This application is based on Japanese Patent Applications No. 2007-109389 filed on Apr. 18, 2007 and No. 2008-031818 filed on Feb. 13, 2008, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor device for detecting a physical quantity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a micro electro mechanical systems sensor chip (MEMS sensor chip) has opposing pectinate elements. When acceleration or angular velocity is applied to the MEMS sensor chip, a distance between the opposing pectinate elements changes. Thus, the MEMS sensor chip functions as a sensor by detecting a change of capacitance between the opposing pectinate elements. The change of capacitance due to the acceleration or the angular velocity is small. Thus, the MEMS sensor chip includes an amplifier circuit.
When an external stress is applied to the MEMS sensor chip, the MEMS sensor chip may be bent. Thereby, the capacitance may change and a property of the MEMS sensor chip may fluctuate. Thus, it is required to design the MEMS sensor chip so that the MEMS sensor chip is less affected by the external stress.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,249,509 (corresponding to JP-2006-23190A), U.S. Pat. No. 7,166,911 and US 2004/0041254A (corresponding to JP-2006-518673A) respectively disclose a sensor device including a MEMS sensor chip disposed in a package. In the sensor devices, an area of an element at which the MEMS sensor chip is attached or an area of a portion at which an adhesive agent for attaching the MEMS sensor chip is applied is smaller than an area of a surface of the MEMS sensor chip. In the present cases, a stress applied to the MEMS sensor chip is reduced compared with a case where the whole surface of the MEMS sensor chip is attached and fixed. When the attached area of the MEMS sensor chip is small, the MEMS sensor chip is less affected by the external stress. However, when the attached area is small, an adhesion force is reduced. Thus, the adhesion force may be insufficient, and a wire-bonding process for picking up a signal from the MEMS sensor chip may be difficult.
In view of the foregoing problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sensor device for detecting a physical quantity.
According to an aspect of the invention, a sensor device includes a sensor chip, a circuit chip, a casing, a first adhesive member, and a second adhesive member. The sensor chip is configured to detect a physical quantity applied thereto. The circuit chip is electrically coupled with the sensor chip and is configured to process a signal from the sensor chip. The casing houses the sensor chip and the circuit chip. The first adhesive member is disposed between the sensor chip and the circuit chip. The first adhesive member has an area smaller than an area of the sensor chip and has a shape determined in such a manner that a distance between the first adhesive member and an outer peripheral edge of the sensor chip becomes a minimum at a portion adjacent to a centerline of the sensor chip. The second adhesive member is disposed between the circuit chip and the casing. The second adhesive member has an area smaller than an area of the circuit chip and has a shape determined in such a manner that a distance between the second adhesive member and an outer peripheral edge of the circuit chip becomes a minimum at a portion adjacent to a centerline of the circuit chip.
In the present sensor device, a property fluctuation can be reduced while ensuring sufficient adhesion forces between the sensor chip and circuit chip and between the circuit chip and the casing.
According to another aspect of the invention, a sensor device includes a sensor chip, a circuit chip, a casing, a first adhesive member, and a second adhesive member. The sensor chip is configured to detect a physical quantity applied thereto. The sensor chip has an approximately quadrilateral shape and has a plurality of bonding pad arranged along at least one side of the approximately quadrilateral shape. The circuit chip has an approximately quadrilateral shape and has a plurality of bonding pads arranged along at least one side of the approximately quadrilateral shape. A part of the bonding pads is electrically coupled with the plurality of the bonding pads of the sensor chip. The casing houses the sensor chip and the circuit chip and has a plurality of bonding pads electrically coupled with the other part of the bonding pads of the circuit chip. The first adhesive member is disposed between the sensor chip and the circuit chip. The first adhesive member has an area smaller than an area of the sensor chip and has an end portion located outside of the plurality of bonding pads of the sensor chip. The second adhesive member that is disposed between the circuit chip and the casing. The second adhesive member has an area smaller than an area of the circuit chip and that has an end portion located outside of the plurality of bonding pads of the circuit chip.
