# US 2025/0085182 A1 · Low stress packaging for environmental sensors > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0085182 A1 - Document ID: US20250085182A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/464,497 - Filed: 2023-09-11 - Published: 2025-03-13 - Earliest claimed: 2023-09-11 - Assignees: NXP USA, Inc. - Applicants: NXP USA, Inc. - Inventors: Chayathorn Saklang; Stephen Ryan Hooper; Julien Juéry - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250085182A1 ## CPC - G01L 19/14: Housings {(G01L19/0007, G01L19/0084, G01L19/0092, G01L19/04, G01L19/06 take precedence)} - G01L 19/147: {Details about the mounting of the sensor to support or covering means} - B81B 7/0025: {Protection against chemical alteration} - B81B 7/0061: {suitable for fluid transfer from the MEMS out of the package or vice versa, e.g. transfer of liquid, gas, sound} - G01L 9/0041: {Transmitting or indicating the displacement of flexible diaphragms} - G01L 19/0038: {being part of the housing (other details about the housing G01L19/14)} - G01L 19/0627: {Protection against aggressive medium in general} - B81B 2201/0264: Pressure sensors - G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G) - B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00) ## Abstract One or more sensor devices are encapsulated on a top surface of a carrier substrate within an elastomer material. The carrier substrate includes one or more recessed channels adjacent to each sensor device which are filled by a portion of the elastomer material to create flanged areas that are level with the top surface of the carrier substrate. A cover which can include a liquid or gas input port or other related structures can be placed over each sensor device and bonded to the carrier substrate at the flanged areas, creating a seal between the cover and the carrier substrate that surrounds each sensor device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: encapsulating a first sensor device on a top surface of carrier substrate within a volume of elastomer material, wherein the first sensor device is adjacent to a first recessed channel in the carrier substrate; wherein the volume of elastomer material has a first height above the carrier substrate in a first region above the first sensor device; wherein a portion of the volume of elastomer material fills the first recessed channel and forms a first flanged area that is recessed below the first height in a second region adjacent to the first region; and wherein the method further comprises bonding a cover to the first flanged area in the second region that overlies the volume of elastomer material such that the cover is separated from the volume of elastomer material by a gap within the first region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing adhesive material on the first flanged area and bonding the cover to the top surface of the first flanged area via the adhesive material disposed on the flange. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing adhesive material on a portion of a bottom surface of the cover corresponding to the first flanged area and bonding the cover to the top surface of the first flanged area via the adhesive material disposed on said portion of the bottom surface of the cover. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor device is a pressure sensor having a predetermined pressure range of operation and wherein the elastomer material is configured to deform in response to ambient pressures within the range of operation of the pressure sensor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4 wherein the gap between the cover and the elastomer material is dimensioned such that the cover and the elastomer material remain separated by the gap over the pressure range of operation of the pressure sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the cover includes a port having an opening above the pressure sensor through which the elastomer material above the pressure sensor is exposed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the elastomer material has an elastic modulus that is larger than an elastic modulus of the elastomer material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: encapsulating a second sensor device on the carrier substrate within the volume of elastomer material, wherein the second sensor device is adjacent to a second recessed channel in the carrier substrate that is disposed between the first sensor device and the second sensor device; wherein the volume of elastomer material has the first height above the carrier substrate in a third region above the second sensor device; and wherein the volume of elastomer material fills the second recessed channel and forms a second flanged area that is recessed below the first height between the first sensor device and the second sensor device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises bonding the cover to a top surface of the second flanged area. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: dicing the carrier substrate along a line that passes through the second recessed channel to produce a first component that includes the first sensor device and a second component that includes the second sensor device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the top surface of the carrier substrate in the first region extends to a second height above a bottom of the first recessed channel; and wherein the first flanged area extends to the second height above the bottom of the first recessed channel. ### Claim 12 A device comprising: a first sensor device disposed on a top surface of carrier substrate adjacent to first recessed channel in the carrier substrate; a volume of elastomer material disposed on the carrier substrate that encapsulates the first sensor device; and a cover disposed above the volume of elastomer material; wherein the volume of elastomer material has a first height above the carrier substrate in a first region above the first sensor device; wherein a portion of the volume of elastomer material fills the first recessed channel to form a first flanged area that is recessed below the first height in a second region adjacent to the first region; and wherein the cover is bonded to the first flanged area in the second region that overlies the volume of elastomer material such that the cover is separated from the volume of elastomer material by a gap within the first region. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein the cover is bonded to the first flanged area via an adhesive material disposed between a bottom surface of the cover and the top surface of the first flanged area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein the first sensor device is a pressure sensor having a predetermined range of operation and wherein the elastomer material is configured to deform in response to ambient pressures within the range of operation of the pressure sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14 wherein gap between the cover and the elastomer material is dimensioned such that the cover and the elastomer material remain separated by the gap over the range of operation of the pressure sensor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the cover includes a fluid port having an opening above the pressure sensor through which the elastomer material above the pressure sensor is exposed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the cover has an elastic modulus that is larger than an elastic modulus of the elastomer material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The device of claim 17 wherein the elastic modulus of the cover is at least one-thousand times larger than the elastic modulus of the elastomer material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, further comprising: a second sensor device disposed on the top surface of the carrier substrate and encapsulated within the volume of elastomer material, wherein the second sensor device is adjacent to a second recessed channel in the carrier substrate that is disposed between the first sensor device and the second sensor device; wherein the volume of elastomer material has the first height above the carrier substrate in a third region above the second sensor device; and wherein the volume of elastomer material fills the second recessed channel and forms a second flanged area that is recessed below the first height between the first sensor device and the second sensor device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12, wherein the top surface of the carrier substrate in the first region extends to a second height above a bottom of the first recessed channel; and wherein the first flanged area extends to the second height above the bottom of the first recessed channel.