Title of Invention

MEMS MICROPHONE PACKAGE HAVING SOUND HOLE IN PCB

Abstract Provided is a MEMS microphone package having a sound hole in a PCB, which can ground-connect a metal case to a main board using an assembly process including bending and clamping an end of the case. The MEMS microphone package includes a tetragonal container-shaped metal case having an open-side to insert components into an inner space, and a chamfered end on the open-side to easily perform a curling operation, a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate to which a MEMS microphone chip and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip are mounted, the PCB substrate being inserted into the metal case and having a sound hole for introducing an external sound, and a support configured to support the PCB substrate in the curling operation and define a space between the metal case and the PCB substrate.
Full Text MEMS MICROPHONE PACKAGE HAVING SOUND HOLE IN PCB
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to a micro electro
mechanical systems (MEMS) microphone package, and more
particularly, to a MEMS microphone package that can ground-
connect a metal case to a main board using an assembly process
including bending and clamping an end of the case and provide a
sound hole to a printed circuit board (PCB) to vary a mounting
method.
Description of the Related Art
[0002] Generally, a condenser microphone includes a diaphragm
and a back plate. The diaphragm has a flexible membrane attached
to a side electrode and is vibrated by an acoustic pressure. The
back plate is spaced apart from the diaphragm through a spacer
and faces each other. The diaphragm and the back plate form
parallel electrode plates of a condenser and provide electric
charges between the both electrode plates by applying a DC
voltage to the both electrode plates or forming an electret at
one of the both electrode plates. Such a general condenser
microphone is assembled in a curling manner where a diaphragm, a
spacer, a base 1, a back plate, a base 2, and a PCB to which an
electric circuit is mounted are sequentially stacked on a

cylindrical case and then an end of the case is bent and clamped
toward the PCB.
[0003] In a completed condenser microphone assembly, a
distance between the diaphragm and the back plate is changed by
an external acoustic pressure, and then capacitance of a
condenser is also changed, and this change of the capacitance is
processed by an electric circuit so that electrical signals are
provided according to the change of the acoustic pressure.
[0004] A condenser microphone used in communication products
includes an electret that is formed on a back plate with a high
molecular membrane. Such condenser microphones are economical,
but there is a limit to miniaturization. Thus, for extreme
miniaturization of a microphone, an electrical capacity structure
is realized on a silicon wafer in a die shape using a
semiconductor-manufacturing technology and a micromachining
technology. This electrical capacity structure is referred to as
a silicon condenser microphone chip or a MEMS microphone chip.
Such MEMS microphone chips must be packaged for protection
against exterior interference.
[0005] A technology of packaging a MEMS microphone chip is
disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,781,231, entitled
"MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEM PACKAGE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND
INTERFERENCE SHIELD", issued on August 24, 2004. Referring to
FIG. 1, such a MEMS microphone package is achieved in the manner
where a housing is formed by attaching a case 34 including a

conductive layer or a conductor to a PCB substrate 32 through a
conductive adhesive 36. A MEMS microphone chip 10 and an
application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) 20 are mounted to
the PCB substrate 32. The ASIC 20 is configured to electrically
drive the MEMS microphone chip 10 and process signals. The case
34 including a sound hole 34a is attached to the PCB substrate 32
through the adhesive 36 to protect the MEMS microphone chip 10
therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a
MEMS microphone package having a sound hole in a PCB that
substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations
and disadvantages of the related art.
[0007] In packaging a MEMS microphone chip and manufacturing
a MEMS microphone package according to a related art, in the case
of a method of attaching a case to a PCB substrate with an
adhesive or welding, when the microphone package is mounted to a
main board, external noise is introduced into a PCB of a
dielectric between the case and the main board to reduce
shielding effect for blocking the external noise. Particularly,
in the case of cellular phones having a built-in antenna, which
is widely used in these days, since the antenna is very close to
a microphone because of mechanical conditions thereof, a RF noise
of the antenna is easily introduced into the microphone. Thus,

