Analyte sensor package and method for analyzing fluid samples

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11850586-B2
Application number	US-201816634391-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2018
Priority date	Jul 27, 2017
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A sensor package, a sensor system, and a method for fabricating the sensor package are described that include a sensing chip having dispense chemistry disposed over an array of conductive elements. In an implementation, the sensor package may include a sensing chip that may include at least one conductive element, wherein the at least one conductive element may be part of an array of conductive elements defining a M by N matrix, where M is a number of rows of the at least one conductive element and N is a number of columns of the at least one conductive element. The sensing chip may further include dispense chemistry that may be disposed on the at least one conductive element and at least one contact pad. The sensor package may further include a microfluidic cap that may be positioned over at least a portion of the sensing chip, wherein the microfluidic cap and the sensing chip may define a cavity that may be configured to receive a fluid sample. The microfluidic cap may further include at least one electrode that may be configured to sense an analyte in the fluid sample. The at least one electrode may be coupled to the at lease one contact pad of the sensing chip via a conductive adhesive.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor assembly, comprising:
a sensor chip, comprising:
an array of conductive elements supported on the sensor chip,
dispense chemistry disposed on at least one conductive element of the array of conductive elements, and
at least one contact pad disposed on the sensor chip and spaced apart from the array of conductive elements; and

a microfluidic cap coupled to the sensor chip so that the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip define a first cavity that is located between the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip, the microfluidic cap comprising an electrode coupled to the at least one contact pad of the sensor chip via a conductive adhesive, the conductive adhesive located within the first cavity, the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip define a second cavity that is located between the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip, the second cavity configured to receive a fluid sample, the electrode in electrical communication with the second cavity for measuring an impedance or capacitance of the fluid sample when the fluid sample is present within the second cavity, the measured impedance or capacitance based on an analyte present within the fluid sample.

2. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is further configured to transmit an electrical signal through a fluid sample to the at least one conductive element.

3. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sensor chip further comprises at least one bonding pad configured to connect the sensor chip with a printed circuit board, the at least one bonding pad comprising one of: a wire bonding connection or a solder bump connection.

4. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the microfluidic cap comprises one of: a glass material or a polymer material.

5. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the conductive adhesive comprises glass fibers configured to bond the microfluidic cap with the sensing chip.

6. The sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the array of conducting elements are arranged in an M by N matrix that includes at least one dummy element configured to provide an alternating current (AC) ground.

7. A sensor system, comprising:
a base substrate; and
a sensor assembly coupled to the base substrate, the sensor assembly comprising:
a sensor chip, comprising:
an array of conductive elements supported by the sensor chip,
dispense chemistry disposed on at least one conductive element of the array of conductive elements, and
at least one contact pad disposed on the sensor chip and spaced apart from the array of conductive elements; and

a microfluidic cap coupled to the sensor chip so that the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip define a first cavity that is located between the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip, the microfluidic cap comprising an electrode coupled to the at least one contact pad of the sensor chip via a conductive adhesive, the conductive adhesive located within the first cavity, the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip define a second cavity located between the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip, the second cavity configured to receive a fluid sample, the electrode in electrical communication with the second cavity for measuring an impedance or capacitance of the fluid sample when the fluid sample is present within the second cavity, the measured impedance or capacitance based on an analyte present within the fluid sample.

8. The sensor system of claim 7 , wherein the electrode is further configured to transmit an electrical signal through a fluid sample to the at least one conductive element.

9. The sensor system of claim 7 , wherein the sensor chip further comprises at least one bonding pad configured to connect the sensor chip with a printed circuit board, the at least one bonding pad comprising one of: a wire bonding connection or a solder bump connection.

10. The sensor system of claim 7 , further comprising one of:
a spacer bead disposed between the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip and configured to control cavity spacing between the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip or a spacer rod disposed between the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip and configured to control cavity spacing between the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip.

11. The sensor system of claim 7 , further comprising:
an encapsulation layer disposed on at least a portion of the sensor chip and the conductive adhesive.

12. A method for fabricating a sensor assembly, comprising:
placing dispense chemistry on at least one conductive element of a sensor chip, wherein the at least one conductive element is part of an array of conductive elements defining a M by N matrix, where M is a number of rows of the array of conductive elements and N is a number of columns of the array of conductive elements, and wherein the sensor chip further comprises at least one contact pad disposed on the sensor chip and spaced apart from the array of conductive elements;
placing a conductive adhesive on the at least one contact pad;
positioning an electrode on a microfluidic cap; and
coupling the electrode of the microfluidic cap to the at least one contact pad of the sensor chip via the conductive adhesive such that the microfluidic cap is positioned over at least a portion of the sensor chip, the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip defining a first cavity that is located between the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip, the conductive adhesive located within the first cavity, the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip define a second cavity that is located between the microfluidic cap and the sensor chip, the second cavity configured to receive a fluid sample.

13. The method for fabricating the sensor assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
allowing dispense chemistry to dry to form a plurality of dispense chemistry islands on the array of conductive elements with a separation distance between different dispense chemistry islands.

14. The method for fabricating the sensor assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
encapsulating at least a portion of the sensor chip and the conductive adhesive with an encapsulation layer.

Assignees

• Maxim Integrated Products

Inventors

• Jones Joy T
• Koo Ronald B
• Schroeder Paul G
• Song Albert
• Uppili Sudarsan
• Yan Xiaoming
• Luo Qi
• Cahill Sean

Classifications

• H10W72/5449

  not being orthogonal to a side surface of the chip, e.g. fan-out arrangements · CPC title

• H10W72/932

  Plan-view shape, i.e. in top view · CPC title

• H10W99/00

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• B01L3/502715 Primary

  characterised by interfacing components, e.g. fluidic, electrical, optical or mechanical interfaces · CPC title

• B01L3/502707

  characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components · CPC title