Abstract:
The present invention provides an advanced cavity structure for optically sensitive devices in wafer level chip scale package and methods of manufacturing thereof. Image sensor or light detection integrated circuits are formed on substrate. Substantially absorptive bleached cavity walls are formed about the image sensor or light detection integrated circuits. Upon attaching a transparent layer to the bleached cavity walls and above the image sensor or light detection integrated circuits, open chambers are formed thereby permitting the image sensor or light detection integrated circuits to receive and manipulate signals without decreasing or decaying the optical sensitivity of the incident light. Furthermore, individual image sensor or light detection integrated circuits may be separated from each other to comprise wafer level chip scale packages of at least one image sensor or light detection integrated circuits, at least one transparent layer, and at least one open chamber.

Description:
FIELD OF ACTIVITY  
       [0001]     Disclosed embodiments relate to an advanced cavity structure for optically sensitive devices in wafer level chip scale package and methods of manufacturing thereof.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Optically sensitive devices such as image sensor and light detection integrated circuits play an important role in capturing color, image, and signal in optical electronic devices. These integrated circuits have been found in consumer electronics products and portable devices such as digital cameras, digital camcorders, and cellular phones.  
         [0003]     One of the ways of packaging image sensor and light detection integrated circuits involves laminating silicon wafer between two glass substrates and completely encapsulating it with optical epoxy, whereby electrical contacts can be routed to the back of the silicon wafer, leaving the optically sensitive device exposed for light or image sensing applications via one of the glass substrates. The optical epoxy can, however, scatter and absorb the incident light, consequently leading to decayed and decreased optical sensitivity.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     The present invention provides an advanced cavity structure for optically sensitive devices in wafer level chip scale packages. The optically sensitive devices comprise of image sensor or light detection integrated circuits formed on a substrate. In one embodiment, bleached cavity walls are formed about the image sensor or light detection integrated circuits. In this embodiment, the bleached cavity walls are substantially absorptive of incident light.  
         [0005]     In yet a further embodiment, a transparent layer is formed on the bleached cavity walls and above the image sensor or light detection integrated circuits thereby defining open chambers between the transparent layer, the bleached cavity walls, and the image sensor or light detection integrated circuits. In this embodiment, the open chambers may be evacuated or gaseous thereby permitting the image sensor or light detection integrated circuits to receive or manipulate signals, whether image or light, via the transparent layer through the open chamber without decreasing or decaying the optical sensitivity of the incident light.  
         [0006]     In yet another embodiment, at least one image sensor or light detection integrated circuit, at least one transparent layer, and at least one open chamber can be individually separated from at least one image sensor or light detection integrated circuits, at least one transparent layer, and at least one open chamber to comprise the wafer level chip scale package. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     (1)  FIG. 1  is the cross-sectional view of a color filter integrated circuit on a substrate;  
         [0008]     (2)  FIGS. 2A-2C  illustrate the steps of a conventional lithographic fabrication process with positive photoresist;  
         [0009]     (3)  FIGS. 3A-3C  illustrate the steps of a conventional lithographic fabrication process with negative photoresist;  
         [0010]     (4)  FIG. 4  is an exemplary depiction of the color filter of  FIG. 1  after the formation of cavity walls with bleached negative photoresist;  
         [0011]     (5)  FIG. 5A  is an exemplary planar view of a color filter device before the formation of cavity walls with bleached negative photoresist;  
         [0012]     (6)  FIG. 5B  is an exemplary planar view of a color filter device after the formation of cavity walls with bleached negative photoresist;  
         [0013]     (7)  FIG. 6  illustrates the wafer level chip scale packaging of integrated circuits with bleached cavity walls on substrate mounting onto transparent layer; and  
         [0014]     (8)  FIG. 7  is the cross-sectional view of a completed wafer level chip scale package. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]     Initial reference is made to a schematic cross-sectional view of a color filter integrated circuit  102  on substrate  104  as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The color filters may comprise of primary colors such as red, blue, and green (R/G/B color filters) or complementary colors such as cyan, magenta, and yellow (C/M/Y color filters). In addition to color filters  102 , optically active complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors may also be formed on the substrate. Furthermore, although monocrystalline silicon of either N-type or P-type doping is typically the substrate of choice  104 , these integrated circuits may also be formed on, for example, gallium arsenide (GaAs) or indium phosphide (InP) substrates. A photoactive region  142  is formed on substrate  104  comprising at least in part of complementary P+ or N+ doping. The photoactive regions  142  comprise photosensitive photodiodes employed within devices including but not limited to charge coupled devices (CCD), charge injection devices (CID), and optically active CMOS devices. Other active semiconductor devices may also be used in place of the photodiodes  142 .  
