Sensor having an active surface
Examples herein include an apparatus having a substrate, a sensor over the substrate including an active surface and a sensor bond pad, a molding layer over the substrate and covering sides of the sensor, the molding layer having a lower portion with a first molding height relative to a top surface of the substrate and an upper portion with a second molding height relative to the top surface of the substrate, the first molding height and the second molding height each being greater than a height of the active surface, the second molding height being great than the first molding height; and a lidding layer over at least some of the lower portion of the molding layer and over the active surface. The lidding layer and the molding layer form a space over the active surface of the sensor that defines a flow channel.
1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate having one or more substrate bond pads;
a sensor over the substrate, the sensor comprising an active surface disposed between at least two sensor bond pads;
wire bonds wherein each wire bond is configured to couple a sensor bond pad of the at least two sensor bond pads to a substrate bond pad of the one or more substrate bond pads;
a molding layer disposed over the substrate and covering at least one side of the sensor and the wire bonds, the molding layer having a lower portion with a first molding height relative to a top surface of the substrate and an upper portion with a second molding height relative to the top surface of the substrate, the first molding height and the second molding height each being greater than a height of the active surface, the second molding height being great than the first molding height; and
a lidding layer disposed over at least some of the lower portion of the molding layer and the active surface;
wherein the lidding layer and the molding layer are configured to collectively form a space disposed above the active surface of the sensor, the space configured to define a flow channel.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second molding height of the upper portion is greater than a height of a top surface of the lidding layer relative to the top surface of the substrate.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a passivation layer over the active surface of the sensor.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the passivation layer comprises reaction recesses.
5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising a functionalized coating over the passivation layer.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flow channel encompasses substantially all of the active surface of the sensor.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flow channel encompasses an entirety of the active surface of the sensor and at least a portion of an inactive surface of the sensor.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the lower portion and the upper portion is flat.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lidding layer comprises an inlet port and an outlet port, and wherein a surface of the molding layer is between the inlet port and the active surface of the sensor within the flow channel.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises one or more dielectric layers, each of the one or more dielectric layers comprising one or more conductive pathways therein.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is part of a cartridge to perform biological analysis, chemical analysis, or both.
12 . A method, comprising:
placing a sensor over a substrate, the sensor comprising an active surface disposed between at least two sensor bond pads, wherein the substrate comprises one or more substrate bond pads;
forming wire bonds by utilizing wires to bond each sensor bond pad of the at least two sensor bond pads to a substrate bond pad of the one or more substrate bond pads;
forming a molding layer over the substrate that covers at least one side of the sensor and the wire bonds, the molding layer having a lower portion with a first molding height relative to a top surface of the substrate and an upper portion with a second molding height relative to the top surface of the substrate, the first molding height and the second molding height each being greater than a height of the active surface, the second molding height being great than the first molding height; and
placing a lidding layer over at least some of the lower portion of the molding layer and over the sensor surface to form a space over the active surface of the sensor, wherein the space defines a flow channel.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the upper portion of the molding layer covers the wire bonds in the forming.
14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising forming an inlet port and an outlet port in the lidding layer.
15 . The method of claims 12 , further comprising forming a passivation layer on the sensor surface.
16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
forming reaction recesses in the passivation layer; and
forming a functionalized coating on the passivation layer.
17 . A method of using a flow cell, comprising:
connecting the flow cell to a device, the flow cell comprising:
a substrate having one or more substrate bond pads;
a sensor over the substrate, the sensor comprising an active surface disposed between at least two sensor bond pads;
wire bonds wherein each wire bond is configured to couple a sensor bond pad of the at least two sensor bond pads to a substrate bond pad of the one or more substrate bond pads;
a molding layer disposed over the substrate and covering at least one side of the sensor and the wire bonds, the molding layer having a lower portion with a first molding height relative to a top surface of the substrate and an upper portion with a second molding height relative to the top surface of the substrate, the first molding height and the second molding height each being greater than a height of the active surface, the second molding height being great than the first molding height; and
a lidding layer disposed over at least some of the lower portion of the molding layer and the active surface;
wherein the lidding layer and the molding layer are configured to collectively form a space disposed above the active surface of the sensor, the space configured to define a flow channel;
utilizing the active surface to perform a designated reaction in the flow cell, the utilizing comprising:
delivering, via the flow channel, at least one reaction component to the active surface; and
transmitting results of the designated reaction to the device.