MEMS chip assembly having multiple trenches

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12059898-B2
Application number	US-202017096892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2020
Priority date	May 3, 2018
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

A MEMS chip assembly includes: a support structure having a chip mounting surface; a MEMS chip mounted on the chip mounting surface, the MEMS chip having an active surface including one or more rows of MEMS devices and a row of bond pads disposed alongside a connection edge of the MEMS chip and parallel with the rows of MEMS devices; electrical connectors connected to the bond pads; and an encapsulant material covering the electrical connectors. The MEMS chip has a plurality of trenches defined in the active surface, the trenches extending parallel with the rows of MEMS devices and disposed between the bond pads and the MEMS devices. The encapsulant material does not encroach past the trenches towards the MEMS devices.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A MEMS chip assembly comprising:
a support structure having a chip mounting surface;
a MEMS chip mounted on the chip mounting surface, the MEMS chip having an active surface including one or more rows of MEMS devices and a row of bond pads disposed alongside a connection edge of the MEMS chip and parallel with the rows of MEMS devices;
electrical connectors connected to the bond pads; and
an encapsulant material covering the electrical connectors,

wherein:
the MEMS chip has a plurality of trenches defined in the active surface, the trenches extending parallel with the rows of MEMS devices;
the plurality of trenches is disposed between the bond pads and the MEMS devices; and
the encapsulant material does not encroach past the trenches towards the MEMS devices.

2. The MEMS chip assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connectors comprise wirebonds or TAB connections.

3. The MEM chip assembly of claim 1 , wherein a distance between neighboring trenches is greater than a width of each trench.

4. The MEMS chip assembly of claim 1 , wherein trenches extend parallel with the connection edge.

5. The MEMS chip assembly of claim 1 , wherein each trench has a depth in the range of 2 to 10 microns and a width in the range of 2 to 20 microns.

6. The MEMS chip assembly of claim 1 , wherein each trench has a rectangular profile in cross-section.

7. The MEMS chip assembly of claim 1 , wherein, in plan view, each trench is a linear trench.

8. The MEMS chip assembly of claim 1 , wherein the encapsulant material is a polymer applied as a liquid during encapsulation.

9. The MEMS chip assembly of claim 1 , wherein the MEMS devices are inkjet nozzle devices and the support structure is a fluid manifold for delivering ink to the inkjet nozzle devices.

10. A MEMS chip comprising a substrate having an active surface, the active surface including:
a plurality of rows of MEMS devices; and
a row of bond pads arranged alongside a connection edge of the substrate and parallel with the rows of MEMS devices,
wherein;
the MEMS chip has a plurality of trenches defined in the active surface, the trenches extending parallel with the rows of MEMS devices; and
the plurality of trenches is disposed between the bond pads and the MEMS devices.

11. The MEM chip of claim 10 , wherein a distance between neighboring trenches is greater than a width of each trench.

12. The MEMS chip of claim 10 , wherein the trenches extend parallel with the connection edge.

13. The MEMS chip of claim 10 , wherein each trench has a depth in the range of 2 to 10 microns and a width in the range of 2 to 20 microns.

14. The MEMS chip of claim 10 , wherein the MEMS devices are inkjet nozzle devices.

15. The MEMS chip of claim 10 , wherein each trench has a rectangular profile in cross-section.

16. The MEMS chip of claim 10 , wherein, in plan view, each trench is a linear trench.

Assignees

• Memjet Technology Ltd

Inventors

• Perez Elmer Dimaculangan
• North Angus
• Lowe Graeme
• Tan See-Huat
• Barton Christopher

Classifications

• B41J2/14072

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

• B41J2/14024

  Assembling head parts · CPC title

• B81B2201/052

  Ink-jet print cartridges · CPC title

• B81B7/0032

  Packages or encapsulation (processes for packaging MEMS B81C1/00261; packaging of smart-MEMS B81C1/0023) · CPC title

• B41J2202/15

  Moving nozzle or nozzle plate · CPC title