GB2593479A

GB2593479A - Article with semiconductor package and method

Info

Publication number: GB2593479A
Application number: GB2004244.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Lynch Michael
Original assignee: Prevayl Ltd
Current assignee: Prevayl Ltd
Priority date: 2020-03-24
Filing date: 2020-03-24
Publication date: 2021-09-29
Anticipated expiration: 2040-03-24
Also published as: GB202004244D0; GB2593479B

Abstract

Article 200 comprises a textile material 200 and a sensor semiconductor package 100 located on the textile material 200. First and second electrically conductive yarns 203, 205 extend along at least part of the length of the textile material 200. The sensor semiconductor package 100 comprising: a first external connection terminal 103, 123; a second external connection terminal 103, 125; a semiconductor chip electrically connected to the external connection terminals 103, 123, 103, 125; and a sealing member covering the connection terminals 103, 123, 103, 125 and the semiconductor chip and exposing an outer terminal of each of the external connection terminals 103, 123, 103, 125. The first electrically conductive yarn 203 is electrically connected to the first external connection terminal 103, 123. The second electrically conductive yarn 205 is electrically connected to the second external connection terminal 103, 125. Also claimed is a method of manufacturing an article comprising a textile and a sensor semiconductor package.

Description

ARTICLE WITH SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGE AND METHOD

The present invention is directed towards an article comprising a semiconductor package. The present invention is directed, in particular towards an article comprising a semiconductor package that performs sensing functions which will otherwise be referred to as a sensor semiconductor package

Background

Referring to Figure A there is shown an article 20 according to existing implementations. The article 20 comprises a textile material 21. A sensor 10 is provided on the textile material 21. The sensor 10 comprises a controller 11 and a pair of electrodes 13. The pair of electrodes 13 are connected to the controller 11 by wires 15. The controller 11 may be in the form of a semiconductor package.

It is an objective of the present disclosure to overcome at least some of the problems associated with the prior art, whether explicitly discussed herein or otherwise.

Summary

According to the present disclosure there is provided an article and method as set forth in the appended claims. Other features of the invention will be apparent from the dependent claims, and the description which follows.

According to a first aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an article. The article comprises a textile material. The textile material comprises a first electrically conductive yarn and a second electrically conductive yarn. The first electrically conductive yarn and the second electrically conductive yam extend along at least part of the length of the textile material. The article comprises a sensor semiconductor package comprising: a first external connection terminal; a second external connection terminal; a semiconductor chip electrically connected to the first external connection terminal and the second external connection terminal; and a sealing member covering the first and second external connection terminals and the semiconductor chip and exposing an outer terminal of each of the first and second external connection terminals. The sensor semiconductor package is located on the textile material. The first electrically conductive yarn is electrically connected to the first external connection terminal. The second electrically conductive yarn is electrically connected to the second external connection terminal.

Beneficially, the present disclosure provides a textile article with sensor semiconductor packages that are electrically connected via electrically conductive yarns of the textile material.

This provides an effective mechanism for integrating and electrically connecting sensor semiconductor packages in an article.

The first electrically conductive yarn and the second electrically conductive yarn may extend substantially parallel to one another. The first external connection terminal and the second external connection terminal may be located on opposite sides of the sensor semiconductor package such that the sensor semiconductor package is disposed between the first electrically conductive yarn and the second electrically conductive yarn.

A plurality of first external connection terminals may be electrically connected to the first electrically conductive yarn. A plurality of second external connection terminals may be electrically connected to the second electrically conductive yarn.

The first and second electrically conductive yarns may be stitched, woven or knitted into the textile material. The first and second electrically conductive yarns may be stitched into the textile material using a twin-needle stich. Beneficially, using a twin-needle stitch enables the first and second electrically conductive yarns to be integrated into the textile material in a single stitching operation which also ensures that the yarns are substantially parallel to one another.

The first external connection terminal may be soldered to the first electrically conductive yarn.

The second external connection terminal may be soldered to the second electrically conductive yarn. Soldering may additionally help mechanically connect the sensor semiconductor package to the textile and thus may provide additional mechanical advantage.

The first electrically conductive yarn may be a bidirectional line for the article. The semiconductor chip of the sensor semiconductor package may be arranged to send and/or receive data over the bidirectional line. The bidirectional line may be a single-wire bidirectional line. The semiconductor chip of the sensor semiconductor package may send and/or receive data over the singe-wire bidirectional line using a single-wire communication protocol.

The second electrically conductive yarn may be a return (i.e. a ground) line for the article. The semiconductor chip of the sensor semiconductor package may be connected to ground via the return line.

The electrical connection of the first and second external connection terminals to the first and second electrically conductive yarns may mechanically connect the sensor semiconductor package to the textile material. In this way, an additional adhesive may not be required to attach the sensor semiconductor package to the textile material or an adhesive connection may be strengthened by the electrically connection of the external connection terminals to the conductive yarns The sensor semiconductor package may comprise an electrode (or a plurality of electrodes) electrically connected to the semiconductor chip.

The sensor semiconductor package may further comprise a die pad. The semiconductor chip may be located on a top surface of the die pad. The sealing member may cover the die pad and may expose an outer contact surface of the die pad. The sensor semiconductor package may be electrically connected to the die pad, and the outer contact surface of the die pad may form an electrode of the sensor semiconductor package. At least one wire may extend from the semiconductor chip to connect the semiconductor chip to the die pad. A plurality of wires may extend from the semiconductor chip to connect the semiconductor chip to the plurality of external connection terminals.