shielding of the microphone against the RF noise is more
important. However, there is a limitation for related art MEMS
microphone packages to meet this requirement.
[0008] Also, a MEMS microphone packaging method including
attaching a case to a PCB substrate with an adhesive or welding
is different from a cheap curling operation where a metal case is
bent and components are fixed in the metal case to assemble a
microphone. Thus, new mechanical equipment is required for the
attaching or the welding, thereby increasing building cost for a
new manufacturing line.
[0009] An object of the present invention is to provide a
MEMS microphone package having a sound hole in a PCB, which can
improve noise-blocking characteristics and reduce manufacturing
costs without an additional manufacturing facility, by directly
mounting a metal case of the MEMS microphone package to a main
board using a curling process where an end of the metal case is
bent and clamped in a condenser microphone-assembling process.
[0010] Additional advantages, objects, and features of the
invention will be set forth in part in the description which
follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary
skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be
learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other
advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the
structure particularly pointed out in the written description and
claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

[0011] To achieve these objects and other advantages and in
accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and
broadly described herein, there is provided a MEMS microphone
package including: a tetragonal container-shaped metal case
having an open-side to insert components into an inner space, and
a chamfered end on the open-side to easily perform a curling
operation; a PCB substrate to which a MEMS microphone chip and an
ASIC chip are mounted, the PCB substrate being inserted into the
metal case and having a sound hole for introducing an external
sound; and a support configured to support the PCB substrate in
the curling operation and define a space between the metal case
and the PCB substrate.
[0012] The MEMS microphone chip and the ASIC chip may be
mounted to a surface of the PCB substrate, and a conductive
pattern for connection to the metal case may be provided to a
boundary of another surface, and connection terminals including a
power (Vdd) terminal, an output terminal, and a ground (GND)
terminal may be provided to a center of the surface having the
boundary.
[0013] The MEMS microphone chip may includes a back plate
disposed on a silicon wafer using a MEMS technology; and then a
diaphragm with a spacer disposed between the diaphragm and the
back, plate, and the ASIC chip may include: a voltage pump
providing a bias voltage such that the MEMS microphone chip
serves as a condenser microphone; and a buffer amplifier

amplifying or impedance-matching an electrical sound signal
detected through the MEMS microphone chip to provide the signals
through the connection terminals to an outside.
[0014] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description of the present
invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to
provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are included to
provide a further understanding of the invention and are
incorporated in and constitute a part of this application,
illustrate embodiment (s) of the invention and together with the
description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In
the drawings:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a
related art MEMS microphone package;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a. cut-away perspective view illustrating a
MEMS microphone package having a sound hole in a PCB according to
an embodiment of the present; invention;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a MEMS
microphone package having a sound hole in a PCB according to an
embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] FIG. 4 is a bottom view illustrating a MEMS microphone
package having a sound hole in a PC3 according to an embodiment
of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a case used
in a MEMS microphone package having a sound hole in a PCB
according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0021] FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a support
used in a MEMS microphone package having a. sound hole in a PCB
according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred
embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the
same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to
refer to the same or like parts.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a cut-away perspective view illustrating a
MEMS microphone package 100 having a sound hole 106a in a PCB
according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a
cross-sectional view illustrating the MEMS microphone package 100
having the sound hole 106a in the PCB according to then
embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a bottom view
illustrating the MEMS microphone package 100 having the sound
hole 106a in the PCB according to the embodiment of the present
invention.

[0024] Referring to FIGs. 2 through 4, a tetragonal condenser
microphone according to the present invention includes a
tetragonal container-shaped case 102, a PCB substrate 106, and a
support 104. The tetragonal container-shaped case 102 has an
open-side for receiving parts and open-side ends 102c having
chamfered edges for easy curling. The PCB substrate 106 includes
the sound hole 106a and is inserted into the case 102, and a MEMS
microphone chip 10 and an ASIC chip 20 are mounted to the PCB
substrate 106. The support 104 supports the PCB substrate 106 to
define a space between the case 102 and the PCB substrate 106.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 5, the metal case 102, used in the
microphone package 100 according to the present invention, has a
tetragonal shape with the open side. The case 102 includes the
four edges 102b of the open side and a sound hole 102a. The four
edges 102b are chamfered to prevent the respective ends 102c from
overlapping the adjacent ends 102c when curling.
[0026] Referring to Fig. 6, the support 104 has a tetragonal
ring shape and is disposed between a bottom of the case 102 and
the PCB substrate 106 and defines an inner space and supports the
PCB substrate 106 when curling the ends 102c. That is, the
microphone package 100 according to the present invention is
configured to prevent the respective ends 102c from overlapping
the adjacent ends 102c when curling, thereby providing an easy
curling operation and preventing deformation of the case 102 due
to the support 104 during the curling.

