a bonding layer between the metal layer and the second integrated circuit.