Support Device for One or More MEMS Components

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (100) for supporting one or more MEMS components (160), comprising a base component (110), which substantially consists of a first material with a first coefficient of expansion ?.sub.1, an interposer (120), which is integrally bonded to the base component (110) in one or more first connection regions (140) and substantially consists of a second material with a second coefficient of expansion ?.sub.2, and a support substrate (130), which is integrally bonded to the interposer (120) in one or more second connection regions (150) and substantially consists of a third material with a third coefficient of expansion ?.sub.3, wherein the support substrate (130) is configured to support the one or more MEMS components (160), and for the coefficients of expansion the following holds true: ?.sub.1>?.sub.2??.sub.3, preferably ?.sub.1>?.sub.2=?.sub.3. The invention also relates to a system (105) comprising a device (100) according to the invention and the one or more MEMS components (160), and to a method for producing a device (100) according to the invention.

Claims

1. A device for supporting one or more MEMS components, comprising a base component, which substantially consists of a first material with a first coefficient of expansion ?.sub.1, an interposer, which is integrally bonded to the base component in one or more first connection regions and substantially consists of a second material with a second coefficient of expansion ?.sub.2, and a support substrate, which is integrally bonded to the interposer in one or more second connection regions and substantially consists of a third material with a third coefficient of expansion ?.sub.3, wherein the support substrate is configured to support the one or more MEMS components 46% and for the coefficients of expansion the following holds true: ?.sub.1>?.sub.2??.sub.3, preferably ?.sub.1>?.sub.2=?.sub.3.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the base component and the support substrate are on opposite sides of the interposer.

3. The device according to claim 1, comprising a first connecting layer between the base component and the interposer and a second connecting layer between the interposer and the support substrate.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the base component and the support substrate are in mechanical contact with one another exclusively via the interposer.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the interposer has a polygonal, in particular rectangular, or an oval, in particular circular, basic area, wherein the basic area comprises the first and/or the second connection region.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second material and the third material are identical.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first material is or contains a metal, preferably copper, and/or the second material is or contains a ceramic, and/or the third material is or contains a ceramic.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the base component and the interposer are connected to one another exclusively in the one or more first connection regions and the interposer and the support substrate are connected to one another exclusively in the one or more second connection regions.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first connection region or multiple first connection regions together covers or cover a first area of the interposer and the second connection region or multiple second connection regions together covers or cover a second area of the interposer and the first area is larger and/or is otherwise geometrically more advantageous than the second area, and wherein there is no integrally bonded connection that is not present in one of the connection regions.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more first connection regions has a different basic area than each of the one or more second connection regions, and wherein there is no integrally bonded connection that is not present in one of the connection regions.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality, preferably each, of the one or more first connection regions has a larger and/or otherwise geometrically more advantageous basic area than each of the one or more second connection regions, and wherein there is no integrally bonded connection that is not present in one of the connection regions.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more first connection regions has an oval basic area and/or each of the one or more second connection regions has a rectangular basic area, and wherein there is no integrally bonded connection that is not present in one of the connection regions.

13. A system comprising a device for supporting one or more MEMS components according to claim 1 and the one or more MEMS components, wherein the one or more MEMS components are disposed on a first side of the support substrate.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein an electronic component is disposed on a second side of the support substrate that is different from the first side, wherein the second side comprises the one or more second connection regions and there is an electrical connection between the electronic component and the one or more MEMS components, wherein the interposer preferably has a cutout which at least partially laterally encloses the electronic component.

15. A method for producing a device for supporting one or more MEMS components comprising the following steps: a. providing a base component, which substantially consists of a first material with a first coefficient of thermal expansion ?.sub.1, an interposer, which substantially consists of a second material with a second coefficient of thermal expansion ?.sub.2, and a support substrate, which substantially consists of a third material with a third coefficient of thermal expansion ?.sub.3, for supporting the one or more MEMS components; and b. integrally bonding the interposer to the base component and to the support substrate in such a way that the base component and the support substrate are in contact exclusively via the interposer after the integral bonding operation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail with reference to the drawings and the following description.

[0029] In the figures:

[0030] FIG. 1A shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary device according to the invention and an exemplary system according to the invention, in a side view;

[0031] FIG. 1B shows a schematic illustration of the connecting layers and the connection regions of the exemplary device according to the invention, in a plan view; and

[0032] FIG. 2 schematically shows a flow diagram of an exemplary method according to the invention for producing an exemplary device according to the invention.

EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0033] In the following description of the embodiments of the invention, identical or similar elements are designated with the same reference signs, a repeated description of these elements in individual cases being omitted. The figures illustrate the subject matter of the invention only schematically.

[0034] FIG. 1A shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary device 100 according to the invention and an exemplary system 105 according to the invention, in a side view.

