Optical sensors are used in a variety of applications ranging from military to consumer Image courtesy of Primoceler

Glass-Welded Hermetic Seals Secure CMOS Sensors from Thermal Shifts

Feb. 12, 2015

Primoceler and ON Semiconductor combined efforts to manufacture CMOS sensor packages that use glass welding to enhance durability.

Iliza Sokol

To help ensure long-term stability and overcome thermal challenges in satellite-bound CMOS sensors, Primoceler and ON Semiconductor collaborated to encase the devices in an impermeable seam of glass using laser welding technology. The companies designed and manufactured the CMOS sensor packages for orbital missions conducted by the European Space Agency (ESA). Testing on the hermetic design of the packages revealed that they exceed current military and aerospace standards.

The primary challenge associated with orbital missions usually centers on fabricating hardware that can protect sensitive electronics while enduring rapid temperature and pressure changes, as well as the vacuum of space. Glass offers a fully hermetic seal for all components and an extremely small heat-affected zone during the welding process. Primoceler’s solution includes a finished seam that requires no adhesives, thus enhancing durability. It exceeds the MIL-STD-750E Test Method 1071.9 "Hermetic Seal" standard 6.0x10^-12 atm cc/s Krypton-85 leakage rate.

Previously, Primoceler and ON Semiconductor teamed up to develop an optical sensor package. The new hermetic package design for a HAS3 CMOS sensor will be used for a variety of ESA missions. The partnership with ON Semicondcutor intends to explore other global industries, including healthcare, military, and consumer electronics.

About the Author

Iliza Sokol | Associate Content Producer

Iliza joined the Penton Media group in 2013 after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a BS in Advertising and Marketing Communications. Prior to joining the staff, she worked at NYLON Magazine and a ghostwriting firm based in New York.