Packaging micromechanical devices

• US 6,603,182 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Low, Yee Leng, Ramsey, David Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo, Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chambliss, Alonzo
• Application Number:
  US10/097,072
• Time in Patent Office: 511 Days
• Field of Search: 257/431, 257/432, 257/433, 257/434, 257/685, 257/686, 257/723, 257/724, 257/729, 257/738, 257/680, 257/777, 257/779, 257/784, 257/704, 438/109, 438/110, 438/116
• US Class Current: 257/432
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0077 Other packages not provided for in groups B81B7/0035 - B81B7/0074
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 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 2924/00014 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 2924/09701 Low temperature co-fired ceramic [LTCC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/142 Arrangements of planar printed circuit boards in the same plane, e.g. auxiliary printed circuit insert mounted in a main printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/183 Components mounted in and supported by recessed areas of the printed circuit board

Abstract

The specification describes a packaging arrangement for micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). The MEMS devices are mounted on a ceramic platform and are then packaged in a hybrid package. The hybrid package may be hermetically sealed. The hybrid package uses a ceramic insert as the primary MEMS device enclosure. The ceramic insert is mounted on a polymer printed wiring board, which provides both support and electrical interconnection for the ceramic insert. Optical access to the MEMS device is through a transparent window that may be hermetically sealed to the ceramic insert. The use of a ceramic primary enclosure for the MEMS device array substantially eliminates thermomechanical instabilities and provides thermomechanical and hermetic performance for the elements that require it. The main interconnection and routing function, implemented using standard epoxy printed circuit technology, yields high interconnection versatility and performance at low cost.

Claims

1. A micro-electromechanical (MEMS) assembly comprising:

(a) a polymer printed wiring board,

(b) a ceramic insert mounted on the polymer printed wiring board, the ceramic insert comprising;

(i) a ceramic substrate with a top and bottom surface,

(ii) ceramic sidewalls attached to the top surface of the ceramic substrate, the ceramic sidewalls combining with the ceramic substrate to form a ceramic chamber,

(iii) a MEMS device mounted on the top surface of the ceramic substrate within the ceramic chamber,

(iv) a chamber top mounted on the ceramic sidewalls of the ceramic chamber, the chamber top comprising a transparent window,

(v) means for hermetically sealing the chamber top to the ceramic chamber,

(c) interconnecting means for interconnecting the ceramic insert and the polymer printed wiring board.

2. The MEMS assembly of claim 1 wherein the interconnecting means comprise wire bonds.

3. The MEMS assembly of claim 1 wherein the interconnecting means are solder bumps.

4. The MEMS assembly of claim 1 further including means for projecting an optical beam through the transparent window onto the MEMS device.

5. The MEMS assembly of claim 1 wherein the printed wiring board comprises epoxy-glass.

6. The MEMS assembly of claim 1 wherein the printed wiring board has multilevel interconnections.

7. The MEMS assembly of claim 6 wherein the printed wiring board has a recess formed in the central region thereof, and the ceramic insert and the MEMS device are contained within the recess.