Abstract: A method of forming an optical module includes mounting an image sensor to a base of a substrate and bonding a lens housing to a sidewall of the substrate. A mounting surface of the lens housing includes a locking feature having a horizontal surface and a vertical surface. The sidewall of the substrate includes a joint surface. To bond the lens housing to the sidewall of the substrate, a bond is formed between the horizontal surface of the locking feature of the lens housing and the joint surface of the sidewall. Further, a bond is formed between the vertical surface of the locking feature of the lens housing and an interior surface of the sidewall.

Abstract: A method of forming an optical module includes mounting an image sensor to a base of a substrate and bonding a lens housing to a sidewall of the substrate. A mounting surface of the lens housing includes a locking feature having a horizontal surface and a vertical surface. The sidewall of the substrate includes a joint surface. To bond the lens housing to the sidewall of the substrate, a bond is formed between the horizontal surface of the locking feature of the lens housing and the joint surface of the sidewall. Further, a bond is formed between the vertical surface of the locking feature of the lens housing and an interior surface of the sidewall.

Abstract: A marked wafer includes a front-side surface and a back-side surface. A vertical scribe line and a horizontal scribe line are on the front-side surface of the wafer. A back-side alignment mark is located at an intersection of the vertical scribe line and the horizontal scribe line. The back-side alignment mark extends from the front-side surface to the back-side surface of the wafer. The back-side alignment mark is used to aligning a saw, which singulates the wafer from the back-side surface.

Abstract: A wafer includes a vertical scribe line and a horizontal scribe line on a front-side surface of the wafer. An intersection of the vertical scribe line and the horizontal scribe line is optically recognized through a wafer support attached to the front-side surface of the wafer. The wafer is drilled all the way through at the intersection to form a back-side alignment mark on a back-side surface of said wafer. The back-side alignment mark is used to aligning a saw, which singulates the wafer from the back-side surface.

Abstract: An image sensor package includes an image sensor having an active area and bond pads on a front surface of the image sensor. A window is mounted to the image sensor by flip chip bumps formed between the bond pads of the image sensor and interior traces on an interior surface of the window. The window has an area less than an area of the front surface of the image sensor. A bead is formed between the window and the front surface of the image sensor thus forming a sealed cavity in which the active area is located. The bead has sides coplanar with sides of the image sensor such that the image sensor package is chip size.

Abstract: A VCSEL package includes a substrate and a VCSEL device coupled to the substrate. The VCSEL device includes a first VCSEL and a calibration VCSEL. A sensor is coupled to the substrate such that a sensor area of the sensor is aligned with the calibration VCSEL. The sensor measures light from the calibration VCSEL to determine the power output of light emitted from the first VCSEL. The measured light is subsequently used to adjust the electrical power input to the VCSEL device to maintain the power output of the light emitted from the first VCSEL at a fixed or constant value.

Abstract: A package includes a substrate having a pocket, an overflow reservoir around a periphery of the pocket, and a mating surface around a periphery of the overflow reservoir. An electronic component is mounted within the pocket. The pocket is over filled with a flowable material. A window or waveguide is mounted to the substrate. The overflow reservoir captures the flowable material that spills out of the pocket during mounting of the window or waveguide thus preventing contamination of the mating surface.

Abstract: A method for forming an image sensor assembly includes forming a lead frame or Land Grid Array (LGA) integrally into a molded image sensor die package so that the lead frame or LGA is fully supported and structurally fortified by the molded image sensor die package. An image sensor die is then attached to the thus supported lead frame or LGA using a standard flip-chip connection.

Abstract: A central aperture is formed in a substrate. Traces are formed on a lower surface of the substrate, the traces having tabs protecting beyond a sidewall of the central aperture. An image sensor is supported in the central aperture by the tabs. By mounting the image sensor in the central aperture, the resulting image sensor package is relatively thin.

Abstract: A method of capturing an image at an angle to a line of sight an image sensor includes receiving radiation of the image. The received radiation is reflected towards an active area of the image sensor with a first panel of a reflector. The radiation strikes the active area and the image sensor captures the image.

