Integrated MEMS microphone and vibration sensor

• US 9,661,411 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2016
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Han, Caleb C., Zhai, Jun, Jiang, Tongbi T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bernardi, Brenda
• Application Number:
  US15/005,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20170156002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/04 Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor in deaf-aid sets H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/14 Throat mountings for microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/46 Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope throat mountings H04R1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/006 Interconnection of transducer parts of diaphragm and outer suspension by moulding H04R31/003

Abstract

MEMS microphone and vibration sensor dies and packages are described. In an embodiment, a MEMS microphone and vibration sensor die includes a die substrate, a MEMS microphone on the die substrate and a MEMS vibration sensor on the die substrate. The MEMS vibration sensor may include a plurality of beams with different proof masses corresponding to different resonant frequencies, wherein the different proof masses comprise a same material as the die substrate.

Claims

1. A micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) microphone and vibration sensor die comprising:

a die substrate;

a MEMS microphone on the die substrate; and

a MEMS vibration sensor on the die substrate, the MEMS vibration sensor having a plurality of beam transducers, each of the plurality of beam transducers having a beam and a proof mass, wherein each proof mass is tuned to a different resonant frequency range and comprises a same material as the die substrate.

2. The MEMS microphone and vibration sensor die of claim 1 wherein each beam comprises a same length dimension.

3. The MEMS microphone and vibration sensor die of claim 1 wherein at least one proof mass comprises a different length dimension than another proof mass.

4. The MEMS microphone and vibration sensor die of claim 1 wherein the MEMS microphone comprises a diaphragm, and the diaphragm comprises a same material as each beam.

5. The MEMS microphone and vibration sensor die of claim 1 wherein the MEMS vibration sensor is operable to detect mechanical vibrations within a frequency range of from 20 Hz to 20 kHz.

6. The MEMS microphone and vibration sensor die of claim 1 wherein the plurality of beam transducers comprise a first beam transducer and a second beam transducer, wherein the first beam transducer is operable to detect a mechanical vibration in a first frequency range and the second beam transducer is operable to detect a mechanical vibration within a second frequency range, wherein the first frequency range is different than the second frequency range.

7. The MEMS microphone and vibration sensor die of claim 1 wherein the MEMS microphone and the MEMS vibration sensor are integrally formed with the die substrate as one integrally formed unit, and the integrally formed unit is mounted to a package substrate.

8. The MEMS microphone and vibration sensor die of claim 1 wherein the MEMS microphone and vibration sensor die is incorporated into a remote control housing for a headphone.

9. A headphone remote controller having multiple sensors, the headphone remote controller comprising:

a housing for a remote controller of a headphone, the housing having a housing wall defining a vibration contact side for the remote controller;

a multiple sensor package positioned within the housing, the multiple sensor package comprising a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) microphone, a plurality of MEMS beam transducers having different proof masses corresponding to different resonant frequencies, and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) electrically connected to the MEMS microphone and the MEMS beam transducers;

a printed circuit board (PCB) positioned within the housing, wherein the multiple sensor package is mounted to the PCB; and

a capacitive contact sensor mounted to the wall defining the vibration contact side for the remote controller.

10. The headphone remote controller of claim 9 wherein the multiple sensor package is mounted to a side of the PCB facing the vibration contact side for the remote controller.

11. The headphone remote controller of claim 9 wherein the different proof masses are connected to a plurality of beams, and each of the beams have a same length dimension.

12. The headphone remote controller of claim 9 wherein the MEMS microphone and the plurality of beam transducers are integrally formed with a die substrate as a single integrally formed unit, and the single integrally formed unit is mounted to a package substrate.

13. The headphone remote controller of claim 9 wherein the MEMS microphone is connected to a first die substrate and the plurality of beam transducers are connected to a second die substrate, and wherein the first die substrate and the second die substrate are separately mounted to the package substrate.

14. The headphone remote controller of claim 9 wherein the MEMS microphone is operable to sense air pressure changes corresponding to a first frequency range and the plurality of beam transducers are operable to sense mechanical vibrations corresponding to a second frequency range.

15. The headphone remote controller of claim 9 wherein the capacitive contact sensor comprises a pattern of contacts operable to detect a contact between the housing and a user.

16. The headphone remote controller of claim 15 wherein a width of the contact with respect to the pattern of contacts is used to differentiate between a first contact indicating a user is using the remote controller to control the headphone and a second contact indicating the user is sensing a vocal cord vibration through the user'"'"'s skin.

17. A method of manufacturing a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) microphone and vibration sensor die, the method comprising:

providing a substrate; and

forming a MEMS microphone and a MEMS vibration sensor from the substrate, the MEMS microphone having a diaphragm and a top plate suspended over a first opening in the substrate, and the MEMS vibration sensor having a plurality of beam transducers with different resonant frequencies, each of the plurality of beam transducers having a beam and a proof mass suspended over a second opening in the substrate, and wherein the diaphragm and the beam of each of the plurality of beam transducers is formed from a polysilicon layer formed over the substrate.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein forming comprises:

etching the substrate to form a microphone cavity and a vibration sensor cavity;

depositing a first sacrificial layer within the microphone cavity and the vibration sensor cavity;

depositing the polysilicon layer over the first sacrificial layer; and

patterning the polysilicon layer to form the diaphragm of the MEMS microphone and the beam of each of the plurality of beam transducers.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the proof mass for each of the beam transducers is formed within the vibration sensor cavity during etching.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the polysilicon layer is a first polysilicon layer, and forming further comprises:

depositing a second sacrificial layer over the diaphragm and the beam;

depositing a second polysilicon layer over the sacrificial layer;

patterning the second polysilicon layer to form a first top plate over the diaphragm and a second top plate over the beam;

etching a back side of the substrate to form the first opening and the second opening; and

using the first opening and the second opening, wet etching the first sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer to release the diaphragm, the beam and the proof mass.