         [0016]     Subsequently, a patterned conductor pixel layer  144  is formed inside the color filter integrated circuit  102 . The conductor pixel layer  144  serves as the first directional charge collection array in receiving the incoming signal. These signals may consist of images or light photons. The conductor pixel layer  144 , consequently, stores the incoming signal by converting the images or light photons into electrical energy. Along with the conductor pixel layer  144 , bond pads  146  and scribe lines  148  are also formed for ease of packaging the die on a circuit board. Electrical signals are routed from the color filter integrated circuit  102  out to the bond pads  146 , while scribe lines  148  facilitate the separation of color filter integrated circuits  102  into individual devices. The first planarizing layer  150 , transparent to electromagnetic spectrum radiation, is then formed using known fabrication techniques. The planarizing layer  150  planarizes or smoothes the topography of the color filter integrated circuit, thereby making subsequent fabrication steps easier.  
         [0017]     A layer of color filters  152 , separated by spacers  154 , are subsequently formed. The color filters  152  and spacers  154  are arranged in unique patterns to form color filter arrays  155  having desired sensitivity and performance characteristics. In addition to separating the color filters  152 , the spacers  154  also prevent scattering and reflections between neighboring color filter arrays  155 . Further to this isolation, each color filter  152  may be constructed such that a single color is assigned to each pixel and that each pixel responds to only one color wavelength. A second planarizing layer  156 , similar to the first planarizing layer, is subsequently formed, also serving to planarize the existing circuit topography and facilitate further processing of the circuits. Microlenses  158  are then formed on top of the color filters  152  employing methods and materials as are conventional in the art of integrated circuit fabrication to enhance optical sensitivity and provide optical flexibility as described in any of the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,531,266; 6,274,917; 6,242,277 and 6,171,885.  
         [0018]     The formation of cavity walls for wafer level chip scale package is subsequently illustrated in  FIGS. 2A-2C ,  FIGS. 3A-3C  and  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 2A , the color filter integrated circuit  102  on substrate  104  is coated with a positive photoresist  170 . A photoresist is a light-sensitive chemical that is applied to the wafer utilizing a track coater spinning at high speeds. The spin speed determines the thickness of the photoresist with thicker films at low speeds and thinner films at high speeds. The positive designation indicates the tone of the photoresist and its sensitivity to light and susceptibility to being chemically washed away. The positive photoresist  170  coats about 8 to 30 microns using known integrated circuit fabrication techniques.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2B  illustrates the formation of a positive photoresist and its subsequent exposure to a light source  174  through a photomask  172  in order to harden the photoresist into a desired pattern. Typical exposures take place on a stepper or scanner and can last several seconds. The transparent parts of the photomask  172  are typically composed substantially of a quartz material that permits the light to pass through the photomask and onto the positive photoresist  170  while other areas of the photomask  172  comprise opaque chrome, which blocks the positive photoresist  170  from being exposed to the light source  174 . The portion of the positive photoresist  170 , which is not exposed to the light source  174 , exhibits no effect, while the area that is exposed to the light source  174 , subsequently undergoes a chemical reaction making it soluble in the presence of a tetra-methyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) base developer, a liquid chemical used for developing or dissolving photoresists.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2C  shows a cross-sectional view of the color filter integrated circuit  102  after developing or washing substrate  104  with TMAH base developer, whereby only the unexposed positive photoresist  176  remain while the area that was exposed to the light source  174  were developed or dissolved employing conventional integrated circuit fabrication techniques.  
         [0021]     The positive photoresist pattern  176  creates a template for the subsequent formation of cavity walls as illustrated in  FIGS. 3A-3C . As shown in  FIG. 3A , the color filter integrated circuit  102  on substrate  104  with the remaining positive photoresist  176  is subsequently coated with a negative photoresist  190 . A negative photoresist is similar to a positive photoresist in all aspects with the exception that a negative photoresist will not be chemically washed away following an exposure to the light source. The negative photoresist  190  undergoes an exposure to a light source  194  through a photomask  192  as illustrated in  FIG. 3B . Upon exposure to the light source  194 , a negative photoresist  190  will cross-link and harden, thereby preventing the exposed areas from being dissolved by the TMAH developer. Consequently,  FIG. 3C  shows a cross-sectional view of the color filter integrated circuit  102  after developing with TMAH developer. The negative photoresist  196  that was exposed to the light source  194  cross-linked and hardened, while the negative photoresist  196  that was not exposed to the light source  194  was developed or dissolved away with TMAH developer.  
