Microstructure, Method for Producing the Same, Device for Bonding a Microstructure and Microsystem

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This invention describes a microstructure and bonding technique using a reactive multilayer system made of nanostructures and interspaced reactive materials. The microstructure includes a substrate with vertical, spaced nanostructures whose gaps are filled with a material that can react with the nanostructures. When activated (mechanically, electrically, thermally, etc.), this system triggers a self-propagating exothermic reaction that bonds the substrates together with rapid, localized heating. This enables high-quality bonding, even for sensitive or difficult-to-access substrates, at lower overall temperatures compared to conventional methods.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Wafer bonding in semiconductor manufacturing for MEMS and microelectronic devices.
• Integration and packaging of temperature-sensitive sensors, such as biosensors or polymer-based components.
• Hermetic sealing of microchips, sensors, or MEMS devices.
• Assembly of hybrid micro-systems combining different substrate materials (e.g., silicon, metals, ceramics, polymers).
• Bonding of magnetic, piezoelectric, or piezoresistive components in microsystems.
• Micro-optics and microfluidics integration, where low-temperature bonding is crucial.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables precise, localized, and rapid bonding with minimal thermal impact on sensitive components.
• Allows the use of temperature-sensitive substrates that would be damaged by standard high-temperature bonding processes.
• Reduces manufacturing time and costs due to faster bonding and compatibility with standard microfabrication processes.
• Offers high bond quality and reliability, including hermetic (airtight) seals.
• Scalable for volume production and adaptable for various substrate materials and device architectures.
• Allows selective, micrometre-scale bonding for miniaturized and complex device assembly.

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Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a microstructure comprising at least one bonding substrate and a reactive multilayer system, said reactive multilayer system having at least one surface layer of the bonding substrate with vertically aligned, interspaced nanostructures and regions between the nanostructures which are filled with at least one material that is a reaction partner for the material of the nanostructures. The invention further relates to a method of producing a microstructure comprising at least one bonding substrate and a reactive multilayer system, a surface layer of the bonding substrate being structured or deposited in a structured manner, thereby imparting to it vertically aligned, interspaced nanostructures and the regions between the nanostructures being filled with at least one material that is a reaction partner for the material of the nanostructures, to form the reactive multilayer system. The invention also relates to a device for bonding a microstructure, the device comprising a bonding chamber which can be opened and/or closed, and evacuated, and in which the microstructure and the further structure can be introduced and adjusted with respect to each other, and an activation mechanism coupled to the bonding chamber which mechanism is used to mechanically, electrically, electromagnetically, optically and/or thermally activate the reactive multilayer system of the microstructure in such a manner that a self-propagating, exothermal reaction takes place between the nanolayers, the multilayer system being formed by reactive nanostructures having an interposed material which is a reaction partner for the material of the nanostructures. The invention finally relates to a microsystem which is constituted of two bonding substrates and a structure lying between the bonding substrates. The structure comprises a reacted reactive layer system, the reacted reactive layer system being a reactive structure sequence of at least one surface layer provided on the bonding substrate, which surface layer has vertically aligned, interspaced nanostructures and regions between the nanostructures which are filled with at least one material that is a reaction partner for the material of the nanostructures. The microsystem is a sensor which is coated with a biological material, and/or has elements of a polymer material and/or at least one magnetic and/or piezoelectric and/or piezoresistive component.