Abstract: An optical module includes a lens housing and a substrate having a base and a sidewall. An image sensor is mounted to the base. The sidewall includes a joint surface and the lens housing includes a mounting surface. The mounting surface of the lens housing is bonded to the joint surface of the substrate thus mounting the lens housing to the sidewall. To minimize the overall width of the optical module and to maximize the strength of the bond between the lens housing and the substrate, the mounting surface of the lens housing is formed with a locking feature. The locking feature includes a horizontal surface bonded to the joint surface and a vertical surface bonded to an interior surface of the sidewall.

Abstract: An image sensor package includes a substrate and an image sensor coupled to the substrate. The image sensor includes an upper surface having an active area. A reflector lid is coupled to the substrate. The reflector lid has a first panel having a planar surface. The planar surface is at least partially reflective and is angled relative to the upper surface of the image sensor to reflect electromagnetic radiation to the active area of image sensor.

Abstract: A packaged electronic device includes connection contacts that are formed on the contact pads on the second surface of the substrate. In contrast to the prior art, the connection contacts are not solder contacts but are formed of nickel/aluminum plated copper and are therefore harder and less malleable and subject to deformation than prior art solder balls. The connection contacts are formed to align with, and contact, attachment pads formed on the motherboard or other system component. A tension device is then used to mechanically attach the packaged electronic device of the invention to the motherboard.

Abstract: A structure includes holes formed in a layer of tape. The holes are aligned over active areas on chips formed in a wafer. A custom vacuum chuck with a plurality of suction ports is aligned on the tape such that the suction ports contact only the tape and not the hole portions. Flats of the custom vacuum chuck are formed so that a perimeter of the flats contacts, and rests on, the tape. In addition, the flats of the custom vacuum chuck are formed so that the flats cover the entire active area on the first surface of each of the chips. Consequently, the combination of the custom vacuum chuck and the single layer of tape form a protective cavity over the active areas of the chips during singulation from the wafer.

Abstract: To form a micromachine package, a bead is applied to the rear surface of a controller chip. The controller chip is positioned above an active area in a front surface of a micromachine chip. The bead is attached to the front surface of the micromachine chip to attach the controller chip to the micromachine chip. Once the controller chip is attached to the micromachine chip, the bead and controller chip form an enclosure around the micromachine area. This enclosure protects the micromachine area from the ambient environment. Bond pads on a front surface of the controller chip are then wirebonded to leads of a leadframe or substrate.

Abstract: A thin image sensor package includes an image sensor having an active area which is responsive to radiation. The image sensor is mounted to a substrate which is transparent to the radiation. The image sensor is mounted such that the active area of the image sensor faces the substrate. Of importance, the substrate serves a dual function. In particular, the substrate is the window which covers the active area of the image sensor. Further, the substrate is the platform upon which the image sensor package is fabricated. As a result, the image sensor package is thin, lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture.

Abstract: A window is mounted directly to an upper surface of a micromirror device chip. More particularly, the window is mounted above a micromirror device area on the upper surface of the micromirror device chip by a bead. The window in combination with the bead form a hermetic enclosure about the micromirror device area thus protecting the micromirror device area from moisture and contamination.

Abstract: A method includes adhesively mounting an adhesive lower surface of a protective layer to a top surface of a die such as an image sensor die or a micromachine die. A special-purpose area on the top surface of the die is contacted and protected by said protective layer. The protective layer includes a polymerizable material, which includes the adhesive lower surface. The method further includes rendering the adhesive lower surface to be nonadhesive. The adhesive lower surface is rendered nonadhesive by polymerizing the polymerizable material of the protective layer with ultraviolet radiation.

Abstract: An electronic device, such as a sensor die, is packaged by first forming a hole through a substrate. The hole is made large enough to position the entire electronic device within the hole. A tape is then applied to the second surface of the substrate to cover a second side of the hole, thereby creating a tape surface at the bottom of the hole. The electronic device is then positioned within the hole such that the electronic device is in contact with, and adhered to, the tape surface at the bottom of the hole. Electronic connections are made between the electronic device and the substrate and a layer of encapsulant is applied. In one embodiment, the electronic device is a sensor die and an optical element is positioned over an active region of the sensor die before the encapsulant is applied. The encapsulant then surrounds and holds the optical element in position over the active region of the sensor die.

Abstract: A protective layer includes a polymerized region, which forms a cavity in an interior surface of the protective layer. The protective layer is mounted to a micromachine chip such that an active area of the micromachine chip is located within the cavity of the protective layer. The protective layer protects the active area during front-side or back-side singulation of the micromachine chip from a micromachine substrate.