The present disclosure provides a sensor in the form of a semiconductor package. The electrode(s) of the sensor are incorporated into the semiconductor package. Beneficially, this means that the form factor of the sensor is reduced compared to existing sensors which provide electrodes physically spaced apart from a controller of the sensor. The sensor semiconductor package utilises the exposed outer contact surface of the die pad as the electrode for the sensor.

Die pads are provided in existing semiconductor packages as heat sinks and are not electrically connected to the semiconductor chip. In this way a self-contained semiconductor package for performing sensing functions using an integral electrode is provided utilising existing semiconductor package structures, and requiring minimal changes to existing, established, semiconductor package manufacturing techniques.

The die pad may comprise a first die pad and a second die pad. The semiconductor chip may be located on a top surface of one or both of the first die pad and the second die pad. The semiconductor chip may be electrically connected to the first die pad and the second die pad.

The sealing member may expose an outer contact surface of the first die pad. The sealing member may expose an outer contact surface of the second die pad. The outer contact surface of the first die pad may form a first electrode of the sensor semiconductor package. The outer contact surface of the second die pad may form a second electrode of the sensor semiconductor package.

The semiconductor chip may be arranged to receive a measurement signal from the die pad, and optionally perform at least one processing operation on the received measurement signal.

The semiconductor chip may be attached to the top surface of the at least one die pad by an adhesive The sensor semiconductor package may be a first sensor semiconductor package. The article may further comprise a second sensor semiconductor package. The second sensor semiconductor package may comprise: a first external connection terminal; a second external connection terminal; a semiconductor chip electrically connected to the first extemal connection terminal and the second external connection terminal; and a sealing member covering the first and second external connection terminals and the semiconductor chip and exposing an outer terminal of each of the first and second external connection terminals.

The second sensor semiconductor package may be located on the textile material. The first electrically conductive yarn may be electrically connected to the first external connection terminal of the second sensor semiconductor package. The second electrically conductive yarn may be electrically connected to the second external connection terminal of the second sensor semiconductor package.

The article may further comprise an electronics module. The electronics module may comprise a power source, a processor and a memory. The electronics module may be arranged to be electrically connected to the first and second electrically conductive pathways and may be further arranged to communicate with the sensor semiconductor package via the first and second electronically conductive pathways.

The electronics module may be removable from the article. The article may comprise an electronics module holder for at least temporarily holding the electronics module. The electronics module holder may be a pocket of the article.

The article may be a wearable article. The wearable article may be a garment. The present disclosure is not limited to wearable articles. The sensor semiconductor packages disclosed herein may be incorporated into other forms of devices such as user electronic devices incorporating a textile material. In additions, the sensor semiconductor packages as disclosed herein may be incorporated into any form of textile article. Textile articles may include upholstery, such as upholstery that may be positioned on pieces of furniture, vehicle seating, as wall or ceiling decor, among other examples.

The sensor semiconductor package may be a biosensor semiconductor package for monitoring a biosignal of a living body. The biosignal may be one or more of a bioelectrical signal, a biopotenfial signal, and a bioimpedance signal of the living body. The biosensor semiconductor package may be an electrocardiography semiconductor sensor package and/or an electromyography semiconductor sensor package. An electrode of the biosensor semiconductor package may be for monitoring a biosignal of a living body. The electrode of the biosensor semiconductor package may be for monitoring a bioelectrical signal of the living body. The electrode of the biosensor semiconductor package may be for monitoring a biopotential signal of the living body. The electrode of the biosensor semiconductor package may be for monitoring a bioimpedance signal of the living body. The biosensor semiconductor package may be an electrocardiography semiconductor sensor package. The biosensor semiconductor package may be an electromyography semiconductor sensor package.

According to a second aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method for manufacturing an article. The method comprises providing a textile material, the textile material comprising a first electrically conductive yarn and a second electrically conductive yarn, the first electrically conductive yarn and the second electrically conductive yarn extending along at least part of the length of the textile material. The method comprises providing a sensor semiconductor package comprising: a first external connection terminal; a second external connection terminal; a semiconductor chip electrically connected to the first external connection terminal and the second external connection terminal; and a sealing member covering the first and second external connection terminals and the semiconductor chip and exposing an outer terminal of each of the first and second external connection terminals. The method comprises locating the sensor semiconductor package on the textile material. The method comprises electrically connecting the first electrically conductive yam is to the first external connection terminal. The method comprises electrically connecting the second electrically conductive yarn to the second external connection terminal.

Advantageously, the present disclosure provides a simple method for providing and electrically connecting sensor semiconductor packages on an article which simply requires the sensor semiconductor packages to be located on the textile material and electrically connected to conductive yarns of the textile material.

Providing the sensor semiconductor package may comprise providing at least one die pad and a plurality of external connection terminals; providing a semiconductor chip; locating the semiconductor chip on a top surface of the at least one die pad; electrically connecting the semiconductor chip to the plurality of external connection terminals and the at least one die pad; forming a sealing member covering the die pad, the plurality of external connection terminals and the semiconductor surface and exposing an outer terminal of each of the plurality of external connection terminals and an outer contact surface of the at least one die pad, wherein the outer contact surface of the at least one die pad forms an electrode of the sensor semiconductor package.

