Hot-melt sealing glass compositions and methods of making and using the same

A method of bonding a cap wafer to a device wafer so as to hermetically seal and isolate a MEMS device in a cavity defined therebetween, the method comprising:

• providing a hot-melt sealing glass composition comprising:
• from about 50% by weight to about 95% by weight of a glass component comprising one or more glass frits, and
• from about 5% by weight to about 50% by weight of a polymeric binder system that is a solid at 22.5° C. but which melts at a temperature within the range of from 35° C. to 90° C.,
• wherein the polymeric binder system is capable of complete burn-out at a temperature below 450° C., and
• wherein the glass component is capable of melting and flowing at a temperature below 500° C.
• heating the hot-melt sealing glass composition above the melting point of the polymeric binder system and below a temperature at which the polymeric binder system begins to substantially volatilize, to form a molten paste;
• depositing the molten paste onto the cap wafer and/or the device wafer by screen printing;
• allowing the deposited molten paste to re-solidify;
• positioning the cap wafer and device wafer in relation to each other such that at least the glass component of the hot-melt sealing glass composition is positioned therebetween;
• and
• firing the cap wafer and device wafer at a temperature above the melting point of the glass component to form a hermetic seal between the cap wafer and device wafer that isolates the MEMS device in the cavity defined therebetween.