Method of and apparatus for sealing an hermetic lid to a semiconductor die

A display device comprising:

• a. a light modulator formed on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. a lid sealing region surrounding the light modulator;
• c. a plurality of bond pads positioned adjacent the lid sealing region and away from the light modulator;
• d. a first layer of solderable material formed over the lid sealing region;
• e. a layer of solder formed over the first layer of solderable material;
• f. a second layer of solderable material formed over the solder;
• and
• g. a transparent lid formed over the second layer of solderable material forming an hermetic seal thereby.

A method of forming an hermetic seal to a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• a. forming an active semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. forming a substantially planarized lid sealing region surrounding the active semiconductor device;
• c. forming means for electrically coupling to the active semiconductor device on the surface of the substrate and outside the lid sealing region;
• d. forming a first layer of solderable material on the lid sealing region;
• e. on an optically transparent lid, forming a second layer of solderable material in a pattern conforming to the first layer of solderable material;
• f. aligning the first layer of solderable material to the second layer of solderable material while providing a layer of solder therebetween;
• and
• g. applying heat to melt the solder and seal the lid to the lid sealing region.

A method of forming an hermetic seal between a lid and a semiconductor device, wherein the lid and the semiconductor device are parallel to one another comprising the steps of:

• a. providing an active semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. forming a substantially planarized lid sealing region surrounding the active semiconductor device;
• c. forming means for electrically coupling to the active semiconductor device on the surface of the substrate and outside the lid sealing region;
• d. forming a first layer of solderable material on the lid sealing region;
• e. on an optically transparent lid, forming a second layer of solderable material in a pattern conforming to the first layer of solderable material;
• f. aligning the first layer of solderable material to the second layer of solderable material while providing a layer of solder therebetween;
• and
• g. applying heat to melt the solder and seal the lid to the lid sealing region,
• wherein the first layer of solderable material and the second layer of solderable material each have a substantially uniform cross section around their respective lengths.

A method of forming an hermetic seal between a lid and a semiconductor device, wherein the lid and the semiconductor device are not parallel to one another comprising the steps of:

• a. providing an active semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. forming a substantially planarized lid sealing region surrounding the active semiconductor device;
• c. forming means for electrically coupling to the active semiconductor device on the surface of the substrate and outside the lid sealing region;
• d. forming a first layer of solderable material on the lid sealing region;
• e. on an optically transparent lid, forming a second layer of solderable material in a pattern conforming to the first layer of solderable material;
• f. aligning the first layer of solderable material to the second layer of solderable material while providing a layer of solder therebetween;
• and
• g. applying heat to melt the solder and seal the lid to the lid sealing region,
• wherein at least one of the first layer of solderable material and the second layer of solderable material each have a substantially non-uniform cross section around their respective lengths.

A method of concurrently forming an hermetic seal to each of a plurality of semiconductor devices all formed on a single semiconductor wafer comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a plurality of active semiconductor devices on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. forming a substantially planarized lid sealing region surrounding each of the active semiconductor devices;
• c. forming means for electrically coupling to each of the active semiconductor devices on the surface of the substrate and outside the lid sealing region for each of the active semiconductor devices;
• d. forming a first layer of solderable material on each of the lid sealing regions;
• e. on an optically transparent wafer, forming a second layer of solderable material in a pattern conforming to the first layer of solderable material;
• f. aligning the first layer of solderable material to the second layer of solderable material while providing a layer of solder therebetween;
• and
• g. applying heat to melt the solder and seal the wafer to the lid sealing regions.

A method of forming an hermetic seal between a transparent wafer and a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of semiconductor devices, wherein the transparent wafer and the semiconductor wafer are parallel to one another comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a wafer having a plurality of active semiconductor devices on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. forming a substantially planarized lid sealing region surrounding each one of the active semiconductor devices;
• c. forming means for electrically coupling to each one of the active semiconductor devices on the surface of the substrate and outside each one of the lid sealing regions;
• d. forming a first layer of solderable material on each one of the lid sealing regions;
• e. on an optically transparent wafer, forming a second layer of solderable material in a pattern conforming to the first layer of solderable material;
• f. aligning the first layer of solderable material to the second layer of solderable material while providing a layer of solder therebetween;
• and
• g. applying heat to melt the solder and seal the optically transparent wafer to the lid sealing regions,
• wherein the first layer of solderable material and the second layer of solderable material each have a substantially uniform cross section around their respective lengths.