[0035] More precisely, FIG. 1A shows a device 100 according to the invention for supporting a MEMS component 160 and at the same time the system 105, consisting of the device 100 according to the invention and the mounted MEMS component 160. This device 100 comprises a base component 110, which can be used for coupling to a superordinate assembly, an interposer 120, and a support substrate 130 with the MEMS component 160, for example a micro-mirror array, mounted on a first side 130a of the support substrate 130. Here, the base component 110 and the interposer 120 are integrally bonded to one another, with this integrally bonded connection being realized in a first connection region 140. There is also an integrally bonded connection between the interposer 120 and the support substrate 130 in a second connection region 150. In this case, the interposer 120 and the support substrate 130 consist substantially of the same first material, for example a ceramic, but the base component 110 consists of a second material, for example a metal, such as copper, having a coefficient of expansion which differs from the coefficient of expansion of the first material.

[0036] There are also electronic components 180 on the support substrate 130, specifically on the second side 130b of the support substrate 130 that is opposite the first side 130a. They are disposed in a cutout 125 of the interposer 120 and connected to the MEMS component 160 via electrical connections 170, which extend through the support substrate 130. The electronic components 180 may for example be ASICs, which serve to actuate the MEMS component 160. Also depicted are a first connecting layer 145 and a second connecting layer 155, which are part of the integrally bonded connections, in the area of the connection regions 140, 150. The layers may for example be soldered and/or sintered layers.

[0037] In this respect, the elements 110, 120, 130, 140, 145, 150, 155 and 160 are disposed centrally in relation to one another. This is illustrated in the drawing by the depicted axis 190 which extends through the middle. In this respect, the axis 190 extends perpendicularly to surfaces of the individual elements 110, 120, 130, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, that is to say also perpendicularly to the sides 130a, 130b of the support substrate.

[0038] FIG. 1B illustrates the connecting layers 155, 145 and the connection regions 140, 150 from FIG. 1A in a plan view. As can be seen, they have different shapes: The first connection region 140 and correspondingly the first connecting layer 145 have circular forms, while the second connection region 150 and the second connecting layer 155 have the form of a square, narrow frame, which was forced through the cutout 125 required by the electronic components 180. Instead of a circular connection region 140 and a circular connecting layer 145, an annular shape is also conceivable. Such an annular shape may for example be advantageous if a cylindrical cutout is disposed in the interposer 120 centrally about the axis 190, for example for the purpose of feeding electric lines. This cutout might be hermetically sealingly enclosed by an annular connecting layer 145. The integrally bonded connection, illustrated in FIG. 1B, of the second connection region 150 is mechanically in principle considerably less stable than the integrally bonded connection of the first connection region 140: Owing to the greater lateral extent, potential thermal stresses act more strongly here than in the first connection region 140, and notch effects and increased stresses resulting from the corners are to be expected. They are completely avoided in the first connection region 140 owing to the circular shape, this not being possible for the second connection region 150 because of the structure. The selection of substantially identical materials for the support substrate 130 and the interposer 120 that is made then avoids thermal stresses at critical locations: As a result of the different coefficients of expansion, thermal stresses arise only between the base component 110 and the interposer 120, but these thermal stresses are not critical owing to the geometrically more advantageous integrally bonded connection.

[0039] FIG. 2 schematically shows a flow diagram of an exemplary method according to the invention for producing an exemplary device 100 according to the invention. In the course of the method, in step 210, a base component 110, which substantially consists of a first material with a first coefficient of thermal expansion ?.sub.1, an interposer 120, which substantially consists of a second material with a second coefficient of thermal expansion ?.sub.2, and a support substrate 130, which substantially consists of a third material with a third coefficient of thermal expansion ?.sub.3, are provided, wherein the support substrate 130 is designed to support the one or more MEMS components 160. In step 220, the MEMS component 160 is mounted on and integrally bonded to the support substrate 130. This can be effected for example by soldering, sintering and/or adhesive bonding. Similarly, possible further components, such as electronic components 180, can be connected to the support substrate 130. The latter is done preferably after the MEMS component 160 has been mounted on the support substrate 130. In parallel, in step 230, the interposer 120 can be fastened to the base component 110 by means of an integral bonding process, for example by means of soldering, sintering and/or welding. In this respect, the base component 110 serves for connection to a superordinate assembly.

[0040] The support substrate 130 with the MEMS component 160 and the further components can lastly, in step 240, be connected to the interposer 120 also by an integral bonding process, such as soldering, sintering and/or welding. With a corresponding form of the interposer 120, it is possible to have the effect that sensitive components, such as the MEMS component 160 and the further components, on the support substrate 130 are protected by the interposer 120 for further steps of the manufacture and later on during operation of the device 100.

[0041] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described here and the aspects highlighted therein. On the contrary, a large number of modifications that are within the ability of a person skilled in the art are possible within the scope specified by the claims.