April 19, 2012 — Pure-play MEMS foundry Silex Microsystems brought its Met-Via full-wafer-thickness through silicon via (TSV) technology into Chip Architectures by Joint Associated Labs for European Diagnostics (CAJAL4EU), where it is being used to create cost-effective molded chip-level packaging with through metal vias (TMV).

Figure 1. Cross section of final product, showing Biosensor from NXP (Netherlands), TSV interposers from Silex, and epoxy mold to be performed by Frauenhofer (Germany) and gold (Au) bumping by Pactec (Germany). Frontside RDL to be processed by Bosch (Germany), and backside RDL to be processed by Frauenhofer (Germany).

The program is developing nanoelectronics-based biosensor technology platforms for in-vitro diagnostic test manufacturers to rapidly build various new multi-parameter test applications cost-effectively. CAJAL4EU will develop a generalized platform for low cost biofluidic sensing. Biosensing allows for rapid detection of unique biological markers (proteins, antibodies, and other biomarkers for infectious diseases) from microliter fluid samples in an extremely controlled environment. The biosensors will consist of a nanoelectronics-based transducer with an interface chemistry, which makes the connection to the clinical sample to be analyzed. With on-chip detection electronics, small electrical changes can be detected within milliseconds, enabling massively parallel real-time monitoring of bio-molecule binding events. Besides the transducers, interface chemistry and spotting technologies, microfluidics, software and hardware developments (and their integration) will play a crucial role to realize fully integrated biosensor systems and lab-on-chip devices. Therefore, the main deliverables of this project are the different developed technologies: sensor technology including bio-chemical functionalization, microfluidics and related hardware and software drivers.

Figure 2. Actual TSV interposer die from Silex.

Silex