Pseudo-Translucent Integrated Circuit Package

• US 20090169071A1
• Filed: 01/16/2009
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Upek, Inc. (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Kramer, Alan, Gozzini, Giovanni, Bond, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,582,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/63 by static guides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48464 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a ball bond, i.e. ball-to-ball
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• 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 2924/00014 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: H01L 2924/12044 OLED
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1815 Shape

Abstract

An integrated circuit (IC) package includes at least one light source disposed together with an IC structure within an encapsulation structure. The material forming the encapsulation structure is generally opaque. Accordingly, the light source and at least a portion of the IC are not visible to the unaided human eye. The thickness and geometry of the encapsulation are such that when the light source is caused to emit light, the encapsulation structure permits at least a portion of that light to be visible to a user. The IC may be a portion of a fingerprint sensor, exposed for receiving a fingertip of a user. The light source, or a plurality of such light sources, may be functional (e.g., providing visual indication of the of the condition or state of an item of hardware or software, assist the user in operation of a device), be primarily aesthetic, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit package comprising:

an integrated circuit structure;

a light source;

a generally opaque encapsulation material, encapsulating at least a portion of said integrated circuit structure and said light source such that said light source and at least a portion of said integrated circuit structure are not visible to the unaided human eye, and further such that when said light source is caused to emit light, the light so emitted is visible to the unaided human eye through at least a portion of said opaque encapsulation material.

2. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, wherein said light source is electrically coupled to said integrated circuit structure.

3. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, wherein said light source is electrically coupled to and at least partially controlled by a device external to said integrated circuit package.

4. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, wherein said light source is electrically coupled to a device external to said integrated circuit package, said device electrically coupled to said integrated circuit structure.

5. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, wherein said light source is selected from the group consisting of:

a light emitting diode, an organic light emitting diode, and a solid state laser.

6. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, where said light source forms a part of said integrated circuit structure.

7. The integrated circuit package of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of light sources encapsulated in said encapsulation material such that they are not visible to the unaided human eye, and further such that when said light sources are caused to emit light, the light so emitted is visible to the unaided human eye through at least a portion of said opaque encapsulation material.

8. The integrated circuit package of claim 7, wherein at least two of said plurality of light sources each emit light of a different color such that said light so emitted is visible to the unaided human eye through at least a portion of said opaque encapsulation material.

9. The integrated circuit package of claim 7, wherein said light sources are electrically connected to and controlled by circuitry for causing said light sources to emit light in patterns indicative of at least one item from the group consisting of:

condition of an item of hardware, condition of an item of software, state condition of an item of hardware, state condition of an item of software, visual cues as to expected user action, visual cues as to requested user action, visual cues as to location of a portion of hardware to be activated, and visual feedback regarding the status of performance of steps of a process.

10. An integrated circuit package comprising:

an integrated circuit structure, comprising;

a silicon fingerprint sensor structure;

a light source;

a generally opaque encapsulation material, encapsulating at least a portion of said integrated circuit structure and said light source such that said light source and at least a portion of said integrated circuit structure are not visible to the unaided human eye, and further such that when said light source is caused to emit light, the light so emitted is visible to the unaided human eye through at least a portion of said opaque encapsulation material.

11. The integrated circuit package of claim 10, wherein said light source is electrically coupled to said integrated circuit structure.

12. The integrated circuit package of claim 10, wherein said light source is electrically coupled to and at least partially controlled by a device external to said integrated circuit package.

13. The integrated circuit package of claim 12, wherein said light source is electrically coupled to a device external to said integrated circuit package said device electrically coupled to said integrated circuit structure.

14. The integrated circuit package of claim 10, wherein said light source is selected from the group consisting of:

a light emitting diode, an organic light emitting diode, and a solid state laser.

15. The integrated circuit package of claim 10, where said light source forms a part of said integrated circuit structure.

16. The integrated circuit package of claim 10, further comprising a plurality of light sources encapsulated in said encapsulation material such that they are not visible to the unaided human eye, and further such that when said light sources are caused to emit light, the light so emitted is visible to the unaided human eye through at least a portion of said opaque encapsulation material.

17. The integrated circuit package of claim 16, wherein at least two of said plurality of light sources each emit light of a different color such that said light so emitted is visible to the unaided eye through at least a portion of said opaque encapsulation structure.

18. The integrated circuit package of claim 16, wherein said light sources are electrically connected to and controlled by circuitry for causing said light sources to emit light in patterns indicative of at least one item from the group consisting of:

condition of an item of hardware, condition of an item of software, state condition of an item of hardware, state condition of an item of software, visual cues as to expected user action, visual cues as to requested user action, visual cues as to location of a portion of hardware to be activated, and visual feedback regarding the status of performance of steps of a process.

19. The integrated circuit package of claim 17, wherein said light sources emit light in patterns indicative of visual cues as to expected user action selected from the group consisting of:

an indication that the integrated circuit package is ready for presentation of a user'"'"'s finger, a sensed fingerprint matches a stored fingerprint pattern, a user'"'"'s finger was insufficiently or incorrectly presented, and a sensed fingerprint does not match a stored fingerprint pattern.

20. The integrated circuit package of claim 10, wherein said encapsulation structure defines an exposed sensor region within which a portion of said silicon fingerprint sensor structure is visibly within said encapsulation material to the unaided human eye.

21. The integrated circuit package of claim 20, wherein said silicon fingerprint sensor structure is a capacitive fingerprint sensor.

22. The integrated circuit package of claim 20, wherein the thicknesses and geometries of regions of said encapsulation material are chosen such that light emitted by said light source and visible at a first region of said encapsulation material is intentionally of a different intensity than the light emitted by said light source and visible at a second region of said encapsulation material.

23. The integrated circuit package of claim 20, wherein said exposed sensor region is defined by sidewalls extending downward from a top surface of said encapsulation material to a position proximate said silicon fingerprint sensor structure, and further wherein said light source is positioned relative to at least one of said sidewalls such that when said light source is caused to emit light, at least a portion of the light so emitted is visible to the unaided human eye through at least a portion of said at least one of said sidewalls, and still further wherein said light source is not visible to the unaided human eye through said sidewall.

24. The integrated circuit package of claim 23, wherein said light sources are encapsulated in said encapsulation material such that they are not visible to the unaided human eye, and further wherein at least two of said light sources are each positioned relative to a corresponding one of said sidewalls such that when each said light source is caused to emit light, at least a portion of the light so emitted is visible to the unaided human eye through at least a portion of said sidewall corresponding to said light source, and still further wherein said light sources are not visible to the unaided human eye through said sidewalls.