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Packaging Technology for Devices in Autonomous Sensor Networks

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Autonomous Sensor Networks

Part of the book series: Springer Series on Chemical Sensors and Biosensors ((SSSENSORS,volume 13))

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Abstract

Autonomous sensor network (ASN) node comprises of multiple miniaturized sensors, actuators, controller-circuitry and power source. Packaging and integration of these components play a critical role in determining the overall system performance, cost and time to market. Packaging of electronic components provides significant improvement in device characteristic performance and ensures long-term reliability. Packaging of ASN nodes and/or its components is more challenging, because of the sheer variety of components, like sensors, actuators, integrated circuit (IC) controllers, that make up the ASN nodes. Numerous packaging solutions like assembling individually packaged components on a single board (printed circuit board level packaging) or housing all components in a single package (system-in-package or system-on-chip approach) have been demonstrated. Some of the popular and commercially available chip-level packaging technologies are wire bonding, flip-chip bonding, tape automated bonding, etc. However the cost for these conventional chip-level packaging is much higher than other cost associated with device manufacturing. Thus wafer-level packaging has gained interest as it can be used as a low cost packaging technology. In this chapter, packaging of infrared (IR) sensors has been used as a case study to demonstrate the packaging constraints imposed by device performance and application requirements, followed by brief discussion on various packaging solutions available for individual IR sensor and more sophisticated IR sensor array. As future outlook, it seems possible to integrate all the components of ASN node, except for the battery power source. To tackle this technology constraint, energy harvesting technology has been investigated as an alternative power source. Thus replacing the battery by energy harvesters as power source is discussed at the end of this chapter.

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Abbreviations

ASIC:

Application-specific integrated circuit

ASN:

Autonomous sensor network

BGAs:

Ball grid arrays

C2C:

Chip-to-chip

C2W:

Chip-to-wafer

CBGAs:

Ceramic ball grid arrays

CCs:

Chip carriers

CMOS:

Complementary metal oxide semiconductor

CMP:

Chemical mechanical polishing

CPGAs:

Ceramic pin grid arrays

DIPs:

Dual in line packages

DOF:

Degree-of-freedom

DRIE:

Deep reactive-ion etching

DWB:

Direct wafer bonding

FUC:

Frequency up-converter

HMP:

High-melting point

HRF:

High-resonant frequency

IC:

Integrated circuit

ICP:

Inductively coupled plasma

IMCs:

Intermetallic compounds

IR:

Infrared

IRFPA:

Infrared focal plane array

IWB:

Intermediated wafer bonding

LDCCs:

Leaded chip carriers

LLCCs:

Leadless chip carriers

LMP:

Low melting point

LRF:

Low-resonant-frequency

LWIR:

Long-wave infrared

MCM:

Multichip modules

MCU:

Microcontroller unit

MEMS:

Microelectromechanical systems

MWIR:

Mid-wave infrared

PBGAs:

Plastic ball grid arrays

PC:

Personal computer

PCB:

Printed circuit board

PECVD:

Plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition

PGAs:

Pin grid arrays

PPGAs:

Plastic pin grid arrays

QFPs:

Quad flat packages

RF:

Radio frequency

SiP:

System-in-a-package

SIPs:

Single in line packages

SMT:

Surface mount technology

SoB:

System-on-board

SoC:

System-on-chip

SOI:

Silicon-on-insulator

SOPs:

Small outline packages

SWIR:

Short-wave infrared

TAB:

Tape automated bonding

TFE:

Thin film encapsulation

TPGs:

Thermoelectric power generators

TSV:

Through silicon vias

USG:

Undoped silica glass

W2W:

Wafer to wafer

WBAN:

Wireless body area network

WLE:

Wafer-level encapsulation

WLP:

Wafer-level packaging

WSNs:

Wireless sensor networks

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 3, Singapore, 117576, Singapore

    Chengkuo Lee & Prakash Pitchappa

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  1. Chengkuo Lee
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  2. Prakash Pitchappa
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Correspondence to Chengkuo Lee .

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  1. , Department of Physics, Chemistry and Bio, IFM - Linköping University, Office M314, Linköping, 58183, Sweden

    Daniel Filippini

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Lee, C., Pitchappa, P. (2012). Packaging Technology for Devices in Autonomous Sensor Networks. In: Filippini, D. (eds) Autonomous Sensor Networks. Springer Series on Chemical Sensors and Biosensors, vol 13. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/5346_2012_45

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