# US 10,455,309 B2 · MEMS transducer package > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,455,309 B2 - Document ID: US10455309B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/538,567 - Filed: 2015-12-04 - Published: 2017-12-28 - Granted: 2019-10-22 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-23 - Assignees: Cirrus Logic, Inc. - Applicants: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd. - Inventors: Tsjerk Hoekstra; David Talmage Patten - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10455309B2 ## CPC - H04R 1/04: Structural association of microphone with electric circuitry therefor (in electric hearing aids H04R25/00) - B81B 7/0061: {suitable for fluid transfer from the MEMS out of the package or vice versa, e.g. transfer of liquid, gas, sound} - B81C 1/00309: {suitable for fluid transfer from the MEMS out of the package or vice versa, e.g. transfer of liquid, gas, sound} - H04R 1/2853: {using an acoustic labyrinth or a transmission line} - H04R 19/005: {using semiconductor materials} - H04R 19/04: Microphones (H04R19/01 takes precedence) - H04R 31/00: Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor {(manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182)} - B81B 2201/0257: Microphones or microspeakers - B81B 2207/015: the micromechanical device and the control or processing electronics being integrated on the same substrate - H04R 1/342: {for microphones} - H04R 2201/003: Mems transducers or their use - H04R 2410/07: Mechanical or electrical reduction of wind noise generated by wind passing a microphone - H10W 90/724: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL} - H10W 90/753: {between laterally-adjacent chips} - H10W 90/754: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL} - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00) - B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01) - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A MEMS transducer package (1) comprises a semiconductor die element (3) and a cap element (23). The semiconductor die element (3) and cap element (23) have mating surfaces (9, 21). The semiconductor die element (3) and cap element (23) are configured such that when the semiconductor die element (3) and cap element (4) are conjoined, a first volume (7, 27) is formed through the semiconductor die element (3) and into the semiconductor cap element (23), and an acoustic channel is formed to provide an opening between a non-mating surface (11) of the semiconductor die element (3) and either a side surface (10, 12) of the transducer package or a non-mating surface (29) of the cap element (23). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A MEMS transducer package comprising: a semiconductor die portion having a thickness bounded by a first surface and an opposite second surface; a transducer element incorporated in the second surface; a die back volume that extends through the thickness of the semiconductor die portion between the first surface and the transducer element; and an acoustic die channel that extends through the thickness of the semiconductor die portion between the first surface and the second surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cap portion that abuts the semiconductor die portion, the cap portion comprising: a thickness bounded by a first surface and an opposite second surface; and an acoustic cap channel that extends through the thickness of the cap portion between the first surface and the second surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second surface of the cap portion abuts a first surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 2, wherein an opening formed by the acoustic die channel in the first surface of the semiconductor die portion at least partially overlaps with an opening formed by the acoustic cap channel in the cap portion, to provide an acoustic path through the transducer package. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 4, wherein the opening formed by the acoustic die channel and the opening formed by the acoustic cap channel are aligned. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 2, wherein a cross-sectional area of the acoustic die channel and/or a cross-sectional area of the acoustic cap channel is constant along a length of the respective acoustic channel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 2, wherein a cross-sectional area of the first acoustic channel and/or a cross-sectional area of the second acoustic channel varies along a length of the respective acoustic channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acoustic die channel comprises: a first portion that extends through the thickness of the semiconductor die portion to provide an acoustic path between the first surface and the second surface of the semiconductor die portion; and a second portion which extends parallel to the first surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first portion and the second portion cooperate to provide an acoustic path between a first opening and a second opening, the first opening formed by the first portion in the second surface of the semiconductor die portion, and the second opening formed by the second portion in a side surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second portion of the acoustic die channel forms an opening in the first surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 11 A MEMS transducer package as claimed in 8, further comprising a cap portion comprising a thickness bounded by a first surface and an opposite second surface, wherein the second surface of the cap portion abuts the first surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cap portion comprises an acoustic cap channel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 12, wherein the acoustic cap channel interfaces with the acoustic die channel to provide an acoustic path between a first opening formed in the second surface of the semiconductor die portion and a second opening formed in a side surface of the transducer package. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 13 wherein the second opening is partly formed in a side surface of the semiconductor die portion and partly formed in a side surface of the cap portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 14, wherein a side surface of the semiconductor die portion and/or cap portion is orthogonal to the first surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cap portion, the cap portion comprising: a thickness bounded by a first surface and an opposite second surface; and an acoustic cap channel configured to provide an acoustic path between a first opening in the second surface of the cap portion and a second opening in a side surface of the cap portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 16, wherein the acoustic cap channel interfaces with the acoustic die channel to provide an acoustic path between a first opening formed by the acoustic die channel in the second surface of the semiconductor die portion and a second opening formed by the acoustic cap channel in a side surface of the cap portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acoustic die channel comprises: a first acoustic channel, and a second acoustic channel. