Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
  • H01R12/50—Fixed connections
  • H01R12/59—Fixed connections for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures
  • H01R12/62—Fixed connections for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; COUNTING
  • G06V—IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
  • G06V40/00—Recognition of biometric, human-related or animal-related patterns in image or video data
  • G06V40/10—Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
  • G06V40/12—Fingerprints or palmprints
  • G06V40/13—Sensors therefor
  • G06V40/1306—Sensors therefor non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L2224/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies and methods related thereto as covered by H01L24/00
  • H01L2224/73—Means for bonding being of different types provided for in two or more of groups H01L2224/10, H01L2224/18, H01L2224/26, H01L2224/34, H01L2224/42, H01L2224/50, H01L2224/63, H01L2224/71
  • H01L2224/732—Location after the connecting process
  • H01L2224/73201—Location after the connecting process on the same surface
  • H01L2224/73203—Bump and layer connectors
  • H01L2224/73204—Bump and layer connectors the bump connector being embedded into the layer connector
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
  • H01L2224/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies and methods related thereto as covered by H01L24/00
  • H01L2224/73—Means for bonding being of different types provided for in two or more of groups H01L2224/10, H01L2224/18, H01L2224/26, H01L2224/34, H01L2224/42, H01L2224/50, H01L2224/63, H01L2224/71
  • H01L2224/732—Location after the connecting process
  • H01L2224/73251—Location after the connecting process on different surfaces
  • H01L2224/73253—Bump and layer connectors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05K—PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
  • H05K1/00—Printed circuits
  • H05K1/18—Printed circuits structurally associated with non-printed electric components
  • H05K1/181—Printed circuits structurally associated with non-printed electric components associated with surface mounted components

