IP Library Granted Patent US 9,322,686
Granted Patent B2
US 9,322,686 · App. 14/390,893 · Granted Apr 26, 2016

Flow sensor

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,322,686
App. No.
14/390,893
Granted
Apr 26, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Technology capable of suppressing performance variation for each flow sensor and enhancing the performance is provided. According to a flow sensor of an embodiment, a local cavity CAV is provided on an upper surface SUR (MR) of a resin MR to generate an eddying current in a counterclockwise direction, so that an advancing direction of gas (air) that collided to an exposed side surface of a semiconductor chip CHP 1 can be changed to an eddying direction instead of a direction toward an upper side of the semiconductor chip CHP 1 differing by 90 degrees. Therefore, according to the flow sensor of the embodiment, the flow of the gas (air) at an upper side of the flow sensing unit FDU can be stably made smooth without being disturbed, whereby a flow sensing accuracy in the flow sensing unit FDU can be enhanced.

Claims (18)

1. A flow sensor comprising:

a semiconductor chip; and

a resin exposing an upper surface of the semiconductor chip and covering a part of the semiconductor chip, wherein

a cavity is formed on an upper surface of the resin, and

a cross-section of the flow sensor includes a predetermined cross-section in which an upper surface of the resin closer to the semiconductor chip than a lower end of the cavity is lower than an upper surface of the semiconductor chip.

2. The flow sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the cavity is in a region around the semiconductor chip.

3. The flow sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the cavity is formed along a side surface of the semiconductor chip.

4. The flow sensor according to claim 1 , wherein a distance on the predetermined cross-section from a lowest portion of the cavity to the upper surface of the semiconductor chip is smaller than or equal to a half of a thickness of the semiconductor chip at an end of the upper surface of the semiconductor chip.

5. The flow sensor according to claim 1 , wherein a distance on the predetermined cross-section from a lowest portion of the cavity to the end of the upper surface of the semiconductor chip is smaller than or equal to a quarter of a width of the upper surface of the semiconductor chip in the predetermined cross-section.

6. The flow sensor according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the resin is inclined to become lower toward the end of the semiconductor chip.

7. The flow sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising a control chip that controls the semiconductor chip.

8. The flow sensor according to claim 7 , wherein the control chip is covered by the resin.

9. The flow sensor according to claim 1 , wherein

the semiconductor chip is formed with a plurality of first pads, the flow sensor further includes a chip mounting section mounted with the semiconductor chip, and on which a plurality of leads are arranged, and a plurality of first wires connecting the plurality of leads to the plurality of first pads respectively, and

the plurality of first wires are covered by the resin.

10. The flow sensor according to claim 7 , wherein

the semiconductor chip is formed with a plurality of first pads, and the control chip is formed with a plurality of second pads, the flow sensor further includes a chip mounting section mounted with the semiconductor chip and the control chip, and on which a plurality of leads are arranged, a plurality of first wires connecting the plurality of leads to the plurality of first pads respectively, and a plurality of second wires connecting the plurality of leads to the plurality of second pads respectively, and

the plurality of first wires and the plurality of second wires are covered by the resin.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 25, 2021
From: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
To: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.
Reel/Frame 056299/0447 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 6, 2014
From: KONO, TSUTOMU; HANZAWA, KEIJI; TOKUYASU, NOBORU; TASHIRO, SHINOBU
To: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 034115/0883 →