For the development of small and low cost microbolometer, wafer level reliability characterization techniques of vacuum packaged wafer are introduced. Amorphous silicon based microbolometer-type vacuum sensors fabricated in 8 inch wafer are bonded with cap wafer by Au-Sn eutectic solder. Membrane deflection and integrated vacuum sensor techniques are independently used to characterize the hermeticity in a wafer-level. For the packaged wafer with membrane thickness below 100um, it is possible to determine the hermeticity as screening test by optical detection technique. Integrated vacuum sensor having the same structure as bolometer pixel shows the vacuum level below 100mTorr. All steps from packaging process to fine hermeticity test are implemented in wafer level to prove the high volume and low cost production.

Date Published: 19 June 2013
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 8704, Infrared Technology and Applications XXXIX, 87043E (19 June 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2015738

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8704:
Infrared Technology and Applications XXXIX
Bjørn F. Andresen; Gabor F. Fulop; Charles M. Hanson; Paul R. Norton; Patrick Robert, Editor(s)