MEMS RF switch module including a vertical via

• US 7,170,155 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chou, Tsung-Kuan Allen, Heck, John M., Hayden, Joseph S. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuneo; Kamand
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOA CAO
• Application Number:
  US10/606,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20040264152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 174/253, 174260-266, 174/52.4, 174/52.2, 333/105, 333/259, 333/101, 333/258, 333/262, 257/728, 257700-704, 257/664, 257/684, 257/415, 361/760, 361767-768, 361/771, 361/781, 361/783, 200/181, 335/78
• US Class Current: 257/684
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/018 Switches not provided for in B81B2201/014 - B81B2201/016
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/007 Interconnections between the MEMS and external electrical signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/0036 Switches making use of microelectromechanical systems [MEMS] for electromagnetic relays H01H50/005; for electrostatic relays H01H59/0009
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/5805 Connections to printed circuits for slide switches H01H15/005; for tumbler switches H01H23/006
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector

Abstract

An apparatus and method to provide a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) radio frequency (RF) switch module with a vertical via. The MEMS RF switch module includes a MEMS die coupled to a cap section. The vertical via passes through the cap section to electrically couple an RF switch array of the MEMS die to a printed circuit board (PCB). In one embodiment, the MEMS die includes a trace ring surrounding at least a portion of the RF switch array so that a signal may enter or exit the MEMS RF switch module using the vertical via without crossing the trace ring.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) die including at least one MEMS device and one or more MEMS contacts electrically coupled to the at least one MEMS device;

a cap coupled to the MEMS die to form an enclosure around the at least one MEMS device, the cap including one or more internal contacts, each internal contact being electrically coupled to a corresponding external contact by a via extending through the cap, wherein at least one of the internal contacts can be electrically coupled to at least one of the one or more MEMS contacts; and

a trace ring disposed within the enclosure and coupled to the at least one MEMS device, wherein one of an input terminal or an output terminal for the at least one MEMS device is coupled to the trace ring.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one MEMS device comprises a radio frequency (RF) switch array including at least one switch.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more MEMS contacts include an input terminal, an output terminal, and an actuation terminal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the input terminal is electrically coupled to a first internal contact, the output terminal is electrically coupled to a second internal contact, and the actuation terminal is electrically coupled to a third internal contact.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the trace ring surrounds at least a portion of the at least one MEMS device to allow a signal to transit the MEMS module using at least one of the vias without crossing the trace ring.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a seal ring to couple the cap to the MEMS die such that the cap and the die sealingly enclose the at least one MEMS device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) coupled to at least one of the external contacts.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more internal contacts is a contact pad.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a MEMS die including an array of MEMS radio frequency (RF) switches and one or more MEMS contacts electrically coupled to at least one of the switches in the array;

a cap coupled to the MEMS die to form an enclosure around the array, the cap including one or more internal contacts, each internal contact being electrically coupled to a corresponding external contact by a via extending through the cap, wherein at least one of the internal contacts can be electrically coupled to at least one of the one or more MEMS contacts; and

a trace ring disposed within the enclosure and coupled to the array, wherein one of the input terminal or the output terminal is coupled to the trace ring.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cap is coupled to the MEMS die by a seal ring.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cap comprises Silicon.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cap comprises a ceramic material.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the one or more MEMS contacts comprise:

an input terminal electrically coupled to at least one switch in the array;

an output terminal coupled to at least one switch in the array; and

an actuation terminal electrically coupled to at least one switch in the array.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the input terminal is electrically coupled to a first internal contact, the output terminal is electrically coupled to a second internal contact, and the actuation terminal is electrically coupled to a third internal contact.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the MEMS die comprises a second MEMS RF switch array electrically coupled to a second input terminal and to a second actuation terminal, the second RF switch array electrically coupled to the output terminal.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the trace ring surrounds at least a portion of the array to allow a signal to transit the array using at least one of the vias without crossing the trace ring.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) electrically coupled to at least one of the external contacts.

18. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein at least one of the one or more internal contacts is a contact pad.