Integrated capacitance sensing module and associated system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9638549-B2
Application number	US-201514729250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 3, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

An integrated capacitance sensing module includes a silicon substrate, a first and a second and a third interlayer dielectric layers, plural conducting layers, a shielding layer, a lower and a upper sensing electrode layers, a protective coating layer. An embedded memory and a sensing circuit are constructed in the silicon substrate. The first interlayer dielectric layer covers the silicon substrate. The plural conducting layers are formed over the first interlayer dielectric layer. The shielding layer is formed over the plural conducting layers. The second interlayer dielectric layer covers the shielding layer. The lower sensing electrode layer is formed over the second interlayer dielectric layer. The third interlayer dielectric layer is formed over the lower sensing electrode layer. The upper sensing electrode layer is formed over the third interlayer dielectric layer. The protective coating layer covers the upper sensing electrode layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated capacitance sensing module, comprising:
a silicon substrate, wherein an embedded memory and a sensing circuit are constructed in the silicon substrate and fabricated at the same time;
a first interlayer dielectric layer covering the silicon substrate;
plural conducting layers formed over the first interlayer dielectric layer;
a shielding layer formed over the plural conducting layers;
a second interlayer dielectric layer covering the shielding layer;
a lower sensing electrode layer formed over the second interlayer dielectric layer;
a third interlayer dielectric layer formed over the lower sensing electrode layer;
an upper sensing electrode layer formed over the third interlayer dielectric layer; and
a protective coating layer covering the upper sensing electrode layer,
wherein the upper sensing electrode layer and the lower sensing electrode layer are electrically connected with the sensing circuit through the conducting layers;
wherein the embedded memory is a nonvolatile memory and the embedded memory comprises: a first PMOS transistor comprising a select gate, a first p-type doped region, and a second p-type doped region, wherein the first p-type doped region and a second p-type doped region are constructed in a N-well region of the silicon substrate, the N-well region is connected to a N-well voltage, the select gate is connected to a select gate voltage, and the first p-type doped region is connected to a source line voltage; a second PMOS transistor comprising the second p-type doped region, a third p-type doped region, and a floating gate, wherein the third p-type doped region is constructed in the N-well region of the silicon substrate, and the third p-type doped region is connected to a bit line voltage; and an erase gate region adjacent to the floating gate, wherein the erase gate region comprises a first n-type doped region connected to an erase line voltage and a first P-well region connected to a P-well voltage, and the first n-type doped region is constructed in the first P-well region of the silicon substrate; and
wherein the embedded memory further comprises: a first NMOS transistor comprising a first gate structure, a second n-type doped region, and a third n-type doped region, wherein the second n-type doped region and the third n-type doped region are constructed in a second P-well region of the silicon substrate; a first NMOS capacitor comprising a second gate structure and the third n-type doped region; and a second NMOS capacitor comprising a third gate structure and the third n-type doped region.

2. The integrated capacitance sensing module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shielding layer is aligned with the embedded memory region for preventing electromagnetic interference, so that the embedded memory is operated normally.

3. The integrated capacitance sensing module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shielding layer receives a control voltage.

4. The integrated capacitance sensing module as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a noise reduction circuit, wherein the noise reduction circuit provides the control voltage to the shielding layer through the plural conducting layers.

5. The integrated capacitance sensing module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lower sensing electrode layer, the upper sensing electrode layer and the sensing circuit are collaboratively formed as a capacitor sensor, wherein the capacitor sensor is electrically connected with the embedded memory through the plural conducting layers.

6. The integrated capacitance sensing module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lower sensing electrode layer comprises plural first electrodes, and the upper sensing electrode layer comprises plural second electrodes, wherein the first electrodes and the second electrodes are perpendicular to each other and collaboratively formed as a capacitor array.

7. A system, comprising:
an integrated capacitance sensing module comprising an embedded memory and a capacitor sensor constructed in a silicon substrate; and
a processing circuit electrically connected to the integrated capacitance sensing module, wherein the processing circuit controls the capacitor sensor to generate a user scan data, and the user scan data is stored in the embedded memory;
wherein the embedded memory is a nonvolatile memory and the embedded memory comprises: a first PMOS transistor comprising a select gate, a first p-type doped region, and a second p-type doped region, wherein the first p-type doped region and a second p-type doped region are constructed in a N-well region of the silicon substrate, the N-well region is connected to a N-well voltage, the select gate is connected to a select gate voltage, and the first p-type doped region is connected to a source line voltage; a second PMOS transistor comprising the second p-type doped region, a third p-type doped region, and a floating gate, wherein the third p-type doped region is constructed in the N-well region of the silicon substrate, and the third p-type doped region is connected to a bit line voltage; and an erase gate region adjacent to the floating gate, wherein the erase gate region comprises a first n-type doped region connected to an erase line voltage and a first P-well region connected to a P-well voltage, and the first n-type doped region is constructed in the first P-well region of the silicon substrate; and
wherein the embedded memory further comprises: a first NMOS transistor comprising a first gate structure, a second n-type doped region, and a third n-type doped region, wherein the second n-type doped region and the third n-type doped region are constructed in a second P-well region of the silicon substrate; a first NMOS capacitor comprising a second gate structure and the third n-type doped region; and a second NMOS capacitor comprising a third gate structure and the third n-type doped region.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising an input/output interface circuit, wherein the input/output interface circuit is connected to the processing circuit, and the processing circuit, the input/output interface circuit and the integrated capacitance sensing module are fixed on a circuit board.

9. The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the embedded memory further comprises an error correction circuit, wherein after an error correction process is performed on the user scan data by the error correction circuit, the user scan data is stored in the embedded memory.

10. The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the embedded memory comprises a first storage zone for storing the user scan data and a second storage zone for storing a program code of the processing circuit.

11. The system as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the integrated capacitance sensing module comprises:
a first interlayer dielectric layer covering the silicon substrate;
plural conducting layers formed over the first interlayer dielectric layer;
a shielding layer formed over the plural conducting layers;
a second interlayer dielectric layer covering the shielding layer;
a lower sensing electrode layer formed over the second interlayer dielectric layer;
a third interlayer dielectric layer formed over the lower sensing electrode layer;
an upper sensing electrode layer formed over the third interlayer dielectric layer; and
a protective coating layer covering the upper sensing electrode layer,
wherein the upper sensing electrode layer and the lower sensing electrode layer are electrically connected with the sensing circuit through the conducting layers.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the shielding layer is aligned with the embedded memory region for preventing e

Assignees

• Ememory Technology Inc

Inventors

• Chen Wei-Ren
• Lee Wen-Hao
• Liu Hsin-Chou
• Yang Ching-Sung

Classifications

• H10W42/20

  protecting against electromagnetic or particle radiation, e.g. light, X-rays, gamma-rays or electrons · CPC title

• H01L2924/0002

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L23/552

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G01D5/24 Primary

  by varying capacitance · CPC title

• G11C29/1201

  comprising I/O circuitry · CPC title