[0027] The PCB substrate 106 includes the sound hole 106a for
introducing an external sound, in a center thereof. The MEMS
microphone chip 10 and the ASIC chip 2 0 are mounted to a surface
of the PCB substrate 106. A conductive pattern for connection to
the case 102 is provided to a boundary of another surface, and
connection terminals 108 including a power (Vdd) terminal, an
output terminal and a ground (GND) terminal are provided to a
center of the surface for the conductive pattern. Although the
four connection terminals 108 are exemplified in this embodiment,
the number of the connection terminals 108 may be 2 or more
according to application. The MEMS microphone chip 10 includes a
back plate and a diaphragm. The back plate is formed on a
silicon wafer using a MEMS technology, and then a spacer is
formed between the diaphragm and the back plate. The ASIC chip
20 is connected to the MEMS microphone chip 10 to process
electrical signals. The ASIC chip 20 includes a voltage pump and
a buffer amplifier. The voltage pump provides a bias voltage
such that the MEMS microphone chip 10 serves as a condenser
microphone. The buffer amplifier amplifies or impedance-matches
electrical sound signals detected through the MEMS microphone
chip 10 to provide the signals through the connection terminals
108 to the outside. The protruding connection terminals 108 are
adapted for surface mounting to a main substrate 200.
[0028] The tetragonal ring-shaped support 104 is inserted
into the tetragonal container-shaped metal case 102 having the

open-side, then the PCB substrate 106 having the MEMS microphone
chip 10 and the ASIC chip 20 that are surface-mounted is inserted
and disposed on the support 104, and then the ends 102c are bent
toward the PCB substrate 106 through the curling to closely
contact the conductive pattern, so that the MEMS microphone
package 100 is completed.
[0029] In the completed MEMS microphone package 100 according
to this manner as illustrated in FIGs. 2 through 4, the support
104 is inserted in the case 102 and supports the PCB substrate
106 to which circuit components are surface-mounted and defines
the inner space, and the ends 102c are in close contact with the
PCB substrate 106 through the curling.
[0030] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the MEMS microphone package
100 is mounted to the main substrate 200, having a sound hole
200a for introducing an external sound, through a surface
mounting technology (SMT) or a soldering method. Thus, the MEMS
microphone package 100 is connected to pads 204 of the main
substrate 200 corresponding to the connection terminals 108 of
the PCB substrate 106, and the ends 102c are connected to ground
patterns 202 of the main substrate 200 to electrically shield the
entire microphone as a Faraday cup that prevents the outside
noise from being introduced into the microphone. Thus, in the
case where the MEMS microphone package 100 is applied to a
cellular phone, even when an antenna and the microphone are
adjacent to each other, a RF noise of the antenna is prevented

from being introduced into the antenna, to maintain good sound
quality characteristics of a product.
[0031] Referring to FIG. 3, power is supplied through the
power terminal and the ground terminal from the main substrate
200 to the MEMS microphone package 100 mounted to the main
substrate 200, an appropriate bias voltage generated by the
voltage pump of the ASIC chip 2 0 is applied to the MEMS
microphone chip 10 to generate electric charges between the back
plate and the diaphragm of the MEMS microphone chip 10.
[0032] When an exterior acoustic pressure is introduced into
the inner space through the sound hole 200a and the: sound hole
106a, the diaphragm of the MEMS microphone chip 10 vibrates and
capacitance changes between the diaphragm and the back plate.
The change of the capacitance is amplified as electrical signals
in the buffer amplifier of the ASIC chip 20 and output to the
main substrate 200 through the output terminal.
[0033] The MEMS microphone package according to the present
invention, manufactured through the curling process where the end
of the metal case is chamfered and clamped, shields the MEMS
microphone chip therein against external noise to greatly improve
the sound quality, by directly connecting the bent ends of the
case to the main board to form a Faraday cup when mounting the
microphone package to the main board.
[0034] Particularly, when the MEMS microphone package having
the sound hole in the PCB of the present invention is applied to

