Retaining cap
AssigneeAnalog Devices International Unlimited Company
InventorsAlfonso Berduque, Donal McAuliffe, Brendan Cawley, Raymond J. Speer, Youri Ponomarev
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cap for use with devices, such as sensors. The cap includes protrusions on its underside, to restrict the movement of a liquid or a gel placed under cap. The protrusions may take the form of walls or pillars, depending on the application. As such, the cap retains the liquid or gel in a specified position on the device. For example, an electrochemical sensor may require a liquid electrolyte to remain in place over one or more electrodes. The protrusions may not extend far enough to touch the device, but rather leave a small gap. However, because of the surface tension of the liquid, the liquid generally stays within the protrusions.
Claims17
A method of manufacturing a device, comprising:
- providing a substrate having a first specified area;
- attaching a cap to a first surface of the substrate, the cap covering the first specified area, having a retaining structure, formed in a first surface of the cap;
- and
- inserting an electrolyte through a first hole formed in the cap;
- wherein the retaining structure is configured to retain the electrolyte in alignment with the first specified area,
- wherein the cap defining a first recess and wherein the retaining structure including at least one protrusion formed on and extending away from the first surface of the cap defining a second recess including a portion of the first surface of the substrate within the first recess so that the retaining structure is configured to restrict movement of the electrolyte within a portion of the first specified area defined by the second recess,
- wherein the first hole is located inside the second recess;
- forming a second hole inside the first recess but outside the second recess;
- and
- venting excess electrolyte using the second hole.
A method of manufacturing an electronic device with a cap, comprising:
- attaching the cap to a first surface of an electronic device substrate having a first specified area, wherein the cap including a cap structure defining a first recess and a retaining structure comprising a plurality of pillars formed on and extending away from a first surface of the cap structure and distributed across the first recess defining a second recess including a portion of the first surface of the electronic device substrate within the first recess;
- forming a plurality of holes, wherein a first hole of the plurality of holes is located inside the second recess and a second hole of the plurality holes is located inside the first recess but outside the second recess;
- inserting an electrolyte using the first hole, wherein the second hole is used for venting excess electrolyte;
- restricting movement of the electrolyte to the second recess using the retaining structure to within a portion of the first specified area defined by the second recess;
- and
- sealing the plurality of holes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.