Hermetic Packaging Research Articles

A Resonant Pressure Microsensor With a Stress Isolation Layer

This paper presents a resonant pressure microsensor composed of a glass cap for hermetic package, an SOI layer with sensing elements and a glass base for stress isolation. Tested pressure under measurement bends the pressure sensitive diaphragm, producing frequency shifts of underlining resonators while the stress isolation layer can work as a cushion layer to minimize environmental temperature and mechanical disturbances. Numerical simulations were conducted, finding that the stress isolation layer can decrease the axial stresses of the resonators from +16 to +2 MPa (high-temperature challenging), from −12 to −5 MPa (low-temperature challenging), and from 2.5 to 0.5 MPa (mechanical challenging). The proposed microsensor was fabricated based on conventional microfabrication and characterized with comparison to the counterpart without the stress isolation layer, producing an accuracy of 0.01% FS vs. 1% FS, a temperature shift of 37 ppm versus 10088 ppm, a pressure shift of 45 ppm versus 777 ppm, a temperature hysteresis error of 21 ppm versus 187 ppm, a pressure hysteresis error of 22 ppm versus 265 ppm, a temperature repeatability error of 15 ppm versus 703 ppm, a pressure repeatability error of 21 ppm versus 36 ppm, and a long-term stability of >7 months versus 69 days. These results validated the functionality of the proposed resonant pressure microsensor with the stress isolation layer, which may be potentially used as an effective tool in the fields of aerospace aviation, industrial control, and meteorological monitoring.

Injection Molded Liquid Crystal Polymer Package for Chronic Active Implantable Devices With Application to an Optogenetic Stimulator.

Implanted electronics require protection from the body's fluids to avoid moisture induced failure. This study presents an injection molded liquid crystal polymer (LCP) package to protect active implantable devices for chronic applications, such as in optogenetic research. The technology is applied and assessed through a custom package for a fully implantable optogenetic stimulation system, built on a versatile telemetry system that can incorporate additional stimulating and recording channels. An adapted quasi-steady state model predicts the lifetime of an enclosure, where the definition of the lifetime is the time before the internal relative humidity (RH) reaches a time constant, or 63%RH, a conservative limit to minimize the risk of corrosion. The lifetime of the LCP optogenetic device is 94 days, and can be extended to 326 days with the inclusion of 5% w/v silica gel desiccant. Samples of the LCP optogenetic device containing humidity sensors testing in saline at 38°C support the RH change predictions. Desiccants inside the implant enclosure can store permeating moisture and prolong the life expectancy of LCP-based implants to years or decades. The results of this study demonstrates the feasibility of providing reliable protection for chronic optogenetic implants, and the technology can be transferred to other applications as an easily-manufactured, cost-effective, radiofrequency compatible alternative to hermetic packaging for chronic studies.

Experimental investigations in the intermetallic and microvoid formation in sub-200 °C Cu–Sn bonding

This paper reports the intermetallic growth and microvoid formation in the Cu–Sn layers, which were annealed at low temperatures (sub-200°C) for durations varying from 120 to 1440 min. A 10 µm thick tin was electrodeposited on copper samples. Both Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn IMCs were formed and had a non-uniform scalloped shaped profile but with different scallops sizes. Void growth was studied at three different locations, i.e., the Cu–Cu3Sn interface, within the Cu3Sn, and at the Cu3Sn–Cu6Sn5 interface. The void size in these locations increased with increasing annealing durations and temperatures due to the coalescence of nearby voids. The void fraction at the Cu–Cu3Sn and Cu3Sn–Cu6Sn5 interfaces was observed to decrease, whereas the void fraction within the Cu3Sn IMC increased with increasing annealing durations. The largest voids were seen at the Cu–Cu3Sn interface, while the highest void fraction was found within the Cu3Sn IMC. The overall void size and void fractions for all experimental conditions were always smaller than 3 µm2 and 1.44 µm−1, respectively. The obtained results can be used in the hermetic packaging of MEMS devices performed at sub-200 °C. Processing at these low temperatures result in reduced thermo-mechanical stress and also eliminate the molten tin squeezing-out from the bonding zone, which is a known issue in Cu–Sn solid–liquid inter-diffusion bonding performed at temperature > 232 °C.

