WEARABLE DEVICE HAVING A MONOLITHICALLY INTEGRATED MULTI-SENSOR DEVICE ON A SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATE AND METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20140268523A1
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Versana Micro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bishnu Prasanna Gogoi
• Inventors: GOGOI, BISHNU PRASANNA
• Granted Patent: US 9,862,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0207 Bolometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0214 Biosensors; Chemical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0228 Inertial sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0257 Microphones or microspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0264 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0278 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/012 the micromechanical device and the control or processing electronics being separate parts in the same package
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/05 Arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/09 Packages
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/02 containing distinct electrical or optical devices of particular relevance for their function, e.g. microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS] B81B7/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14 including semiconductor components sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation radiation-sensitive components structurally associated with one or more electric light sources only H01L31/14; couplings of light guides with optoelectronic elements G02B6/42
• 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: H05K 7/02 Arrangements of circuit components or wiring on supporting structure
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 61/00 Magnetic memory devices, e.g. magnetoresistive RAM [MRAM] devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 19/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one thermoelectric or thermomagnetic element covered by groups H10N10/00 - H10N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/302 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/308 Membrane type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 59/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one galvanomagnetic or Hall-effect element covered by groups H10N50/00 - H10N52/00 MRAM devices H10B61/00

Abstract

A wearable device is provided having multiple sensors configured to detect and measure different parameters of interest. The wearable device includes at least one monolithic integrated multi-sensor (MIMS) device. The MIMS device comprises at least two sensors of different types formed on a common semiconductor substrate. For example, the MIMS device can comprise an indirect sensor and a direct sensor. The wearable device couples a first parameter to be measured directly to the direct sensor. Conversely, the wearable device can couple a second parameter to be measured to the indirect sensor indirectly. Other sensors can be added to the wearable device by stacking a sensor to the MIMS device or to another substrate coupled to the MIMS device. This supports integrating multiple sensors to reduce form factor, cost, complexity, simplify assembly, while increasing performance.

Claims

1. A wearable device comprising a plurality of sensors where the plurality of sensors is configured to be worn and where the plurality of sensors comprises a monolithic integrated multi-sensor (MIMS) comprising at least two sensors of different types formed overlying a semiconductor substrate.

2. The wearable device of claim 1 where the wearable device comprises one of a pendant, ring, bracelet, watch, necklace, patch, or jewelry.

3. The wearable device of claim 1 where the wearable device couples to the muscular-skeletal system to measure a biological parameter.

4. The wearable device of claim 1 where the wearable device couples to clothing.

5. The wearable device of claim 1 where the MIMS of the wearable device comprises a direct sensor and an indirect sensor where the cell phone is configured to couple a first parameter directly to the direct sensor and where the cell phone is configured to couple a second parameter indirectly to the indirect sensor.

6. The wearable device of claim 5 where a layer is deposited in common to the direct sensor and the indirect sensor, where at least a portion of the layer is etched, where the layer forms a cap on the indirect sensor and where the layer forms a moving plate on the direct sensor.

7. The wearable device of claim 1 where the MIMS of the wearable device comprises a first sensor and a second sensor where a layer is formed in common to the first and the second sensors where at least a portion of the layer is etched, and where the layer is configured to not flex in the first sensor and where the layer is configured to flex in the second sensor.

8. The wearable device of claim 1 where the MIMS of the wearable device comprises a first sensor and a second sensor where a layer is formed in common to the first and the second sensors, where at least a portion of the layer is etched, where the layer seals a cavity in the first sensor, where the layer seals a cavity in the second sensor, where a volume of the cavity of the first sensor is fixed, and where a volume of the cavity of the second sensor is configured to vary according to a stimulus.

9. The wearable device of claim 1 where the MIMS of the wearable device comprises a first sensor and a second sensor where a layer is formed in common to the first and the second sensors, where at least a portion of the layer is etched, where the first sensor is an inertial sensor, and where the layer is an electrode of the second sensor.

10. The wearable device of claim 1 where a sensor is stacked to the MIMS.

11. A wearable device comprising a plurality of sensors where the plurality of sensors is configured to be worn and where the plurality of sensors comprises a monolithic integrated multi-sensor (MIMS) comprising at least two sensors of different types and where the MIMS is stacked with a sensor.

12. The wearable device of claim 11 where the wearable device comprises one of a pendant, ring, bracelet, watch, necklace, patch, or jewelry.

13. The wearable device of claim 11 where the wearable device is configured to couple to the muscular-skeletal system to measure a biological parameter.

14. The wearable device of claim 11 where the wearable device couples to clothing.

15. The wearable device of claim 11 where the MIMS of the wearable device comprises a direct sensor and an indirect sensor where the cell phone is configured to couple a first parameter directly to the direct sensor and where the cell phone is configured to couple a second parameter indirectly to the indirect sensor.

16. The wearable device of claim 11 where the MIMS of the wearable device comprises a first sensor and a second sensor where a layer is formed in common to the first and the second sensors, where at least a portion of the layer is etched, and where the layer is configured to not flex in the first sensor and where the layer is configured to flex in the second sensor.

17. The wearable device of claim 11 where the MIMS of the wearable device comprises a first sensor and a second sensor where a layer is formed in common to the first and the second sensors, where at least a portion of the layer is etched, where the layer seals a cavity in the first sensor, where the layer seals a cavity in the second sensor, where a volume of the cavity of the first sensor is fixed, and where a volume of the cavity of the second sensor is configured to vary according to a stimulus.

18. A wearable device comprising a plurality of sensors where the plurality of sensors is configured to be worn and where the plurality of sensors comprises at least two monolithic integrated multi-sensor (MIMS) where each MIMS comprises at least two sensors of different types and where the MIMS are stacked.

19. The wearable device of claim 18 where the wearable device comprises one of a pendant, ring, bracelet, watch, necklace, jewelry, patch, or clothing.

20. The wearable device of claim 18 where the wearable device is configured to measure a biological parameter.