Sensor packages and method of packaging dies of differing sizes
View Patent ↗A method ( 90 ) entails placing ( 124 ) sensor elements ( 122 ) in an array ( 126 ) arranged to correspond with locations of controller dies ( 24 ) in a controller wafer ( 94 ) and encapsulating ( 128 ) the array ( 126 ) in a mold material ( 74 ) to form a panel ( 130 ) of the sensor elements ( 122 ). The sensor elements ( 122 ) include bond pads ( 42 ) that are concealed by a material section ( 116, 118 ) of the sensor elements ( 122 ). The controller wafer ( 94 ) is bonded ( 134 ) to the panel ( 130 ) to form a stacked wafer structure ( 136 ). After bonding, methodology ( 90 ) entails forming ( 140 ) conductive elements ( 60 ) on the controller wafer ( 95 ), removing material sections ( 100 ) from the controller wafer ( 94 ) and removing the material sections ( 116, 118 ) from the sensor elements ( 122 ) to expose the bond pads ( 42 ), forming ( 148 ) electrical interconnects ( 56 ), applying ( 152 ) packaging material ( 64 ), and singulating to produce sensor packages ( 20, 76 ).
1. A method of forming electronic component packages comprising:
placing a plurality of first electronic components in an array arranged to correspond with locations of second electronic components formed on a wafer, each of said first electronic components including first bond pads, and each of said second electronic components including second bond pads;
encapsulating said array in a mold material to form a panel of said first electronic components, wherein said first bond pads are concealed by at least one of said wafer and a portion of said panel;
bonding a bottom side of said wafer to an outer surface of said panel to form a stacked wafer structure of said first and second electronic components;
following said bonding operation, removing a material section from said at least one of said wafer and said portion of said panel of said first electronic components to expose said first bond pads;
forming electrical interconnects between said first and second bond pads; and
dicing said stacked wafer structure to produce said electronic component packages.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wafer is a first wafer, and said method comprises dicing a second wafer, said second wafer including a plurality of said first electronic components, said dicing operation producing said first electronic components for placement in said array.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein:
said second wafer comprises a sensor wafer structure that includes a sensor wafer and a cap wafer, wherein each of said first electronic components includes a sensor die having a sensor located on said sensor wafer, a first inner surface of said cap wafer is coupled to a second inner surface of said sensor wafer, a first one of said cap wafer and said sensor wafer includes a substrate portion with said first bond pads being located on a corresponding one of said first and second inner surfaces, and a second one of said cap wafer and said sensor wafer conceals said substrate portion; and
said dicing said second wafer includes dicing said sensor wafer structure to produce singulated ones of said sensor dies for placement in said array.
4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein sensor wafer structure further includes seal members extending between said sensor wafer and said cap wafer, at least a portion of said seal members being positioned between said first bond pads and saw lines of said sensor wafer structure, said seal members shielding said first bond pads from contaminants when said sensor wafer structure is diced along said saw lines.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein a second surface area of each of said second electronic components is greater than a first surface area of each of said first electronic components, and said placing operation comprises distributing said first electronic components in said array to align said first electronic components with said second electronic components.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said wafer includes bump pads formed on a top side, and said method further comprises forming conductive elements on said bump pads prior to said dicing operation.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:
a second wafer comprises a sensor wafer structure that includes a sensor wafer and a cap wafer, wherein each of said first electronic components includes a sensor die having a sensor located on said sensor wafer, a first inner surface of said cap wafer is coupled to a second inner surface of said sensor wafer, a first one of said cap wafer and said sensor wafer includes a substrate portion having said first bond pads formed on a corresponding one of said first and second inner surfaces, and a second one of said cap wafer and said sensor wafer conceals said substrate portion; and
said removing operation comprises removing first material from said wafer of said stacked wafer structure and removing second material coincident with said first material from said second one of said sensor wafer and said cap wafer to expose said substrate portion having said first bond pads.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said electrical interconnects are formed before said dicing operation.
9. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:
applying a packaging material over said top side of said wafer to encapsulate said second electronic components and said electrical interconnects; and
performing said dicing operation following said applying operation.
10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said panel exhibits a first thickness that is greater than a second thickness of said first electronic components, and said method further comprises:
thinning a back side of said panel to reduce said first thickness to approximately said second thickness; and
performing said dicing operation following said thinning operation.
