SENSOR MODULE, SENSOR DEVICE, METHOD FOR PRODUCING SENSOR DEVICE, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20120236507A1
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: KOYAMA, Yugo
• Application Number:
  US13/413,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20120236507A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/728
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5783 Mountings or housings not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3192 Multilayer coating
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/09701 Low temperature co-fired ceramic [LTCC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

A sensor module includes a supporting member having three support faces orthogonal to one another, three IC chips each having connection terminals and external connection terminals on the side thereof where an active face is located, the three IC chips attached to the support faces of the supporting member on the sides thereof where passive faces lying along the active faces are located, three vibrating gyro elements each having a base, vibrating arms extending from the base, and connection electrodes, and flexible wiring substrates connected to the external connection terminals of the IC chips, each vibrating gyro element is disposed on the side of the IC chip where the active face is located, the connection electrodes are attached to the connection terminals of each IC chip such that one principal surface lies along the support face, and the flexible wiring substrate has a reinforcing layer.

Claims

1. A sensor module comprising:

a supporting member having a first support face parallel to a first reference plane and a second support face parallel to a second reference plane which is orthogonal to the first reference plane or inclined relative to the first reference plane;

an IC chip having connection terminals and external connection terminals on a side thereof where one face is located, the IC chip which is attached, on a side thereof where the other face along the one face is located, to at least one of the first support face and the second support face;

a flexible wiring substrate attached to at least one of the external connection terminals of the IC chip; and

a sensor element having connection electrodes, the connection electrodes being attached to the connection terminals of the IC chip, the sensor element being disposed on the side of the IC chip where the one face is located, the sensor element whose principal surface lies along a support face of the first support face and the second support face of the supporting member, the support face to which the IC chip is attached,

wherein

on a face of the flexible wiring substrate, the face located on a side opposite to a side where the IC chip is located, a reinforcing section that improves the stiffness of the flexible wiring substrate is provided from an area in which the flexible wiring substrate is attached to the external connection terminals to an area over an end of the IC chip in a plan view.

2. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein

the supporting member has a third support face parallel to a third reference plane which is orthogonal to the first reference plane and the second reference plane or inclined relative to the first reference plane and the second reference plane,

the IC chip is attached to the third support face, and

the sensor element is disposed on the side of the IC chip where the one face is located and the connection electrodes are attached to the connection terminals of the IC chip in such a way that the principal surface lies along the third support face.

3. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein

the reinforcing section of the flexible wiring substrate contains metal.

4. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein

the connection terminals of the IC chip are protrusion electrodes protruding toward the one face.

5. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein

the IC chip is attached to two support faces of the first and second support faces and a third support face of the supporting member, the two support faces which are next to each other, the two support faces which are sides from which straight lines orthogonal to the two support faces extend so as to move away from each other.

6. The sensor module according to claim 1, wherein

in at least one of the first and second support faces and a third support face, a hollow portion is provided.

7. A sensor device comprising:

the sensor module according to claim 1; and

a package that houses the sensor module,

wherein

the sensor module is housed in the package.

8. A sensor device comprising:

the sensor module according to claim 2; and

a package that houses the sensor module,

wherein

the sensor module is housed in the package.

9. A sensor device comprising:

the sensor module according to claim 3; and

a package that houses the sensor module,

wherein

the sensor module is housed in the package.

10. A sensor device comprising:

the sensor module according to claim 4; and

a package that houses the sensor module,

wherein

the sensor module is housed in the package.

11. A sensor device comprising:

the sensor module according to claim 5; and

a package that houses the sensor module,

wherein

the sensor module is housed in the package.

12. A sensor device comprising:

the sensor module according to claim 6; and

a package that houses the sensor module,

wherein

the sensor module is housed in the package.

13. An electronic apparatus comprising the sensor module according to claim 1.

14. An electronic apparatus comprising the sensor module according to claim 2.

15. An electronic apparatus comprising the sensor module according to claim 3.

16. An electronic apparatus comprising the sensor module according to claim 4.

17. An electronic apparatus comprising the sensor module according to claim 5.

18. An electronic apparatus comprising the sensor module according to claim 6.

19. A method for producing a sensor device, comprising:

preparing a supporting member having a first support face parallel to a first reference plane and a second support face parallel to a second reference plane which is orthogonal to the first reference plane or inclined relative to the first reference plane or a supporting member having a first support face parallel to a first reference plane, a second support face parallel to a second reference plane which is orthogonal to the first reference plane or inclined relative to the first reference plane, and a third support face parallel to a third reference plane which is orthogonal to the first reference plane and the second reference plane or inclined relative to the first reference plane and the second reference plane;

preparing an IC chip provided with one face and the other face lying along the one face, the IC chip having connection terminals and external connection terminals on a side thereof where the one face is located;

preparing a sensor element having connection electrodes;

preparing a plurality of flexible wiring substrates, at least one of which has, on a face thereof located on a side opposite to a side where the IC chip is located, a reinforcing section that improves stiffness, the reinforcing section being provided at least from an area in which the flexible wiring substrate is attached to the external connection terminals of the IC chip to an area over an end of the IC chip;

preparing a package that houses the component elements;

attaching the flexible wiring substrate to the external connection terminals of the IC chip;

disposing the sensor element on a side of the IC chip where the one face is located and attaching the connection electrodes of the sensor element to the connection terminals of the IC chip in such a way that a principal surface of the sensor element lies along the one face or the other face;

performing adjustment and characteristic inspection on the sensor element and the IC chip via the flexible wiring substrate;

attaching a side of a sensor unit provided with the IC chip to which the sensor element and the flexible wiring substrate are attached, the side where the other face of the IC chip is located, to at least one of support faces of the first to third support faces of the supporting member, the support faces which are orthogonal to a supporting member joint surface of the package or inclined relative to the supporting member joint surface of the package;

attaching the supporting member to which the sensor unit is attached to the supporting member joint surface of the package;

attaching a side of another sensor unit to which the flexible wiring substrate provided with the reinforcing section is attached, the side where the other face of the IC chip is located, to a support face of the first to the third support faces of the supporting member attached to the supporting member joint surface of the package, the support face lying along the supporting member joint surface of the package; and

attaching each flexible wiring substrate of each sensor unit to the supporting member joint surface of the package.