In the present sensor device, a property fluctuation can be reduced while ensuring sufficient adhesion forces between the sensor chip and circuit chip and between the circuit chip and the casing.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken together with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
A sensor device according to a first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to
The sensor chip 2 has an approximately quadrilateral shape and an area about 20 mm2, for example. As shown in
Each of the sensor elements 21 has a driving portion 211 and a detecting portion 212. The driving portion 211 includes spindles 211a, driving movable-electrodes 211b, and driving fixed-electrodes 211c. The spindles 211a are held by the peripheral portion 22 to be movable. The driving movable-electrodes 211b have pectinate shapes and are integrally coupled with the spindles 211a. The driving fixed-electrodes 211c have pectinate shapes and are disposed approximately parallel to the driving movable-electrodes 211b. The driving fixed-electrodes 211c are driven at a predetermined frequency. The driving movable-electrodes 211b and the driving fixed-electrodes 211c are opposed to each other and have a predetermined distance therebetween. The spindles 211a, the driving movable-electrodes 211b, and the driving fixed-electrodes 211c are arranged symmetrically with respect to the line IIIB-IIIB in
The detecting portion 212 includes detecting movable-electrodes 212a and detecting fixed-electrodes 212b. The detecting movable electrodes 212a are held by the peripheral portion 22 to be movable. The detecting fixed-electrodes 212b are arranged approximately parallel to the detecting movable-electrodes 212a. The detecting movable-electrodes 212a and the detecting fixed-electrodes 212b are opposed to each other and have a predetermined distance therebetween. The detecting fixed-electrodes 212b detect an angular velocity applied to the sensor chip 2 as a Coriolis force. The detecting movable-electrodes 212a and the detecting fixed-electrodes 212b are arranged symmetrically with respect to the line IIIB-IIIB in
The driving movable-electrodes 211b are movable in an X-axis direction, and the detecting movable-electrodes 212a are movable in a Y-axis direction shown in
Specifically, detecting beams 212c are integrally coupled with the peripheral portion 22, and the detecting movable-electrodes 212a are integrally coupled with the detecting beams 212c. In addition, driving beams 211d are integrally coupled with the detecting movable-electrodes 212a, and the spindles 211a are integrally coupled with the driving beams 211d.
The peripheral portion 22 includes a stiffening member 22a that is located between the sensor elements 21. The stiffening member 22a has a cross shape and a center point of the cross shape is located at a center point of the sensor chip 2. The stiffening member 22a has X-axial parts 22a1 that extend in the X-axis direction. The X-axial parts 22a1 are located between center portions of the detecting fixed-electrodes 212b. The peripheral portion 22 and each of the electrodes have bonding pads 2a.
An operation of the sensor chip 2 for detecting the angular velocity will now be described. At first, a voltage signal that varies periodically is applied between the driving fixed-electrodes 211c and the driving movable-electrodes 211b, and thereby the spindles 211a vibrate in the X-axis direction. When the sensor chip 2 receives an angular velocity that has a rotation axis in the Z-axis direction, the Coliolis force acts on the spindles 211a vibrating in the X-axis direction, and thereby the spindles 211a displace in the Y-axis direction. Thus, the detecting beams 212c bend in the Y-axis direction, and the spindles 211a, the driving movable-electrodes 211b, and the detecting movable-electrodes 212a displace in the Y-axis direction.
The displacements of the spindles 211a in the Y-axis direction are transmitted to the detecting movable-electrodes 212a. A predetermined voltage is applied to the detecting movable-electrodes 212a and the detecting fixed-electrodes 212b. Thus, capacitances between the detecting movable-electrodes 212a and the detecting fixed-electrodes 212b change in accordance with the displacements of the detecting movable-electrodes 212a. The capacitances are detected by a capacitance-voltage (CV) converter circuit disposed in the circuit chip 3. Thereby, the angular velocity applied to the sensor chip 2 can be detected.
Each of the detecting fixed-electrodes 212b and each of the detecting movable-electrodes 212a are arranged approximately parallel to at least one side in a planar direction of the sensor chip 2. Thus, the change of the capacitances between the detecting fixed-electrodes 212b and the detecting movable-electrodes 212a are generated when the detecting movable-electrodes 212a move in a direction approximately parallel to at least one side in the planar direction of the sensor chip 2.
The spindles 211a of the pair of sensor elements 21 move to an opposite side in the X-axis direction for reducing an affect of a vibration noise from an outside of the sensor chip 2. When one of the sensor elements 21 displaces to a plus side in the X-axis direction, the other sensor element 21 displaces to a minus side in the X-axis direction. In the present case, when the angular velocity is applied to the sensor chip 2, the one sensor element 21 displaces to a plus side in the Y-axis direction, and the other sensor element 21 displaces to a minus side in the Y-axis direction.
The circuit chip 3 is configured to process a signal from the sensor chip 2. As shown in
As shown in
When the printed circuit board having the angular velocity sensor 1 is bent for some reason, an external stress is applied to the casing 4. The external stress is transmitted from the casing 4 to the sensor chip 2 through the circuit chip 3. Thus, it is required that the stress applied to the sensor chip 2 is reduced. The stress transmitted between two members increases when an attached area of the two members is large. Thus, the transmittance of the stress can be restricted by the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8. When attached areas of the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 are too small, adhesion forces between the members are reduced. Thus, it is required that the attached areas are reduced while ensuring sufficient adhesion forces.
Based on the above-described standpoint, a relationship between the areas of the adhesive films 7 and 8 and a property fluctuation due to the external stress and a relationship between the areas of the adhesive films 7 and 8 and the adhesion forces are measured by the inventor.
The experimental result is shown in
Next, the areas of the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 are changed respectively. As shown in
Thus, in the angular velocity sensor 1, shapes of the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 are determined to satisfy two requirements including that the areas are small with respect to the bottom areas of the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3, respectively, and that distances from each side of the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3 are short.
