The present invention comprises a device and a method for determining if a system with multiple seals has a leak and, if so, which of the multiple seals is causing said leak. The device and method employ a change in the optical reflectivity of a transparent, plastic membrane due to pulling a vacuum on the seal to make the above mentioned determination.

A system and method for leak testing a plurality of hermetic electronic packages of the type that have an internal chamber that is isolated from ambient conditions by a seal structure is advantageously designed to be able to calculate the leak rate of each individual device in a manner that is independent of structural manufacturing variances that typically exist within a sampling of such devices. The method preferably involves positioning a plurality of the hermetic electronic packages within a test area, and then stimulating the hermetic electronic packages with a modulated input of energy, such as by varying the ambient pressure about the devices. A property such as the physical position of one portion of a lid of each of the hermetic electronic packages is then sensed. The sensed property is one that is known to change as a first function of the modulated input of energy and also as a second function of pressure conditions within the hermetically sealed internal chamber. The first and second functions are linearly independent of each other. By comparing the stimulation of the devices to the sensed property and by discriminating using the two known functions a leak rate is determined for each individual device that is substantially independent of variances, such as differences in lid thickness that may exist between the different devices. Accordingly, an accurate determination of leak rate may be made with a minimum of calibration.

The invention generally relates to a system and method for integrated gas delivery and leak detection to one or more applications. The system includes at least one application site, a process conduit extending from a process gas source site to the application site, a first and second process flow control at the process conduit, and a first pressure sensor.Also included in the system is a microprocessor that is in electronic communication with the flow controls and the first pressure sensor, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to respond to an application standby request by performing a pressure decay test, including closing the second process flow control and pressurizing a portion of the system by opening the first process flow control. Further included in the pressure test is closing the first process flow control when the pressure at the first pressure sensor is at a minimum pressure, and comparing an empirical pressure decay rate at the first pressure sensor with a maximum pressure decay rate, whereby an empirical pressure decay rate that exceeds the maximum pressure decay rate indicates the presence of a leak.

Provided are methods of forming sealed via structures. One method involves: (a) providing a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; (b) forming a layer on the first surface of the substrate; (c) etching a via hole through the substrate from the second surface to the layer, the via hole having a first perimeter at the first surface; (d) forming an aperture in the layer, wherein the aperture has a second perimeter within the first perimeter; and (e) providing a conductive structure for sealing the via structure. Also provided are sealed via structures, methods of detecting leakage in a sealed device package, sealed device packages, device packages having cooling structures, and methods of bonding a first component to a second component.