SENSOR DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20100230766A1
• Filed: 03/12/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Theuss, Horst, Meyer-Berg, Georg, Elian, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 8,124,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/414
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0627 Protection against aggressive medium in general
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/141 Monolithic housings, e.g. molded or one-piece housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/147 Details about the mounting of the sensor to support or covering means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/148 Details about the circuit board integration, e.g. integrated with the diaphragm surface or encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0054 integral with a semiconducting diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/563 Encapsulation of active face of flip-chip device, e.g. underfilling or underencapsulation of flip-chip, encapsulation preform on chip or mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• 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 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• 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 2924/1461 MEMS
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16151 Cap comprising an aperture, e.g. for pressure control, encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16152 Cap comprising a cavity for hosting the device, e.g. U-shaped cap
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16235 Connecting to a semiconductor or solid-state bodies, i.e. cap-to-chip
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation

Abstract

A sensor device and method. One embodiment provides a first semiconductor chip having a sensing region. A porous structure element is attached to the first semiconductor chip. A first region of the porous structure element faces the sensing region of the first semiconductor chip. An encapsulation material partially encapsulates the first semiconductor chip and the porous structure element.

Claims

1. A sensor device, comprising:

a first semiconductor chip having a sensing region;

a porous structure element attached to the first semiconductor chip with a first region of the porous structure element facing the sensing region of the first semiconductor chip; and

an encapsulation material partially encapsulating the first semiconductor chip and the porous structure element.

2. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the encapsulation material encapsulates the porous structure element such that a second region of the porous structure element is exposed.

3. The sensor device of claim 2, comprising wherein the first region of the porous structure element is in fluid connection with the second region of the porous structure element.

4. The sensor device of claim 1, comprising wherein the sensing region comprises at least one of a membrane, a cantilever, a bridge, a gas sensing region and a tongue region.

5. The sensor device of claim 1, comprising wherein the sensor device is at least one of a pressure sensor, a tire pressure sensor, a gas sensor and a humidity sensor.

6. The sensor device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second semiconductor chip attached to the porous structure element.

7. The sensor device of claim 6, comprising wherein the first semiconductor chip is electrically coupled to the second semiconductor chip.

8. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the porous structure element comprises pores having diameters smaller than 500 μ

m.

9. The sensor device of claim 1, comprising wherein the porous structure element is made of at least one of glass frit, ceramic frit, porous metal, porous hardened adhesive material and aerogel.

10. The sensor device of claim 1, comprising wherein at least an outer surface of the porous structure element is coated with a hydrophobic material.

11. The sensor device of claim 1, comprising wherein the sensing region of the first semiconductor chip is covered by the porous structure element.

12. A sensor device, comprising:

a first semiconductor chip having a sensing region;

a carrier; and

a structure element arranged between the first semiconductor chip and the carrier, the structure element having an inlet and an outlet, the outlet being in fluid connection with the inlet and the sensing region.

13. The sensor device of claim 12, comprising wherein the structure element is a porous structure element comprising pores having diameters smaller than 500 μ

m.

14. The sensor device of claim 12, comprising wherein the carrier is a second semiconductor chip and at least one bond wire electrically couples the first semiconductor chip to the second semiconductor chip.

15. The sensor device of claim 14, comprising wherein the at least one bond wire is coated with silicon oxide.

16. The sensor device of claim 12, further comprising:

a housing in which the first semiconductor chip, the carrier and the structure element are placed.

17. The sensor device of claim 12, comprising wherein the sensor device is at least one of a pressure sensor, a tire pressure sensor, a gas sensor and a humidity sensor.

18. A method of manufacturing a sensor device, comprising:

providing a first semiconductor chip having a sensing region;

attaching the first semiconductor chip to a porous structure element with the sensing region facing a first region of the porous structure element; and

encapsulating the first semiconductor chip and the porous structure element such that a second region of the porous structure element remains exposed.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising wherein the first region of the porous structure element is in fluid connection with the second region of the porous structure element.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the porous structure element comprises pores having diameters smaller than 500 μ

m.

21. The method of claim 18, comprising attaching the porous structure element to a second semiconductor chip.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising stacking the porous structure element onto the second semiconductor chip and stacking the first semiconductor chip onto the porous structure element.

23. The method of claim 18, comprising attaching at least one of the first semiconductor chip, the second semiconductor chip and the structure element to a carrier.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein encapsulating the first semiconductor chip and the porous structure element comprises placing the first semiconductor chip and the porous structure element is a mold form.

25. The method of claim 18, comprising depositing a layer of silicon oxide onto the sensor device using a plasma deposition method.