Apparatus and method for electrostatic discharge protection

1. A biometric sensor comprising:

a flexible substrate comprising a sensing side surface and a sensing element side surface opposing the sensing side surface;

a biometric sensor portion comprising biometric image sensing elements formed on the sensing element side surface forming at least part of a biometric sensor array sensing capacitively induced changes induced by a biometric in the vicinity of the biometric image sensing elements;

a biometric sensor controller integrated circuit mounted to the flexible substrate on the sensing side surface of the flexible substrate;

an edge surface of the flexible substrate including at least one conductively plated perforation in the flexible substrate; and

an electro-static discharge element formed on or as part of the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the at least one conductively plated perforation.

2. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductively plated perforation is plated with a conductive material including one of copper, aluminum, nickel, and gold.

3. The sensor of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductively plated perforation comprises a plurality of conductively plated perforations positioned on the periphery of the flexible substrate.

4. The sensor of claim 3 wherein at least one of the plurality of conductively plated perforations is electrically connected to a known potential.

5. The sensor of claim 1 further comprising at least one biometric image sensing element formed on the sensing side surface of the flexible substrate remote from the biometric sensor controller integrated circuit and electrically coupled to the biometric sensor controller integrated circuit, wherein the at least one biometric image sensing element transmits information to the biometric sensor controller integrated circuit.

6. The sensor of claim 5 wherein the biometric comprises a fingerprint.

7. The sensor of claim 6 wherein the sensing side surface provides an area for a finger to be swiped.

8. A method of constructing a biometric sensor comprising:

providing a flexible substrate comprising a sensing side surface and a sensing element side surface opposing the sensing side surface;

providing a biometric sensor portion comprising biometric image sensing elements formed on the sensing element side surface forming at least part of a biometric sensor array sensing capacitively induced changes induced by a biometric in the vicinity of the biometric image sensing elements;

providing a biometric sensor controller integrated circuit mounted to the flexible substrate on the sensing side surface of the flexible substrate;

punching via holes at least partially through the flexible substrate along at least a portion of a perimeter of the flexible substrate;

plating the via holes with a conductive material; and

electrically connecting the plating of at least some of the vias holes to an electrostatic discharge element formed on or as part of the flexible substrate.

9. The method of claim 8 and further comprising the electrostatic discharge element comprising an electric trace element formed on one of the sensing side or the sensing element side of the flexible substrate.

10. The method of claim 9 and further comprising the electric trace element connected to a power source ground.

11. The method of claim 8 and further comprising electrically connecting a sensor controller integrated circuit to one of the sensing side or the sensing element side of the flexible substrate.

12. The method of claim 8 and further comprising attaching the flexible substrate to another substrate having a ball grid array on a bottom surface of the another substrate.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the via holes are punched along the entire perimeter of flexible substrate.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the flexible substrate and the another substrate are coupled together.

15. A method of constructing a biometric sensor having electrostatic discharge protection, the method comprising:

providing a flexible substrate comprising a sensing side surface and a sensing element side surface opposing the sensing side surface;

providing a biometric sensor portion comprising biometric image sensing elements formed on the sensing element side surface forming at least part of a biometric sensor array sensing capacitively induced changes induced by a biometric in the vicinity of the biometric image sensing elements;

providing a biometric sensor controller integrated circuit mounted to the flexible substrate on the sensing side surface of the flexible substrate;

punching holes along at least a portion of a perimeter of the flexible substrate and at least partially through the flexible substrate;

plating the holes with a conductive material;

electrically connecting the plating of at least some of the vias holes to an electrostatic discharge element formed on or as part of the flexible substrate;

cutting each of the plurality of substrates along cut lines that bisect at least some of the holes; and

connecting the electrostatic discharge element to a known potential.

16. The method of claim 15 and further comprising the electrostatic discharge element connecting the conductive material to a known potential comprising an electric trace element formed in or on the flexible substrate.

17. The method of claim 15 and further comprising the biometric comprising a fingerprint from a finger of a user placed in the vicinity of the sensing side surface of the flexible substrate.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the holes are punched along one side of a perimeter of the flexible substrate.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the biometric comprising a fingerprint from a finger of a user placed or swiped in the vicinity of the sensing side surface of the flexible substrate.

20. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

the biometric comprising a fingerprint from a finger of a user placed or swiped in the vicinity of the sensing side surface of the flexible substrate.