Hermetically-sealed packages including feedthrough assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016192524-A1
Application number	US-201514966181-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 11, 2015
Priority date	Dec 24, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Various embodiments of a hermetically-sealed package and methods of forming such packages are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the hermetically-sealed package can include a housing and a feedthrough assembly that forms a part of the housing. The feedthrough assembly can include a non-conductive substrate and a feedthrough. The feedthrough can include a via from an outer surface to an inner surface of the non-conductive substrate, a conductive material disposed in the via, and an external contact disposed over the via on the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate. The external contact can be electrically coupled to the conductive material disposed in the via. Further, the external contact can be hermetically sealed to the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate by a laser bond surrounding the via.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hermetically-sealed package comprising a housing and a feedthrough assembly that forms a part of the housing, wherein the feedthrough assembly comprises a non-conductive substrate and a feedthrough, wherein the feedthrough comprises:
a via from an outer surface to an inner surface of the non-conductive substrate; a conductive material disposed in the via; and an external contact disposed over the via on the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate, wherein the external contact is electrically coupled to the conductive material disposed in the via, and wherein the external contact is hermetically sealed to the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate by a laser bond surrounding the via.

2 . The package of claim 1 , further comprising an internal contact disposed over the via on the inner surface of the non-conductive substrate, wherein the internal contact is electrically coupled to the conductive material in the via.

3 . The package of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic device disposed within the housing and electrically coupled to the feedthrough assembly.

4 . The package of claim 3 , wherein the electronic device comprises a multiplexer.

5 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the feedthrough assembly comprises an array of feedthroughs.

6 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the external contact of the feedthrough is adapted to provide an electrical signal to tissue of a patient.

7 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the external contact of the feedthrough is adapted to electrically couple to a lead.

8 . The package of claim 7 , wherein the feedthrough assembly comprises a plurality of feedthroughs, wherein each external contact of two or more feedthroughs is configured to electrically couple to a lead.

9 . The package of claim 3 , wherein the electronic device comprises a controller.

10 . The package of claim 3 , wherein the electronic device comprises an implantable medical device.

11 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the laser bond that hermetically seals the external contact to the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate comprises a bond line.

12 . The package of claim 11 , wherein the bond line that hermetically seals the external contact to the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate comprises an interfacial layer between the external contact and the non-conductive substrate.

13 . The package of claim 12 , wherein the interfacial layer has a thickness in a direction normal to the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate of no greater than 10 μm.

14 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the non-conductive substrate is substantially transmissive to light having a wavelength of between 1 nm and 30 μm.

15 . The package of claim 1 , further comprising a conductor disposed on the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate and electrically coupled to the external contact.

16 . The package of claim 15 , wherein the conductor comprises an antenna.

17 . The package of claim 15 , wherein the conductor comprises an inductive coil.

18 . The package of claim 1 , further comprising a second feedthrough assembly that forms a part of the housing.

19 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the non-conductive substrate is substantially transmissive to a transmitted light having a pre-determined magnitude such that the energy transmitted through the substantially transparent substrate material is at least one of: sufficient to activate the bonding process at the interface via absorption by the opaque material, and absorbable by the transparent material without melting, distorting, or otherwise modifying the bulk properties of the transparent material away from the bonding region.

20 . The package of claim 1 , wherein the feedthrough further comprises a filtering capacitor electrically coupled to the via on the inner surface of the non-conductive substrate, wherein the filtering capacitor comprises a dielectric member interposed between two conductive layers.

21 . An implantable medical device system comprising a lead, wherein the lead comprises a lead body and the hermetically-sealed package of claim 1 disposed in a distal portion of the lead body.

22 . The implantable medical device system of claim 21 , wherein the external contact of the feedthrough assembly is electrically coupled to a conductor of the lead.

23 . A method of forming a hermetically-sealed package comprising a housing, the method comprising:
forming a feedthrough assembly comprising a non-conductive substrate; and attaching the feedthrough assembly to the housing by forming a laser bond between the feedthrough assembly and the enclosure that hermetically seals the feedthrough assembly to the enclosure.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein forming the feedthrough assembly comprises:
forming a via through the non-conductive substrate, the non-conductive substrate comprising an outer surface and an inner surface; forming a conductive material in the via; forming an external contact over the via, wherein the external contact is electrically coupled to the conductive material formed in the via; and attaching the external contact to the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate by forming a laser bond that surrounds the via and hermetically seals the external contact to the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate.

25 . The method of claim 24 , further comprising electrically coupling the external contact of the feedthrough assembly to the electronics in the housing.

26 . The method of claim 23 , wherein attaching the feedthrough assembly to the housing comprises attaching a weld ring of the feedthrough assembly to the housing by forming the laser bond between the weld ring and the housing that hermetically seals the feedthrough assembly to the housing.

27 . The method of claim 23 , wherein attaching the feedthrough assembly to the housing comprises attaching the non-conductive substrate of the feedthrough assembly to the housing by forming the laser bond between the non-conductive substrate and the housing that hermetically seals the feedthrough assembly to the housing.

28 . A hermetically-sealed package comprising a housing and a feedthrough assembly that forms a part of the housing, wherein the feedthrough assembly comprises a non-conductive substrate and a feedthrough, wherein the feedthrough comprises:
a via from an outer surface to an inner surface of the non-conductive substrate; a conductive material disposed in the via; and an external contact disposed over the via on the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate, wherein the external contact is electrically coupled to the conductive material disposed in the via, and wherein the external contact is hermetically sealed to the outer surface of the non-conductive substrate by a bond line surrounding the via.

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Ruben David A

Classifications

• A61N1/3754 Primary

  Feedthroughs · CPC title

• H05K3/38

  Improvement of the adhesion between the insulating substrate and the metal · CPC title

• H05K2203/107

  Using laser light · CPC title

• H05K7/06

  on insulating boards {, e.g. wiring harnesses (for printed circuits H05K1/18, H05K3/30)} · CPC title

• H05K5/066 Primary

  sealed by fusion of the joining parts without bringing material; sealed by brazing · CPC title