STORAGE POTENTIAL OF PEELED CRAMBE FOR OIL QUALITY

Peeling of crambe fruits, besides increasing the yield of mechanical oil extraction, can increase its apparent specific mass from about 330 to 700 kgm−3, reducing transport and storage operating costs, as well as increasing cake protein content. However, there is no information on the quality of the oil extracted from the stored unpeeled crambe. This study aimed to assess the possible effects of peeling fruits submitted to different storage systems. For nine months, peeled and unpeeled crambe fruits were stored in conventional (permeable) and hermetic packages and water content, fatty acid, and acidity and oil peroxide indices were monitored. The experimental design was a completely randomized design in a 2 x 2 x 3triple factorial, with three replications. After analysis of variance, the mean data were compared by the Tukey’s test, being considered significant when p<0.05. The results showed that peeled crambe had better conservation in relation to that unpeeled, mainly when submitted to the hermetic storage system.

CMOS Compatible Hermetic Packages Based on Localized Fusion Bonding of Fused Silica

Hermetic packages compatible with complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) processes and capable of transmitting RF and optical energy are in high demand. A hermetic packaging process based on the localized fusion bonding of patterned and stacked fused silica wafers to encapsulate a CMOS chip has been successfully demonstrated. The process also allows for feedthroughs to be fabricated within the package for wired interconnection to encapsulated devices. A carbon dioxide laser is applied to achieve localized fusion bonding of the fused silica stack. Exploiting vector motion of the laser, simultaneous bonding and dicing is achieved within 2 s. The low thermal conductivity of fused silica thermally isolates the CMOS chip from the bond area. The heat diffusion during the process is examined both experimentally and using finite element analysis. The temperature falls to CMOS compatibility levels (under 400°C) within a distance of 660 $\mu \text{m}$ from the bond line. The viability of the packaging process and the hermeticity of the package are simultaneously evaluated by encapsulating a commercial MEMS humidity sensor within the package and monitoring the internal package humidity as a function of time. The packaged sensor was placed in an external relative humidity environment of 85% at 24°C and the relative humidity change inside the package was measured over a time span of 300 days. A water vapor leakage rate less than $4.6\times 10^{-14}$ atm $\cdot $ cm3/s was observed. These preliminary results suggest that the hermeticity of the package can meet the criterion of implantation in human body for more than 70 years for a package with an inner volume of 0.0012 cm3. [2018-0280]

Hermetic Sealant Material Possibilities for IR Sensor Packaging

Hermeticity is one of the most critical issues for infrared (IR) sensor packages, since any leakage will impair the functionality of the device. The issues associated with the premature failure of hermetic sealants were studied in detail, both by simulation as well as by experimentation. Alternate prospective hermetic sealant candidates for transistor outline IR sensor packages were identified and evaluated. Hermetic sealant options for wafer-level IR sensor packaging were also investigated, which involves wafer-level hermetic cum vacuum packaging. Metallic hermetic sealant is preferred for this approach, since it facilitates integration with the getter material. However, the primary challenge encountered here is the requirement of high processing temperature for the getter activation. An activated getter adsorbs active gases inside the volume of the packages, resulting in lower internal pressure. It was determined that appropriate micro-alloying of the getter is required to minimize the getter activation temperature. This is achieved by selective micro-alloying of the getter material, which induces more grain boundaries and thereby promotes in-depth diffusion even at lower activation temperature. Integration of getter material with all three different types of metallic wafer-level bonding mechanisms was investigated. This includes eutectic, diffusion and transient liquid-phase bonding mechanisms. Selection of an appropriate bonding mechanism and integration scheme depends on the corresponding structure, layout and temperature rating of the specific IR sensor devices.

Preparation of three-dimensional ceramic substrate by multiple electroforming for UV-LED hermetic packaging

In this work, preparation of three-dimensional direct plated copper (3DPC) ceramic substrate was proposed based on multiple lithography and electroforming. Firstly, the effects of current density, stirring speed and bath temperature on electrodeposition rate and residual stress were investigated. An optimal combination of parameters for high electrodeposition rate and low residual stress was the current density of 4 A/dm2, the stirring speed of 1000 rpm, and the bath temperature of 50 °C. Secondly, 3DPC ceramic substrate with 0.5 mm nickel dam was prepared through 4 times lithography and electroforming. Finally, the reliability of 3DPC substrate was evaluated by helium leak rate and bonding strength between the electroforming dam and planar DPC substrate during thermal cycle test. The 3DPC substrate exhibited excellent hermeticity and high bonding strength even after 30 thermal cycles. The UV-LED module packaged using 3DPC substrate and quartz glass exhibited excellent hermeticity and high light power. The above results suggested that 3DPC substrate prepared through multiple lithography and electroforming could be a promising candidate for UV-LED hermetic packaging.

