Summary
Two approaches were investigated to provide selective encapsulation for surface-micromachined pressure sensor devices. The techniques provide a means for allowing packaging encapsulant to be dispensed over the critical corrosion-susceptible areas of a pressure sensor device: the bondpad and wirebonds, without encroaching on the pressure sensor diaphragm (i.e., a “dam”). This is critical for applications where the pressure sensor, with the increased mass of the encapsulant, is exposed to an acceleration that causes a significant cross-sensitivity. The first method uses a glass-frit-bonded bulk micromachined silicon cap wafer, and the second method uses a patterned polymeric gel-like material in the assembly area to create this dam. Both methods have passed exposure testing to harsh chemical environments, including nitric acid and salt water, at elevated temperature.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
C. Bang, V. Bright, M. Mignardi, T. Kocian, D. Monk, “Assembly and Test for MEMS and Optical MEMS,” Chapter 7 in MEMS and MOEMS Technology and Applications, P. Rai-Choudhury, Ed. Bellingham, WA: SPIE Press, 2001, pp. 331–478.
R. August, T. Maudie, T. Miller, and E. Thompson, “Acceleration Sensitivity of Micromachined Pressure Sensors,” Proceedings of the SPIE, San Jose, CA, pp. 46–53, 1999.
D. J. Monk, W. McDonald, K. J. Jung, G. Bitko, T. Maudie, S. W. Kim, D. Mahadevan, and B. Gogoi, “Micro Electro-Mechanical System Sensor with Selective Encapsulation and Method Therefor”, U.S. Patent Pending
R. W. Hower, R. B. Brown, E. Malinowska, R. K. Meruva, and M. E. Meyerhoff, “Study of Screen Printed Wells in Solid-State Ion Selective Electrodes,” Solid-State Sensor and Actuator Workshop, Hilton Head Island, SC, pp. 132–135, 1996.
H. Krassow, F. Campabadal, and E. Lora-Tamayo, “Photolithographic Packaging of Silicon Pressure Sensors,” Sensors and Actuators, vol. A 66, pp. 279–283, 1998.
H. Krassow, F. Campabadal, and E. Lora-Tamayo, “Photo-Structured Mixed Silicone Packaging for Sensor Applications,” Sensors 99, Nurnberg, Germany, pp. 269–273, 1999.
H. Krassow, F. Campabadal, and E. Lora-Tamayo, “Wafer Level Packaging of Silicon Pressure Sensors,” Transducers’ 99, Sendai, Japan, pp. 1444–1448, 1999.
M. K. Lam and M. W. Mathias, “Low Cost Wet-to-Wet Pressure Sensor Package”, U.S. Patent No. 4,942,383, July 17, 1990.
Y. Takahashi, T. Hirose, and H. Ichiyama, “Semiconductor Pressure Sensor”, U.S. Patent No. 5,207,102, May 4, 1993.
Y. Takahashi, T. Hirose, H. Otani, and S. Takemura, “Semiconductor Pressure Sensor for Use at High Temperature and Pressure and Method of Manufacturing Same”, U.S. Patent No. 5,333,505, August 2, 1994.
R. L. Smith and S. D. Collins, “Micromachined Packaging for Chemical Microsensors,” IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 35, pp. 787–792, 1988.
B. Gogoi, K. Neumann, D. Hughes Jr., D. Odle, D. J. Monk, R. August, A. McNeil, J. Schmiesing, and J. Foerstner, “Integrated CMOS Capacitive Pressure Sensor”, U.S. Patent Pending
M. L. Kniffin and M. Shah, “Packaging for Silicon Micromachined Accelerometers,” The ISHM International Journal of Microcircuits and Electronic Packaging, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 75–86, 1996.
S. Petrovic, A. Ramirez, T. Maudie, D. Stanerson, J. Wertz, G. Bitko, J. Matkin, and D. J. Monk, “Reliability Test Methods for Media-Compatible Pressure Sensors,” IEEE Trans. Ind. Electronics, vol. 45, pp. 877–885, 1998.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Li, G. et al. (2001). Selective Encapsulation Using a Polymeric or Bonded Silicon Constraint Dam for Media Compatible Pressure Sensor Applications. In: Obermeier, E. (eds) Transducers ’01 Eurosensors XV. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59497-7_41
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-59497-7_41
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-42150-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-59497-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive