Ion microtrap assembly and method of making of making such an assembly

An assembly of an ion-trap chip and an ion-trap chip carrier, the assembly comprising:

• a generally planar carrier substrate, wherein the generally planar carrier substrate includes a front surface, a rear surface, and a chip receptacle;
• a chip support disposed in the chip receptacle of the generally planar carrier substrate, the chip support including at least one generally planar flange extending in or generally parallel to a plane of the generally planar carrier substrate, and at least one aperture therein, the chip support comprising a chip receiving zone;
• the chip support including at least one front facing electrical terminal in the chip receiving zone, for coupling to a rear facing terminal of an ion-trap chip;
• and
• at least one front facing wire bonding terminal electrically coupled to the at least one front facing electrical terminal, the at least one front facing wire bonding terminal being disposed outside of the chip receiving zone;
• whereby a chip can be fitted to the ion-trap chip carrier in the chip receiving zone with a rear facing electrical terminal in alignment with the at least one front facing electrical terminal in the chip receiving zone and electrically connected through the at least one front facing wire bonding terminal, to be wire bonded from a front face of the ion-trap chip carrier;
• and
• wherein the ion-trap chip carrier is disposed in the chip receiving zone of the chip support in the chip receptacle of the ion-trap chip carrier, over the at least one generally planar flange;
• the chip including:
• at least one rear facing terminal aligned with the at least one front facing electrical terminal of the ion-trap chip carrier and electrically connected through the at least one front facing wire bonding terminal;
• and
• wherein the at least one rear facing terminal is wire bonded at the front face of the ion-trap chip carrier to an output terminal of the ion-trap chip carrier.

A method of making an ion-trap assembly, the ion-trap assembly comprising an ion-trap chip carrier comprising:

• a generally planar carrier substrate, wherein the generally planar carrier substrate includes a front surface, a rear surface, and a chip receptacle;
• a chip support disposed in the chip receptacle of the generally planar carrier substrate, the chip support including at least one generally planar flange extending in or generally parallel to a plane of the generally planar carrier substrate, and at least one aperture therein, the chip support comprising a chip receiving zone;
• the chip support including at least one front facing electrical terminal in the chip receiving zone, for coupling to a rear facing terminal of an ion-trap chip;
• and at least one front facing wire bonding terminal electrically coupled to the at least one front facing electrical terminal, the at least one front facing wire bonding terminal being disposed outside of the chip receiving zone;
• whereby ion-trap chip can be fitted to the ion-trap chip carrier in the chip receiving zone with a rear facing electrical terminal in alignment with the least one front facing electrical terminal in the chip receiving zone and electrically connected through the at least one front facing wire bonding terminal, to be wire bonded from the front face of the ion-trap chip carrier;
• and
• wherein the ion-trap chip is disposed in the chip receiving zone of the chip support in the chip receptacle of the ion-trap chip carrier, over the at least one generally planar flange;
• the chip including:
• at least one rear facing terminal aligned with the at least one front facing electrical terminal of the ion-trap chip carrier and electrically connected through the at least one front facing wire bonding terminal;
• the at least one rear facing chip terminal being wire bonded at the front face of the ion-trap chip carrier to a chip carrier output terminal;
• the method including the steps of:
• disposing on the at least one generally planar flange a plurality of bump pads in the chip receiving zone;
• locating the ion-trap chip on the ion-trap chip carrier in the chip receiving zone;
• and
• compressing the ion-trap chip onto the ion-trap chip carrier so as to compress the plurality of bump pads to create a mechanical and electrical bond between the chip and the ion-trap chip carrier.