Advantageously, the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a sensor semiconductor package which requires minimal modification to existing semiconductor package manufacturing techniques. In this way, the sensor semiconductor package according to the present disclosure is able to be manufactured rapidly, at scale, and at low cost.

The sensor semiconductor packages may be provided in a method for manufacturing a plurality of sensor semiconductor packages. The method may comprise providing a lead frame comprising a plurality of regions arranged to be separated from one another to provide the plurality of semiconductor packages. Each of the plurality of regions may comprise at least one die pad and a plurality of external connection terminals. The method may further comprise providing a plurality of semiconductor chips, and, for each of the regions, locating a semiconductor chip on a top surface of the at least one die pad. The method may further comprise, for each of the regions, electrically connecting the semiconductor chip to the plurality of external connection terminals and the at least one die pad. The method may further comprise, for each of the regions, forming a sealing member covering the die pad, the plurality of external connection terminals and the semiconductor surface and exposing an outer terminal of each of the plurality of external connection terminals and an outer contact surface of the at least one die pad, wherein the outer contact surface of the at least one die pad forms an electrode of the sensor semiconductor package. The method may further comprise separating the plurality of regions from one another to form the plurality of sensor semiconductor packages.

Brief Description of the Drawinqs

Examples of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure A is schematic diagram of an example sensor according to a prior art implementation; Figure 1 is a perspective view of an example sensor semiconductor package according to aspects of the present disclosure; Figure 2 is a bottom view of the sensor semiconductor package of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the sensor semiconductor package of Figure 1 with the sealing member removed; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the sensor semiconductor package of Figure 1 with the sealing member removed; Figure 5 is a perspective view of another example sensor semiconductor package

according to aspects of the present disclosure;

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the sensor semiconductor package of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a plan view of the sensor semiconductor package of Figure 5 with the sealing member removed; Figure 8 is a perspective view of the sensor semiconductor package of Figure 5 with the sealing member removed; Figure 9 is a bottom view of an article according to aspects of the present disclosure; Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the article of Figure 9 positioned proximate to a skin surface of a user; Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of an example article according to aspects of the present disclosure; Figure 12 is a simplified diagram showing a user wearing an article according to aspects of the present disclosure; Figure 13 is a flow diagram of an example method of manufacturing a sensor semiconductor package according to aspects of the present disclosure; and Figure 14 is a flow diagram of an example method of manufacturing an article according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings is provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of various embodiments of the disclosure as defined by the claims and their equivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in that understanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary. Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the various embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are not limited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by the inventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of the disclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of various embodiments of the disclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for the purpose of limiting the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

"Wearable article" as referred to throughout the present disclosure may refer to any form of electronic device which may be wom by a user such as a smart watch, necklace, bracelet, or glasses. The wearable article may be a textile article. The wearable article may be a garment. The garment may refer to an item of clothing or apparel. The garment may be a top. The top

B

may be a shirt, t-shirt, blouse, sweater, jacket/coat, or vest. The garment may be a dress, brassiere, shorts, pants, arm or leg sleeve, vest, jacket/coat, glove, armband, underwear, headband, hat/cap, collar, wristband, stocking, sock, or shoe, athletic clothing, personal protection equipment, swimwear, wetsuit or drysuit The wearable article/garment may be constructed from a woven or a non-woven material. The wearable article/garment may be constructed from natural fibres, synthetic fibres, or a natural fibre blended with one or more other materials which can be natural or synthetic. The yarn may be cotton. The cotton may be blended with polyester and/or viscose and/or polyamide according to the particular application. Silk may also be used as the natural fibre. Cellulose, wool, hemp and jute are also natural fibres that may be used in the wearable article/garment Polyester, polycotton, nylon and viscose are synthetic fibres that may be used in the wearable article/garment. The garment may be a fight-fitting garment. Beneficially, a tight-fitting garment helps ensure that the sensor devices of the garment are held in contact with or in the proximity of a skin surface of the wearer. The garment may be a compression garment. The garment may be an athletic garment such as an elastomeric athletic garment.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4, there is shown a sensor semiconductor package 100 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The sensor semiconductor package 100 comprises a single die pad 101 (Figure 2). The die pad 101 is provided in a central region of the sensor semiconductor package 100. The sensor semiconductor package 100 comprises a plurality (twenty-eight in this example) of external connection terminals 103. The plurality of external connection terminals 103 are located around the die pad 101. The sensor semiconductor package 100 has a rectangular bottom surface. The plurality of external connection terminals 103 are provided along the four sides of the rectangular bottom surface. The die pad 101 is provided in the centre of the rectangular shape and has a substantially rectangular shape. In this specification, the term "rectangular encompasses "square". The present disclosure is not limited to any particular number of external connection terminals.

The die pad 101 is formed of a conductive material. Generally, the die pad 101 is formed of a metal material having high mechanical strength, high electrical conductivity, and high resistance against corrosion. The metal material may also be desired to have high heat conductivity to enable the die pad 101 to transfer heat away from the semiconductor chip 105. This enables the die pad 101 to simultaneously function as an electrode and a heat sink. Example metal materials which may be used for the die pad 101 include copper-based materials such as copper alloys containing iron, phosphorous or the like. Other example metal materials which may be used for the die pad 101 include iron-based materials such as an iron alloy containing nickel or the like.

