Patent ID: 6479320
Filing Date: 2002-11-12
Classification: B81B

Abstract:
A method for vacuum packaging MEMS devices during the MEMS fabrication process, comprising:fabricating on a device wafer a plurality of MEMS devices; fabricating one or more device mating pads on the device wafer, the device mating pads selectively coupled to the MEMS devices; forming a plurality of first sealing rings surrounding both one of the plurality of MEMS devices and the one or more device mating pads selectively coupled to the MEMS device; fabricating on a lid wafer a plurality of CMOS or other integrated circuit devices; fabricating one or more lid mating pads on the lid wafer, the one or more lid mating pads corresponding in position to the one or more device mating pads selectively coupled to the MEMS devices to enable selective electrical connection of the CMOS or other integrated circuit devices to selected MEMS devices; fabricating one or more bonding pads on either the one or more device mating pads or the one or more lid mating pads; forming on the lid wafer a plurality of second sealing rings, each of the plurality of second sealing rings surrounding one of the plurality of CMOS or other integrated circuit devices and the one or more mating pads of the CMOS or other integrated circuit devices, each of the plurality of second sealing rings positioned between the perimeter of the CMOS or other integrated circuit device and one or more bonding pads coupled to the CMOS or other integrated circuit device; forming a sealing layer on either each of the plurality of first sealing rings or on each of the plurality of second sealing rings; and mating the device wafer with the lid wafer in a vacuum environment to form a vacuum package within each of the plurality of first sealing rings and second sealing rings, each vacuum package enclosing one or more of the plurality of MEMS devices and one or more of the CMOS or other integrated circuit devices thereby selectively interconnected through one or more bonding pads.