Systems and methods for mounting inertial sensors

• US 8,227,879 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Eskridge, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, NGAN V
• Application Number:
  US12/846,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20120025332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 257/417, 257/418, 257/E29.324
• US Class Current: 257/417
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/025 Inertial sensors not provided for in B81B2201/0235 - B81B2201/0242
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0074 3D packaging, i.e. encapsulation containing one or several MEMS devices arranged in planes non-parallel to the mounting board
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5783 Mountings or housings not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• 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 2924/1461 MEMS

Abstract

Systems and methods for mounting inertial sensors on a board. On a wafer containing one or more sensor packages having a substrate layer, a sensor layer and an insulator layer located between the sensor layer and the substrate layer, a V-groove is anisotropically etched into one of the substrate layer. The substrate layer is in the 100 crystal plane orientation. The sensor package is then separated from the wafer. Then, a surface of the substrate layer formed by the etching is attached to a board. In one example, three sensor packages are mounted to the board so that their sense axis are perpendicular to each other.

Claims

1. A MEMS sensor package system comprising:

at least one sensor package comprising;

at least one substrate layer;

a sensor layer comprising a MEMS sensor; and

at least one insulator layer; and

a board,

wherein the at least one insulator layer is adhered to the sensor layer, the at least one substrate layer is mounted to the at least one insulator layer, the layers comprise a first surface, wherein the first surfaces are approximately parallel to each other, the at least one substrate layer comprising a first side surface having a normal vector that is between 54° and

55.5°

different from a normal vector of the first surfaces, wherein the side surface is mounted to the board.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one sensor package comprises at least three sensor packages mounted to the board.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the three sensor packages comprise accelerometers.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the accelerometers comprise in-plane accelerometers.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the accelerometers comprise out-of-plane accelerometers.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the three sensor packages comprise rotational sensors.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor package comprises one or more conductive vias that electrically connect to an electrical trace on the sensor layer, the one or more conductive vias passes through the substrate layer with the first side surface and one of the at least one insulator layers.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising at least one conductive bead bonded to the board and the sensor package, the at least one conductive bead being electrically coupled to one or more of the conductive vias and an electrical trace on the board.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the board is a circuit board.