An adhesive film 7X according to a comparative example has a shape similar to the circuit chip 3 and is disposed on a center portion of the circuit chip 3, as shown in
As described above, the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3 are coupled with the bonding wires 5a, and the circuit chip 3 and the casing 4 are coupled with the bonding wires 5b. When the circuit chip 3 disposed on the adhesive film 7X is wire bonded with the casing 4 by using a wire-bonding tool 9, the circuit chip 3 may incline, and thereby the wire-bonding tool 9 may slip. As a result, a bonding activity may be reduced.
In the present embodiment, the first adhesive film 7 has an area smaller than the bottom area of the sensor chip 2 and has a shape determined in such a manner that a distance between the first adhesive film 7 and an outer peripheral edge of the sensor chip 2 becomes a minimum at portions adjacent to the centerlines of the sensor chip 2. The second adhesive film 8 has an area smaller than the bottom area of the circuit chip 3 and has a shape determined in such a manner that a distance between the second adhesive film 8 and an outer peripheral edge of the circuit chip 3 becomes a minimum at portions adjacent to centerlines of the circuit chip 3.
For example, the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 have approximately square shapes or approximately rhombus shapes. The first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 are arranged in such a manner that corner portions of the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 are located outside of the bonding pads 2a and 3a of the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3, respectively, as shown in
In
In the angular velocity sensor 1 shown in
The first adhesive film 7 is similar to the second adhesive film 8 and is smaller than the second adhesive film 8. The first adhesive film 7 attaches the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3. Four corner portions of the first adhesive film 7 protrude from middle portions of four sides of the sensor chip 2 to an outside of the sensor chip 2, respectively. The second adhesive film 8 attaches the circuit chip 3 and the casing 4. Four corner portions of the second adhesive film 8 protrude from middle portions of four sides of the circuit chip 3 to an outside of the circuit chip 3, respectively. In addition, the stiffening member 22a and the spindles 211a are provided between the opposing corner portions of the second adhesive film 8.
When a stress is transmitted to the sensor chip 2 from the second adhesive film 8, the sensor chip 2 deforms from an attached portion of the sensor chip 2 and the second adhesive film 8. In the present case, the amount of displacement is largest at a center point of the attached portion, that is, a center point of the sensor chip 2. However, the displacement is reduced by the stiffening member 22a disposed at the center portion of the sensor chip 2. Specifically, as shown in
As shown in
As described above, the angular velocity sensor 1 includes the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3 each having the approximately quadrilateral shape. The first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 have the approximately square shapes or the approximately rhombus shapes. The first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 are arranged in such a manner that the diagonal lines of the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 are located on the centerlines of the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3, respectively. Thus, the areas of the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 can be smaller than the areas of the bottom surfaces of the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3, respectively. Furthermore, the distance between the first adhesive film 7 and an outer peripheral edge of the sensor chip 2 becomes the minimum at portions adjacent to the centerlines of the sensor chip 2, and the distance between the second adhesive film 8 and an outer peripheral edge of the circuit chip 3 becomes the minimum at portions adjacent to centerlines of the circuit chip 3. Thereby, the property fluctuation due to the external stress can be restricted while ensuring the sufficient adhesive force for attaching the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3.
Because the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 are used as an adhesive agent, a process for applying the adhesive agent can be omitted. Thus, a manufacturing process can be simplified. Furthermore, the corner portions of the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 are located outside of the bonding pads 2a and 3a of the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3, respectively. Thus, the wire-bonding tool 9 is restricted from slipping at the wire-bonding process.
The bonding pads 2a and 3a are arranged along each side of the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3 centering on the middle portions. In addition, the corner portions of the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 protrude from the middle portions of each side of the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3. Thus, the wire-bonding tool 9 is restricted from slipping and the property fluctuation due to the external stress can be reduced.
An angular velocity sensor according to a second embodiment of the invention includes the sensor chip 2, an analog circuit chip 31, and a digital circuit chip 32, as shown in
The number of circuit chip may be greater than or equal to three. When the number of the chip layer increases, an adhesive film located at the lower layer requires the more adhesion force and has the larger attached area. However, as shown in the experimental result shown in
Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
For example, each of the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8 may have a shape at which the cross shape shown in
The second adhesive film 8 may be thicker than the first adhesive film 7. Alternatively, a first area ratio of the first adhesive film 7 to the sensor chip 2 may be less than or equal to a second area ratio of the second adhesive film 8 to the circuit chip 3.
Instead of the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8, an adhesive agent may be applied to the sensor chip 2 and the circuit chip 3. In the present case, the adhesive agent is applied to have a shape similar to the first adhesive film 7 and the second adhesive film 8, respectively.
The above-described embodiments may be applied to other sensor device for detecting physical quantity, for example, an acceleration sensor.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2007-109389 | Apr 2007 | JP | national |
2008-031818 | Feb 2008 | JP | national |