Microelectromechanical device with signal routing through a protective cap

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9452922-B2
Application number	US-201313922033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2013
Priority date	Jun 20, 2012
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

A microelectromechanical device includes: a body accommodating a microelectromechanical structure; and a cap bonded to the body and electrically coupled to the microelectromechanical structure through conductive bonding regions. The cap including a selection module, which has first selection terminals coupled to the microelectromechanical structure, second selection terminals, and at least one control terminal, and which can be controlled through the control terminal to couple the second selection terminals to respective first selection terminals according, selectively, to one of a plurality of coupling configurations corresponding to respective operating conditions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microelectromechanical device, comprising:
a body including a microelectromechanical structure, the microelectromechanical structure including a plurality of output terminals configured to provide respective output signals;
conductive bonding regions;
a cap bonded to the body and electrically coupled to the microelectromechanical structure through the conductive bonding regions, the cap including:
a selection module having:
first selection terminals coupled to respective ones of the plurality of output terminals of the microelectromechanical structure;
a second selection terminal; and
a control terminal configured to selectively couple one of the first selection terminals to the second selection terminal in accordance with one of a plurality of coupling configurations corresponding to respective operating conditions.

2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the selection module includes a plurality of switches having first conduction terminals coupled to respective ones of the first selection terminals and second conduction terminals coupled to the second selection terminal.

3. The device according to claim 2 wherein the selection module includes driving components configured to determine a state of each of the plurality of switches.

4. The device according to claim 3 , comprising a control device configured to provide the driving components with a clock signal.

5. The device according to claim 4 wherein the driving components are configured to receive the clock signal and to determine the state of each one of the plurality of switches as a function of the clock signal.

6. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
contact pads arranged on a surface of the cap and coupled to the second selection terminal of the selection module.

7. The device according to claim 6 , comprising through vias that couple the pads to the selection module through the cap.

8. The device according to claim 7 wherein the cap comprises a routing structure that couples the first selection terminals of the selection module to the microelectromechanical structure.

9. The device according to claim 8 wherein the routing structure couples the second selection terminal of the selection module to the pads through respective ones of the through vias.

10. An electrical system, comprising:
a control unit; and
a microelectromechanical device, coupled to the control unit, the device including:
a body including a microelectromechanical structure, the microelectromechanical structure including a plurality of output terminals configured to provide respective output signals;
conductive bonding regions;
a cap bonded to the body and electrically coupled to the microelectromechanical structure through the conductive bonding regions, the cap including a selection module having:
first selection terminals coupled to respective ones of the plurality of output terminals of the microelectromechanical structure;
a second selection terminal; and
a control terminal configured to selectively couple one of the first selection terminals to the second selection terminal in accordance with one of a plurality of coupling configurations corresponding to respective operating conditions.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the selection module includes a plurality of switches having first conduction terminals coupled to respective ones of the first selection terminals and second conduction terminals coupled to the second selection terminal.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the selection module includes driving components configured to determine a state of each of the plurality of switches.

13. A device, comprising:
a first microelectromechanical structure including a plurality of first output terminals configured to provide respective first output signals;
a second microelectromechanical structure including a plurality of second output terminals configured to provide respective second output signals;
conductive bonding regions;
a cap positioned on and electrically coupled to the first and second microelectromechanical structures through the conductive bonding regions, the cap including:
a selection module having:
first selection terminals coupled to respective ones of the plurality of first output terminals;
second selection terminals coupled to respective ones of the plurality of second output terminals;
third selection terminals; and
control terminals configured to selectively couple one of the first or second selection terminals to a respective third selection terminal in accordance with one of a plurality of coupling configurations corresponding to respective operating conditions.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the third selection terminals are fewer in number than the first selection terminals and the second selection terminals.

15. The device of claim 13 wherein the selection module includes a plurality of switches having first conduction terminals coupled to respective ones of the first selection terminals and the second selection terminals, and second conduction terminals coupled to respective ones of the third selection terminals.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the selection module includes driving components configured to determine a state of each of the plurality of switches.

17. A microelectromechanical device, comprising:
a body including a microelectromechanical structure;
conductive bonding regions;
a cap bonded to the body and electrically coupled to the microelectromechanical structure through the conductive bonding regions, the cap including a selection module having:
first selection terminals coupled to the microelectromechanical structure;
second selection terminals;
a control terminal configured to couple the second selection terminals to respective ones of the first selection terminals in accordance with one of a plurality of coupling configurations corresponding to respective operating conditions;
a plurality of switches having first conduction terminals coupled to respective ones of the first selection terminals and second conduction terminals coupled to respective ones of the second selection terminals; and
driving components configured to determine a state of each of the plurality of switches.

18. The device according to claim 17 wherein the first conduction terminals of the switches are coupled to respective distinct ones of the first selection terminals and groups of the plurality of switches have the respective ones of the second conduction terminals coupled to a same one of the second selection terminals.

19. The device according to claim 18 wherein the driving components are configured to close only one of the switches of each group at a time.

20. A device, comprising:
a first microelectromechanical structure;
a second microelectromechanical structure;
conductive bonding regions;
a cap positioned on and electrically coupled to the first and second microelectromechanical structures through the conductive bonding regions, the cap including a selection module having:
first selection terminals coupled to the first microelectromechanical structure;
second selection terminals coupled to the second microelectromechanical structure;
third selection terminals;
a control terminal configured to couple the third selection terminals to respective ones of the first or second selection terminals in accordance with one of a plurality of coupling configurations corresponding to respective operating conditions;
a plurality of switches having fi

Assignees

• St Microelectronics Srl

Inventors

• Allegato Giorgio
• Simoni Barbara
• Valzasina Carlo
• Corso Lorenzo

Classifications

• B81B2207/07

  Interconnects · CPC title

• B81B2207/092

  Buried interconnects in the substrate or in the lid · CPC title

• B81B2207/096

  through the substrate · CPC title

• B81B2207/093

  Conductive package seal · CPC title

• B81B7/007 Primary

  Interconnections between the MEMS and external electrical signals · CPC title