Wireless Activity Monitor Using 3D Integration

Unobtrusive and continuous measurement of body parameters such as activity, movement, heartbeat, temperature and oxygen level in blood offers many opportunities in the health and fitness area: distant patient monitoring, rehabilitation support, activity stimulation, improved training programs in sports and even sleep management become possible. Enablers are small wireless body sensors sending the data to a computer or communication device. In the European project e-CUBES, a prototype wireless activity monitor is being developed to demonstrate this can be realized by stacking integrated passives, embedded thinned IC's and SMDs. In the device functional layers are stacked and realized in different technologies: silicon substrate with integrated passives, embedded thinned active dies (transmitter and processor), redistribution layer and SMDs on a PCB which is again stacked on the silicon. The antenna is realized on the silicon backside. The accelerometer is mounted as SMD on the silicon. To enable low power data transfer and a small antenna, a 17GHz transmitter and resonator have been developed and are integrated in the demonstrator. The integrated design and design considerations as well as the testing of the wireless sensor and its functional parts are explained.