Prediction Shelf Life of Arabica Java Preanger Coffee Beans under Hermetic Packaging Using Arrhenius Method

Java Preanger Arabica coffee is a plantation crop with 2-3 months harvest period annually, therefore the storage system is required to keep the product available throughout the year. Postharvest handling, storage, and packaging particularly are the main factors to be considered so that the coffee beans can be stored for a long time. Hermetic packaging is identified as an effective and safe technology to preserve the quality of grain during storage. Specialty coffee beans cannot be accepted if the total quality value is below 80 according the SCAA protocol, therefore an estimation of the coffee beans shelf life is required. The objective of this research was to analyze and compare the difference between the quality changes of Preanger Arabica Coffee during storage period using hermetic packaging and non-hermetic packaging, and to estimate the shelf life of dried coffee beans based on taste value using ASLT (Accelerated Shelf-Life Testing) method by using Arrhenius approach. Storage simulation was conducted within temperature range of 40°C, 50°C, and 60°C, with 80% relative humidity using both hermetic and non-hermetic packaging. The degradation of quality rate (K value) which was obtained based on the simulation results, was used to predict coffee beans shelf-life by putting it on Arrhenius equation. Coffee packaged with hermetic plastic has a slower rate of quality decline compared to coffee packed with non-hermetic plastic. The predicted shelf-life of coffee beans with hermetic and non-hermetic packaging were 232 days and 45 days (10°C), 113 days and 26 days (15°C), and 57 days and 16 days (20°C), 29 days and 10 days (25°C) respectively.

On Gas Ingression of Hermetic Packages

In this paper, a closed-form mathematic equation that governs gas ingression of hermetic packages is derived from first principles and applied to moist air and water vapor ingression conditions. The equation models internal gas partial pressure change as a function of time, external conditions, and package characteristics. The equation provides the theoretical basis for direct comparisons of ingression behaviors of different gases into hermetic packages. Comparing the rates of internal air pressure increase due to air ingression and water vapor partial pressure buildup due to water vapor ingression, the authors theorize that vacuum decay may present a greater challenge to the performance of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices within hermetic packages than that of water vapor content induced corrosion failures. This paper also examines gas ingression of hermetic enclosures with multiple layers of seals.

Micro-fabricated alkali vapor cells sealed at low temperature using asymmetric Au–In transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding

Vapor cells as the key part of chip-scale atomic clocks determine their volume stability and power consumption. Micro-fabrication, especially the cavity packaging, is challenging. In this paper, micro-fabricated rubidium vapor cells are fabricated and the Au-In TLP bonding with asymmetric metal configuration is proposed and designed to package wafer-scale cell chips at a low processing temperature of 200 °C. Tests show that the designed intermetallic compounds AuIn2 and AuIn are uniformly formed in the asymmetric TLP bonding interlayer, indicating that the bonded interlayer can endure a post-processing temperature as high as 490 °C. The TLP bonded surface exhibits shear strength of 31.68 MPa, and the upper limit for the leak rate of the sealed vapor cell is 5 × 10−10 mbar · L s–1 which remains stable after undergoing a high temperature post-treatment. Meaning the proposed Au-In TLP bonding technique is applicable at low-temperature, hermetic and reliable wafer-scale packaging for micro-fabricated alkali vapor cells.

Swing Touch Risk Assessment of Bonding Wires in High-Density Package Under Mechanical Shock Condition

Long bonding wires may swing significantly and touch with adjacent ones, which will result in short circuit under mechanical condition, especially in aerospace applications. This may seriously affect the operational reliability of high-density hermetic package components. The aim of this paper is to assess the touch risk of high-density package component under mechanical shock condition. An experiment setup, which can obtain the touch critical load and detect the wires swing touch through voltage signal captured by oscilloscope, is designed and built. To obtain the vibration data of different bonding wire structures under different shock loads, numerical simulation models are established after verified by the experimental data. Additionally, initial swing amplitude model, vibration frequency model, and damped coefficient model are established based on the simulation and experiment data. Furthermore, wire swing touch risk assessment model is established in consideration of the distribution of wire structure and shock load deviation. Based on the verified numerical simulation model, vibration characteristic parameters, including the initial swing amplitude, vibration frequency, and damped coefficient, can be calculated by numerical simulation and experimental results. The proposed method can be used to assess bonding wire touch risk in high-density hermetic package quantitatively. Potential touch risk, which cannot be reflected by failure analysis of structure damage after test, can also be detected by the electronic measurement designed in this paper. The proposed method can effectively reflect short circuit between long bonding wires of hermetic package in large shock applications, such as transport and launch.

