METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SEALING A SUBSTRATE

• US 20080038876A1
• Filed: 08/21/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IDC, LLC
• Inventors: Floyd, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 7,629,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/124
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00269 Bonding of solid lids or wafers to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2203/019 characterised by the material or arrangement of seals between parts
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26

Abstract

A method of sealing a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device from ambient conditions is described, wherein the MEMS device is formed on a substrate and a substantially hermetic seal is formed as part of the MEMS device manufacturing process. The method comprises forming a metal seal on the substrate proximate a perimeter of the MEMS device using a method such as photolithography. The metal seal is formed on the substrate while the MEMS device retains a sacrificial layer between conductive members of MEMS elements, and the sacrificial layer is removed after formation of the seal and prior to attachment of a backplane.

Claims

1. A method of sealing a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device from ambient conditions, comprising:

forming a substantially metal seal on a substrate comprising a MEMS device; and

attaching a backplane to said metal seal so as to seal said MEMS device from ambient conditions.