Sensor package and method of manufacturing thereof

• US 9,121,885 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Elian, Klaus, Theuss, Horst, Ruhl, Guenther
• Primary Examiner(s): Assouad, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRETLOW, DEMETRIUS R
• Application Number:
  US12/857,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20120038352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 324/239, 324/251
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/72 by investigating magnetic variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/072 Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1815 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A sensor package and a method for manufacturing a sensor package are disclosed. An embodiment includes a sensor and a conductive line, wherein the sensor is arranged proximate to the conductive line. The sensor and the conductive line are isolated and at least partially encapsulated. A soft magnet is arranged in, on or around the encapsulation, wherein the soft magnet includes a composition of an insulating material and a material having soft magnetic properties.

Claims

1. A sensor package comprising:

a conductive line configured to carry a current;

a sensor arranged proximate to the conductive line, the sensor configured to measure the current;

an encapsulation material separating the conductive line from the sensor, the encapsulation material at least partially encapsulating the conductive line and at least partially encapsulating the sensor; and

a soft magnetic material at least partially arranged on or around the encapsulation material, wherein the soft magnetic material is disposed on the sensor.

2. The sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the soft magnetic material comprises soft magnetic particles embedded in a polymer.

3. The sensor package according to claim 2, wherein the polymer is a thermoset material or a thermoplastic material.

4. The sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a magnetic sensor.

5. The sensor package according to claim 4, wherein the magnetic sensor is a Hall sensor, an AMR sensor, or a GMR sensor.

6. The sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the conductive line comprises a U shaped conductive line, an O shaped conductive line, an almost O shaped conductive line, an almost elliptic shaped conductive line, or a straight conductive line.

7. The sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the soft magnetic material is arranged over an active area of the sensor, and wherein no encapsulation material is located between the active area of the sensor and the soft magnetic material.

8. The sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the soft magnetic material is arranged on or around the encapsulation material such that the soft magnetic material is configured to channel magnetic field lines to a focus point of the sensor.

9. The sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the soft magnetic material is directly disposed on the sensor.

10. The sensor package according to claim 9, wherein the soft magnetic material is directly disposed only on an active area of the sensor.

11. The sensor package according to claim 1, further comprising a leadframe and a plurality of leads, wherein the sensor is disposed on the leadframe and electrically connected to the plurality of leads.

12. A system comprising:

a current generator;

the sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the sensor of the sensor package is configured to measure the current of the conductive line; and

a controller electrically connected to the sensor and the current generator, wherein the controller is configured to instruct the current generator to increase or decrease the current.

13. The sensor package according to claim 1, further comprising leads, wherein the sensor electrically connected to the leads, wherein the leads are disposed in a first portion of the encapsulation material, wherein the conductive line is disposed in a second portion of the encapsulation material, and wherein the soft magnetic material is disposed only on the second portion.

14. The sensor package according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a sensor chip and wherein the soft magnetic material is disposed directly on the sensor chip.

15. A sensor package comprising:

a sensor comprising an active area and configured to measure a current, the sensor disposed on a leadframe;

a conductive line configured to carry the current, the conductive line disposed in a vicinity to the sensor;

a first encapsulation material partially encapsulating the conductive line and the sensor;

leads electrically connected to the sensor;

a second encapsulation material partially encapsulating the sensor and the leads; and

a soft magnetic material directly disposed on at least a portion of the first encapsulation material and the active area, wherein the soft magnetic material is not disposed on the second encapsulation material.

16. The sensor package according to claim 15, wherein the soft magnetic material is directly disposed on a portion of the leadframe.

17. The sensor package according to claim 15, wherein the first encapsulation material and the second encapsulation material are the same.

18. The sensor package according to claim 15, wherein the soft magnetic material is only disposed on the first encapsulation material.

19. The sensor package according to claim 15, wherein the first encapsulation material comprises a first polymer and the second encapsulation material comprises a second polymer.

20. The sensor package according to claim 15, wherein the sensor is a sensor chip.

21. A sensor package comprising:

a sensor comprising an active area and configured to measure a current, the sensor disposed on a leadframe;

a conductive line configured to carry the current, the conductive line disposed in a vicinity to the sensor;

leads electrically connected to the sensor;

a first encapsulation material partially encapsulating the conductive line, the sensor and the leads, the first encapsulation material exposing at least a portion of the sensor active area of the sensor; and

a soft magnetic material at least partially disposed directly on the first encapsulation material and the active area, wherein the leads are disposed in a first portion of the first encapsulation material, wherein the conductive line is disposed in a second portion of the first encapsulation material, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the first encapsulation material are separated by the sensor, and wherein the soft magnetic material is disposed on the second portion of the first encapsulation material but not on the first portion of the first encapsulation material.

22. The sensor package according to claim 21, wherein a second encapsulation material is disposed on the first encapsulation material and the soft magnetic material.

23. The sensor package according to claim 22, wherein the second encapsulation material is different than the first encapsulation material.

24. A sensor package comprising:

a conductive line configured to carry a current;

a sensor arranged proximate to the conductive line, wherein the sensor is configured to measure the current;

an encapsulation material separating the conductive line from the sensor and at least partially encapsulating the conductive line and the sensor, wherein the sensor comprises an encapsulation material free area;

a soft magnetic material arranged on or around the encapsulation material, wherein the soft magnetic material is disposed on the encapsulation material free area of the sensor; and

leads electrically connected to the leads, wherein the leads are disposed in a first portion of the encapsulation material, wherein the conductive line is disposed in a second portion of the encapsulation material, and wherein the soft magnetic material is disposed only on the second portion.