Integrated circuit initiator device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10480910-B2
Application number	US-201615738399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2016
Priority date	Jun 26, 2015
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

In an aspect of the invention there is provided an integrated circuit initiator device that comprises a circuit substrate provided with an electrical insulating layer; an electrical conducting bridge circuit deposited on the insulating layer; said bridge circuit patterned as contact areas and a bridge structure connecting the contact areas, said bridge structure arranged for forming a plasma when the bridge structure is fused by a initiator circuit that contacts the contact areas; and a polymer layer that is spin-coated on the bridge structure, for forming a flyer that is propelled away from the substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An integrated circuit initiator device comprising:
a circuit substrate upon which an electrical insulating layer is formed;
an electrical conducting bridge circuit formed on the electrical insulating layer, wherein said electrical conducting bridge circuit is patterned as:
a set of contact areas, and
a bridge structure connecting together individual ones of the set of contact areas;

a flyer comprising a polymer layer spin-coated on the bridge structure;
wherein said bridge structure is configured to form a plasma when the bridge structure is fused by activating an initiator circuit when electrically coupled to at least one of the set of contact areas to provide an electrical current to the bridge structure through the at least one of the set of contact areas,
wherein the flyer is propelled away from the substrate by said plasma formed after activating the initiator circuit,
wherein the bridge circuit is patterned in a doped silicon layer epitaxially deposited on the electrical insulating layer,
wherein the doped silicon layer comprises a dopant from a group III element, and
wherein the bridge circuit pattern has an ohmic resistance less than 2*10{circumflex over ( )} −5 Ohm·m.

2. The initiator device according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer layer has a layer thickness smaller than 50 microns.

3. The initiator device according to claim 2 , wherein the polymer layer is patterned.

4. The initiator device according to claim 1 , wherein the bridge structure has a layer thickness smaller than 4 microns.

5. The initiator device according to claim 1 , wherein the bridge structure is formed as having a set of tapered zones that extend from the set of contact areas into a bridging zone to define a direction of current flow along a shortest connection path between the contact areas; and wherein said bridging zone has an elongation transverse to the shortest connection path.

6. The initiator device according to claim 5 , wherein the bridging zone is connected to the set of tapered zones via rounded edges.

7. The initiator device according to claim 1 , wherein the electrical insulating layer comprises a silicon dioxide insulating material.

8. The initiator device according to claim 1 , wherein the set of contact areas comprise metal interconnection pads.

9. The initiator device according to claim 8 , wherein the metal interconnection pads are formed by aluminum deposition extending into the tapered zones.

10. The initiator device according to claim 1 , further comprising a barrel structure for guiding the flyer along a path after the bridge structure forms the plasma.

Assignees

• Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast Natuuwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• TNO

Inventors

• Scholtes Jozef Hubertus Gerardus
• Prinse Wilhelmus Cornelis
• Van Der Lans Marcus Johannes

Classifications

• F42B3/124

  characterised by the configuration or material of the bridge (F42B3/13 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F42B3/198

  of electric initiator heads {e.g., testing, machines} · CPC title

• F42B3/13 Primary

  with semiconductive bridge · CPC title

• F42C19/0811

  characterised by the generation of a plasma for initiating the charge to be ignited · CPC title

• F42B3/121

  Initiators with incorporated integrated circuit · CPC title