Image sensor device
An image sensor device, as well as methods therefor, is disclosed. This image sensor device includes a substrate having bond pads. The substrate has a through substrate channel defined therein extending between a front side surface and a back side surface thereof. The front side surface is associated with an optically-activatable surface. The bond pads are located at or proximal to the front side surface aligned for access via the through substrate channel. Wire bond wires are bonded to the bond pads at first ends thereof extending away from the bond pads with second ends of the wire bond wires located outside of an opening of the channel at the back side surface. A molding layer is disposed along the back side surface and in the through substrate channel. A redistribution layer is in contact with the molding layer and interconnected to the second ends of the wire bond wires.
1. A method for forming an image sensor device, comprising:
plating a conductive layer on a surface of a substrate;
forming a through channel in the substrate to the conductive layer;
individually coupling free standing conductors (“conductors”) to the conductive layer in the through channel for electrical conductivity; and
depositing a molding material in the through channel covering outer perimeter surface portions of the conductors.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
adhering a cover over an optically-activatable portion of an image sensor die coupled to the substrate for defining a gap between an underneath side of the cover and the surface of the substrate; and
forming a redistribution layer coupled to upper ends of the conductors for electrical conductivity.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the redistribution layer is formed partly over the substrate and partly over the molding material apart from the substrate.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming of the through channel comprises removing portions of the substrate to reveal the conductive layer.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming of the through channel comprises removing portions of the substrate to reveal the conductive layer and conductive pads on the conductive layer in the through channel for the coupling of the conductors to the conductive pads.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the conductors are wire bond wires, the method further comprising bonding the wire bond wires to the conductive pads for coupling to the conductive layer in the through channel for electrical conductivity.
7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the wire bond wires, the conductive pads, and the conductive layer are formed of different materials with respect to one another.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming of the through channel comprises removing portions of the substrate to reveal the conductive layer and conductive pads formed of the conductive layer in the through channel for the coupling of the conductors to the conductive layer in the through channel for electrical conductivity.
9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the conductors and the conductive layer are formed of different materials with respect to one another.
10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the conductive pads are first bond pads obtained with the substrate, the method further comprising:
grinding the molding material and tips of the conductors to provide a planarized surface of the molding material and upper ends of the conductors; and
forming second bond pads on the planarized surface for interconnection with the upper ends of the conductors.
11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
thinning the substrate; and
coupling an image controller die or an image processor die to the substrate.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the thinning of the substrate comprises forming a die cavity for the coupling of the image controller die or the image processor die at least partially inside the die cavity.
13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the through channel is proximal to a dicing lane.
14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a side of the through channel is a dicing lane.
15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the forming of the through channel in the substrate to the conductive layer is initiated from an opposite side with respect to the conductive layer.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the substrate includes an image sensor die.
17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein a side of the image sensor die is a side of the through channel.
18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes an image processor die, the method further comprising:
forming an oxide layer of the substrate; and
coupling a dielectric layer of image sensor circuitry to the oxide layer.
19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein the through channel is a first through channel, the method further comprising:
forming a second through channel in the substrate through the dielectric layer to a metal layer of the image sensor circuitry;
coupling the conductors to the metal layer in the second through channel for electrical conductivity; and
depositing the molding material in the second through channel.
20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein bond pads are connected to the metal layer, and wherein the conductors are connected to the bond pads for the coupling to the metal layer in the second through channel for electrical conductivity.