IP Library Granted Patent US 8,427,250
Granted Patent B2
US 8,427,250 · App. 13/112,570 · Granted Apr 23, 2013

Piezoelectric vibrator manufacturing method, piezoelectric vibrator, oscillator, electronic device, and radio-controlled timepiece

Inventor: Kiyoshi Aratake (Chiba, JP)
Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,427,250
App. No.
13/112,570
Granted
Apr 23, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

The piezoelectric vibrator includes: a package in which a first substrate and a second substrate are superimposed so as to form a cavity therebetween; outer electrodes which are formed on an outer surface of the first substrate; inner electrodes which are formed on the first substrate so as to be accommodated in the cavity; penetration electrodes which are formed so as to penetrate through the first substrate so that the outer electrodes and the inner electrodes are electrically connected; and a piezoelectric vibrating reed which is sealed in the cavity and electrically connected to the inner electrodes at the inner side of the cavity. The first substrate and the second substrate are bonded by a bonding film that is formed of a low-melting-point glass, and the bonding film is heated to a predetermined bonding temperature when the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded together, and is formed by being heated to a temperature higher than the bonding temperature before the bonding is performed.

Claims (30)

1. A method for manufacturing a piezoelectric vibrator comprising:

a package in which a first substrate and a second substrate are superimposed so as to form a cavity therebetween;

outer electrodes which are formed on an outer surface of the first substrate;

inner electrodes which are formed on the first substrate so as to be accommodated in the cavity;

penetration electrodes which are formed so as to penetrate through the first substrate so that the outer electrodes and the inner electrodes are electrically connected; and

a piezoelectric vibrating reed which is sealed in the cavity and electrically connected to the inner electrodes at the inner side of the cavity, the method comprising:

a bonding film forming step of forming a bonding film on at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate using a low-melting-point glass so as to bond the two substrates;

a mounting step of electrically connecting the piezoelectric vibrating reed to the inner electrodes formed on the first substrate;

a loading step of loading the first substrate and the second substrate in a vacuum chamber of which the inner pressure can be controlled after the bonding film forming step and the mounting step are performed;

a heating step of heating the bonding film after the bonding film forming step and the mounting step are performed;

a depressurization step of depressurizing the inside of the vacuum chamber after the loading step is performed; and

a bonding step of superimposing the first substrate and the second substrate onto each other at the inner side of the vacuum chamber with the bonding film disposed therebetween while heating the bonding film to a predetermined bonding temperature to thereby bond the two substrates by the bonding film after the heating step and the depressurizing step are performed,

wherein in the heating step, the bonding film is heated to a temperature higher than the bonding temperature.

2. The method for manufacturing the piezoelectric vibrator according to claim 1 ,

wherein in the mounting step, the piezoelectric vibrating reed is bump-bonded to the inner electrodes through gold bumps.

3. The method for manufacturing the piezoelectric vibrator according to claim 1 ,

wherein the bonding temperature is equal to or higher than 300° C.

4. A piezoelectric vibrator comprising:

a package in which a first substrate and a second substrate are superimposed so as to form a cavity therebetween;

outer electrodes which are formed on an outer surface of the first substrate;

inner electrodes which are formed on the first substrate so as to be accommodated in the cavity;

penetration electrodes which are formed so as to penetrate through the first substrate so that the outer electrodes and the inner electrodes are electrically connected; and

a piezoelectric vibrating reed which is sealed in the cavity and electrically connected to the inner electrodes at the inner side of the cavity,

wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded by a bonding film that is formed of a low-melting-point glass, and

wherein the bonding film is heated to a predetermined bonding temperature when the first substrate and the second substrate are bonded together, and is formed by being heated to a temperature higher than the bonding temperature before the bonding is performed.

5. The piezoelectric vibrator according to claim 4 ,

wherein the piezoelectric vibrating reed is bump-bonded to the inner electrodes through gold bumps.

6. An oscillator in which the piezoelectric vibrator according to claim 4 is electrically connected to an integrated circuit as an oscillating piece.

7. An electronic device in which the piezoelectric vibrator according to claim 4 is electrically connected to a clock section.

8. A radio-controlled timepiece in which the piezoelectric vibrator according to claim 4 is electrically connected to a filter section.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2013
From: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
To: SII CRYSTAL TECHNOLOGY INC.
Reel/Frame 031085/0852 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 20, 2011
From: ARATAKE, KIYOSHI
To: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
Reel/Frame 026317/0029 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2008071645 · Nov 28, 2008
Related Publication 20110221537A1 · Sep 15, 2011