Method and apparatus for the monolithic encapsulation of a micro-scale inertial navigation sensor suite

A device comprising:

• a single IC wafer;
• a plurality of sensors bonded to bond regions on said single IC wafer, at least one of said bond regions including an opening therein in gaseous communication with a pressure chamber associated with at least one of the plurality of said sensors;
• a plurality of caps hermetically encapsulating all or at least a portion of said plurality of sensors, at least one of said plurality of caps forming at least a portion of said pressure chamber;
• and
• a monolithic vibration damping unit adhered to at least one of said caps in said plurality of caps.

A device comprising:

• a single IC wafer;
• a plurality of sensors bonded to bond regions on said single IC wafer;
• a plurality of caps hermetically encapsulating all or at least a portion of said plurality of sensors, at least one of said plurality of caps forming at least a portion of a pressure chamber;
• and
• a damping unit adhered to at least one of said plurality of caps.

A device comprising:

• a. an integrated circuit chip or wafer;
• b. a plurality of sensors and/or devices disposed on said integrated circuit chip or wafer;
• c. a plurality of encapsulating caps disposed over said sensors and/or devices, each of said plurality of encapsulating caps being affixed directly to said integrated circuit chip or wafer and encapsulating one or more of said sensors and/or devices with a separate fluid or vacuum environment;
• d. a damping material adhered on one side thereof to at least one of said plurality of encapsulating caps;
• and
• e. a gyroscope adhered to another side of said damping material.

A device comprising:

• a. an integrated circuit chip or wafer;
• b. a plurality of sensors and/or devices disposed on said integrated circuit chip or wafer;
• c. encapsulating caps disposed over said sensors and/or devices, each encapsulating cap encapsulating one or more of said sensors and/or devices with a separate fluid or vacuum environment for each of said plurality of sensors and/or devices;
• d. a vibration damping unit adhered to each of said plurality of caps;
• wherein exposed surfaces of said sensors and/or devices are affixed to bond regions on said integrated circuit chip or wafer and wherein at least one of said bond regions has a opening therein which helps form a fluid communication passage associated with a given one of said sensor or devices, the given one of said sensor or devices comprising a pressure detector, the pressure detector confronting two chambers for measuring a differential pressure across said two chambers, said fluid communication channel being in fluid communication with one of said two chambers.