The external connection terminals 103 include an inner terminal 119 close to the die pad 101 and an outer terminal 115 further from the die pad 101 when compared to the inner terminal 119. The inner terminals 119 have a curved shape in this example, but that is not required in all aspects of the present disclosure. The external connection terminals 103 may, for example, have a rectangular shape. The outer terminals 115 may, for example, be curved or have a protruding portion. The external connection terminals 103 may have any structure as used in existing semiconductor packages. The external connection terminals 103 are generally preferred to be made of the same material as the die pad 101.

The sensor semiconductor package 100 further comprises a semiconductor chip 105 (Figure 3) located on a top surface of the die pad 101 and electrically connected with the plurality of external connection terminals and the die pad. The semiconductor chip 105 is attached to the die pad 101 by an adhesive (not shown). A wire 109 extends from the semiconductor chip 105 to connect the semiconductor chip 105 to the die pad 101. A plurality of wires 111 extend from the semiconductor chip 105 to connect the semiconductor chip 105 to each of the external connection terminals 103. The wires 109, 111 may be formed of a material such as gold or copper. Other materials that provide the required conductivity and connectability may also be used.

The sensor semiconductor package 100 further comprises a sealing member 113 (Figure 1). The sealing member 113 covers the die pad 101, the plurality of external connection terminals 103, and the semiconductor chip 105. The sealing member 113 exposes an outer terminal 115 of each of the plurality of external connection terminals 103 and an outer contact surface 117 of the die pad 101. The outer contact surface 117 of the die pad 101 forms an electrode 117 of the sensor semiconductor package 100. The outer contact surface 117 of the die pad 101 is the exposed bottom surface 117 of the die pad 101 as best shown in Figure 2. The outer terminals 115 of the plurality of external connection terminals 103 are the exposed bottom surfaces 115 and exposed side surfaces 115 of the external connection terminals 103 that project out of the sealing member 113 as best shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The sealing member 113 comprises a sealing material which encapsulates the semiconductor chip 105, die pad 101 and external connection terminals 103 of the sensor semiconductor package 100. In this arrangement, the amount of air in the sensor semiconductor package 100 is minimized. In other examples, the sealing member may have an internal air-cavity. In these examples, the sealing member typically comprises a plastic-moulded body (open, and not sealed), and a lid which covers the plastic moulded body. The lid may be a ceramic or plastic lid, for example. The sealing material may be a plastic material and may, in particular, be a thermosetting resin. An example of a useable thermosetting resin is an epoxy resin.

The sensor semiconductor package 100 performs sensing functions and, beneficially, utilises the exposed outer contact surface 117 of the die pad 101 as an electrode 117 for the sensor semiconductor package 100. Die pads are provided in existing semiconductor packages as heat sinks and are not electrically connected to the semiconductor chip. The present disclosure advantageously utilises the existing die pad of semiconductor packages as an electrode and electrically connects the die pad to the semiconductor chip such that the semiconductor chip may receive measurement signals from the electrode. In this way a self-contained semiconductor package 100 for performing sensing functions using an integral electrode is provided utilising existing semiconductor package structures, and requiring minimal changes to existing, established, semiconductor package manufacturing techniques. Conventionally, a sensor semiconductor package is connected to a separate, standalone, electrode via a conductor extending from one or more of the external connection terminals.

The semiconductor chip 105 of the sensor semiconductor package 100 receives measurement signals from the electrode 117 and may perform one or more processing operations on the received measurements signals. The one or more processing operations may include signal processing operations which may comprise filtering, smoothing, or interpolation operations. The one or more processing operations may include feature extraction operations to extract one or more features from the (processed) measurement signals. The semiconductor chip 105 may comprise a controller. The controller may be a microcontroller. The controller may comprise a processor and a memory. The memory may store instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform one or more operations. The semiconductor chip 105 may comprise a data store for storing sensor data.

The semiconductor chip 105 is arranged to send and/or receive data via at least one of the external connection terminals 103. The at least one external connection terminal 103 is, in use, electrically connected a communication line to allow for data to be sent and/or received from the semiconductor chip 105. The communication line may be a bidirectional communication line to allow for data to be sent and received. At least one of the external connection terminals 103 functions as a ground for the semiconductor chip.

The semiconductor chip 105 may comprise additional circuitry for performing sensing functions.

The semiconductor chip 105 may comprise circuitry for performing one or more of temperature sensing, humidity sensing, and motion sensing. In other words, the semiconductor chip 105 may comprise a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or a motion sensor. The motion sensor may comprise one or more of an accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer. The motion sensor may comprise an inertial measurement unit.

Referring to Figures 5 to 8, there is shown another sensor semiconductor package 100' according to aspects of the present disclosure. The sensor semiconductor package 100' has a similar structure to the sensor semiconductor package 100 shown in Figures 1 to 4 and like reference numerals have been used to show like components. Importantly, the sensor semiconductor package 100' of Figures 5 to 8 comprises a plurality of die pads and in particular includes a first die pad 101 and a second die pad 101'. The semiconductor chip 105 is positioned such that it straddles the top surface of both the first die pad 101 and the second die pad 101'.

