IP Library Granted Patent US 8,421,168
Granted Patent B2
US 8,421,168 · App. 12/947,543 · Granted Apr 16, 2013

Microelectromechanical systems microphone packaging systems

Inventors: Howard Allen (Limington, ME); Luke England (Boise, ID); Douglas Alan Hawks (Escondido, CA); Yong Liu (Scarborough, ME); Stephen Martin (South Portland, ME)
Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
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 8,421,168
App. No.
12/947,543
Granted
Apr 16, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, a conductive frame, a silicon die coupled to the conductive frame, the silicon die including a vibratory diaphragm, the die having a silicon die top opposite a silicon die bottom, with a silicon die port extending through the silicon die to the vibratory diaphragm, with a silicon die terminal in electrical communication with the conductive frame and an insulator affixed to the conductive frame and the silicon die, with the insulator extending through interstices in the conductive frame to a conductive frame bottom of the conductive frame, and around an exterior of the silicon die to the silicon die top, with the insulator physically affixed to the silicon die and to the conductive frame, with the silicon die port exposed and with a conductive frame terminal disposed at the conductive frame bottom in electrical communication with the silicon die terminal.

Claims (31)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a conductive frame;

a silicon die coupled to the conductive frame, the silicon die including a vibratory diaphragm, the die having a silicon die top opposite a silicon die bottom, with a silicon die port extending through the silicon die to the vibratory diaphragm, with a silicon die terminal in electrical communication with the conductive frame; and

an insulator affixed to the conductive frame and the silicon die, with the insulator extending through interstices in the conductive frame to a conductive frame bottom of the conductive frame, and around an exterior of the silicon die to the silicon die top, with the insulator physically affixed to the silicon die and to the conductive frame, with the silicon die port exposed and with a conductive frame terminal disposed at the conductive frame bottom in electrical communication with the silicon die terminal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the silicon die includes a microelectricalmechanical system (MEMs) microphone and the vibratory diaphragm includes a membrane of the MEMs microphone, wherein the silicon die port extends to the membrane and the silicon die port is exposed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conductive frame includes a cavity disposed in a conductive frame top, with the vibratory diaphragm exposed to the cavity, wherein the cavity is a half-etched cavity.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the insulator includes a mold compound.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a second conductive frame overlays the silicon die top, with the insulator extending through interstices of the second conductive frame, wherein the second conductive frame defines a conductive frame port, with the silicon die exposed through the conductive frame port, wherein the silicon die terminal is electrically connected to a second conductive frame terminal of the second conductive frame, with the second conductive frame terminal exposed at a top of the second conductive frame, wherein the second conductive frame includes a second cavity, with the silicon die top disposed in the second cavity.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a silicon die including a vibratory diaphragm, the die having a silicon die top opposite a silicon die bottom, with a silicon die port extending through the silicon die to the vibratory diaphragm, the silicon die including a silicon die terminal disposed on the bottom of the silicon die;

an insulator coupled below the die, the insulator being of a first thickness along a first portion and a of second thickness less than the first thickness along a second portion surrounded by the first portion, with the first portion and the second portion defining a cavity, with the vibratory diaphragm of the silicon die disposed over the cavity and with the cavity opening to the vibratory diaphragm;

a seal surrounding a space defined between the cavity and the vibratory diaphragm to define a sealed cavity; and

a conductor electrically conductive with and extending from the silicon die terminal to a bottom of the insulator.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , comprising a conductive frame with a conductive frame top opposite a conductive frame bottom, the silicon die mounted to the conductive frame top with a conductive frame port extending through the conductive frame from the conductive frame top to the conductive frame bottom, wherein the insulator is molded into the conductive frame port, wherein the conductor includes a portion of the bottom of the conductive frame and is flush with the bottom of the insulator.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the insulator includes a printed circuit board with a top opposite a bottom, the silicon die mounted to the top of the printed circuit board, with the cavity disposed into the printed circuit board.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the printed circuit is a multilayer printed circuit board, with a the silicon die terminal coupled to a conductive layer disposed between two layers of the printed circuit board.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the cavity is a first cavity, and the insulator defines a second cavity, with the first cavity defined in a bottom of the second cavity, with the silicon die disposed in the second cavity.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the seal is a first seal, and comprising a second seal inside the second cavity, extending between the insulator and the silicon die to define a second sealed cavity inside the second cavity.

12. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the insulator comprises a silicon cover with a top opposite a bottom, with the cavity disposed in the silicon cover, with the conductor extending through the silicon cover.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a second conductor is in electrical communication with the silicon die terminal and extends through the silicon die to the silicon die top, with a second silicon die terminal disposed on silicon die top electrically conductive with the second conductor.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a second conductor is in electrical communication with a second silicon die terminal and extends through the silicon die to the silicon die top.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a vibratory diaphragm assembly, including:

a silicon die including a vibratory diaphragm with a silicon die port extending through the silicon die to the vibratory diaphragm, the silicon die including a silicon die terminal; and

a cover coupled to the die to define a cavity, with the cavity disposed over the vibratory diaphragm of the silicon die, with the cavity opening to the vibratory diaphragm; and

terminals coupled to the vibratory diaphragm assembly in electrical communication with the silicon die terminal, the terminals disposed on a bottom surface of the vibratory diaphragm assembly, with the cavity located below the bottom surface of the vibratory diaphragm assembly, with the terminals laterally spaced on opposite sides of the cavity.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the cover is of a first thickness along a first portion and of second thickness less than the first thickness along a second portion that is surrounded by the first portion, wherein the first portion and the second portion define the cavity.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the terminals are affixed to the silicon die.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , comprising a silicon carrier defining a carrier cavity, with the silicon die disposed in the cavity on a bottom surface of the silicon carrier, wherein a conductor extends between one of the terminals and the silicon die terminal and is disposed on the bottom surface of the silicon carrier, wherein the silicon carrier defines a carrier port disposed over the vibratory diaphragm, wherein the cover includes a silicon cap disposed over the silicon die port, below the vibratory diaphragm.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the cover defines a cover cavity that opens to the silicon die port.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , comprising a substrate, with the silicon die coupled to the substrate, and the terminals coupled to the substrate.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 058871, FRAME 0799 Recorded Jun 23, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 065653/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 040075, FRAME 0644 Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064070/0536 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2021
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058871/0799 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2021
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
To: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057969/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 3, 2021
From: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 057694/0374 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 19, 2016
From: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040075/0644 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2010
From: ALLEN, HOWARD; ENGLAND, LUKE; HAWKS, DOUGLAS ALAN; LIU, YONG; MARTIN, STEPHEN
To: FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025585/0279 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61262050 · Nov 17, 2009
Related Publication 20110121413A1 · May 26, 2011