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an improved method for making the electrical and physical connection between an integrated circuit sensor and an electronic system and to a device using or having that electrical and physical connection.
• the sensor elements transduce the external stimulus at or near the element's surface into electrical signals that are acted upon by electrical circuits within the integrated circuit.
• the sensor elements transduce stimuli such as light, heat, temperature, pressure (static or sound), capacitance (for example as electrical proximity), resistance (for example as electrical surface conductivity), or other stimuli into electrical signals.
• connection assembly is required to connect the integrated circuit to the remainder of the electronic system while not interfering with the transducing properties of the sensor elements.
• An example of a typical connection assembly for integrated circuit is a plastic package: a plastic encapsulated combination of lead frame, wire bond, and integrated circuit.
• the connection assembly may also provide environmental protection to the entire sensor as demonstrated in commercially available sensors.
• the sensor area which contains the sensor elements usually exists in roughly the same plane as the connection points, or terminals, of the integrated circuit.
• a wire bond connection from the integrated circuit to an appropriate wiring substrate extends above the sensor surface and therefore may physically interfere with the proximity required by the sensor elements.
• a connection assembly that can tolerate the wire bond height is readily available for most optical, pressure, and thermal integrated circuit sensors.
• Abramov discloses a surface contact sensor used to measure fingerprints in which the package height affects the sensor area. In this disclosure the sensor area is illustrated larger than the finger so that the connection assembly does not interfere with the sensor area.
• FCD4B14 FingerChip datasheet ATMEL Inc, Revision 1962C-01/20.
• FTF 1100 MF1 V2.0 FingerTIP Databook Infineon Technologies Inc, Revision 3.3 (05.00).
• the present invention provides a connection assembly to an integrated circuit sensor (and even to integrated circuits other than sensors) that provides environmental protection of the electrical circuit area (non-sensor area) and simultaneously allows a medium, such as a finger, to be sensed (such as when sensing a fingerprint with a contact or swipe sensor) with minimal physical interference.
• a thin circuit board material typically less than 100 micrometers, is attached to the integrated circuit sensor using direct circuit board to integrated circuit attachment technologies. These attachment technologies may for example include solder ball and direct compressive attachment technology, or other attachment techniques and structures known in the art.
• the thin circuit board material is fabricated so as to cover the electrical circuit, but not cover the sensor area.
• the circuit board is mechanically attached to the integrated circuit sensor and provides additional strength to the assembly.
• the circuit board reduces the sensor's need for additional mechanical support.
• the circuit board contains conductive material which is used to conduct ESD currents discharged near the sensor area.
• the circuit board material provides optical shielding to the electrical circuits located beneath it.
• the circuit board material is readily attached to remainder of the electronic system by including exposed connection points for either solder or connector attachment.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a representative integrated circuit sensor
• FIG. 2 illustrates and embodiment of the circuit board topside, the side not adjacent to the sensor, used in the connection assembly and embodied in the invention
• FIG. 3 illustrates the bottom side of the thin circuit board shown in FIG. 3;
• FIG. 4. is an embodiment of the connection assembly;
• FIG. 5 further illustrates the embodiment of FIG. 4 by means of a topside view with the integrated circuit sensor shown below the thin circuit board;
• FIG. 6 further illustrates the embodiment of FIG. 4 by means of the cross-sectional view defined as A-B in FIG. 5;
• FIG. 7 is an additional embodiment of the connection assembly using the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6;
• FIG. 8 illustrates a representative sensor with the sensor area occupying one corner of the integrated circuit sensor surface
• FIG. 9. is an embodiment of the connection assembly including the integrated circuit sensor shown in FIG 8.
• FIG. 1 A typical integrated circuit sensor is illustrated in FIG. 1.
• the entire integrated circuit sensor (1), the sensor area containing the sensor elements (2), the ancillary electrical circuits (3), and the connection areas (4) are shown.
• the ancillary electrical circuits (3) perform functions necessary for the operation of the sensor.
• the electrical circuits contain transistors within the region (3).
• the sensor area (2) may also contain transistors.
• the connection areas (4) are illustrated as structures above the integrated circuit sensor surface (1), such as bumps, but the conduction areas (4) may also be openings to conductive films below the surface.
• a circuit board is used to make electrical connection to the connection areas (4) and also protects the electrical circuits (3) from environmental damage.
• the circuit board is a structure composed of an insulating film and conducting wires within it or on its surface.
• FIG. 2 shows such a thin circuit board (5).
• the illustration in FIG. 2 is the topside view of the circuit board.
• FIG. 3 shows the opposite side of the circuit board when flipped parallel to the bottom of the figure.
• the thin circuit board contains an opening (6) approximately the size of the sensor area (4), though it may be sized differently.
• the circuit board also contains connections areas (11) which are in the locations that match those of the integrated circuit connection areas (4).
• the circuit board also contains connections from the connection areas (11) to other connection points (7), (8), and (9). These other connection points allow the integrated circuit sensor (1) to be connected to an electrical system by means of a side connector (7) or to top connection points (8) or to bottom connection points (9) or to other components attached to the circuit board (10).
• connection assembly which is the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4.
• the circuit board (5) is attached to the integrated circuit sensor (1) by aligning the connection areas on the circuit board (11) to the connection areas (4) on the integrated circuit sensor (1). Once aligned, the connection areas (4), (11) are electrically connected between the circuit board (5) and integrated circuit sensor (1) by means of suitable operations and materials. These materials and the corresponding operations include conductive organic materials, an-isotropic conductive films, solder pastes, and/or the application of heat and/or pressure These materials and the corresponding operations cause the two connection areas (4), (11) to become electrically connected. These methods of connection also provide mechanical connection between the circuit board (5) and integrated circuit sensor (1).
• FIG 4. illustrates the feature of the connection assembly that only the sensor area (2) and the circuit board, electrical connections (7), (8) are accessible from the topside of the sensor assembly.
• FIG. 5 depicts a transparent view of the sensor assembly as viewed from directly above the connection assembly shown in FIG. 4.
• the circuit board (5) covers the electrical circuit areas (3).
• the opening in circuit board (6) exposes the sensor area (2). Because of the protection provided by the circuit board (5) and the proximity of the opening (6) to the electrical circuit area, a more rugged integrated circuit sensor may be constructed by moving transistors from the sensor area (2) to the electrical circuit area (3) whenever possible.
• the ' connection areas (4), (11) align so that both are illustrated as one in this view.
• FIG. 6 further illustrates the features of the connection assembly by means of a cross section through the connection assembly defined by a vertical plane containing points A and B in FIG. 5.
• connection area (4) and (1 1) The alignment of the connection areas (4) and (1 1) is again shown. The differences between the materials in connection area (4) and connection area (1 1) is illustrated as black and white. If the connection is made via some forms of solder connection, the connection materials blend together more than is currently depicted.
• the covering of the electrical circuits (3) by the circuit board (5) is shown as is the opening (6) above the sensor area (2). Also shown is an optional insulating sealant material (12) which provides additional protection for the connection areas (4), (11) and the electrical circuits (3) and increases the mechanical strength between the circuit board and the integrated circuit sensor. This sealant material may be applied after the circuit board is connected to the sensor, as in the case of an under-fill material, or as part of the electrical connection process itself, as in the case of an- isotropic conductive film.
• FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the invention using the same physical cross section plane identified in FIG. 6.
• the thin circuit board (5) is physically attached to the side of the integrated circuit sensor opposite the sensor area (2), with adhesive material (13). Because of the bending of the circuit board, connection points (8) are advantageously located on the backside of the integrated circuit sensor.
• FIG. 8 shows an alternate integrated circuit sensor with sensor area (2) adjacent to the edge of the integrated circuit sensor (1).
• FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the invention which also uses a circuit board that only exposes the integrated circuit surface at the sensor area (2).
• the circuit board opening (6) is a notch in the corner of the circuit board rather than a hole as in FIG. 4.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Measurement Of Length, Angles, Or The Like Using Electric Or Magnetic Means (AREA)
• Multi-Conductor Connections (AREA)
• Image Input (AREA)
• Wire Bonding (AREA)
• Optical Transform (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (4)

Family

ID=23126529

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (92)

• 2002
  • 2002-05-22 AU AU2002310087A patent/AU2002310087A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2002-05-22 WO PCT/US2002/016399 patent/WO2002095801A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2002-05-22 US US10/155,834 patent/US20030013328A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2002-05-22 EP EP02737133A patent/EP1407477A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2002-05-22 JP JP2002592167A patent/JP2005516377A/ja active Pending
  • 2002-05-22 TW TW091110793A patent/TWI241531B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation

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