Multi-transducer modulus, electronic apparatus including the multi-transducer modulus and method for manufacturing the multi-transducer modulus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10605684-B2
Application number	US-201715605559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2017
Priority date	Nov 30, 2016
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A transducer modulus, comprising: a supporting substrate; a cap, which is arranged on the supporting substrate and defines a chamber therewith; a pressure transducer in the chamber; an acoustic transducer in the chamber; and a processing chip, or ASIC, operatively coupled to the pressure transducer and to the acoustic transducer. The pressure transducer and the acoustic transducer are arranged on top of one another to form a stack.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A transducer modulus, comprising:
a supporting substrate;
a cap coupled to the supporting substrate, the cap and the supporting structure defining a chamber;
a stack in the chamber, the stack including:
a pressure transducer having a first sensitive element configured to detect an environmental pressure and generate a first transduced signal as a function of the environmental pressure detected; and
an acoustic transducer coupled to the pressure transducer, the acoustic transducer having a second sensitive element configured to detect a sound wave and generate a second transduced signal as a function of the sound wave detected, wherein the first sensitive element of the pressure transducer and the second sensitive element of the acoustic transducer are stacked vertically with respect to each other;

a layer of adhesive material that forms a fluid-tight region between the pressure transducer and the acoustic transducer; and
a processing chip housed at least in part in the chamber, the processing chip operatively coupled to the pressure transducer and to the acoustic transducer and configured to receive the first and second transduced signals.

2. The transducer modulus according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic transducer is arranged on the pressure transducer.

3. The transducer modulus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the supporting substrate includes an access opening configured to provide a path for the sound wave and the environmental pressure to enter the chamber;
the stack includes a cavity between the second sensitive element and the pressure transducer forming, at least in part, a front chamber of the acoustic transducer; and
the pressure transducer is integrated in a first sensor chip having a through hole adapted to set in fluidic communication the access opening with the cavity to form an access path for providing the sound wave to the second sensitive element.

4. The transducer modulus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the cap includes an access opening configured to provide a path for the sound wave and the environmental pressure to enter the chamber;
the stack has a first cavity between the second sensitive element and the pressure transducer forming, at least in part, a back chamber of the acoustic transducer, and
the acoustic transducer is integrated in a second sensor chip.

5. The transducer modulus according to claim 4 , wherein the pressure transducer is integrated in a first sensor chip suspended over the supporting substrate, thereby defining a second cavity between the first sensor chip and the supporting substrate,
wherein the first sensor chip has a through hole that fluidicly couples the first cavity with the second cavity.

6. The transducer modulus according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure transducer is coupled to the supporting substrate by one or more from among: a layer of glue, an adhesive layer, and a solder mask.

7. The transducer modulus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the pressure transducer has a first surface facing the chamber and includes the first sensitive element, wherein the pressure transducer is coupled to the supporting substrate at the first surface by solder bumps arranged at a distance from one another so as to form one or more fluidic paths towards the chamber; and
the supporting substrate has a through opening that provides an access path of the environmental pressure towards the first sensitive element, the through opening and the one or more fluidic passages between the solder bumps forms an access path of the sound wave to the second sensitive element.

8. The transducer modulus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the pressure transducer has a first surface, the first sensitive element located at the first surface, the pressure transducer being further coupled to the supporting substrate at the first surface by solder bumps and a fluid-tight annular region that surrounds the solder bumps;
the supporting substrate has a through opening forming an fluidic access path for providing the environmental pressure to the first sensitive element; and
the cap has a respective window facing the chamber and forming an access path for providing the sound wave to the second sensitive element.

9. The transducer modulus according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic transducer is coupled to the pressure transducer by a layer of glue that forms a fluid-tight frame-shaped or ring-shaped region.

10. The transducer modulus according to claim 9 , wherein the layer of glue has a thickness between 10 μm and 100 μm.

11. The transducer modulus according to claim 1 , wherein the stack includes the pressure transducer arranged on the acoustic transducer.

12. The transducer modulus according to claim 11 , wherein the acoustic transducer is coupled to the supporting substrate by at least one coupling region that includes at least one of a solder mask, a layer of glue, or an adhesive layer.

13. The transducer modulus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing chip is operatively coupled to the pressure transducer and to the acoustic transducer by wire bonds.

14. The transducer modulus according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting substrate includes semiconductor material or epoxy resin.

15. The transducer modulus according to claim 1 , wherein the second sensitive element includes a diaphragm and a backplate capacitively coupled the diaphragm, the diaphragm being configured to deflect as a function of sound waves received and thus generate the second transduced signal.

16. A transducer modulus comprising:
a supporting substrate having a first through opening;
a cap coupled to the supporting substrate, the cap including a second through opening, the cap and the supporting structure defining a first chamber, the second through opening being in fluid communication with the first chamber;
a stack in the chamber covering the first through opening, the stack including:
a pressure transducer having a first sensitive element configured to detect an environmental pressure and generate a first transduced signal as a function of the environmental pressure detected; and
an acoustic transducer coupled to the pressure transducer, the acoustic transducer having a second sensitive element configured to detect a sound wave and generate a second transduced signal as a function of the sound wave detected, wherein the pressure transducer is coupled to the acoustic transducer by at least one coupling layer of glue having a thickness between 30 μm and 100 μm; and

a processing chip housed at least in part in the chamber, the processing chip operatively coupled to the pressure transducer and to the acoustic transducer and configured to receive the first and second transduced signals.

17. The transducer modulus according to claim 16 , wherein the cap has a through opening that provides an access path for providing the environmental pressure to the first sensitive element, and the supporting substrate has a through opening configured to that provides an access path for providing the sound wave to the second sensitive element.

18. An electronic apparatus, comprising:
a microprocessor; and
a transducer modulus coupled to the microprocessor, the transducer modulus including:
a substrate;
a cap coupled to the substrate and forming an inner chamber;
a pressure transducer and an acoustic transducer in the chamber and coupled to each other in vertically-stacked manner and forming an internal chamber, the pressure transducer having a first sensitive element configured to detect an environmental pressure and gener

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Srl

Inventors

• Gritti Alex
• Ghidoni Marco Omar

Classifications

• G01L19/147

  Details about the mounting of the sensor to support or covering means · CPC title

• G01L11/06

  Ultrasonic means · CPC title

• H04R2201/003

  Mems transducers or their use · CPC title

• G01L9/0054

  integral with a semiconducting diaphragm · CPC title

• G01L2019/0053

  Pressure sensors associated with other sensors, e.g. for measuring acceleration, temperature · CPC title