Acceleration sensor

• US 8,042,392 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LAPIS Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (ROHM Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Oki Semiconductor Company Limited (ROHM Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ino, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US12/654,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20100101325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 734/93, 735/143.3, 735/143.6, 735/143.8
• US Class Current: 73/493
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/123 by piezo-resistive elements, e.g. semiconductor strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/084 the mass being suspended at more than one of its sides, e.g. membrane-type suspension, so as to permit multi-axis movement of the mass
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49171 Fan-out arrangements
• 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 2924/1461 MEMS

Abstract

An acceleration sensor has a semiconductor acceleration sensor chip and a case. The semiconductor acceleration sensor chip has a fixed portion, a plummet portion surrounding the fixed portion without contacting the fixed portion, and a beam portion connecting the fixed portion and the plummet portion, the thickness of the beam portion being thinner than the thickness of the fixed portion. The case has a cavity housing the semiconductor acceleration sensor chip, and a projection portion formed on the bottom face of the cavity, the bottom face of the fixed portion being fixed to the top face of the projection portion.

Claims

1. An acceleration sensor comprising:

a case that includes;

a bottom wall having a top side and a bottom side, the top side of the bottom wall having a central region and a peripheral region that surrounds the central region; and

a side wall attached to the bottom wall and extending upward from the bottom wall in a height direction;

an integrated circuit attached to the central region of the top side of the bottom wall, the integrated circuit having a top side with a predetermined width;

a semiconductor acceleration sensor chip supported on the integrated circuit, the sensor chip including;

a fixed portion having a bottom side that is mounted on the top side of the integrated circuit, the bottom side of the fixed portion having a predetermined width;

a plummet portion surrounding the integrated circuit without contacting the integrated circuit, the plummet portion being disposed outward of the integrated circuit, above the peripheral region of the top side of the bottom wall, the plummet portion having a bottom side with a predetermined width; and

a beam portion connecting the fixed portion and the plummet portion, the beam portion having a thickness that is thinner than the thickness of the fixed portion;

a terminal outside the case;

first wiring that electrically connects the terminal to the sensor chip; and

second wiring that electrically connects the integrated circuit to the sensor chip,

wherein the width of the top side of the integrated circuit is greater than the width of the bottom side of the fixed portion and smaller than the width of the bottom side of the plummet portion.

2. The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of first electrodes on a surface of the fixed portion; and

a plurality of second electrodes on a surface of the integrated circuit,

wherein the second wiring includes a bonding wire that electrically connects one of the first electrodes and one of the second electrodes.

3. The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the wiring has a portion that is embedded in the side wall and extends in the height direction of the side wall.

4. The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the terminal is disposed on the bottom side of the bottom wall at a position aligned with the portion of the wiring that is embedded in the side wall and that extends in the height direction of the side wall.

5. The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the bottom side of the plummet portion and the bottom side of the fixed portion lie substantially in a common plane, and wherein the plummet portion and the fixed portion have substantially the same thickness.