Packaging Issues of MEMS Devices

Liwei Lin
Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering Co-Director, Berkeley Sensor and Actuator Center University of California at Berkeley
9/13/2002 Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley 1

Presentation Outline
z MEMS

Products & Packaging Issues z Microelectronics Packaging z MEMS Packaging Approaches

Integrated microfabrication processes Water bonding processes
z Summary

9/13/2002

Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

Existing MEMS Products

Device Blood Pressure Auto MAP Auto Accelerom. Auto Gyro Ink-Jet Head Disk-Drive Head Head Positioner Displays Valves Year Units (M) 1998 20 2000 52 2002 100 2002 20 2002 470 2002 1,500 2002 400 2000 1 2005 1~2 Sale (M) 22 400 ~400 ~200 8,400 12,000 ~800 300 100 Comment price drop, sale flat price dropping price dropping newer market huge market huge market new market High chip cost small market

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Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

MEMS Packaging Issues

z

MEMS Accelerometer
Example: SurfaceMicromachined Accelerometers by Analog Devices, Inc.

Key Issues
Free standing microstructures Hermetic sealing, Vacuum Temperature sensitive ADXL50 by Analog Devices, Inc. microelectronics
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Example Optical MEMS

z

Optical MEMS
Example: surfacemicromachined DMD by Texas Instrument Projection Optics

Key Issues
Free standing DMD microstructures Hermetic sealing Color Temperature sensitive Wheel microelectronics

Lamp

Projected Image

TIs DMDTM Chip for Projection Display

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Example BioMEMS & Microfluidics

z

Microfluidics
Example: diffusionbased sensor by Micronics Inc.

Key Issues
Micro-to-Macro interconnector Good sealing Temperature sensitive materials
Micronics Inc.s T sensor
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Example RF MEMS
z

MEMS Relay
Example: micromachined RF relay by Omron with a needle (1 billion operation, 0.5 msec)

Key Issues
Free standing microstructures Hermetic sealing Vacuum encapsulation ?
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Omrons MEMS RF relay

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Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

IC and MEMS Packaging

z

IC Packaging
well-developed (dicing, wire bonding ...) 30% to 95% of the whole manufacturing cost

MEMS Packaging
specially designed packaging processes difficult due to moving structures, chemicals ... the most expensive process in micromachining

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Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

Microelectronics Packaging
z

Electronic Package Hierarchy

Chip Module (1st level) Card (2nd level) Board (3rd level) Gate (4th level)

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Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

Approach
z

To adopt IC packaging processes as much as possible To protect MEMS devices and follow IC packaging processes Encapsulations (caps) are required

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Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

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NSF CAREER Award, Division of Electrical & Communication Systems, 5/98-4/2002 Rated No. 1 in the panel

MEMS Post-Packaging
z

MEMS Packaging Processes

Integrated Processes
Highly process dependent, not versatile Not suitable for post-processing

Wafer Bonding Processes

Need high temperature which may damage microelectronics or temperature sensitive MEMS materials Require very smooth and flat surfaces

Localized Heating & Bonding Processes

Localized Eutectic, Fusion bonding and others

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Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

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DARPA BAA98-43, MTO/MEMS Program, 5/98 - 4/2001 US patent, No. 6,232,150, May 15, 2001

Massively Parallel Post-Packaging

Innovative Approach Industrial Participants
- Analog Devices Inc. - Motorola Inc. - Delco Electronics Corp. - Honeywell Inc. - Ford Motor Company - SiTek Inc. ...

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Rationale: Localized Heating

High temperature is confined Temperature is controllable

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Lin, Cheng and Najafi, Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 11B, pp. 1412-1414, 1998

Localized Eutectic Bonding

Surface +

Conventional oven, Si-Au Localized eutectic bonding eutectic bonding - uniformity?? excellent bonding strength

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Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

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Cheng, Lin and Najafi, IEEE/ASME J. of MEMS, Vol. 9, pp. 3-8, 2000

Localized Fusion Bonding

Surface +

Silicon-to-glass fusion After HF dipping bonding - heater disappeared excellent bonding result

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Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

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Cheng, Lin and Najafi, IEEE/ASME J. of MEMS, Vol. 10, pp. 392-399, 2001

Localized Solder Bonding

Indium solder as intermediate layer - Al Dew Point Sensor

Surface +

Before Bonding

After Bonding

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Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

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Su and Lin, MEMS01

Localized Plastics Bonding

z

Surface +

Plastics to Silicon, to Glass and to Plastics bonding

Direct encapsulation of liquid

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Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

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Luo and Lin, Transducers01

Nanosecond Laser Welding

Surface +

Ultrafast bonding, Restricted heating zone, Parallel packaging

Patterns which pre-define Bonding areas
Mask
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Mask

Bonding results

Kim and Lin, MEMS02, pp. 415-418, 2002

Ultrasonic Bonding and Sealing

Lateral

vibration setup for ultrasonic bonding

Al

Before Bonding Native Al Oxide

After Bonding
Al Al

Load Control Unit Horn Die Holder Piezoelectric Actuator Fixture

Al

Glass Cover Si Chip

In/Al (5 m) Au/Al (0.6, 1 m)

Guide-Slider
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Cao and Lin, HH02, 2002

Selective Induction Bonding

z z

This method has great potential for wafer-level selective packaging processes The bonding time can be very fast and the heating zone can be well confined by remote heating source
Solder Substrate Ring
10m Glass to metal bonding Glass to glass bondng

Coil

Sample

Substrate Platform

50m

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Chiao and Lin, Sensors and Actuators, Vol. 91A, pp. 404-408, 2001

RTP Bonding (Al to Glass or Nitride)

RTP (Rapid Thermal Processing) for device encapsulations (750oC for 10 seconds)

Surface +

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Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

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Lin et. al., Microelectromechanical Filters for Signal Processing, IEEE/ASME J. of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 7, pp.286-294, 1998

LPCVD Selective Encapsulation

SEM Microphoto Measured Spectrum, Q = 2200

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Cheng, Hsu, Lin, Najafi and Nguyen, MEMS01, pp. 18-21, 2001

Localized Vacuum Encapsulation

Vacuum encapsulated comb resonator under a glass cap

Surface +

Long-term testing under the vacuum packaged cavity

12000 9000
Q factor

6000 3000 0 0 4 8 12 16 20 24

Weeks
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Chiao and Lin, Hilton Head02

RTP Vacuum Packaging Results

2000 1800

1500

Quality Factor

1000

500 200 0

400

Time of Pre-Baking in Vacuum ( hours)

z z

12

Quality Factor~ 1800? 200 Pressure inside the package ~ 200mTorr

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Quality factor increases with the pre-baking time

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Liwei Lin, University of California at Berkeley

MEMS Packaging Summary

z

Localized thermal bonding processes

Eutectic, fusion, solder, laser welding, ultrasonic, plastic bonding processes

z z

RTP bonding
Aluminum-to-glass, aluminum-to-nitride

Vacuum packaging processes

Integrated LPCVD nitride sealing Localized aluminum-glass bonding RTP aluminum-nitride bonding

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Acknowledgements
z

Researchers
Dr. Y.T. Cheng Localized resistive heating & bonding Dr. M. Chiao RTP bonding Dr. C. Luo Nanosecond laser welding Mr. Y.C. Su Plastic bonding Mr. J.B. Kim Ultrasonic bonding Mr. A. Cao Inductive heating and bonding

Funding sources
NSF CAREER AWARD, DMII grant DARPA/MTO/MEMS Program, DARPA/DSO/BioFlips program

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