IP Library Granted Patent US 9,108,841
Granted Patent B1
US 9,108,841 · App. 14/197,962 · Granted Aug 18, 2015

Microelectronic packages having stacked accelerometer and magnetometer die and methods for the production thereof

Inventors: Philip H. Bowles (Gilbert, AZ); Stephen R. Hooper (Mesa, AZ)
Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
B81C3/001B81B7/0074B81C1/00904H01L25/16H01L25/50B81B2201/0235B81B2201/0292B81C2203/033
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,108,841
App. No.
14/197,962
Granted
Aug 18, 2015
Kind
B1
Abstract

Methods for fabricating multi-sensor microelectronic packages and multi-sensor microelectronic packages are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes positioning a magnetometer wafer comprised of an array of non-singulated magnetometer die over an accelerometer wafer comprised of an array of non-singulated accelerometer die. The magnetometer wafer is bonded to the accelerometer wafer to produce a bonded wafer stack. The bonded wafer stack is then singulated to yield a plurality of multi-sensor microelectronic packages each including a singulated magnetometer die bonded to a singulated accelerometer die.

Claims (37)

1. A method for fabricating multi-sensor microelectronic packages, the method comprising:

positioning a magnetometer wafer comprised of an array of non-singulated magnetometer die over an accelerometer wafer comprised of an array of non-singulated accelerometer die;

bonding the magnetometer wafer to the accelerometer wafer to produce a bonded wafer stack; and

singulating the bonded wafer stack to yield a plurality of multi-sensor microelectronic packages each including a singulated magnetometer die bonded to a singulated accelerometer die;

wherein the non-singulated magnetometer die and the non-singulated accelerometer die each have multiple sensing axes, and wherein the magnetometer wafer is rotationally aligned with the accelerometer wafer when positioned thereover such that the sensing axes of the non-singulated magnetometer die align with the sensing axes of the non-singulated accelerometer die.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the magnetometer wafer is positioned over the accelerometer wafer such that the non-singulated magnetometer die are each positioned over a non-singulated accelerometer die.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein bonding comprises bonding the magnetometer wafer to the accelerometer wafer such that a hermetically-sealed cavity is created between each non-singulated magnetometer die and the underlying non-singulated accelerometer die.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein bonding comprises:

depositing rings of bonding material between the magnetometer wafer and the accelerometer wafer, each ring of bonding material circumscribing a Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) transducer structure formed on a non-singulated accelerometer die, as taken along an axis orthogonal to a surface of the accelerometer wafer; and

heating the bonding material to a predetermined temperature at a controlled pressure to bond the magnetometer wafer to the accelerometer wafer.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the magnetometer wafer is bonded directly to the accelerometer wafer utilizing an electrically-conductive bonding material.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

for each of the plurality of multi-sensor microelectronic packages, positioning the singulated magnetometer die and the singulated accelerometer die in proximity with a gyroscope die; and

interconnecting the singulated magnetometer die and the singulated accelerometer die with the gyroscope die.

7. A method for fabricating multi-sensor microelectronic packages, the method comprising:

positioning a magnetometer wafer comprised of an array of non-singulated magnetometer die over an accelerometer wafer comprised of an array of non-singulated accelerometer die;

bonding the magnetometer wafer to the accelerometer wafer to produce a bonded wafer stack;

singulating the bonded wafer stack to yield a plurality of multi-sensor microelectronic packages each including a singulated magnetometer die bonded to a singulated accelerometer die;

after bonding the magnetometer wafer to the accelerometer wafer, removing portions of the non-singulated magnetometer die to reveal underlying regions of the non-singulated accelerometer die having bond pads thereon; and

producing wire bonds interconnecting the bond pads of the non-singulated accelerometer die with bond pads provided the non-singulated magnetometer die.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the removing comprises cutting substantially parallel saw lanes in the bonded wafer stack to a depth substantially equivalent to the magnetometer wafer thickness.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising thinning at least one of the magnetometer wafer and the accelerometer wafer prior to singulation of the bonded wafer stack.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein thinning comprises removing material from the backside of the accelerometer wafer to bring the accelerometer wafer to a desired thickness and to expose at least one through silicon via therethrough.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising depositing an electrically-conductive material at selected locations between the magnetometer wafer on the accelerometer wafer to interconnect each non-singulated magnetometer die to the underlying non-singulated accelerometer die.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the electrically-conductive material is further utilized to bond the magnetometer wafer to the accelerometer wafer to produce the bonded wafer stack.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the magnetometer wafer has a frontside over which the array of non-singulated magnetometer die is formed, wherein the magnetometer wafer has a frontside over which the array of non-singulated accelerometer die is formed, and wherein the bonding comprises bonding the frontside of the magnetometer wafer to the frontside of the accelerometer wafer.

