Microfluidic die on a support with at least one other die

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10836167-B2
Application number	US-201816179808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2018
Priority date	Dec 30, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure provides supports for a microfluidic die and one or more additional die including, but not limited to, microfluidic die, ASICs, MEMS devices, and sensors. This includes semi-flexible supports that allow a microfluidic die to be at a 90 degree angle with respect to another die and rigid supports that allow a microfluidic and another die to be in close proximity to each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microfluidic die support, comprising:
a fluid line;
a first surface and a second surface;
a first opening extending through the first and second surfaces, the first opening being aligned with the fluid line;
a second opening extending through the first and second surfaces, the second opening aligned with the fluid line;
a plurality of contact pads on the first surface;
a first microfluidic die on the first surface, the first microfluidic die is aligned with the first opening, the first microfluidic die is configured to be in fluid communication with the fluid line through the first opening; and
a second microfluidic die on the first surface, the second microfluidic die is aligned with the second opening, the second microfluidic die is configured to be in fluid communication with the fluid line through the second opening.

2. The microfluidic die support of claim 1 wherein the first die being electrically coupled to the plurality of contact pads.

3. The microfluidic die support of claim 1 further comprising a first rigid portion, a second rigid portion, and a flexible portion that separates the first and second rigid portions from each other, the first die is on the first rigid portion, and the second die is on the second rigid portion.

4. The microfluidic die support of claim 3 wherein the flexible portion has a thickness that is smaller than a thickness of the first rigid portion and smaller than a thickness of the second rigid portion.

5. The microfluidic die support of claim 1 further comprising a first rigid portion, a second rigid portion, a third rigid portion, a fourth rigid portion, and a flexible portion that separates the first rigid portion, the second rigid portion, the third rigid portion, and the fourth rigid portion from each other.

6. The microfluidic die support of claim 5 wherein the first and second rigid portions are aligned along a first axis, and the third and fourth rigid portions are aligned along a second axis that is transverse to the first axis.

7. The microfluidic die support of claim 5 wherein the first die is on the first rigid portion, and the second die is on the second rigid portion, the system further including:
a third die on the third rigid portion;
a fourth die on the fourth rigid portion; and
a fifth die on the flexible portion.

8. The microfluidic die support of claim 7 wherein the second, the third, the fourth, and the fifth die are microfluidic die.

9. A microfluidic die support, comprising:
a first portion having a first thickness;
a second portion having a second thickness;
a third portion having a third thickness, the third thickness being less than the first thickness and less than the second thickness, the first portion being separated from the second portion by the third portion, and the third portion coupling the first portion to the second portion;
a first opening in the first portion;
a second opening in the second portion;
a first die on the first portion and aligned with the first opening; and
a second die on the second portion and aligned with the second opening.

10. The microfluidic die support of claim 9 further comprising contact pads on the second portion, the first die being electrically coupled to the contact pads.

11. The microfluidic die support of claim 9 wherein the first die and the second die are microfluidic die.

12. A microfluidic die support, comprising:
a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface;
a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
a rigid portion extending from the first end to the second end and extending from the first surface to the second surface;
an opening extending through the first and the second surfaces and adjacent to the first end;
electrical contacts on the first surface and adjacent to the second end of the rigid support;
a first microfluidic die on the first surface and adjacent to the first end, the first microfluidic die aligned with the opening;
a second die on the first surface; and
a cover on the first surface and covering the second die.

13. The microfluidic die support of claim 12 , further comprising a first package that includes the cover, the support further includes through holes, the first package being coupled to the through holes.

14. The microfluidic die support of claim 13 wherein the first package further includes:
a through hole mount connector coupled to the through holes; and
a third die on the second die.

15. The microfluidic die support of claim 14 further comprising:
a first conductive wire coupling the second die to the through hole mount connector; and
a second conductive wire coupling the third die to the through hole mount connector.

16. The microfluidic die support of claim 12 wherein the second die is between the first microfluidic die and the electrical contacts.

17. The microfluidic die support of claim 16 further comprising a third die on the second die.

18. The microfluidic die support of claim 17 wherein the cover is coupled to the support and covers the second die and the third die.

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Inc

Inventors

• Dodd Simon

Classifications

• B41J2/14072 Primary

  Electrical connections, e.g. details on electrodes, connecting the chip to the outside... · CPC title

• B41J2002/14362

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• B41J2/14201

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• B41J2/1753

  Details of contacts on the cartridge, e.g. protection of contacts · CPC title

• B41J2/1433 Primary

  Structure of nozzle plates · CPC title