Fabrication methods for bio-compatible devices

• US 9,685,689 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verily Life Sciences LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Etzkorn, James, Yao, Huanfen, Parviz, Babak, Ho, Harvey
• Primary Examiner(s): Levi, Dameon E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Davis, Walter
• Application Number:
  US13/928,728
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 343720, 351159
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing waveguides or resonators, lines, or other devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2216 used in interrogator/reader equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142

Abstract

A method may involve: forming a first bio-compatible layer; forming a conductive pattern on the first bio-compatible layer, wherein the conductive pattern defines an antenna, sensor electrodes, electrical contacts, and one or more electrical interconnects; forming a protective layer over the sensor electrodes, such that the sensor electrodes are covered by the protective layer; mounting an electronic component to the electrical contacts; forming a second bio-compatible layer over the first bio-compatible layer, the electronic component, the antenna, the protective layer, the electrical contacts, and the one or more electrical interconnects; removing a portion of the second bio-compatible layer to form an opening in the second bio-compatible layer; and removing the protective layer through the opening in the second bio-compatible layer to thereby expose the sensor electrodes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming a first bio-compatible layer, wherein the first bio-compatible layer defines a first side of a bio-compatible device;

forming a conductive pattern on the first bio-compatible layer, wherein the conductive pattern defines an antenna, sensor electrodes, electrical contacts, and one or more electrical interconnects;

forming a protective layer over the sensor electrodes, such that the sensor electrodes are covered by the protective layer;

mounting an electronic component to the electrical contacts;

forming a second bio-compatible layer over the first bio-compatible layer, the electronic component, the antenna, the protective layer, the electrical contacts, and the one or more electrical interconnects, wherein the second bio-compatible layer defines a second side of the bio-compatible device;

removing a portion of the second bio-compatible layer to form an opening in the second bio-compatible layer; and

removing the protective layer through the opening in the second bio-compatible layer to thereby expose the sensor electrodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second bio-compatible layers comprise paralyne.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the opening has a dimension between 500 to 700 micrometers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

forming a sacrificial metal layer on a working substrate, wherein the first bio-compatible layer is formed on the sacrificial metal layer; and

removing the sacrificial metal layer to release the bio-compatible device from the working substrate.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sacrificial metal layer comprises at least one metal layer that adheres to the working substrate.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the sacrificial metal layer further comprises at least one metal layer that bonds to the first bio-compatible layer.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein removing the sacrificial metal layer to release the bio-compatible device from the working substrate comprises dissolving the sacrificial metal layer in a fluid.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein removing a portion of the second bio-compatible layer to form an opening in the second bio-compatible layer comprises:

forming an etch mask over the second bio-compatible layer, wherein the etch mask exposes the portion of the second bio-compatible layer; and

etching, using an inductively coupled plasma, the portion of the second bio-compatible layer exposed by the etch mask to thereby form the opening.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the etch mask defines a shape of the bio-compatible device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the etch mask defines a shape of the antenna.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein removing the protective layer through the opening in the second bio-compatible layer to thereby expose the sensor electrodes comprises:

etching, using the inductively coupled plasma, at least a portion of the protective layer through the opening in the second bio-compatible layer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the protective layer through the opening in the second bio-compatible layer to thereby expose the sensor electrodes comprises:

dissolving at least a portion of the protective layer in a fluid.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein forming a conductive pattern on the first bio-compatible layer comprises:

forming a seed layer over the first bio-compatible layer;

forming a first sacrificial layer over a portion of the seed layer;

forming a first metal layer over portions of the seed layer not covered by the first sacrificial layer, wherein the first metal layer defines the antenna, the electrical contacts, and at least one electrical interconnects of the one or more electrical interconnects;

removing the first sacrificial layer;

removing portions of the seed layer not covered by the first metal layer;

forming a second sacrificial layer over a portion of the first bio-compatible layer and a portion of the first metal layer;

forming a second metal layer over portions of the first bio-compatible layer and portions of the first metal layer not covered by the second sacrificial layer, wherein the second metal layer defines the sensor electrodes and at least one electrical interconnects of the one or more electrical interconnects; and

removing the second sacrificial layer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein mounting an electronic component to the electrical contacts comprises bonding the electronic component to the electrical contacts using anisotropic conductive paste.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

treating a surface of the first bio-compatible layer, such that a surface of the second bio-compatible layer bonds to the surface of the first bio-compatible layer during formation of the second bio-compatible layer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein treating the surface of the first bio-compatible layer comprises treating the surface of the first bio-compatible layer with an inductively coupled plasma.

17. A device comprising;

a conductive pattern, wherein the conductive pattern defines an antenna, sensor electrodes, electrical contacts, and one or more electrical interconnects;

a protective layer over the sensor electrodes, such that the sensor electrodes are covered by the protective layer, wherein the protective layer comprises one or more photoresist layers;

an electronic component mounted to the electrical contacts; and

a bio-compatible layer over the electronic component, the antenna, the protective layer, the electrical contacts, and the one or more electrical interconnects, such that the antenna, the protective layer, the electrical contacts, and the one or more electrical interconnects are covered by the bio-compatible layer, wherein the bio-compatible layer defines a first side and a second side of a bio-compatible device.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein a portion of the bio-compatible layer can be etched by an inductively coupled plasma to form an opening in the bio-compatible layer.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the protective layer can be removed through the opening in the bio-compatible layer to thereby expose the sensor electrodes, and wherein at least a portion of the protective layer can be etched by the inductively coupled plasma.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the protective layer can be removed through the opening in the bio-compatible layer, by dissolving the protective layer in a fluid, to thereby expose the sensor electrodes.