communication fields, the noise-blocking performance is improved
by preventing the RF noise of the antenna from being introduced
into the antenna even when the antenna and the microphone are
adjacent to each other, thereby maintaining the excellent sound
quality.
[0035] Also, according to the present invention, when the
MEMS microphone chip is packaged, manufacturing costs are reduced
without an additional manufacturing facility, and when the
curling operation is performed, the ends of the tetragonal
container-shaped case are prevented from overlapping the adjacent
ends, so that the curling operation is easily performed and the
deformation of the case due to the support in the curling
operation is prevented.
[0036] Also, according to the present invention, since the
sound hole is disposed in the PCB substrate, after the sound hole
is formed in the main board, the mounting to an inner surface
thereof is allowed, thereby varying a mounting method according
to a mechanical condition of a product to which the main board is
mounted.
{0037] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
various modifications and variations can be made in the present
invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers
the modifications and variations of this invention provided they
come within the scope of the appended claims and their
equivalents.

WE CLAIM :
1. A micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) microphone
package comprising:
5 a tetragonal container-shaped metal case having an open-side
to insert components into an inner space, and a chamfered end on
the open-side to easily perform a curling operation;
a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate to which a MEMS
microphone chip and an application specific integrated circuit
10 (ASIC) chip are mounted, the PCB substrate being inserted into
the metal case and having a sound hole for introducing an
external sound; and
a support configured to support the PCB substrate in the
curling operation and define a space between the metal case and
15 the PCB substrate.
2. The MEMS microphone package of claim 1, wherein the
MEMS microphone chip and the ASIC chip are mounted to a surface
of the PCB substrate, and a conductive pattern for connection to
20 the metal case is provided to a boundary of another surface, and
connection terminals including a power (Vdd) terminal, an output
terminal, and a ground. (GND) terminal are provided to a center of
the surface having the boundary.

3. The MEMS microphone package of claim 1, wherein the
MEMS microphone chip comprises:
a back plate disposed on a silicon wafer using a MEMS
technology; and then
5 a diaphragm with a spacer disposed between the diaphragm and
the back plate, and
the ASIC chip comprises:
a voltage pump providing a bias voltage such that the MEMS
microphone chip serves as a condenser microphone; and
10 a buffer amplifier amplifying or impedance-matching an
electrical sound signal detected through the MEMS microphone chip
to provide the signals through the connection terminals to an
outside.

Provided is a MEMS microphone package having a sound hole in a PCB, which can ground-connect a metal case to a main board using an assembly process including bending and clamping an end
of the case. The MEMS microphone package includes a tetragonal container-shaped metal case having an open-side to insert components into an inner space, and a chamfered end on the open-side to easily perform a curling operation, a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate to which a MEMS microphone chip and an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip are mounted, the PCB substrate being inserted into the metal case and having a sound hole for introducing an external sound, and a support
configured to support the PCB substrate in the curling operation and define a space between the metal case and the PCB substrate.

Documents:

http://ipindiaonline.gov.in/patentsearch/GrantedSearch/viewdoc.aspx?id=oJaptkL3nCVgNhIAryANLw==&loc=wDBSZCsAt7zoiVrqcFJsRw==


Patent Number 278102
Indian Patent Application Number 1694/KOL/2008
PG Journal Number 52/2016
Publication Date 16-Dec-2016
Grant Date 14-Dec-2016
Date of Filing 30-Sep-2008
Name of Patentee BSE CO., LTD
Applicant Address 4 LOT, 58 BLOCK, 626-3, GOJAN-DONG, NAMDONG-GU, INCHEON
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 SONG, CHUNG-DAM 236-6, GAYANG 1-DONG, GANGSEO-GU, SEOUL, 157-801
PCT International Classification Number H04R1/02; H04R19/04; H04R19/00; H04R1/02
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 10-2007-0111429 2007-11-02 Republic of Korea