The semiconductor chip 105 is electrically connected to the first die pad 101 by a first wire 109 and is electrically connected to the second die pad 101' by a second wire 109'.

The sealing member 113 exposes an outer contact surface 117 of the first die pad 101 and an outer contact surface 117' of the second die pad 101'. The outer contact surface 117 of the first die pad 101 forms a first electrode 117of the sensor semiconductor package 100'. The outer contact surface 117'of the second die pad 101 forms a second electrode 117' of the sensor semiconductor package 100'. This arrangement therefore provides a sensor semiconductor package 100' with two integral electrodes 117, 117'. The two integral electrodes 117, 117' may form first and second electrodes 117, 117' of a bioelectrical sensor such an electrocardiography sensor. The two integral electrodes 117, 117' may for bipolar electrodes 117, 117' of an electromyography sensor and in particular a surface electromyography sensor.

Referring to Figure 9 there is shown a view of the bottom surface of an article 200 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The article 200 comprises the sensor semiconductor package 100 of Figures 1 to 4. Additionally, or separately, the article 200 may comprise the sensor semiconductor package 100' of Figures 5 to 8. The article 200 is a textile article 200 and comprises a textile material 201. The sensor semiconductor package 100 is attached to the textile material 201. A top surface of the sensor semiconductor package 100 is adhered to the textile material 201 using an adhesive. The bottom surface of the sensor semiconductor package 100 faces away from the textile material 201 which means that the electrode 117 of the sensor semiconductor package 100 faces away from the textile material 201. This enables the electrode 117 to be positioned proximate to and optionally in contact with a skin surface when the article 200 is worn by a user. The textile material 201 comprises a first electrically conductive yarn 203 and a second electrically conductive yarn 205 that extend along at least part of the length of the textile material 201. The first and second electrically conductive yarns 203, 205 extend parallel to one another and are spaced apart such that the sensor semiconductor package 100 is located between the first and second electrically conductive yarns 203, 205. The first and second electrically conductive yarns 203, 205 are incorporated into the textile material 201 using a twin-needle stitch. One or a plurality of first external connection terminals 103, 123 (seven are shown in Figure 9) located along a first side of the sensor semiconductor package 100 are electrically connected to the first electrically conductive yarn 203. One or a plurality of second external connection terminals 103, 125 (seven are shown in Figure 9) located along a second side of the sensor semiconductor page 100, opposite to the first side, are electrically connected to the second electrically conductive yam 103, 125. The first and second plurality of external connection terminals 103, 125 are soldered 207 to the first and second conductive yarns 203, 205. The remainder of the external connection terminals 103 are not electrically connected to the conductive traces 203. The external connection terminals 103 that are not electrically connected to the conductive traces 203 may be redundant or may not be electrically connected to the semiconductor chip. These external connection terminals 103 may still be beneficially provide additional mechanical advantage to the sensor semiconductor package 100 and may help the sensor semiconductor package 100 remain in attachment with the textile article 200.

Referring to Figure 10, there is shown a side view of the article 200 of Figure 9. The article 200 is positioned proximate to a skin surface 301 of a user 300. The electrode 117 of the sensor semiconductor package 200 faces the skin surface 301.

Referring to Figure 11, there is shown a schematic view of an example article 200 according to aspects of the present disclosure. The article 200 comprises a textile material 201. The article 200 further comprises an electronics module 207 and a plurality (five in this example) of sensor semiconductor packages 100. Additionally, or separately, the article 200 may comprise the sensor semiconductor package 100' of Figures 5 to 8. The five sensor semiconductor packages 100 are all electrically connected to the first electrically conductive yarn 203 and the second electrically conductive yarn 205 in the manner described above in relation to Figures 9 and 10.

The first electrically conductive yarn 203 is a bidirectional line for the article 200 which enables data to be transferred between the electronics module 207 and the sensor semiconductor packages 100. The bidirectional line 203 is a single-wire bidirectional line, and the semiconductor chip of the sensor semiconductor packages 100 send and/or receive data over the singe-wire bidirectional line using a single-wire communication protocol. The second electrically conductive yarn 205 is a return line for the article 200. The semiconductor chips of the semiconductor packages 100 are connected to ground by the return line.

This arrangement enables a plurality of sensor semiconductor packages 100 to be connected to an electronics module 207 using a single wire bidirectional line 203. This is the minimum possible number of conductive lines that may be provided. This reduces the number of physical hardware connections required for data transmission to/from the sensor semiconductor packages 100 and is particularly beneficial for wearable article implementations. It is appreciated that even with a single-wire protocol, a separate ground/return line 205 is still provided. This single-wire arrangement is particularly beneficial as it allows a number of sensor semiconductor packages 100 to be communicatively connected to one another and an electronics module 207 via a single conductive yarn 203 stitched into the textile material. This simplifies the design, cost, and manufacture of the article 200 as fewer conductive yarns are required to be incorporated into the textile article 201. The present disclosure is, however, not limited to single-wire bidirectional lines although particular advantages are achieved in these examples. Two-wire bidirectional lines, three-wire bidirectional lines or four or more wire bidirectional lines may also be used in some examples. The bidirectional lines may use any existing serial protocol such as Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C), Controller Area Network (CAN), Recommended Standard 232 (RS-232), and 1-wire The electronics module 207 may be a removable electronics module 207 forthe article 200. The electronics module 207 may be configured to be releasably mechanically coupled to the article 200. The mechanical coupling of the electronics module 207 to the article 200 may be provided by a mechanical interface such as a clip, a plug and socket arrangement, etc. The mechanical coupling or mechanical interface may be configured to maintain the electronics module 207 in a particular orientation with respect to the garment when the electronics module 207 is coupled to the wearable article 200. This may be beneficial in ensuring that the electronics module 207 is securely held in place with respect to the article 200 and/or that any electronic coupling of the electronics module 207 and the article 200 (or a component of the article 200) can be optimized.