Optical sensitivity enhancement in grating based micromechanical accelerometer by reducing non-parallelism error.

We report on optical sensitivity enhancement in a grating-based micromechanical accelerometer, which was achieved by reducing the non-parallelism error between the grating and reflected mirror. Based on the multi-slit Fraunhofer diffraction theory, an equivalent optical model is proposed in order to discuss the non-parallelism induced error that is caused by the residual stress in material and fabrication. An integrated fabrication flow with optimized quartz based and silicon based procedure is then presented to improve the parallelism between the grating and mirror, and to realize a hermetic package using silicon islands for the electrical interconnection. We experimentally characterize accelerometers' behavior by an interferometric beam detecting setup, which reveals the acceleration measurement with a scale factor improvement, noise floor decrease, and thus a bias stability enhancement from 2 mg to 0.35 mg (20 seconds interval, 1 g = 9.8 m/s2).

Moisture adsorption isotherms and quality of seeds stored in conventional packaging materials and hermetic Super Bag.

Seed moisture content (SMC) is an important attribute to seed quality. Maintaining seed dryness throughout supply chain (The Dry Chain) prevents seed germination and quality losses. Ambient relative humidity (RH) and temperature affect seed moisture and thereof seed moisture isotherm. Present study was conducted to compare the moisture adsorption isotherms of wheat, maize, cotton and quinoa seeds packed in hermetic Super Bag and traditional packaging materials including paper, polypropylene (PP), jute and cloth bags. Seeds were incubated at 60, 70, 80 and 90% static RH. Nearly straight line moisture isotherms for all crop seeds were obtained in Super Bag. Seed moisture contents increased in traditional packaging materials with increasing RH. At higher level of RH, moisture contents increased slightly (1–2%) in Super Bag, whereas this increase was much higher in traditional packaging materials (≈9% higher than original SMC at 90% RH). In second study, seeds were dried to 8 and 14% initial seed moisture contents using zeolite drying beads and were stored in hermetic and conventional packaging materials for a period of 18 months. For all crop seeds, germination was severely affected in all packaging materials both at 8 and 14% initial SMC except storage in Super Bag at 8% SMC. Wheat seed stored in Super Bag at 8% SMC almost maintained initial germination while germination of cotton, maize and quinoa seeds declined 7%, 14% and 30% respectively in Super Bag at 8% SMC. Seed storage in Super Bag can help to prevent the significant increase in seed moisture at higher RH as is evident from moisture isotherm study, thus helps to preserve quality of maize, wheat, cotton and quinoa seeds by maintaining The Dry Chain throughout the storage period.

Gas Ingress and Egress of MEMS Multi-Chip Modules and MEMS Devices

Hermetic microcircuit packaging was the dominant method of protecting semiconductor devices in the 1960s and 1970s. After losing majority market sectors to plastic encapsulated microelectronics over the last a few decades, hermetic packaging remains the preferred method of protecting semiconductor devices for critical applications such as in military, space, and medical fields, where components and systems are required to serve for several decades. MEMS devices impose additional challenges to packaging by requiring specific internal cavity pressures to function properly or deliver the needed quality (Q) factors. In MEMS multichip modules, internal pressure requirement conflicts arise when different MEMS devices require different internal gases and pressures. The authors developed a closed-formed equation to model pressure changes of hermetic enclosures due to gas ingression. This article expands the authors mathematical model to calculate gas pressure of a MEMS multichip module package as well as those of MEMS devices inside the multichip module package. These equations are not only capable of calculating service lifetimes of MEMS devices and multi-chip modules but can also help develop MEMS device packaging strategies to extend the service life of MEMS multi-chip modules.

