Fingerprint sensor chip

• US 6,310,371 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1999
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Hung, Tz-Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): MINTEL, WILLIAM A
• Application Number:
  US09/414,894
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 257/414, 257/415, 257/252, 257/254, 257/417, 257/418, 438/48, 738/620.46, 382/124, 382/125
• US Class Current: 257/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1329 Protecting the fingerprint sensor against damage caused by the finger

Abstract

The present invention provides a fingerprint sensor chip formed on a dielectric layer of a semiconductor wafer. The fingerprint sensor chip comprises a plurality of rectangular sensor areas arranged in a matrix format which are surrounded by conductors, a second dielectric layer covering the sensor areas and the conductors wherein the surface of the second dielectric layer positioned above each of the sensor areas is formed as a protruding rectangular platform with a shallow trench around the platform, a rectangular metal plate positioned on top of each of the rectangular platforms which is used as a sensor plate of the fingerprint sensor chip, and a protective layer positioned on the surface of the semiconductor wafer to cover and protect the underlying circuitry.

Claims

1. A fingerprint sensor chip formed on a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer comprising a first dielectric layer, the fingerprint sensor chip comprising:

a plurality of rectangular sensor areas arranged in a matrix format on the semiconductor wafer, each of the sensor areas being surrounded by electric conductors;

a second dielectric layer covered on the sensor areas and the conductors, the surface of the second dielectric layer positioned above each of the sensor areas being formed as a protruding rectangular platform with a shallow trench surrounding the platform, the shallow trench being positioned above the conductors around the sensor area;

a rectangular metal plate positioned on the top end of each of the rectangular platforms which is used as a sensor plate of the fingerprint sensor chip; and

a protective layer positioned on the surface of the semiconductor wafer for covering and protecting each of the metal plates and the second dielectric layer.

2. The fingerprint sensor chip of claim 1 further comprising a spacer formed by spin on glass (SOG) and positioned at one side of each of the conductors.

3. The fingerprint sensor chip of claim 1 wherein the second dielectric layer is made by silicon rich oxide (SRO), tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate (TEOS, S_i(OC₂H₅)₄) or spin on glass (SOG).

4. The fingerprint sensor chip of claim 3 wherein the SRO is formed by using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process for preventing the conductors from erosion by the materials produced during the manufacturing process of the chip.

5. The fingerprint sensor chip of claim 3 wherein the TEOS is formed by using a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process.

6. A fingerprint sensor chip formed on a semiconductor wafer, the semiconductor wafer comprising a first dielectric layer, the fingerprint sensor chip comprising:

a plurality of rectangular sensor areas arranged in a matrix format on the semiconductor wafer, each of the sensor areas being surrounded by electric conductors;

a second dielectric layer uniformly covered on the sensor areas and conductors, the surface of the second dielectric layer above each of the sensor areas being formed as a concave recess;

a rectangular metal plate positioned inside each of the recesses and positioned above the sensor area under the recess which is used as a sensor plate of the fingerprint sensor chip; and

a third dielectric layer covered on the second dielectric layer and the metal plates for protecting the fingerprint sensor chip, the surface of the third dielectric layer positioned above each of the sensor areas being formed as a protruding rectangular platform with a shallow trench surrounding the platform, the shallow trench being positioned above the conductors around the sensor area.

7. The fingerprint sensor chip of claim 6 further comprising a spacer formed by spin on glass (SOG) and positioned at one side of each of the conductors.

8. The fingerprint sensor chip of claim 6 wherein the second dielectric layer is formed by silicon oxide which is created by performing a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process employing TEOS as the reactant.