IP Library Granted Patent US 12674687
Granted Patent B2
US 12674687 · App. 18/479,999 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Sensor device and method of manufacturing the same

Inventors: Yohei Hirota (Tokyo, JP); Shuhei Miyazaki (Tokyo, JP); Fumiya Sado (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
G01D5/16G01L1/22
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12674687
App. No.
18/479,999
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sensor device includes a support, a sensor chip, and an electrically-conductive pillar. The support has a first surface. The sensor chip is provided on the first surface and includes a substrate and a sensor element circuitry. The substrate has a second surface. The sensor element circuitry is provided on the second surface. The electrically-conductive pillar is provided on the first surface. The electrically-conductive pillar has a pillar height from the first surface to an upper end of the electrically-conductive pillar. The sensor chip has a chip height from the first surface to the second surface. The pillar height is greater than the chip height. The electrically-conductive pillar includes a structure in which a first tier part having a first cross-sectional area and a second tier part having a second cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area are stacked in order from the first surface.

Claims (27)

1 . A sensor device comprising:

a support having a first surface;

a sensor chip provided on the first surface and including a substrate and a sensor element circuitry, the substrate having a second surface, the sensor element circuitry being provided on the second surface; and

an electrically-conductive pillar provided on the first surface, wherein

the electrically-conductive pillar has a pillar height from the first surface to an upper end of the electrically-conductive pillar, the sensor chip has a chip height from the first surface to the second surface, and the pillar height is greater than the chip height, and

the electrically-conductive pillar includes a structure in which a first tier part having a first cross-sectional area and a second tier part having a second cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area are stacked in order from the first surface,

wherein a top surface of the first tier part is located below the sensor element circuitry in a height direction, and

wherein the first tier part is disposed at a position corresponding to a part of the sensor chip, such that an entirety of the first tier part overlaps with the part of the sensor chip in an in-plane direction orthogonal to a stacking direction of the sensor device.

2 . The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the second tier part is located to overlap with the sensor element circuitry in the in-plane direction along the first surface.

3 . The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein, in the in-plane direction along the first surface, the first tier part is located at a first distance from the substrate of the sensor chip, the second tier part is located at a second distance from the substrate of the sensor chip, and the second distance is greater than the first distance.

4 . The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor element circuitry includes a sensor element having sensitivity that varies depending on a stress.

5 . The sensor device according to claim 4 , wherein the sensor element comprises a magnetic sensor element or a strain sensor element.

6 . The sensor device according to claim 1 , further comprising a wiring line that electrically couples the sensor element circuitry and the electrically-conductive pillar to each other, wherein

the sensor chip and the electrically-conductive pillar are each provided in a tier between the support and the wiring line.

7 . The sensor device according to claim 6 , further comprising an electrically-conductive layer provided on a surface, of the wiring line, farther from the support.

8 . The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the first tier part has a first height, the second tier part has a second height, and the first height is greater than the second height.

9 . The sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the electrically- conductive pillar is provided on the first surface at a location different from a location of the sensor chip, and is electrically coupled to the sensor element circuitry.

10 . A method of manufacturing a sensor device, the method comprising:

preparing a support having a first surface;

forming a first tier part on the first surface;

disposing a sensor chip on the first surface at a location different from a location of the first tier part, the sensor chip including a substrate, a sensor element circuitry, and a pad part, the substrate having a second surface, the sensor element circuitry and the pad part being provided on the second surface;

forming an insulating film to cover the first tier part formed on the first surface and the sensor chip disposed on the first surface;

forming, in the insulating film, a first opening at a location corresponding to the first tier part and a second opening at a location corresponding to the pad part; and

forming an electrically-conductive pillar including the first tier part and a second tier part stacked on the first tier part, by forming an electrically-conductive film to fill each of the first opening and the second opening and to selectively cover a portion of the insulating film,

wherein a top surface of the first tier part is formed to be located below the sensor element circuitry in a height direction, and

wherein the first tier part is formed to be disposed at a position corresponding to a part of the sensor chip, such that an entirety of the first tier part overlaps with the part of the sensor chip in an in-plane direction orthogonal to a stacking direction of the sensor device.

11 . The method of manufacturing the sensor device according to claim 10 , wherein a second cross-sectional area of the second tier part along the first surface is smaller than a first cross-sectional area of the first tier part along the first surface, by causing an opening cross-sectional area of the first opening along the first surface to be smaller than the first cross- sectional area.