Wafer-Level Vacuum Sealing by Transfer Bonding of Silicon Caps for Small Footprint and Ultra-Thin MEMS Packages

Vacuum and hermetic packaging is a critical requirement for optimal performance of many micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), vacuum electronics, and quantum devices. However, existing packaging solutions are either elaborate to implement or rely on bulky caps and footprint-consuming seals. Here, we address this problem by demonstrating a wafer-level vacuum packaging method featuring transfer bonding of 25- $\mu \text{m}$ -thin silicon (Si) caps that are transferred from a 100-mm-diameter silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer to a cavity wafer to seal the cavities by gold–aluminum (Au–Al) thermo-compression bonding at a low temperature of 250 °C. The resulting wafer-scale sealing yields after wafer dicing are 98% and 100% with sealing rings as narrow as 6 and 9 $\mu \text{m}$ , respectively. Despite the small sealing footprint, the Si caps with 9- $\mu \text{m}$ -wide sealing rings demonstrate a high mean shear strength of 127 MPa. The vacuum levels in the getter-free sealed cavities are measured by residual gas analysis to be as low as 1.3 mbar, based on which a leak rate smaller than ${2.8}\times {10}^{-14}$ mbarL/s is derived. We also show that the thickness of the Si caps can be reduced to 6 $\mu \text{m}$ by post-transfer etching while still maintaining excellent hermeticity. The demonstrated ultra-thin packages can potentially be placed in between the solder bumps in flip–chip interfaces, thereby avoiding the need of through-cap-vias in conventional MEMS packages. [2018-0257]

Seed priming in field crops: potential benefits, adoption and challenges

Seed priming is a presowing technique in which seeds are moderately hydrated to the point where pregermination metabolic processes begin without actual germination. Seeds are then redried to near their actual weight for normal handling. Seeds can be soaked in tap water (hydropriming), aerated low-water potential solutions of polyethylene glycol or salt solutions (KNO3, KH2PO4, KCl, NaCl, CaCl2 or MgSO4; osmopriming), plant growth regulators, polyamines (hormonal priming), plant growth-promoting bacteria (biopriming), macro or micronutrients (nutripriming) or some plant-based natural extracts. Here, we review: (1) seed priming as a simple and effective approach for improving stand establishment, economic yields and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses in various crops by inducing a series of biochemical, physiological, molecular and subcellular changes in plants; (2) the tendency for seed priming to reduce the longevity of high-vigour seeds and improve the longevity of low-vigour seeds; (3) the advantages of physical methods of seed priming to enhance plant production over conventional methods based on the application of different chemical substances; (4) the various physical methods (e.g. magneto-priming and ionising radiation, including gamma rays, ultraviolet (UV) rays (UVA, UVC) and X-rays) available that are the most promising presowing seed treatments to improve crop productivity under stressful conditions; and (5) effective seed priming techniques for micronutrient delivery at planting in field crops. Seed priming as a cost-effective approach is being used for different crops and in different countries to improve yield, as a complementary strategy to grain biofortification and in genetically improved crop varieties to enhance their performance under stress conditions, including submergence and low phosphorus. Some of the challenges to the broad commercial adaption of seed priming include longevity of seeds after conventional types of priming under ambient storage conditions and a lack of studies on hermetic packaging materials for extended storage.

Research on a 3D Encapsulation Technique for Capacitive MEMS Sensors Based on Through Silicon Via.

A novel three-dimensional (3D) hermetic packaging technique suitable for capacitive microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors is studied. The composite substrate with through silicon via (TSV) is used as the encapsulation cap fabricated by a glass-in-silicon (GIS) reflow process. In particular, the low-resistivity silicon pillars embedded in the glass cap are designed to serve as the electrical feedthrough and the fixed capacitance plate at the same time to simplify the fabrication process and improve the reliability. The fabrication process and the properties of the encapsulation cap were studied systematically. The resistance of the silicon vertical feedthrough was measured to be as low as 263.5 mΩ, indicating a good electrical interconnection property. Furthermore, the surface root-mean-square (RMS) roughnesses of glass and silicon were measured to be 1.12 nm and 0.814 nm, respectively, which were small enough for the final wafer bonding process. Anodic bonding between the encapsulation cap and the silicon wafer with sensing structures was conducted in a vacuum to complete the hermetic encapsulation. The proposed packaging scheme was successfully applied to a capacitive gyroscope. The quality factor of the packaged gyroscope achieved above 220,000, which was at least one order of magnitude larger than that of the unpackaged. The validity of the proposed packaging scheme could be verified. Furthermore, the packaging failure was less than 1%, which demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of the technique for high-performance MEMS vacuum packaging.