         [0022]     To produce the cavity walls  198  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the substrate  104  with the remaining (positive and negative) photoresists as shown in  FIG. 3C , is then subjected to a blanket or flood exposure with an external ultraviolet (UV) light source  199 . A blanket or flood exposure with an external UV light source  199 , also known as bleaching, exposes all of the color filter integrated circuits  102  on substrate  104  to the UV light source  199 . Upon exposure to the UV light source  199 , the remaining positive photoresist  176  undergoes a chemical reaction and becomes soluble to TMAH developer. The remaining negative photoresist  196 , however, exhibits the opposite trend and is further hardened or cross-linked by the exposure to the UV light source  199 . Consequently,  FIG. 4  shows the cross-sectional view of the color filter integrated circuits  102  on substrate  104  along with the bleached negative photoresist cavity walls  198  after subsequent exposure and developing steps. Like with negative photoresist, however, other photo-sensitive polymeric materials such as positive photoresist and benzocyclobutene (BCB) may also be bleached to transform them into absorptive cavity walls  198  with low transmittance values. Furthermore, anti-reflective dielectric materials such as silicon nitride, silicon oxide, and silicon-oxynitride may also be tweaked into highly absorptive cavity walls  198  for the purposes of this invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 5A  illustrates the planar view of a traditional color filter device prior to packaging where the arrays  155  of color filter integrated circuits  102  are clearly arranged by pixels along with spacers  154 , bond pads  146 , and scribe lines  148 . After the formation of the cavity walls  198  with the bleached negative photoresist  198  as shown in  FIG. 5B , the spacers  154  and the bond pads  146  are no longer visible. The arrays  155  of color filter integrated circuits  102  on substrate  104  is subsequently surrounded and enclosed by the cavity walls  198 , thereby making the color filter device readily available for packaging onto a transparent layer  200 , such as glass-like materials including glass, sapphire, and quartz, as well as crystalline materials such as lithium niobate and lithium tantalate, as illustrated in  FIG. 6 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a wafer level chip scale package structure formed using the techniques described in this application. As shown in  FIG. 7 , the image sensor or light detection integrated circuit  102  on substrate  104  can now be mounted to the transparent layer  200  via the bleached cavity walls  198 . As a result, an evacuated or gaseous chamber  202  is created between the substrate  104  and the transparent layer  200 . The chamber  202 , as formed and structured here, unlike when it passes through optical epoxy, will not decay or decrease the optical sensitivity of the image sensor or light detection integrated circuit  102  to the incident light  203  coming through the transparent layer  200  and onto the circuit  102 . Depending on the method and technique of packaging, the evacuated or gaseous chamber  202  may comprise of vacuum, oxygen gas, neon gas, argon gas, helium gas, nitrogen gas, air, or mixtures thereof.  
         [0025]     Furthermore, any scattered incident light  203  will be absorbed  204  by the bleached cavity walls  198 , thereby further improving the sensitivity and performance of the device. In addition, the disclosed embodiments allow for wafer level testing of these optically sensitive devices, wafer level packaging, and can result in reduced cost and improved performance of producing wafer level chip scale packages as compared to conventional packaging techniques.  
         [0026]     It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential character thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes that come within the meaning and ranges of equivalents thereof are intended to be embraced therein.  
         [0027]     Additionally, the section headings herein are provided for consistency with the suggestions under 37 C.F.R. § 1.77 or otherwise to provide organizational cues. These headings shall not limit or characterize the invention(s) set out in any claims that may issue from this disclosure. Specifically and by way of example, although the headings refer to a “Technical Field,” the claims should not be limited by the language chosen under this heading to describe the so-called technical field. Further, a description of a technology in the “Background” is not to be construed as an admission that technology is prior art to any invention(s) in this disclosure. Neither is the “Summary of the Invention” to be considered as a characterization of the invention(s) set forth in the claims found herein. Furthermore, any reference in this disclosure to “invention” in the singular should not be used to argue that there is only a single point of novelty claimed in this disclosure. Multiple inventions may be set forth according to the limitations of the multiple claims associated with this disclosure, and the claims accordingly define the invention(s), and their equivalents, that are protected thereby. In all instances, the scope of the claims shall be considered on their own merits in light of the specification, but should not be constrained by the headings set forth herein.