Apparatus integrating microelectromechanical system device with circuit chip and methods for fabricating the same

• US 9,227,841 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Huang, Chao Ta, Lin, Shih Ting, Hsu, Yu Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): SANDVIK, BENJAMIN P
• Application Number:
  US14/274,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20140248731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0064 for protecting against electromagnetic or electrostatic interferences
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00134 comprising flexible or deformable structures manufacture of MEMS devices for specific applications, see relevant places, e.g. gyroscopes G01C19/5719, pressure sensors G01L9/0042, accelerometers G01P15/0802, acoustic transducers or diaphragms therefor H04R31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/0023 Packaging together an electronic processing unit die and a micromechanical structure die MEMS packages B81B7/0032; MEMS packaging processes B81C1/00261
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2203/00 Forming microstructural systems
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2203/0792 Forming interconnections between the electronic processing unit and the micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/11 Manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/2041 Beam type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/304 Beam type

Abstract

One embodiment discloses an apparatus integrating a microelectromechanical system device with a circuit chip which includes a circuit chip, a microelectromechanical system device, a sealing ring, and a lid. The circuit chip comprises a substrate and a plurality of metal bonding areas. The substrate has an active surface with electrical circuit area, and the metal bonding areas are disposed on the active surface and electrically connected to the electrical circuits. The microelectromechanical system device comprises a plurality of bases and at least one sensing element. The bases are connected to at least one of the metal bonding areas. The at least one sensing element is elastically connected to the bases. The sealing ring surrounds the bases, and is connected to at least one of the metal bonding areas. The lid is opposite to the active surface of the circuit chip, and is connected to the sealing ring to have a hermetic chamber which seals the sensing element and the active surface of the circuit chip.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating an apparatus integrating a microelectromechanical system device with a circuit chip, comprising:

providing an SOI (Silicon on Insulator) wafer, wherein the SOI wafer comprises a device layer, an insulating layer and a handle layer stacked in order;

etching from the device layer through the insulating layer so as to form a plurality of ring grooves and a plurality of pillars disposed at the center of the ring grooves;

forming a plurality of first holes at the center of each of the pillars, wherein the first holes penetrate the insulating layer and are filled with the conductive material;

etching the surface of the device layer so as to form a bottom of sealing ring, a plurality of bottoms of a plurality of supporting bases and a plurality of bottoms of a plurality of bases;

etching the device layer to the insulating layer so as to form an etched pattern;

integrating the above-mentioned device layer having etched pattern with a circuit chip, wherein the bottom of the sealing ring, the bottoms of the bases and the bottoms of the supporting bases are connected to a plurality of metal bonding areas of the circuit chip;

forming a plurality of second holes on the handle layer;

forming at least one sensing element, a plurality of springs, a sealing ring, the at least one bases and the at least one supporting bases; and

covering an isolation layer on a surface of the handle layer so as to form a hermetic chamber surrounding the at least one sensing element and an active surface of the circuit chip.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of forming a plurality of openings at the position where the isolation layer is aligned with the supporting bases, and forming a plurality of conductive pads in the openings.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of filling an insulating material in the ring grooves.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the interior of each of the supporting bases comprises one of the ring grooves filled with the insulating material.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of thinning the thickness of the handle layer before forming the second holes on the handle layer.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of filling the insulating material in the first hole after filling the conductive material in the first hole.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of forming at least one sensing element, a plurality of springs, a sealing ring, the at least one bases and the at least one supporting bases includes a step of removing the insulating layer disposed above the device layer.

8. A method for fabricating an apparatus integrating a microelectromechanical system device with a circuit chip, comprising:

providing an SOI (Silicon on Insulator) wafer, wherein the SOI wafer comprises a device layer, an insulating layer and a handle layer stacked in order;

etching a surface of the device layer so as to form a bottom of a sealing ring, a plurality of bottoms of a plurality of supporting bases and a plurality of bottoms of a plurality of bases;

etching the device layer to the insulating layer so as to form an etched pattern;

integrating the above-mentioned device layer having etched pattern with a circuit chip, wherein the bottom of the sealing ring, the plurality of bottoms of the plurality of bases and the plurality of bottoms of the plurality of supporting bases are connected to a plurality of metal bonding areas of the circuit chip;

