# US 9,040,335 B2 · Side vented pressure sensor device

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- Number: US 9,040,335 B2
- Document ID: US9040335B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/029,783
- Filed: 2013-09-17
- Published: 2015-03-19
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2013-09-17
- Assignees: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
- Applicants: Low Boon Yew; Chee Seng Foong; Teck Beng Lau
- Inventors: Low Boon Yew; Chee Seng Foong; Teck Beng Lau
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9040335B2

## CPC

- G01L 19/0618: {Overload protection}
- B81B 7/0029: {Protection against environmental influences not provided for in groups B81B7/0012 - B81B7/0025}
- B81B 7/0061: {suitable for fluid transfer from the MEMS out of the package or vice versa, e.g. transfer of liquid, gas, sound}
- B81C 1/00269: {Bonding of solid lids or wafers to the substrate}
- B81C 1/00904: {Multistep processes for the separation of wafers into individual elements not provided for in groups B81C1/00873 - B81C1/00896}
- B81B 2201/0264: Pressure sensors
- H10W 72/0198: {batch processes}
- H10W 72/536: {the connected ends being ball-shaped}
- H10W 72/5363: {the connected ends being wedge-shaped}
- H10W 72/884: {Die-attach connectors and bond wires}
- H10W 74/00: Encapsulations, e.g. protective coatings
- H10W 90/732: {between stacked chips}
- H10W 90/736: {between a chip and a stacked lead frame, conducting package substrate or heat sink}
- H10W 90/752: {between stacked chips}
- 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)
- B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01)
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A semiconductor sensor device has a pressure sensing die and at least one other die mounted on a substrate, and electrical interconnections that interconnect the pressure sensing die and the at least one other die. An active region of the pressure sensing die is covered with a pressure sensitive gel material, and a cap having a cavity is mounted over the pressure sensing die such that the pressure sensing die is positioned within the cavity. The cap has a side vent hole that exposes the gel covered active region of the pressure sensing die to ambient atmospheric pressure outside the sensor device. Molding compound on an upper surface of the substrate encapsulates the at least one other die and at least a portion of the cap.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of assembling a semiconductor sensor device, the method comprising:
mounting a pressure sensing die and at least one other die on a substrate;
electrically interconnecting the pressure sensing die and the at least one other die;
covering an active region of the pressure sensing die with pressure sensitive gel material;
mounting a cap having a cavity formed therein over the pressure sensing die, wherein:
the pressure sensing die is positioned within the cavity; and
the cap has a side vent stack formed thereon;
encapsulating the at least one other die and at least a portion of the cap with a molding compound on an upper surface of the substrate; and
singulating through the substrate and the molding compound such that at least a portion of the side vent stack is severed from the cap, thereby forming a vent opening in the cap that exposes the gel-covered active region of the pressure sensing die to ambient atmospheric pressure outside the sensor device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulating step comprises encapsulating all of the cap with the molding compound.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulating step comprises encapsulating all but a top of the cap with the molding compound.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
the at least one other die comprises a micro-control unit (MCU) and an acceleration sensor die;
mounting the at least one other die on the substrate comprises mounting the MCU on the substrate and mounting the acceleration-sensing die on the MCU; and
the method further comprises electrically connecting the acceleration-sensing die to the MCU.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising assembling an other sensor device on the substrate adjacent to the sensor device, wherein performing the singulation through the substrate and the molding compound separates the sensor device from the other sensor device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein performing the singulation through the substrate and the molding compound leaves a portion of the side vent stack in molding compound of the other sensor device.

### Claim 7

A semiconductor sensor device comprising:
a substrate;
a pressure sensing die and at least one other die mounted on a top side of the substrate;
electrical interconnections between the pressure sensing die and the at least one other die;
pressure sensitive gel material covering an active region of the pressure sensing die;
a cap having a cavity formed therein mounted over the pressure sensing die, wherein:
the pressure sensing die is positioned within the cavity such that the pressure sensing die is enclosed inside the cap and the substrate; and
the cap has a side vent hole formed thereon that exposes the gel covered active region of the pressure sensing die to ambient atmospheric pressure outside the sensor device, wherein the side vent hole is located between a top side of the cap and the top side of the substrate and extends in a plane parallel to said top sides; and
molding compound on an upper surface of the substrate encapsulating the at least one other die and at least a portion of the cap.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The sensor device of claim 7, further comprising a vent stack formed on a side of the cap, wherein the side vent hole is formed in the vent stack.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The sensor device of claim 7, further comprising at least a portion of a vent stack encapsulated in the molding compound, wherein the portion of the vent stack corresponds to a side vent hole of another sensor device that was separated from the sensor device during assembly by sawing through the vent stack of the other sensor device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The sensor device of claim 7, wherein the sensor device implements one of (i) a land grid array (LGA) and (ii) a ball grid array (BGA) type surface-mount package.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The sensor device of claim 7, wherein the molding compound encapsulates all but the side vent hole of the cap.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The sensor device of claim 7, wherein the molding compound encapsulates all but the side vent hole and a top of the cap.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The sensor device of claim 7, wherein the at least one other die comprises a micro-control unit (MCU).

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The sensor device of claim 13, further comprising an acceleration-sensing die mounted on the MCU, wherein the acceleration-sensing die is electrically connected to the MCU.