Method of fabricating high yield wafer level packages integrating MMIC and MEMS components
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating wafer-level packages containing MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) components and MEMS (micro electromechanical systems) components, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a substrate wafer having a front face and a back face, and providing a cover wafer of comparable size to the substrate wafer;
fabricating multiple MMIC and MEMS components on the front face of the substrate wafer;
forming a first set of seal rings around selected device areas on the front face of the substrate wafer;
forming a second set of seal rings on a surface of the cover wafer, in positions corresponding the first set of seal rings;
bonding the first and second sets of seal rings to provide a double-wafer structure that includes multiple device cavities formed between the substrate wafer and the cover wafer;
thinning the substrate wafer by removing material from the back face; and
completing MMIC and MEMS fabrication on the back face of the substrate wafer;
whereby integration of MMIC and MEMS components provides enhanced circuit performance for each fabricated device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) components and micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) components are integrated onto a single substrate at a wafer scale, by first performing MMIC and MEMS fabrication on a front face of a thick substrate wafer, bonding the substrate wafer to a cover wafer, thinning the back face of the substrate wafer and, finally, completing MMIC and MEMS fabrication on the back face of the thinned substrate wafer. The fabrication process is facilitated by use of a guard ring between the wafers to provide additional mechanical support to the substrate wafer and to protect the devices while the MMIC/MEMS fabrication is completed, and by a low temperature bonding process to join the substrate wafer and the cover wafer at multiple device cavity seal rings.
54 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating wafer-level packages containing MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) components and MEMS (micro electromechanical systems) components, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a substrate wafer having a front face and a back face, and providing a cover wafer of comparable size to the substrate wafer; fabricating multiple MMIC and MEMS components on the front face of the substrate wafer; forming a first set of seal rings around selected device areas on the front face of the substrate wafer; forming a second set of seal rings on a surface of the cover wafer, in positions corresponding the first set of seal rings; bonding the first and second sets of seal rings to provide a double-wafer structure that includes multiple device cavities formed between the substrate wafer and the cover wafer; thinning the substrate wafer by removing material from the back face; and completing MMIC and MEMS fabrication on the back face of the substrate wafer; whereby integration of MMIC and MEMS components provides enhanced circuit performance for each fabricated device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19)
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11. A method for bonding first and second wafers together using relatively low processing temperatures, the method comprising:
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forming a first set of seal rings around selected areas on a face of the first wafer, wherein the step of forming the first set of seal rings comprises forming a first cavity spacer layer in the selected areas, and forming a gold layer over the first cavity spacer layer; forming a second set of seal rings on a face of the second wafer, in positions corresponding the first set of seal rings, wherein the step of forming the second set of seal rings comprises forming a second cavity spacer layer in the selected areas, and forming a gold layer over the second cavity spacer layer; forming an indium layer over one of the gold layers formed in the first and second sets of seal rings; heat treating the first and second sets of seal rings to begin melting the indium layer; and forcing the first and second sets of seal together to intermix the indium layer with the gold layers and to form a bonded structure that seals each of the areas defined by the sets of seal rings. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20)
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Specification