Patent · US Active

Planar microshells for vacuum encapsulated devices and damascene method of manufacture

US7923790B1 · kind B1 · utility

92Cited by
37References
54Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 9, 2007
Grant dateApr 12, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 21, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB81C2203/0771
  • WIPO fieldMicro-structural and nano-technology
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

Low temperature, multi-layered, planar microshells for encapsulation of devices such as MEMS and microelectronics. The microshells include a planar perforated pre-sealing layer, below which a non-planar sacrificial layer is accessed, and a sealing layer to close the perforation in the pre-sealing layer after the sacrificial material is removed. In an embodiment, the pre-sealing layer has perforations formed with a damascene process to be self-aligned to the chamber below the microshell. The sealing layer may include a nonhermetic layer to physically occlude the perforation and a hermetic layer over the nonhermetic occluding layer to seal the perforation. In a particular embodiment, the hermetic layer is a metal which is electrically coupled to a conductive layer adjacent to the microshell to electrically ground the microshell.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.