The mechanical coupling may be maintained using friction or using a positively engaging mechanism, for example.

It may be desirable to avoid direct contact of the electronics module 207 with the wearer's skin while the wearable article is being worn. In particular, it may be desirable to avoid the electronics module 207 coming into contact with sweat or moisture on the wearer's skin. The electronics module 207 may be provided with a waterproof coating or waterproof casing. For example, the electronics module 207 may be provided with a silicone casing. It may further be desirable to provide a pouch or pocket in the article 200 to contain the electronics module 207 in order to prevent chafing or rubbing and thereby improve comfort for the wearer. The pouch or pocket may be provided with a waterproof lining in order to prevent the electronics module 207 from coming into contact with moisture.

The electronics module 207 may comprise a power source. The power source may comprise a plurality of power sources. The power source may be a battery. The battery may be a rechargeable battery. The battery may be a rechargeable battery adapted to be charged wirelessly such as by inductive charging. The power source may comprise an energy harvesting device. The energy harvesting device may be configured to generate electric power signals in response to kinetic events such as kinetic events performed by a wearer of the article 200. The kinetic event could include walking, running, exercising or respiration of the wearer. The energy harvesting material may comprise a piezoelectric material which generates electricity in response to mechanical deformation of the converter. The energy harvesting device may harvest energy from body heat of a wearer of the article 200. The energy harvesting device may be a thermoelectric energy harvesting device. The power source may be a super capacitor, or an energy cell.

The electronics module 207 may comprise a communicator. The communicator may be a mobile/cellular communicator operable to communicate the data wirelessly via one or more base stations. The communicator may provide wireless communication capabilities for the article 200 and enables the article 200 to communicate via one or more wireless communication protocols such as used for communication on: a wireless wide area network (VAN), a wireless metroarea network NMAN), a wireless local area network (VVLAN), a wireless personal area network (VVPAN), a near field communication (NFC), and a cellular communication network. The cellular communication network may be a fourth generation (4G) LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE-A), fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G), and/or any other present or future developed cellular wireless network. A first communicator of the electronics module 207 may be provided for cellular communication and a separate communicator may be provided for short-range local communication over VVLAN, VVPAN, NFC, or Bluetooth OD, VViFi or any other electromagnetic RF communication protocol.

The electronics module 207 may comprise a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) that enables the wearable article to access services provided by a mobile network operator (MNO) or virtual mobile network operator (VMNO). The UICC may include at least a read-only memory (ROM) configured to store an V/MNO profile that the wearable article can utilize to register and interact with an V/MNO. The UICC may be in the form of a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. The wearable article may have a receiving section arranged to receive the SIM card. In other examples, the U ICC is embedded directly into a controller of the wearable article. That is, the UICC may be an electronic/embedded UICC (eUICC). A eUICC is beneficial as it removes the need to store a number of V/MNO profiles, i.e. electronic Subscriber Identity Modules (eSIMs). Moreover, eSIMs can be remotely provisioned. The article 200, 200' may comprise a secure element that represents an embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC).

Referring to Figure 12, there is shown an example article 200 according to aspects of the present disclosure worn by a user 300. The article 200 in this example is a garment and, in particular, comprises a textile material 201 which forms a T-shirt. The article 200 further comprises an electronics module 207 and a plurality (three in this example) of sensor semiconductor packages 100. The sensor semiconductor packages 100 are connected to the electronics module 207 via the electrically conductive yarns 203, 205. The sensor semiconductor packages 100 are provided on the inside surface of the textile material 201 and are not visible externally. The sensor semiconductor packages 100 are positioned such that their electrodes are able to contact the skin.

Referring to Figure 13, there is shown a process flow diagram for an example method according to aspects of the present disclosure of manufacturing an article.

Step 8101 of the method comprises providing a textile material, the textile material comprising a first electrically conductive yarn and a second electrically conductive yarn, the first electrically conductive yarn and the second electrically conductive yarn extending along at least part of the length of the textile material.

Step 8102 of the method comprises providing a sensor semiconductor package. The sensor semiconductor package comprises: a first external connection terminal; a second external connection terminal; a semiconductor chip electrically connected to the first external connection terminal and the second external connection terminal; and a sealing member covering the first and second external connection terminals and the semiconductor chip and exposing an outer terminal of each of the first and second external connection terminals.

Step S103 of the method comprises locating the sensor semiconductor package on the textile material. Step 8104 of the method comprises electrically connecting the first electrically conductive yarn is to the first external connection terminal. Step S105 of the method comprises electrically connecting the second electrically conductive yarn to the second external connection terminal.

