Abstract:
A method of manufacturing an external force detection sensor in which a sensor element is formed by through-hole (20) dry etching of an element substrate (3), and an electrically conductive material is used as an etching stop layer (18) during the dry etching.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a micromechanical or microoptomechanical structure. The structure is produced by a process comprising defining a structure on a single crystal silicon layer separated by an insulator layer from a substrate layer; depositing and etching a polysilicon layer on the single crystal silicon layer, with remaining polysilcon forming mechanical or optical elements of the structure; exposing a selected area of the single crystal silicon layer; and releasing the formed structure.
Abstract:
A new bulk resonator may be fabricated by a process that is readily incorporated in the traditional fabrication techniques used in the fabrication of monolithic integrated circuits on a wafer. The resonator is decoupled from the wafer by a cavity etched under the resonator using selective etching through front openings (vias) in a resonator membrane. In a typical structure the resonator is formed over a silicon wafer by first forming a first electrode, coating a piezoelectric layer over both the electrode and the wafer surface and forming a second electrode opposite the first on the surface of the piezoelectric layer. After this structure is complete, a number of vias are etched in the piezoelectric layer exposing the surface under the piezoelectric layer to a selective etching process that selectively attacks the surface below the piezoelectric layer creating a cavity under the resonator.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for etching a first silicon layer (15) which is provided with an etching mask (10) for defining lateral recesses (21). Trenches (21') are produced in the area of the lateral recesses (21) in a first plasma etching process by means of anisotropic etching. As soon as a barrier layer (12, 14, 14', 16) buried between the first silicon layer (15) and another silicon layer (17) is reached, the first etching process virtually comes to a stop (17). This barrier layer is then etched through in the exposed areas (23, 23') using a second etching process. An etching of the other silicon layer (17, 17') is then effected in a subsequent third etching process. This enables the production of free-standing structures for sensor elements using a simplified process which is fully compatible with the process steps in IC integration technology.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a fabrication process for manufacture of micro electromechanical (MEM) devices such as cantilever support beams. This fabrication process requires only two lithographic masking steps and offers moveable electromechanical devices with high electrical isolation. A preferred embodiment of the process uses electrically insulating glass substrate (102) as the carrier substrate and single crystal silicon (108) as the MEM component material. The process further includes deposition of an optional layer of insulating material (110) such as silicon dioxide on top of a layer of doped silicon (108) grown on a silicon substrate. The silicon dioxide (110) is epoxy bonded to the glass substrate (102) to create a silicon-silicon dioxide-epoxy-glass structure (200). The silicon is patterned using anisotropic plasma dry etching techniques. A second patterning then follows to pattern the silicon dioxide layer (110) and an oxygen plasma etch is performed to undercut the epoxy film (120) and to release the silicon MEM component. This two-mask process provides single crystal silicon MEMs with electrically isolated MEM component. Retaining silicon dioxide insulating material (110) in selected areas mechanically supports the MEM component.
Abstract:
The apparatus of the present invention includes a substrate (32) and a thin active layer (31) each comprising a semiconducting material. The substrate has a frame and a proof mass (18) suspended from the frame by one or more flexures (14,16), and the active layer includes one or more vibratory force transducers (22,24) suitable coupled to the proof mass (18) for detecting a force applied to the proof mass. According to the present invention, an insulating layer (34), such as silicon oxide, is formed between the substrate (32) and the active layer (31) to insulate the active layer from the substrate. Providing a separate insulating layer (34) between the substrate (32) and active layer (31) improves the electrical insulation between the proof mass and the transducers, which allows for effective operation over a wide range of temperatures.
Abstract:
Surface micromachining and bulk micromachining are employed for realizing a porous membrane (102A) with a bulk substrate (106) to form a particle filter (100). The filter (100) is sufficiently sturdy to allow for easy handling. It may be used as a diffusion barrier and under high pressures. A disclosed etching fabrication method is simple, reliable, and integrated-circuit compatible, and thus amenable to mass production. Electronic circuitry may be integrated on the surface of filter (100), as may be desired for several purposes, such as fluid characterization, capsule formation, or self-cleaning or charging of the surface of filter (100).
Abstract:
The invention comprises a method for fabricating a monolithic chip containing integrated circuitry as well as a suspended polysilicon microstructure. The inventive method comprises 67 processes which are further broken down into approximately 330 steps. The processes and their arrangement allow for compatible fabrication of transistor circuitry and the suspended polysilicon microstructure on the same chip.