Structure and method of making sealed capped chips

Abstract

A method of making a plurality of sealed assemblies is provided which includes a) assembling a first element to a second element so that a bottom surface of the first element faces downwardly toward a front surface of the second element and a top surface of the first element faces upwardly away from the second element; and (b) forming ring seals surrounding regions of the front surface of the second element by introducing flowable material between the first element and the second element from the top surface of the first element through openings in the first element. A chip is provided which includes: (a) a body defining a front surface and one or more circuit elements on or within the body; (b) one or more bond pads exposed at the front surface in a bond pad region; and (c) a metallic ring exposed at the front surface, the ring substantially surrounding the bond pad region. Sealed chip assemblies are formed by sealing an array of the chips, e.g., in wafer form, to a cap element.

1 . A method of making a plurality of sealed assemblies comprising: 
 (a) assembling a first element to a second element so that a bottom surface of the first element faces downwardly toward a front surface of said second element and a top surface of the first element faces upwardly away from the second element; and    (b) forming ring seals surrounding regions of said front surface of said second element by introducing flowable material between said first element and said second element from the top surface of said first element through openings in the first element.    
   
   
       2 . A method of making a plurality of lidded chips comprising: 
 (a) assembling a lid member to a chip member so that a bottom surface of the lid member faces downwardly toward a front surface of said chip member and a top surface of the lid member faces upwardly away from the chip member; and    (b) forming ring seals surrounding regions of said front surface of said chip member by introducing a flowable material between said lid member and said cap member from the top surface of said lid member through openings in the lid member.    
   
   
       3 . A method as claimed in  claim 2  wherein at least one of said bottom surface of said lid member and said front surface of said chip member has one or more wettable regions forming at least a portion of one or more rings and one or more non-wettable regions enclosed by said one or more rings, said step of forming said ring seals including contacting said flowable material with said wettable regions.  
   
   
       4 . A method as claimed in  claim 3  wherein both said bottom surface of said lid member and said front surface of said chip member have said wettable and non-wettable regions, said assembling step being performed so as to at least partially align said wettable regions with one another.  
   
   
       5 . A method as claimed in  claim 2  further comprising forming electrically conductive interconnections extending from said regions of said chip member surrounded by said ring seals through said lid member.  
   
   
       6 . A method as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said flowable material is an electrically conductive material and said step of forming conductive interconnections includes forming said conductive interconnections using the same electrically conductive material.  
   
   
       7 . A method as claimed in  claim 2  further comprising maintaining said lid member spaced above said chip member at least in said regions during said step of forming said ring seals.