Finger sensor including capacitive lens and associated methods

A finger sensing device comprising:

• a mounting substrate;
• an integrated circuit (IC) die carried by said mounting substrate and comprising an array of electric field-based finger sensing elements;
• a plurality of first electrical connections coupling said mounting substrate and said IC die, said plurality of first electrical connections comprising a plurality of bond wires;
• a protective plate attached over said array of electric field-based finger sensing elements and having a dielectric constant greater than 5 in all directions and a thickness greater than 40 microns to define a capacitive lens for said array of electric field-based finger sensing elements;
• an encapsulating material adjacent said mounting substrate and said IC die and around at least said plurality of first electrical connections;
• at least one electrical conductor carried by said protective plate;
• and
• at least one second electrical connection coupling said at least one electrical conductor and said mounting substrate.

A method for making a finger sensing device comprising:

• mounting an integrated circuit (IC) die on a mounting substrate and comprising an array of electric field-based finger sensing elements;
• establishing a plurality of first electrical connections coupling the mounting substrate and the IC die;
• securing a protective plate over the array of electric field-based finger sensing elements;
• forming an encapsulating material adjacent the mounting substrate and the IC die and around at least the plurality of first electrical connections;
• and
• forming at least one electrical conductor carried by the protective plate.