11. A method of forming electronic component packages comprising:
placing a plurality of first electronic components in an array arranged to correspond with locations of second electronic components formed on a first wafer;
encapsulating said array in a mold material to form a panel of said first electronic components;
bonding a bottom side of said wafer to an outer surface of said panel to form a stacked wafer structure of said first and second electronic components; and
dicing said stacked wafer structure to produce said electronic component packages, wherein said method further comprises:
dicing a second wafer, said second wafer including a plurality of said first electronic components, and wherein said second wafer comprises a wafer structure that includes said first electronic components arranged in pairs in said wafer structure, each of said first electronic components having first bond pads, wherein said first bond pads of a first one of said first electronic components are adjacent to said first bond pads of a second one of said second electronic components in each of said pairs of said first electronic components, and said dicing said second wafer comprises producing said first electronic components in the form of said pairs of said first electronic components for placement in said array.
12. A method of forming sensor packages comprising:
dicing a sensor wafer to produce sensor elements, said sensor wafer including a plurality of sensor dies, each of said sensor elements including at least one of said sensor dies and first bond pads;
placing said sensor elements in an array arranged to correspond with locations of controller dies in a controller wafer, said controller wafer having a top side and a bottom side opposing said top side, said top side including said controller dies, each of said controller dies including second bond pads, a first surface area of each of said controller dies being greater than a second surface area of each of said sensor dies, and said placing operation includes distributing said sensor elements in said array to align said sensor dies with said controller dies;
encapsulating said array in a mold material to form a panel of said sensor elements, wherein said first bond pads are concealed by at least one of said controller wafer and a portion of said panel;
bonding said bottom side of said controller wafer to an outer surface of said panel to form a stacked wafer structure of said controller dies and said sensor elements;
following said bonding operation, removing a material section from said at least one of said controller wafer and said portion of said panel of said stacked wafer structure to expose said first bond pads;
forming electrical interconnects between said first and second bond pads; and
dicing said stacked wafer structure to produce said sensor packages.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein:
said sensor wafer comprises a sensor wafer structure that includes said sensor dies arranged in pairs in said sensor wafer structure, wherein said first bond pads of a first sensor die are adjacent to said first bond pads of a second sensor die in each of said pairs of said sensor dies; and
said dicing said sensor wafer comprises producing said sensor elements in the form of said pairs of said sensor dies for placement in said array.
14. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein:
said sensor wafer comprises a sensor wafer structure that includes said sensor wafer and a cap wafer, a first inner surface of said cap wafer is coupled to a second inner surface of said sensor wafer, a first one of said cap wafer and said sensor wafer includes a substrate portion with said first bond pads being formed on a corresponding one of said first and second inner surfaces, and a second one of said cap wafer and said sensor wafer conceals said substrate portion, and seal members extend between said sensor wafer and said cap wafer, at least a portion of said seal members being positioned between said first bond pads and saw lines of said sensor wafer structure; and
said dicing said sensor wafer includes dicing said sensor wafer structure to produce said sensor elements in the form of singulated ones of said sensor dies for placement in said array, said seal members shielding said first bond pads from contaminants when said sensor wafer structure is diced along said saw lines.
15. A method as claimed in claim 12 wherein said removing operation comprises removing first material from said controller wafer of said stacked wafer structure and removing second material coincident with said first material from said second one of said sensor wafer and said cap wafer to expose said substrate portion having said first bond pads.
16. A method of forming electronic component packages comprising:
dicing a first wafer to produce first electronic components, said first wafer including a plurality of said first electronic components, each of said first electronic components including first bond pads;
placing said first electronic components in an array arranged to correspond with locations of second electronic components formed on a second wafer, each of said second electronic components including second bond pads;
encapsulating said array in a mold material to form a panel of said first electronic components;
bonding a bottom side of said second wafer to an outer surface of said panel to form a stacked wafer structure of said first and second electronic components, said first bond pads being concealed by at least one of said wafer and a portion of said panel;
following said bonding operation, removing a material section from said at least one of said wafer and said portion of said panel of said first electronic components to expose said first bond pads;
forming electrical interconnects between said first and second bond pads; and
dicing said stacked wafer structure to produce said electronic component packages.
17. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein:
said first wafer comprises a sensor wafer structure that includes a sensor wafer and a cap wafer, wherein each of said first electronic components includes a sensor die having a sensor located on said sensor wafer, a first inner surface of said cap wafer is coupled to a second inner surface of said sensor wafer, a first one of said cap wafer and said sensor wafer includes a substrate portion having said first bond pads formed on a corresponding one of said first and second inner surfaces, and a second one of said cap wafer and said sensor wafer conceals said substrate portion; and
said removing operation comprises removing first material from said sensor wafer of said stacked wafer structure and removing second material coincident with said first material from said second one of said sensor wafer and said cap wafer to expose said substrate portion having said first bond pads.
18. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein said forming said electrical interconnects is performed prior to said dicing operation, and said method further comprises:
applying a packaging material over said top side of said second wafer to encapsulate said second electronic components and said electrical interconnects; and
performing said dicing operation following said applying operation.