Long-term packaging for the protection of implant electronics

• US 9,781,842 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Tai, Yu-Chong, Chang, Han-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Timothy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tso, Stanley
• Application Number:
  US14/142,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20150036302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 174524
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0017 implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73204 the bump connector being embedded into the layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3135 Double encapsulation or coating and encapsulation
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/032 consisting of one material
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/017 Glass ceramic coating, e.g. formed on inorganic substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10015 Non-printed capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10022 Non-printed resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1003 Non-printed inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10075 Non-printed oscillator
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10083 Electromechanical or electro-acoustic component, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10287 Metal wires as connectors or conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10356 Cables
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0139 Blade or squeegee, e.g. for screen printing or filling of holes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0514 Photodevelopable thick film, e.g. conductive or insulating paste
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1316 Moulded encapsulation of mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1322 Encapsulation comprising more than one layer
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/1338 Chemical vapour deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0041 by plasma etching
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/281 : by means of a preformed insulating foil H05K3/284 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/282 : for inhibiting the corrosion of the circuit, e.g. for preserving the solderability
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 : for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/285 : Permanent coating compositions
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/381 : by special treatment of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4038 : Through-connections; Vertical interconnect access [VIA] connections H05K3/403, H05K3/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49165 : by forming conductive walled aperture in base

Abstract

The present invention provides a micropackaged device comprising: a substrate for securing a device; a corrosion barrier affixed to said substrate; optionally at least one feedthrough disposed in said substrate to permit at least one input and or at least one output line into said micropackaged device; and an encapsulation material layer configured to encapsulate the micropackaged device.

Claims

1. A micropackaged device, said micropackaged device comprising:

a device;

a thin-film substrate for securing said device, said thin-film substrate comprising;

a first thin-film parylene layer, which is 1-10 μ

m thick;

a metal adjacent to the first thin-film parylene layer;

a second thin-film parylene layer, which is 20-60 μ

m thick, and which is adjacent to the metal to form a thin-film metal thin-film sandwich, wherein said second layer of thin-film has an opening, said opening having at least one electrical contact provided on an internal surface thereof, said opening configured to accept at least one electrical circuit device and to provide electrical communication between said at least one electrical contact and said at least one electrical circuit device;

a corrosion barrier affixed to said substrate with an adhesive, wherein the corrosion barrier is made of a metal, ceramic or glass, which is disposed above and below the device;

at least one feedthrough disposed in said substrate to permit at least one input and or at least one output line into said micropackaged device; and

an encapsulation material layer made of parylene, silicone or a combination thereof configured to encapsulate said micropackaged device, wherein said encapsulation material layer creates an enclosed housing, wherein the corrosion barrier is 30% to 99% of the total area of the interior of enclosed housing, hermetically sealing said substrate and said corrosion barrier.

2. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein said device is a member selected from the group consisting of an integrated circuit (IC) chip, a printed circuit board (PCB), a microelectromechanical system (MEMS), a capacitor, an inductor, an oscillator, and a combination thereof.

3. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein said corrosion barrier is a material selected from the group consisting of metal and ceramic.

4. The micropackaged device of claim 3, wherein said corrosion barrier is made from a metal.

5. The micropackaged device of claim 4, wherein said metal is a metal film.

6. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein said corrosion barrier is made from glass.

7. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein said adhesive is a low permeation adhesive.

8. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein said adhesive is a member selected from the group consisting of an epoxy, silicone and polyimide.

9. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein said encapsulation material layer is parylene.

10. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein said encapsulation material layer is silicone.

11. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein said encapsulation material layer comprises a plurality of encapsulation material layers.

12. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein the corrosion barrier is coextensive with about 30% to about 60% of the total area of the interior of enclosed housing.

13. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein said micropackaged device is an epiretinal implant integrated device.

14. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein the thin-film substrate extends from the enclosed housing to an outer surface.

15. The micropackaged device of claim 14, wherein the outer surface comprises an electrode array in electrical communication with the substrate.

16. The micropackaged device of claim 14, wherein the outer surface extends from the enclosed housing through the feedthrough.

17. The micropackaged device of claim 14, wherein the substrate extension to the outer surface is a made from a material selected from the group consisting of parylene, silicone, or a metal alloy.

18. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein the device having at least one electrical circuit is an integrated circuit (IC) chip.

19. The micropackaged device of claim 18, wherein the device is integrated in the substrate by a conductive epoxy squeegee electrical connection.

20. The micropackaged device of claim 18, wherein the device is integrated into the substrate by a photo-patternable adhesive used as a mechanical glue.

21. The micropackaged device of claim 20, wherein the photo-patternable adhesive or epoxy is photoresist.

22. The micropackaged device of claim 21, wherein the photoresist is a member selected from the group consisting of SU-8, AZ4620, AZ1518, AZ4400, AZ9260, THB-126N, WPR-5100, BCB, and polyimide.

23. The micropackaged device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is first treated with oxygen plasma to enhance bonding.