Referring to Figure 14, there is shown a process flow diagram for an example method according to aspects of the present disclosure of manufacturing a sensor semiconductor package.

Step S201 of the method comprises providing at least one die pad and a plurality of external connection terminals. Step 8202 of the method comprises providing a semiconductor chip. Step S203 of the method comprises locating the semiconductor chip on a top surface of the at least one die pad. Step S204 of the method comprises electrically connecting the semiconductor chip to the plurality of external connection terminals and the at least one die pad. Step 5205 of the method comprises forming a sealing member covering the die pad, the plurality of external connection terminals and the semiconductor surface and exposing an outer terminal of each of the plurality of external connection terminals and an outer contact surface of the at least one die pad, wherein the outer contact surface of the at least one die pad forms an electrode of the sensor semiconductor package.

Providing the at least one die pad and a plurality of external connection terminals may comprise providing a lead frame including the at least one die pad and the plurality of external connection terminals. In some examples, the lead frame comprises a plurality of regions to be separated from one another to provide a plurality of sensor semiconductor packages. Each of the plurality of region comprises at least one die pad and a plurality of external connection terminals. For each of the regions, a semiconductor chip is located on a top surface of the at least one die pad, and the semiconductor chip is electrically connected to the plurality of external connection terminals and the at least one die pad. For each of the regions, a sealing member is then formed covering the die pad, the plurality of external connection terminals and the semiconductor surface and exposing an outer terminal of each of the plurality of external connection terminals and an outer contact surface of the at least one die pad, wherein the outer contact surface of the at least one die pad forms an electrode of the sensor semiconductor package. The plurality of regions may then be separated from one another to form the plurality of semiconductor packages.

The sensor semiconductor package according to aspects of the present disclosure is therefore manufactured using existing, established, semiconductor package manufacturing techniques. The additional step of electrically connecting the die pad to the semiconductor chip does not overly complicate the semiconductor package manufacturing process compared to conventional arrangements as this step can be performed using existing techniques already used for connecting the semiconductor chip to the external connection terminals (e.g. wire bonding). The manufacturing techniques enables many sensor semiconductor packages to be manufactured at the same time. Therefore, aspects of the present disclosure facilitate the rapid, and low cost, manufacture of sensor semiconductor packages.

In some examples of the present disclosure, the sensor semiconductor package has a QFNtype structure (Quad Flat Non-lead Package). The present disclosure is not limited to QFN-type structures and could, for example, be any type of surface-mount package. Other example packages include Quad Flat Packages (QFP), and Ball Grid Array (BGA) packages.

The sensor semiconductor package is not limited to only one semiconductor chip and may include at least one semiconductor chip. In some examples, the sensor semiconductor package comprises a plurality of semiconductor chips. Each of the plurality of semiconductor chips may be electrically connected to a different die pad of the sensor semiconductor package.

The sensor semiconductor package may be used for sensing any kind of signal which requires the use of an electrode. In preferred examples, the sensor semiconductor package is biosensor semiconductor package and the electrode(s) of the biosensor semiconductor package arefor monitoring a biosignal of a living body. The biosignal may be a bioelectrical signal or a bioimpedance signal for example. Particular examples include the biosensor semiconductor package being an electrocardiography (ECG) semiconductor sensor package and/or an electromyography semiconductor (EMG) semiconductor sensor package.

The sensor semiconductor package in accordance with the present disclosure may have any size as appropriately selected by the skilled person in the art. The sensor semiconductor package may have a width of less than or equal to 10 mm, preferably less than or equal to 6 mm. The sensor semiconductor package may have a length of less than or equal to 10 mm, preferably less than or equal to 6 mm. The sensor semiconductor package may have a width of greater than or equal to 3 mm, preferably greater than or equal to 4 mm. The sensor semiconductor package may have a width x length of between 3 mm x 3 mm and 10 mm x 10 mm, preferably between 4 mm x 4 mm and 6 mm x 6 mm. The size of the sensor semiconductor package may depend on factors such as the number of external connection terminals and the size of the semiconductor chip. Generally, a sensor semiconductor package having 24 external connection terminals will have a width x length of 4 mm x 4 mm.

At least some of the example embodiments described herein may be constructed, partially or wholly, using dedicated special-purpose hardware. Terms such as 'component', 'module' or 'unit' used herein may include, but are not limited to, a hardware device, such as circuitry in the form of discrete or integrated components, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), which performs certain tasks or provides the associated functionality. In some embodiments, the described elements may be configured to reside on a tangible, persistent, addressable storage medium and may be configured to execute on one or more processors. These functional elements may in some embodiments include, by way of example, components, such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components and task components, processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuitry, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. Although the example embodiments have been described with reference to the components, modules and units discussed herein, such functional elements may be combined into fewer elements or separated into additional elements. Various combinations of optional features have been described herein, and it will be appreciated that described features may be combined in any suitable combination. In particular, the features of any one example embodiment may be combined with features of any other embodiment, as appropriate, except where such combinations are mutually exclusive.