forming a plurality of second holes on the handle layer; and

forming at least one sensing element, the sealing ring, the plurality of supporting bases, the plurality of bases and a lid, wherein the step of forming the at least one sensing element, the sealing ring, the plurality of supporting bases, the plurality of bases and the lid is implemented after the step of integrating the above-mentioned device layer having etched pattern with the circuit chip.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a step of etching from the device layer through the insulating layer so as to form a plurality of ring grooves and a plurality of pillars disposed at the center of the ring grooves.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a step of forming a first hole at the center of each of the pillars, wherein the first hole penetrates the insulating layer and is filled with a conductive material to form at least one conductive pillar.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a step of covering an isolation layer on a surface of the handle layer so as to form a hermetic chamber surrounding the at least one sensing element.

12. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of forming at least one sensing element, the sealing ring, the plurality of supporting bases, the plurality of bases and a lid includes a step of removing the insulating layer disposed above the device layer.

13. A method for fabricating an apparatus integrating a microelectromechanical system device with a circuit chip, comprising:

providing an SOI (Silicon on Insulator) wafer, wherein the SOI wafer comprises a device layer, an insulating layer and a handle layer stacked in order;

etching from the device layer through the insulating layer so as to form a plurality of ring grooves and a plurality of pillars disposed at the center of the ring grooves;

forming a first hole at the center of each of the plurality of pillars, wherein the first hole penetrates the insulating layer and is filled with a conductive material to form at least one conductive pillar;

etching the device layer to the insulating layer so as to form an etched pattern;

integrating the above-mentioned device layer having etched pattern with a circuit chip;

forming a plurality of second holes on the handle layer; and

forming at least one sensing element, a plurality of supporting bases, a sealing ring, and a lid wherein the sealing ring comprises a first silicon layer, the lid comprises an insulating layer, a second silicon layer and a plurality of the conductive pillars, wherein the first silicon layer and the second silicon layer clip the insulating layer, and the plurality of the conductive pillars penetrate the insulating layer and connect the first silicon layer and the second silicon layer.

14. The method us as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a step of filling an insulating material in the plurality of ring grooves.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a step of etching a surface of the device layer so as to form a bottom of the sealing ring, a plurality of bottoms of the plurality of supporting bases and a plurality of bottoms of a plurality of bases.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second silicon layer further comprises a foundation and a plurality of island sections, the plurality of island sections and the foundation are electrically insulated from each other, and the island sections are respectively connected to the plurality of supporting bases by the insulating layer.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a step of covering an isolation layer on a surface of the handle layer so as to form a hermetic chamber surrounding the at least one sensing element.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second silicon layer further comprising a plurality of ring air gaps disposed between the plurality of island sections and the foundation.

19. The method us as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second silicon layer further comprising a plurality of second ring insulating walls disposed between the plurality of island sections and the foundation.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second silicon layer includes the plurality of second holes and the isolation layer, and the isolation layer seals first openings disposed on an end of each of the second holes.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, further comprising a plurality of conductive pads respectively disposed in openings of the isolation layer and is connected to the plurality of island sections.

22. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the plurality of supporting bases and the sealing ring are spaced apart by the insulating material and the insulating material surrounds each of the plurality of supporting bases so as to form a first ring insulating wall, and each of the first ring insulating walls penetrates the first silicon layer.

23. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the plurality of supporting bases and the sealing ring are spaced apart, and each of the plurality of supporting bases is embedded with a first ring insulating wall, and each of the first ring insulating walls penetrates the first silicon layer.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of supporting bases is aligned with one of the plurality of island sections, and the first ring insulating wall is aligned with the second ring insulating wall.

25. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the at least one conductive pillar penetrates the first silicon layer, the plurality of island sections of the second silicon layer and the insulating layer disposed between the plurality of supporting bases and the plurality of island sections.

26. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the step of removing the insulating layer to form the at least one sensing element, the plurality of supporting bases, the sealing ring, and the lid is implemented after the step of integrating the above-mentioned device layer having etched pattern with the circuit chip.

27. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the step of forming at least one sensing element, a plurality of supporting bases, a sealing ring, and a lid includes a step of removing the insulating layer disposed above the device layer.