Process of vapor depositing glass layers for wafer-level hermetic encapsulation of electronic modules

1. A process for forming a housing for electronic modules, comprising the steps of:

locating at least one semiconductor structure on a first side of a semi-conductor substrate; and

vapor-coating the first side with a glass layer, and, during the vapor-coating of the glass layer, ionizing a gas in a plasma to produce an ion beam and directing the ion beam onto the semiconductor substrate so as to additionally densify the glass layer as the glass layer is deposited, wherein the step of vapor coating is sufficient to provide the glass layer with a composition, in percent by weight, comprising: SiO 2 75 to 85;

B 2 O 3 10 to 15; Na 2 O 1 to 5; Li 2 O 0.1 to 1; K 2 O 0.1 to 1; and Al 2 O 3 1 to 5.

2. A process for forming a housing for electronic modules, comprising the steps of:

locating at least one semiconductor structure on a first side of a semi-conductor substrate;

vapor-coating the first side with a glass layer, and, during the vapor-coating of the glass layer, ionizing a gas in a plasma to produce an ion beam and directing the ion beam onto the semiconductor substrate so as to additionally densify the glass layer as the glass layer is deposited, wherein the step of vapor coating is sufficient to provide the glass layer with a composition, in percent by weight, comprising: SiO 2 65 to 75;

B 2 O 3 20 to 30; Na 2 O 0.1 to 1; Li 2 O 0.1 to 1; K 2 O 0.5 to 5; and Al 2 O 3 0.5 to 5.

3. A process for forming a housing for electronic modules, comprising the steps of:

locating at least one semiconductor structure on a first side of a semi-conductor substrate;

providing a vapor-deposition glass source and a plasma source in one arrangement;

arranging the first substrate side in such a manner with respect to the vapor-deposition glass source that the first side can be vapor-coated; and

generating a vapor by generating an electron beam and impinging the electron beam onto a glass target of the vapor-deposition glass source to vapor-coat the first side with a glass layer, and, during the vapor-coating of the glass layer, ionizing a gas in a plasma generated by the plasma source to produce an ion beam and directing the ion beam onto the semiconductor substrate so as to additionally densify the glass layer as the glass layer is deposited, wherein the glass layer has a composition, in percent by weight, comprising: SiO 2 75 to 85; B 2 O 3 10 to 15; Na 2 O 1 to 5; Li 2 O 0.1 to 1; K 2 O 0.1 to 1; and Al 2 O 3 1 to 5, or comprising: SiO 2 65 to 75; B 2 O 3 20 to 30; Na 2 O 0.1 to 1; Li 2 O 0.1 to 1; K 2 O 0.5 to 5; and Al 2 O 3 0.5 to 5.

4. The process as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising selecting the glass target so that the glass layer comprises a mixed layer of inorganic and organic constituents.

5. The process as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising maintaining the temperature below 300° C. during the vapor-coating of the glass layer.

6. The process as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising maintaining the temperature below 150° C. during the vapor-coating of the glass layer.

7. A process for forming a housing for electronic modules, comprising the steps of:

providing a substrate having one or more regions, the one or more regions comprising at least one semiconductor structure, the substrate having at least a first substrate side to be encapsulated and an underside, wherein the at least one semiconductor structure is located on the first substrate side;

providing a vapor-deposition glass source and a plasma source in one arrangement;

arranging the first substrate side in such a manner with respect to the vapor-deposition glass source that the first substrate side can be vapor-coated;

vapor-coating the first substrate side with a glass layer, wherein the glass layer has a composition, in percent by weight, comprising: SiO 2 75 to 85; B 2 O 3 10 to 15; Na 2 O 1 to 5; Li 2 O 0.1 to 1; K 2 O 0.1 to 1; and Al 2 O 3 1 to 5, or comprising: SiO 2 65 to 75; B 2 O 3 20 to 30; Na 2 O 0.1 to 1; Li 2 O 0.1 to 1; K 2 O 0.5 to 5; and Al 2 O 3 0.5 to 5;

wherein the step of vapor-coating comprises the steps of:

generating vapor by generating an electron beam and impinging the electron beam onto a glass target of the vapor-deposition glass source,

producing an ion beam by ionizing a gas in a plasma generated by the plasma source, and

directing the ion beam onto the substrate during the vapor-coating so as to additionally densify the glass layer.

8. The process as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising providing the substrate with a passivation layer on a second side that is on the opposite side from the first substrate side.

9. The process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the substrate comprises a wafer, the process further comprising packaging of components which still form part of the wafer.

10. The process as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising vapor-coating a second substrate side with a glass layer.

11. The process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the vapor-deposition glass source generates at least a binary glass system.

12. The process as claimed claim 7 , wherein the first substrate side is vapor-coated until the glass layer has a thickness in the range from 0.01 to 1000 μm on the first substrate side.

13. The process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the step of providing the vapor-deposition glass source comprises providing a reservoir having organic constituents, and converting the organic constituents into the vapor state through application of a vacuum or through heating so that during the vapor-coating mixed layers comprising inorganic and organic constituents can be formed on the first substrate side.

14. The process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the glass layer has a thickness in the range between 0.1 and 50 μm.

15. The process as claimed claim 7 , wherein the glass layer has a thickness in the range between 50 and 200 μm.

16. The process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the glass target is a borosilicate glass comprising aluminum oxide and alkali metal oxide fractions.

17. The process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the glass layer has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is virtually equal to that of the substrate.

18. The process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the glass layer provides a hermetic seal.

19. The process as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising vapor depositing a plurality of glass layers onto the substrate.

20. The process as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising removing material from a second substrate side, the second substrate side being on the opposite side from the first substrate side.

21. The process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the substrate includes a wafer having a plurality of the structures wherein the process further comprises dividing the wafer to form a plurality of electronic modules which each have first encapsulated sides.

22. The process as claimed in claim 21 , further comprising lithographing plastic layers on the substrate and removing the plastic layers from the underside.

23. The process as claimed in claim 22 , further comprising vapor coating the underside with the glass layer after the plastic layers have been removed from the underside and dividing up the wafer so that the plurality of electronic modules are encapsulated on both sides.

24. The process as claimed in claim 23 , wherein the glass layer on the underside has a thickness in the range from 1 to 50 μm.

25. The process as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising applying a layer of plastic above the glass layer.

26. The process according to claim 7 , wherein the semiconductor structure comprises an integrated circuit.