Manufacture of mountable capped chips

• US 20070096296A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tessera, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tessera, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Haba, Belgacem, Kubota, Yoichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,462,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/704
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/007 Interconnections between the MEMS and external electrical signals
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2203/0109 Bonding an individual cap on the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/058 for surface acoustic wave devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/059 consisting of mounting pads or bumps
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/1057 for microelectro-mechanical devices
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/1064 for surface acoustic wave [SAW] devices

Abstract

A wafer or a portion of a wafer including capped chips such as surface acoustic wave (SAW) chips is provided with terminals by applying a terminal-bearing element such as a dielectric element with terminals and leads thereon, or a lead frame, so that the terminal-bearing element covers the caps, and the leads are aligned with channels or other depressions between the caps. The leads are connected to contacts on the wafer, and the wafer is severed to form individual units, each including terminals supported by the cap and connected to the contacts by the leads. The resulting units can be handled and processed in the same manner as ordinary chips or chip assemblies.

Claims

1. An in-process element comprising:

(a) a wafer with a main surface, structure defining an upper surface above said main surface and depressions extending downwardly from said upper surface toward said main surface, the wafer also having contacts in said depressions;

(b) a terminal-bearing element having a plurality of electrically-conductive terminals overlying said upper surface and secured thereto; and

(c) a plurality of leads extending into said depressions and connecting said terminals to said contacts.

2. An element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said structure defining said upper surface includes a plurality of spaced-apart caps and said depressions include channels between said caps.

3. A microelectronic device comprising:

(a) a main body having an active region and contacts;

(b) a cap bonded to said main body, said cap covering said active region and defining an upper surface;

(c) terminals mounted to said upper surface of said cap;

(d) leads extending downwardly from said terminals to said contacts; and

(e) an encapsulant surrounding said leads and covering said contacts.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said cap has edges extending from said upper surface to said main body, said leads being spaced apart from said edges of said cap.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said leads are formed integrally with said terminals.

6. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein said active region is acoustically active.

7. A microelectronic device comprising:

(a) a main body having an active region and contacts;

(b) a cap bonded to said main body, said cap covering said active region and defining an upper surface;

(c) a dielectric layer overlying said upper surface of said cap;

(d) terminals on said dielectric layer for connecting the device to an external circuit; and

(e) leads extending downwardly from said terminals to said contacts.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 further comprising an encapsulant surrounding said leads and covering said contacts.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said dielectric layer is adhesively bonded to said cap.

10. A SAW device assembly comprising:

(a) a main body having an acoustically-active region and contacts;

(b) a cap bonded to said main body, said cap covering said active region and defining an upper surface;

(c) terminals mounted on said upper surface of said cap and electrically connected to said contacts; and

(d) a circuit panel having contact pads thereon, said main body and cap overlying said circuit panel with said upper surface of said cap and said terminals facing toward said circuit panel, said terminals being bonded to said contact pads.

11. A MEMS device assembly comprising:

(a) a main body having an active region with micromechanical elements and contacts;

(b) a cap bonded to said main body, said cap covering said active region and defining an upper surface;

(c) terminals mounted on said upper surface of said cap and electrically connected to said contacts; and

(d) a circuit panel having contact pads thereon, said main body and cap overlying said circuit panel with said upper surface of said cap and said terminals facing toward said circuit panel, said terminals being bonded to said contact pads.