Large area integration of quartz resonators with electronics

• US 8,138,016 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Chang, David T., Kubena, Randall L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parekh, Nitin
• Application Number:
  US12/399,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20090189294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 438/107, 438/109, 438/110, 257/E21.598, 257/723
• US Class Current: 438/107
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 Indicating transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4908 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53178 Chip component

Abstract

Methods for integrating quartz-based resonators with electronics on a large area wafer through direct pick-and-place and flip-chip bonding or wafer-to-wafer bonding using handle wafers are described. The resulting combination of quartz-based resonators and large area electronics wafer solves the problem of the quartz-electronics substrate diameter mismatch and enables the integration of arrays of quartz devices of different frequencies with the same electronics.

Claims

1. A large scale integration of quartz-based devices with an electronics host wafer, wherein the large scale integration is formed by a method comprising the steps of:

selecting a plurality of quartz-based devices according to their possession of desired characteristics, wherein each selected quartz-based device is attached to an individual handle wafer;

attaching the quartz-based devices to the electronics host wafer to form an array of quartz-based devices on the electronics host wafer;

bonding the quartz-based devices to the electronics host wafer; and

removing the individual handle wafers from the quartz-based devices.

2. The large scale integration according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of dicing and electrically characterizing and tuning the quartz-based devices prior to the step of selecting the plurality of quartz-based devices.

3. The large scale integration according to claim 1, wherein the quartz-based devices are resonators and the step of selecting a plurality of quartz-based devices according to their possession of desired characteristics comprises the step of selecting the resonators according to their resonant frequencies or equivalent circuit parameters.

4. The large scale integration according to claim 1, wherein the step of attaching comprises picking and placing.

5. The large scale integration according to claim 1, wherein the step of attaching comprises placing the quartz-based devices in contact with the electronics host wafer serially to form an array of quartz-based devices on the electronics host wafer.

6. The large scale integration according to claim 1, wherein the step of attaching comprises the steps of attaching each of the plurality of quartz-based devices to a group handle and then moving the group handle in order to contact the quartz-based devices to the electronics host wafer to form a predetermined array of quartz-based devices on the electronics host wafer.

7. The large scale integration according to claim 6, wherein the step of attaching comprises the steps of attaching each of the individual handles of each of the plurality of quartz-based devices to a group handle and then moving the group handle in order to contact the quartz-based devices to the electronics host wafer to form a predetermined array of quartz-based devices on the electronics host wafer.

8. The large scale integration according to claim 7, wherein the method further comprises the step of removing the group handle after the step of bonding the quartz-based devices to the electronics host wafer.

9. The large scale integration according to claim 6, wherein method further comprises the step of removing the group handle after the step of bonding the quartz-based devices to the electronics host wafer.

10. The large scale integration according to claim 1, wherein the steps of attaching and bonding are carried out with a multi-chip die bonder.

11. The large scale integration according to claim 1, wherein the step of bonding comprises applying a conductive epoxy to the bonding sites and curing.

12. The large scale integration according to claim 1, wherein the step of bonding comprises heating the electronic host wafer to a preselected temperature.

13. The large scale integration according to claim 1, wherein the step of bonding further comprises individually compressing the quartz-based devices to the electronics host wafer.

14. The large scale integration according to claim 1, wherein the quartz-based devices each have a surface with at least one electrode and the step of bonding comprises causing a low temperature compression bond between the electrode and an electrode on the electronics host wafer.

15. The large scale integration according to claim 14, wherein the low temperature compression bond is chosen from the group consisting of Au/In, Au/Sn, and Cu/Sn bonds.

16. A large scale integration of quartz-based resonators with an electronics host wafer, wherein the large scale integration is formed by a method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of quartz-based resonators possessing desired resonant frequencies, each of the resonators having at least one electrode formed on a first surface of the quartz-based resonator and being attached to an individual handle wafer;

placing the plurality of quartz-based resonators in contact with the electronics host wafer to form an array of quartz-based resonators on a surface of the electronics host wafer wherein the electrode of each quartz-based resonator is in electrical communication with an electrode disposed on the surface of the electronics host wafer;

bonding the plurality of quartz-based resonators to the electronics host wafer; and

removing the individual handle wafers from the plurality of quartz-based resonators.

17. The large scale integration according to claim 16, wherein the step of placing is done serially with a pick and place device.

18. The large scale integration according to claim 16, wherein the method further comprises the following steps prior to placing the plurality of quartz-based resonators, each attached to an individual handle wafer, in contact with the electronics host wafer:

providing a group handle with pre-arranged depressions for receiving the plurality of quartz-based resonators; and

placing the plurality of quartz-based resonators into the depressions on the group handle.