WAFER LEVEL MEMS FORCE DIES
First Claim
1. A MEMS force die, comprising:
- a spacer for receiving an applied force; and
a sensor bonded to the spacer, the sensor comprising at least one flexible sensing element having one or more sensor elements formed thereon, the flexible sensing element being configured to deflect in response to the applied force received by the spacer and transferred to the sensor, and the sensor elements changing at least one electrical characteristic based on an amount or magnitude of the applied force,wherein at least one of the spacer and the sensor defines a gap, the gap being arranged between the spacer and the sensor, and a depth of the gap being configured to limit an amount of deflection of the flexible sensing element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A composite wafer level MEMS force dies including a spacer coupled to a sensor is described herein. The sensor includes at least one flexible sensing element, such as a beam or diaphragm, which have one or more sensor elements formed thereon. Bonding pads connected to the sensor elements are placed on the outer periphery of the sensor. The spacer, which protects the flexible sensing element and the wire bonding pads, is bonded to the sensor. For the beam version, the bond is implemented at the outer edges of the die. For the diaphragm version, the bond is implemented in the center of the die. An interior gap between the spacer and the sensor allows the flexible sensing element to deflect. The gap can also be used to limit the amount of deflection of the flexible sensing element in order to provide overload protection.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A MEMS force die, comprising:
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a spacer for receiving an applied force; and a sensor bonded to the spacer, the sensor comprising at least one flexible sensing element having one or more sensor elements formed thereon, the flexible sensing element being configured to deflect in response to the applied force received by the spacer and transferred to the sensor, and the sensor elements changing at least one electrical characteristic based on an amount or magnitude of the applied force, wherein at least one of the spacer and the sensor defines a gap, the gap being arranged between the spacer and the sensor, and a depth of the gap being configured to limit an amount of deflection of the flexible sensing element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. (canceled)
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17. A method for manufacturing a MEMS force die, comprising:
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etching a sensor wafer to form at least one flexible sensing element; etching at least one of the sensor wafer and a spacer wafer to form at least one gap; forming one or more sensor elements on the flexible sensing element; bonding at least a portion of the sensor wafer and at least a portion of the spacer wafer to form a bonded area, wherein the gap is arranged between the bonded sensor and spacer wafers; and dicing the bonded sensor and spacer wafers along one or more lines intersecting the bonded area, wherein the flexible sensing element is configured to deflect in response to an applied force received by the diced spacer wafer and transferred to the diced sensor wafer, the sensor elements changing at least one electrical characteristic based on an amount or magnitude of the applied force, and a depth of the gap being configured to limit an amount of deflection of the flexible sensing element. - View Dependent Claims (18, 21, 25, 26)
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19. (canceled)
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20. (canceled)
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22. (canceled)
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23. (canceled)
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24. (canceled)
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27. (canceled)
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28. (canceled)
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29. (canceled)
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30. (canceled)
Specification