Substrate sensor

US6498043B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Scientific Research · US

Inventors

• Joseph H. Schulman · Santa Clarita, US
• Charles L. Byers · Santa Clarita, US
• John C. Gord · Santa Monica, US
• Rajiv Shah · Rancho Palos Verdes, US
• Lyle Dean Canfield · Lake Hughes, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 22, 2000
• Grant date: Dec 24, 2002
• Expiry date: Nov 22, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01L2924/19041
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An implantable substrate sensor has electronic circuitry and electrodes formed on opposite sides of a substrate. A protective coating covers the substrate, effectively hermetically sealing the electronic circuitry under the coating. Exposed areas of the electrodes are selectively left uncovered by the protective coating, thereby allowing such electrodes to be exposed to body tissue and fluids when the sensor is implanted in living tissue. The substrate on which the electronic circuitry and electrodes are formed is the same substrate or “chip” on which an integrated circuit (IC) is formed, which integrated circuit contains the desired electronic circuitry. Such approach eliminates the need for an hermetically sealed lid or cover to cover hybrid electronic circuitry, and allows the sensor to be made much thinner than would otherwise be possible. In one embodiment, two such substrate sensors may be placed back-to-back, with the electrodes facing outward. As required, capacitors that form part of the sensor's electronic circuits are formed on the substrate by placing metalization layers and a dielectric in vacant areas of the substrate surface.