Throughout this specification, the term "comprising" or "comprises" means including the component(s) specified but not to the exclusion of the presence of others.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Claims

19 CLAIMS An article comprising: a textile material, the textile material comprising a first electrically conductive yarn and a second electrically conductive yarn, the first electrically conductive yarn and the second electrically conductive yarn extending along at least part of the length of the textile material; and a sensor semiconductor package comprising: a first external connection terminal; a second external connection terminal; a semiconductor chip electrically connected to the first external connection terminal and the second external connection terminal; and a sealing member covering the first and second external connection terminals and the semiconductor chip and exposing an outer terminal of each of the first and second external connection terminals, wherein the sensor semiconductor package is located on the textile material, and wherein the first electrically conductive yarn is electrically connected to the first external connection terminal, and wherein the second electrically conductive yarn is electrically connected to the second external connection terminal.

An article as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electrically conductive yarn and the second electrically conductive yarn extend substantially parallel to one another.

An article as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first external connection terminal and the second external connection terminal are located on opposite sides of the sensor semiconductor package such that the sensor semiconductor package is disposed between the first electrically conductive yarn and the second electrically conductive yarn.

An article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first and second electrically conductive yarns are stitched, woven or knitted into the textile material.

An article as claimed in claim 4, wherein the first and second electrically conductive yarns are stitched into the textile material using a twin-needle stich.

An article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first external connection terminal is soldered to the first electrically conductive yarn, and wherein the second external connection terminal is soldered to the second electrically conductive yarn.

An article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the first electrically conductive yarn is a bidirectional line for the article, and wherein the semiconductor chip of the sensor semiconductor package is arranged to send and/or receive data over the bidirectional line.

8. An article as claimed in claim 7, wherein the bidirectional line is a single-wire bidirectional line, and wherein the semiconductor chip of the sensor semiconductor package sends and/or receives data over the singe-wire bidirectional line using a single-wire communication protocol.

9. An article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second electrically conductive yarn is a retum line for the article, and wherein the semiconductor chip of the sensor semiconductor package is connected to ground via the return line.

10. An article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the electrical connection of the first and second external connection terminals to the first and second electrically conductive yarns mechanically connects the sensor semiconductor package to the textile material.

11. An article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sensor semiconductor package further comprises a die pad, the semiconductor chip is located on a top surface of the die pad, and the sealing member covers the die pad and exposes an outer contact surface of the die pad.

12. An article as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sensor semiconductor package is electrically connected to the die pad, and the outer contact surface of the die pad forms an electrode of the sensor semiconductor package.

13. An article as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one wire extends from the semiconductor chip to connect the semiconductor chip to the at least one die pad, and wherein a plurality of wires extend from the semiconductor chip to connect the semiconductor chip to the plurality of external connection terminals.

14. An article as claimed in any of claims 12 to 13, wherein the semiconductor chip is arranged to receive a measurement signal from the die pad, and optionally perform at least one processing operation on the receive measurement signal.

15. An article as claimed in any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the semiconductor chip is attached to the top surface of the at least one die pad by an adhesive.

16. An article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sensor semiconductor package is a first sensor semiconductor package, and wherein the article further comprises a second sensor semiconductor package, the second sensor semiconductor package comprising: a first external connection terminal; a second external connection terminal; a semiconductor chip electrically connected to the first external connection terminal and the second external connection terminal; and a sealing member covering the first and second external connection terminals and the semiconductor chip and exposing an outer terminal of each of the first and second external connection terminals.

17. An article as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second sensor semiconductor package is located on the textile material, and wherein the first electrically conductive yarn is electrically connected to the first external connection terminal of the second sensor semiconductor package, and wherein the second electrically conductive yarn is electrically connected to the second external connection terminal of the second sensor semiconductor package.

18. An article as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising an electronics module, the electronics module comprising a power source, a processor and a memory, wherein the electronics module is arranged to be electrically connected to the first and second electrically conductive pathways and is further arranged to communicate with the sensor semiconductor package via the first and second electronically conductive pathways.

19. An article as claimed in claim 18, wherein the electronics module is removable from the article.

20. An article as claimed in claim 18 or 19, wherein the article comprises an electronics module holder for at least temporarily holding the electronics module.

21. An article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the article is a wearable article, optionally wherein the wearable article is a garment.

22. An article as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sensor semiconductor package is a biosensor semiconductor package for monitoring a biosignal of a living body.

23. An article as claimed in claim 22, wherein the biosignal is one or more of a bioelectrical signal, a biopotential signal, and a bioimpedance signal of the living body.

24. An article as claimed in claim 22 01 23, wherein the biosensor semiconductor package is an electrocardiography semiconductor sensor package and/or an electromyography semiconductor sensor package.

25. A method for manufacturing an article, the method comprising: providing a textile material, the textile material comprising a first electrically conductive yarn and a second electrically conductive yarn, the first electrically conductive yarn and the second electrically conductive yarn extending along at least part of the length of the textile material; and providing a sensor semiconductor package comprising: a first external connection terminal; a second external connection terminal; a semiconductor chip electrically connected to the first external connection terminal and the second external connection terminal; and a sealing member covering the first and second external connection terminals and the semiconductor chip and exposing an outer terminal of each of the first and second external connection terminals; locating the sensor semiconductor package on the textile material; electrically connecting the first electrically conductive yarn is to the first external connection terminal; and electrically connecting the second electrically conductive yarn to the second external connection terminal.