Development of technology and research of quality of canned milk for regions with limited resources of natural raw milk

The development of dry milk-containing canned food technology with improved nutritional value, long shelf life for specialized nutrition, including the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, is relevant. The storage capacity and nutritional value of canned milk was increased by replacing unstable in storage of milk fat with its substitutes of plant origin, the introduction of a flavonoid nature into the composition of the antioxidant product, the use of hermetic packaging. The drying process of canned food was carried out using the gentle method of sublimation to preserve all the native properties of the product. When conducting research used standard and generally accepted methods. In the developed products, the composition and energy value, the fractional composition of lipids, and the vitamin composition of the products were determined. Based on the determination of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, the ratio of ?6 and ?3 of fatty acids was calculated and the composition of the developed products was determined to a balanced nutrition formula. Resource-saving technologies for new types of dry milk-containing canned food have been developed. problems of seasonality and shortage of natural milk raw materials, supply of dairy products in remote areas of the country have been solved. In addition, the formulation is cheaper and the cost of milk-based canned milk is reduced compared to dairy, which has an economic effect and practical significance. On the basis of the research conducted, it was concluded that it is advisable and necessary to use vegetable fats, antioxidants and synergists in the production of canned milk in order to produce products of high nutritional value and storage. The required ratio of ?6 and ?3 of essential fatty acids is equal to 5 ? 10: 1, which corresponds to the formula of a balanced diet. The high content of vital substances of lipid and protein nature, as well as vitamins, makes it possible to classify developed products to the class of specialized nutrition and use for regions with limited resources of natural milk raw materials, including the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.

Conformal Hermetic Sealing of Wireless Microelectronic Implantable Chiplets by Multilayered Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD)

AbstractA hermetic sealing method of sub‐millimeter‐sized microelectronic chiplets for wireless body implants is presented by ultrathin and electromagnetically transparent atomic layer deposition (ALD) coatings. Fully 3D conformal encapsulation of wirelessly powered microdevices is demonstrated both with and without opening windows for electrophysiological measurements. The chiplets embedding custom application‐specific integrated circuits (ASICs) with radio frequency (RF) transmitters are encapsulated by a stack of alternating layers of hafnium oxide and silicon dioxide to maximize impermeability of water and ionic penetration while minimizing the volume of the packaging material. The hermeticity of the devices is characterized through accelerated aging tests in saline at T = 87 °C, while continued functionality is monitored via evaluation of backscattered RF signals (near 1 GHz) to ascertain possible degradation and electronic failure. Earliest failures of wirelessly functional devices occur after more than 180 d of immersion at 87 °C. Wireless devices having opening windows through the ALD envelope show no signs of degradation for &gt;100 d. This implies an equivalent lifetime &gt;10 years at T = 37 °C. This approach is readily scalable to high throughput batch processing of hundreds of microchiplets, offering a methodology for hermetic packaging of microscale biomedical chronic implants.

Large Area Picosecond Photodetector (LAPPDTM) - Pilot production and development status

Abstract We report performance results achieved for fully functional sealed Large Area Picosecond Photodetectors (LAPPD™) in tests performed at Incom Inc., as well as independent test results reported by our early adopters. The LAPPD is a microchannel plate (MCP) based large area picosecond photodetector, capable of imaging with single-photon sensitivity at high spatial and temporal resolutions in a hermetic package. The LAPPD has an active area of 350 square centimeters in an all-glass hermetic package with a fused silica window and bottom plate and sidewalls made of borosilicate float glass. Signals are generated by a bi-alkali Na 2 KSb photocathode and amplified with a stacked chevron pair of MCPs produced by applying resistive and emissive atomic layer deposition coatings to glass capillary array (GCA) substrates. Signals are collected on RF stripline anodes applied to the bottom plates which exit the detector via pin-free hermetic seals under the side walls. LAPPD test and performance results for product produced and delivered to early adopter customers during the first half of 2018 are reviewed. These results include electron gains ≥ 7.5 × 106 @ 850/950 V (entry/exit MCP), low dark noise rates (22 Cts/s/cm2 ), single photoelectron (PE) timing resolution of 64 picoseconds RMS, and single photoelectron spatial resolution along and across strips of 2.8 mm and 1.3 mm RMS respectively. Many of these devices also had very high QE photocathodes that were uniform over the full 195 mm × 195 mm window active area (LAPPD #15 QE% @ 365 nm Max/Avg/Min = 25.8/22.3 ± 3/15.7). An update is also provided of developments that enable capacitive signal coupling from the detector to application specific pads or stripline readout patterns deployed on printed circuit boards positioned beneath the tile, outside of the vacuum package. We conclude with examples of how sensors offering picosecond timing, in diverse applications can bring transformative change to detector technology and applications in future experiments.