A method of forming an hermetic seal between a plurality of lids from an optically transparent wafer and a wafer of semiconductor devices, wherein at least one of the lids and its respective semiconductor device are not parallel to one another, the method comprising the steps of:

• a. providing a plurality of active semiconductor devices on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. forming a substantially planarized lid sealing region surrounding each one of the active semiconductor devices;
• c. forming means for electrically coupling to each one of the active semiconductor devices on the surface of the substrate and outside each respective one of the lid sealing regions;
• d. concurrently forming a first layer of solderable material on the lid sealing regions;
• e. on an optically transparent wafer, forming a second layer of solderable material in a pattern conforming to the first layer of solderable material;
• f. aligning the first layer of solderable material to the second layer of solderable material while providing a layer of solder therebetween;
• and
• g. applying heat to melt the solder and seal the wafer to the lid sealing regions,
• wherein at least one of the first layer of solderable material and the second layer of solderable material each have a substantially non-uniform cross section around their respective lengths;
• h. concurrently separating the semiconductor devices from the lids to form units;
• and
• i. re-heating the units to provide a non-parallel relationship between the lids and their respective semiconductor devices.

A microelectronic machine (EM) having an hermetic seal comprising:

• a. a substrate on which is formed an active MEM device;
• b. a lid sealing region surrounding the active MEM device;
• c. a layer polymetric epoxy formed over the lid sealing region;
• and
• d. a lid formed over the layer of polymetric epoxy forming an hermetic seal thereby.

A display device comprising:

• a. a light modulator formed on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. a lid sealing region surrounding the light modulator;
• c. a plurality of bond pads positioned adjacent the lid sealing region and away from the light modulator;
• d. a layer of polymetric epoxy formed over the lid sealing region;
• and
• e. a transparent lid formed over the layer of polymetric epoxy forming an hermetic seal thereby.

A method of forming an hermetic seal to a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• a. providing an active semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. forming a substantially planarized lid sealing region surrounding the active semiconductor device;
• c. forming means for electrically coupling to the active semiconductor device on the surface of the substrate and outside the lid sealing region;
• d. forming a layer of polymetric epoxy on the lid sealing region;
• e. providing an optically transparent lid sized to conform to the lid sealing region;
• f. aligning the lid to the layer of polymetric epoxy;
• and
• g. applying heat to melt the polymetric epoxy and seal the lid to the lid sealing region.

A microelectronic machine (MEM) having an hermetic seal comprising:

• a. a substrate on which is formed an active MEM device;
• b. a lid sealing region surrounding the active MEM device;
• c. a layer glass frit formed over the lid sealing region;
• and
• d. a lid formed over the layer of glass frit forming an hermetic seal thereby.

A display device comprising:

• a. a light modulator formed on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. a lid sealing region surrounding the light modulator;
• c. a plurality of bond pads positioned adjacent the lid sealing region and away from the light modulator;
• d. a layer of glass frit formed over the lid sealing region;
• and
• e. a transparent lid formed over the layer of glass frit forming an hermetic seal thereby.

A method of forming an hermetic seal to a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• a. providing an active semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. forming a substantially planarized lid sealing region surrounding the active semiconductor device;
• c. forming means for electrically coupling to the active semiconductor device on the surface of the substrate and outside the lid sealing region;
• d. forming a layer of glass frit on the lid sealing region;
• e. providing an optically transparent lid sized to conform to the lid sealing region;
• f. aligning the lid to the layer of glass frit;
• and
• g. applying heat to melt the glass frit and seal the lid to the lid sealing region.

An optical device comprising:

• a. MEM formed on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. a lid sealing region surrounding the MEM;
• c. a plurality of bond pads positioned adjacent the lid sealing region and away from the MEM;
• d. a first layer of solderable material formed over the lid sealing region;
• e. a layer of solder formed over the first layer of solderable material;
• f. a second layer of solderable material formed over the solder;
• and
• g. a transparent lid formed over the second layer of solderable material forming an hermetic seal thereby.

An optical device comprising:

• a. a MEM formed on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. a lid sealing region surrounding the MEM;
• c. a plurality of bond pads positioned adjacent the lid sealing region and away from the MEM;
• d. a layer of polymetric epoxy formed over the lid sealing region, and
• e. a transparent lid formed over the layer of polymetric epoxy forming an hermetic seal thereby.

An optical device comprising:

• a. a MEM formed on a semiconductor substrate;
• b. a lid sealing region surrounding the MEM;
• c. a plurality of bond pads positioned adjacent the lid sealing region and away from the MEM;
• d. a layer of glass frit formed over the lid sealing region;
• and
• e. a transparent lid formed over the layer of glass frit forming an hermetic seal thereby.