Novel Hermetic WLP Technology using Low-Temperature Passivation

In the past decade wafer level packaging (WLP) has been proven to be a very competitive solution regarding performance, miniaturization and costs for a wide range of applications. However, they are up to now not matching the performance of hermetically sealed Glass or Glass-to-Metal-Seal packages, esp. when considering application in extreme environment. In this paper a novel packaging technology is proposed, allowing hermetic passivation and encapsulation of microelectronic devices on wafer-level. This technology combines the unique properties of microstructuring of glass on silicon process [1] with the capabilities of a wafer-level packaging technology using Silicon-Via-Contacts [2]. This new processing technology is enabling hermetic encapsulation of devices on wafer-level comprising an unique, cost effective passivation process performed at temperatures below 120°C.