14. A method for fabricating multi-sensor microelectronic packages, the method comprising:

positioning a magnetometer wafer comprised of an array of non-singulated magnetometer die over an accelerometer wafer comprised of an array of non-singulated accelerometer die;

bonding the magnetometer wafer to the accelerometer wafer to produce a bonded wafer stack; and

singulating the bonded wafer stack to yield a plurality of multi-sensor microelectronic packages each including a singulated magnetometer die bonded to a singulated accelerometer die;

wherein the magnetometer wafer has backside and an opposing frontside over which the array of non-singulated magnetometer die is formed, wherein the magnetometer wafer has a frontside over which the array of non-singulated accelerometer die is formed, and wherein bonding comprises bonding the backside of the magnetometer wafer directly to the frontside of the accelerometer wafer.

15. The method of claim 2 wherein the magnetometer wafer is bonded to the accelerometer wafer under elevated temperature and pressure conditions to impart each hermetically-sealed cavity with a first predetermined internal pressure upon cooling.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising, after singulating the bonded wafer stack, bonding a gyroscope die to each singulated pair of magnetometer die and accelerometer die in a stacked configuration.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising enclosing a transducer structure of each gyroscope die in a second hermetically-sealed cavity containing a second predetermined internal pressure less than the first predetermined internal pressure.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of die stacks are produced pursuant to singulation of the bonded wafer stack, and wherein the method further comprises encapsulating each of the plurality of die stacks utilizing a Fan-Out Wafer Level Packaging (FO-WLP) process.

19. The method of claim 7 wherein the non-singulated magnetometer die and the non-singulated accelerometer die each have multiple sensing axes, and wherein the magnetometer wafer is rotationally aligned with the accelerometer wafer when positioned thereover such that the sensing axes of the non-singulated magnetometer die align with the sensing axes of the non-singulated accelerometer die.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the non-singulated magnetometer die and the non-singulated accelerometer die each have multiple sensing axes, and wherein the magnetometer wafer is rotationally aligned with the accelerometer wafer when positioned thereover such that the sensing axes of the non-singulated magnetometer die align with the sensing axes of the non-singulated accelerometer die.

Assignments (17)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATION 11759915 AND REPLACE IT WITH APPLICATION 11759935 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 040925 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Feb 17, 2020
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: NXP, B.V. F/K/A FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 052917/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REMOVE APPLICATION 11759915 AND REPLACE IT WITH APPLICATION 11759935 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 040928 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jan 17, 2020
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: NXP B.V.
Reel/Frame 052915/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 10, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: NXP B.V.
Reel/Frame 050744/0097 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE NATURE OF CONVEYANCE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 040632 FRAME: 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Sep 21, 2017
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
To: NXP USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 044209/0047 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 8, 2016
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: NXP USA, INC.
Reel/Frame 040632/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 7, 2016
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: NXP B.V.
Reel/Frame 040928/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: NXP, B.V., F/K/A FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 040925/0001 →
SUPPLEMENT TO THE SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 16, 2016
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 039138/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION NUMBERS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 037458 FRAME: 0438. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded May 12, 2016
From: CITIBANK, NA
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 038665/0136 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE INCORRECT APPLICATION NUMBERS 12222918, 14185362, 14147598, 14185868 & 14196276 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 037458 FRAME: 0479. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS. Recorded May 12, 2016
From: CITIBANK, NA
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 038665/0498 →
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jan 7, 2016
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 037458/0479 →
ASSIGNMENT AND ASSUMPTION OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Jan 7, 2016
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 037458/0438 →
PATENT RELEASE Recorded Dec 21, 2015
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 037357/0763 →
SUPPLEMENT TO SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 7, 2014
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 032845/0522 →
SUPPLEMENT TO SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 7, 2014
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 032845/0497 →
SUPPLEMENT TO SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 7, 2014
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 032845/0442 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2014
From: BOWLES, PHILIP H.; HOOPER, STEPHEN R.
To: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
Reel/Frame 032356/0951 →