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 18 wherein: wherein the first acoustic channel is configured to provide an acoustic path between a first opening in the second surface of the semiconductor die portion and a second opening in a side surface of the transducer package, the side surface being orthogonal to the second surface of the semiconductor die portion; and wherein the second acoustic channel is configured to provide an acoustic path between a third opening in the second surface of the semiconductor die portion and a fourth opening that is in acoustic connection with the die back volume. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first acoustic channel comprises: at least a first portion which extends between the first surface and the second surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 20, wherein the first acoustic channel further comprises: a second portion which extends orthogonal to the first portion; and wherein the first portion and the second portion cooperate to provide an acoustic path between the first opening in the second surface of the semiconductor die portion and the second opening in the side surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 19, wherein the second acoustic channel comprises: at least a first portion which extends between the first surface and the second surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 22, wherein the second acoustic channel further comprises: a second portion which extends orthogonal to the first portion; and wherein the first portion and the second portion cooperate to provide an acoustic path between the third opening in the second surface of the semiconductor die portion and the fourth opening that is in acoustic connection with the die back volume. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 19, wherein the second opening is formed entirely in a side surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 25 (depends on 18) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 18, further comprising a cap portion, the cap portion comprising a thickness bounded by a first surface and an opposite second surface. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 25, wherein the cap portion comprises an acoustic cap channel. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 26, wherein the acoustic cap channel comprises: a first acoustic channel which extends orthogonal to the second surface of the cap portion; and wherein the first acoustic channel of the acoustic cap channel and the first acoustic channel of the acoustic die channel cooperate to provide an acoustic path between a first opening in the second surface of the semiconductor die portion and a second opening in the side surface of the transducer package. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 27, wherein the second opening is formed either entirely in a side surface of the cap portion, or partly in a side surface of the cap portion and partly in a side surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 26, wherein the cap portion further comprises a cap back volume, and wherein the acoustic cap channel comprises: a second acoustic channel which extends orthogonal to the second surface of the cap portion; and wherein the second acoustic channel of the acoustic cap channel and the second acoustic channel of the acoustic die channel cooperate to provide an acoustic path between a third opening in the second surface of the semiconductor die portion and a fourth opening in acoustic connection with the cap back volume. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 29, wherein the fourth opening is formed either entirely in direct acoustic connection with the cap back volume of the cap portion, or partly in direct acoustic connection with the cap back volume of the cap portion and partly in direct acoustic connection with the die back volume of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 31 (depends on 1) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 1, wherein the semiconductor die portion further comprises integrated electronic circuitry for operating the MEMS transducer element; wherein at least part of the integrated electronic circuitry is positioned in a thickness of the semiconductor die portion that is bounded by at least part of a first sub-volume of a stepped die back volume and a second surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 32 (depends on 1) A MEMS transducer package as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an acoustic seal, wherein the acoustic seal is configured to: surround an opening of the acoustic die channel and an opening of die back volume; or surround an opening of the die back volume. ### Claim 33 A semiconductor die portion for use in a MEMS transducer package, the semiconductor die portion comprising: a thickness bounded by a first surface and an opposite second surface, wherein the second surface incorporates a transducer element; a die back volume that extends through the thickness of the semiconductor die portion between the first surface and the transducer element, and an acoustic die channel that extends through the thickness of the semiconductor die portion between the first surface and the second surface. ### Claim 34 (depends on 33) A semiconductor die portion as claimed in claim 33, wherein the acoustic die channel comprises a first portion that extends between the first surface and the second surface, and a second portion that extends parallel to the first surface, the first and second portions configured to provide an acoustic path between a first opening in the second surface and a second opening in a side surface of the semiconductor die portion. ### Claim 35 A MEMS transducer package comprising: a semiconductor die element; and a cap element; wherein the semiconductor die element and cap element have mating surfaces, wherein the semiconductor die element and cap element are configured such that when the semiconductor die element and cap element are conjoined: a first volume is formed through the semiconductor die element and into the semiconductor cap element; and an acoustic channel is formed to provide an opening between a non-mating surface of the semiconductor die element and either a side surface of the transducer package or a non-mating surface of the cap element.