BIOMETRICS SENSOR MODULE, ASSEMBLY, MANUFACTURING METHOD AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS USING SUCH BIOMETRICS SENSOR MODULE

• US 20140140588A1
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: J-Metrics Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Bruce C.S. Chou
• Inventors: CHOU, Bruce C.S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,058,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• 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

Abstract

A biometrics sensor module includes a housing, a biometrics sensor and a coupling electrode. The housing has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The biometrics sensor has a sensing surface, which is disposed on the first surface of the housing and has sensing members arranged in an array. The coupling electrode is disposed on the first or second surface of the housing. Two regions, projected from the sensing surface and the coupling electrode to the second surface of the housing, do not overlap with each other. A coupling signal is provided to the coupling electrode and directly or indirectly couples the coupling signal to an object, so that the sensing members of the biometrics sensor sense biometrics messages of the object contacting with the second surface of the housing.

Claims

1. A biometrics sensor module, comprising:

a housing having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

a biometrics sensor having a sensing surface disposed on the first surface of the housing, wherein the sensing surface has sensing members arranged in an array; and

a coupling electrode disposed on the first surface or the second surface of the housing, wherein;

two regions, projected from the sensing surface and the coupling electrode to the second surface of the housing, do not overlap with each other; and

a coupling signal is provided to the coupling electrode and directly or indirectly coupled to an object, so that the sensing members of the biometrics sensor sense biometrics messages of the object contacting with the second surface of the housing.

2. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 1, further comprising:

a flexible circuit board, electrically connected to the biometrics sensor and the coupling electrode, wherein a non-sensing surface of the biometrics sensor, which is disposed opposite the sensing surface and has no sensing function, is mounted on the flexible circuit board.

3. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 2, wherein the biometrics sensor further comprises:

a depressed surface disposed between the sensing surface and the non-sensing surface;

a side surface connecting the sensing surface to the depressed surface;

connection pads disposed on the sensing surface;

bonding pads disposed on the depressed surface; and

connection traces connecting the connection pads to the bonding pads, respectively.

4. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 3, further comprising:

wires bonded to the bonding pads and connection portions of the flexible circuit board, respectively; and

an encapsulating layer covering over the wires, the biometrics sensor and the flexible circuit board.

5. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the housing has a concave portion formed on the first surface, and the biometrics sensor is embedded into the concave portion.

6. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the coupling electrode is disposed on the second surface of the housing, and the object is directly coupled to the coupling electrode.

7. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the coupling electrode is disposed on the first surface of the housing, and the object is indirectly coupled to the coupling electrode.

8. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 7, further comprising:

a flexible circuit board electrically connected to the biometrics sensor and the coupling electrode, wherein a non-sensing surface of the biometrics sensor disposed opposite the sensing surface is mounted on and electrically connected to the flexible circuit board, and the coupling electrode is disposed between the flexible circuit board and the housing.

9. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 7, wherein the housing is an upper layer of a touch display, and multiple touch electrodes and the coupling electrode are formed on the first surface of the housing.

10. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 9, further comprising a sensing circuit chip, wherein the touch electrodes and the sensing members have the same material and are formed concurrently, dimensions and pitches of the touch electrodes are greater than dimensions and pitches of the sensing members, the touch electrodes and the sensing members are electrically connected to the sensing circuit chip, and the sensing circuit chip provides the coupling signal to the coupling electrode.

11. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 7, wherein the housing is an upper layer of a touch display, and multiple touch electrodes of the touch display are formed on the first surface of the housing.

12. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 11, further comprising a sensing circuit chip, wherein the touch electrodes and the sensing members have the same material and are formed concurrently, dimensions and pitches of the touch electrodes are greater than dimensions and pitches of the sensing members, the touch electrodes and the sensing members are electrically connected to the sensing circuit chip, and the sensing circuit chip provides the coupling signal to the sensing members and provides a drive signal to drive the touch display to operate.

13. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 8, wherein the coupling electrode is formed on the flexible circuit board and adhered to the first surface of the housing.

14. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 1, wherein the coupling signal is provided from the biometrics sensor to the coupling electrode.

15. The biometrics sensor module according to claim 1, further comprising a drive circuit, which is coupled to the coupling electrode and provides the coupling signal to the coupling electrode.

16. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

the biometrics sensor module according to claim 1;

a display, which is mounted on the housing and is for displaying images or information to interact with a user; and

a processor, which is disposed in the housing and electrically connected to the biometrics sensor and the display, and controls the biometrics sensor and the display to operate.

17. A biometrics sensor assembly, comprising:

a flexible circuit board;

a biometrics sensor, comprising;

a sensing surface having sensing members, which are arranged in an array and for sensing biometrics messages;

a non-sensing surface disposed opposite the sensing surface and disposed on the flexible circuit board;

a depressed surface disposed between the sensing surface and the non-sensing surface;

a side surface connecting the sensing surface to the depressed surface;

connection pads disposed on the sensing surface;

bonding pads disposed on the depressed surface; and

connection traces connecting the connection pads to the bonding pads, respectively;

bonding wires bonded to the bonding pads and connection portions of the flexible circuit board; and

an encapsulating layer covering over the bonding wires, the biometrics sensor and the flexible circuit board.

18. A method of manufacturing a biometrics sensor assembly, comprising the steps of:

forming a circuit element region on a silicon substrate, the circuit element region having sensing members and connection pads;

forming a first groove on the silicon substrate;

covering an insulation protection layer over the circuit element region of the silicon substrate and the first groove;

forming windows on the insulation protection layer above the connection pads;

forming a metal layer on the insulation protection layer, the metal layer filling the windows and being electrically connected to the connection pads;

patterning the metal layer to form a second groove and connection traces;

cutting along the second groove to form multiple independent sensing chips; and

performing wire-bonding and package procedures on one of the sensing chips to form the biometrics sensor assembly.