CELL PHONE HAVING A MONOLITHICALLY INTEGRATED MULTI-SENSOR DEVICE ON A SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATE AND METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20140264658A1
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Versana Micro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bishnu Prasanna Gogoi
• Inventors: GOGOI, BISHNU PRASANNA
• Granted Patent: US 9,580,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/416
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0207 Bolometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0214 Biosensors; Chemical sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0228 Inertial sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0257 Microphones or microspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0264 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0278 Temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/012 the micromechanical device and the control or processing electronics being separate parts in the same package
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/05 Arrays
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/09 Packages
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/02 containing distinct electrical or optical devices of particular relevance for their function, e.g. microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS] B81B7/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14 including semiconductor components sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation radiation-sensitive components structurally associated with one or more electric light sources only H01L31/14; couplings of light guides with optoelectronic elements G02B6/42
• 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: H05K 7/02 Arrangements of circuit components or wiring on supporting structure
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 61/00 Magnetic memory devices, e.g. magnetoresistive RAM [MRAM] devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 19/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one thermoelectric or thermomagnetic element covered by groups H10N10/00 - H10N15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/302 Sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/308 Membrane type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 59/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one galvanomagnetic or Hall-effect element covered by groups H10N50/00 - H10N52/00 MRAM devices H10B61/00

Abstract

A cell phone is provided having multiple sensors configured to detect and measure different parameters of interest. The cell phone includes at least one monolithic integrated multi-sensor (MIMS) device. The MIMS device comprises at least two sensors of different types formed on a common semiconductor substrate. For example, the MIMS device can comprise an indirect sensor and a direct sensor. The cell phone couples a first parameter to be measured directly to the direct sensor. Conversely, the cell phone can couple a second parameter to be measured to the indirect sensor indirectly. Other sensors can be added to the cell phone by stacking a sensor to the MIMS device or to another substrate coupled to the MIMS device. This supports integrating multiple sensors such as a microphone, an accelerometer, and a temperature sensor to reduce cost, complexity, simplify assembly, while increasing performance.

Claims

1. A cell phone where the cell phone configured to couple to a wireless network and where the cell phone includes a monolithic integrated multi-sensor (MIMS) comprising at least two sensors of different types formed overlying a semiconductor substrate.

2. The cell phone of claim 1 where the MIMS of the cell phone comprises a direct sensor and an indirect sensor where the cell phone is configured to couple a first parameter directly to the direct sensor and where the cell phone is configured to couple a second parameter indirectly to the indirect sensor.

3. The cell phone of claim 2 where a layer is deposited in common to the direct sensor and the indirect sensor, where at least a portion of the layer is etched, where the layer forms a cap on the indirect sensor and where the layer forms a moving plate on the direct sensor.

4. The cell phone of claim 1 where the MIMS of the cell phone comprises a first sensor and a second sensor where a layer is formed in common to the first and the second sensors, where at least a portion of the layer is etched, and where the layer is configured to not flex in the first sensor and where the layer is configured to flex in the second sensor.

5. The cell phone of claim 1 where the MIMS of the cell phone comprises a first sensor and a second sensor where a layer is formed in common to the first and the second sensors, where at least a portion of the layer is etched, where the layer seals a cavity in the first sensor, where the layer seals a cavity in the second sensor, where a volume of the cavity of the first sensor is fixed, and where a volume of the cavity of the second sensor is configured to vary according to a stimulus.

6. The cell phone of claim 1 where the MIMS of the cell phone comprises a first sensor and a second sensor where a layer is formed in common to the first and the second sensors, where at least a portion of the layer is etched, where the first sensor is an inertial sensor, and where the layer is an electrode of the second sensor.

7. The cell phone of claim 1 where the MIMS of the cell phone comprises an accelerometer and a microphone.

8. The cell phone of claim 7 where the MIMS of the cell phone further includes a temperature sensor.

9. The cell phone of claim 8 where the MIMS of the cell phone further includes a humidity sensor.

10. The cell phone of claim 1 where a sensor is stacked to the MIMS.

11. A cell phone where the cell phone configured to couple to a wireless network and where the cell phone includes at least one monolithic integrated multi-sensor (MIMS) comprising at least two sensors of different types formed overlying a semiconductor substrate and where the MIMS is stacked with a sensor.

12. The cell phone of claim 11 where the MIMS stacked with the sensor comprises an accelerometer, a microphone, and a temperature sensor.

13. The cell phone of claim 12 where the MIMS stacked with the sensor further includes a humidity sensor.

14. The cell phone of claim 11 where the MIMS of the cell phone comprises a direct sensor and an indirect sensor, where the cell phone is configured to couple a first parameter directly to the direct sensor, and where the cell phone is configured to couple a second parameter indirectly to the indirect sensor.

15. The cell phone of claim 11 where a layer is deposited in common to the direct sensor and the indirect sensor, where at least a portion of the layer is etched, where the layer forms a cap on the indirect sensor and where the layer forms a moving plate on the direct sensor.

16. The cell phone of claim 11 where the MIMS of the cell phone comprises a first sensor and a second sensor where a layer is formed in common to the first and the second sensors, where at least a portion of the layer is etched and where the layer is configured to not flex in the first sensor and where the layer is configured to flex in the second sensor.

17. The cell phone of claim 11 where the MIMS of the cell phone comprises a first sensor and a second sensor where a layer is formed in common to the first and the second sensors, where at least a portion of the layer is etched, where the layer seals a cavity in the first sensor, where the layer seals a cavity in the second sensor, where a volume of the cavity of the first sensor is fixed, and where a volume of the cavity of the second sensor is configured to vary according to a stimulus.

18. The cell phone of claim 11 where the MIMS of the cell phone comprises a first sensor and a second sensor where a layer is formed in common to the first and the second sensors, where at least a portion of the layer is etched, where the first sensor is an inertial sensor, and where the layer is an electrode of the second sensor.

19. A cell phone where the cell phone configured to couple to a wireless network and where the cell phone includes at least one monolithic integrated multi-sensor (MIMS) (need to define this term) comprising at least two sensors of different types formed overlying a semiconductor substrate and where the MIMS is stacked with a sensor and where the MIMS stacked with the sensor comprises an accelerometer, a microphone, and a temperature sensor.

20. The cell phone of claim 19 where the MIMS stacked with the sensor further includes a humidity sensor.