Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) device, comprising the steps of: providing a substrate, depositing an active layer, depositing a sacrificial layer, forming a MEMS structure in the active layer, wherein forming the MEMS structure comprises depositing a capping layer over the sacrificial layer, etching holes into the capping layer, removing the sacrificial layer with a dry etching process.
Abstract:
A micromechanical structure and a method of fabricating a micromechanical structure are provided. The micromechanical structure comprises a silicon (Si) based substrate; a micromechanical element formed directly on the substrate; and an undercut formed underneath a released portion of the micromechanical element; wherein the undercut is in the form of a recess formed in the Si based substrate.
Abstract:
The invention is directed to a patterned aerogel-based layer that serves as a mold for at least part of a microelectromechanical feature. The density of an aerogel is less than that of typical materials used in MEMS fabrication, such as poly-silicon, silicon oxide, single-crystal silicon, metals, metal alloys, and the like. Therefore, one may form structural features in an aerogel-based layer at rates significantly higher than the rates at which structural features can be formed in denser materials. The invention further includes a method of patterning an aerogel-based layer to produce such an aerogel-based mold. The invention further includes a method of fabricating a microelectromechanical feature using an aerogel-based mold. This method includes depositing a dense material layer directly onto the outline of at least part of a microelectromechanical feature that has been formed in the aerogel-based layer.
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:
Methods of fabricating comb drive devices utilizing one or more sacrificial etch-buffers are disclosed. An illustrative fabrication method may include the steps of etching a pattern onto a wafer substrate defining one or more comb drive elements and sacrificial etch-buffers, liberating and removing one or more sacrificial etch-buffers prior to wafer bonding, bonding the etched wafer substrate to an underlying support substrate, and etching away the wafer substrate. In some embodiments, the sacrificial etch-buffers are removed after bonding the wafer to the support substrate. The sacrificial etch-buffers can be provided at one or more selective regions to provide greater uniformity in etch rate during etching. A comb drive device in accordance with an illustrative embodiment can include a number of interdigitated comb fingers each having a more uniform profile along their length and/or at their ends, producing less harmonic distortion during operation.
Abstract:
A silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate including laminated layers of a substrate, an oxide layer, and a silicon layer in order. The oxide layer has an electrifying hole fluidly connected with the substrate and the electrifying hole is filled with a part of the silicon layer. A method for fabricating the floating structure is also disclosed which includes the steps of forming an oxide layer having a predetermined thickness on a substrate, forming one or more electrifying holes in an area of the oxide layer corresponding to an inner part of the floating structure, forming a silicon layer on the oxide layer including an electrification structure electrically connecting the silicon layer to the substrate, forming a pattern for the floating structure on the silicon layer, removing the oxide layer corresponding to an inner area of the pattern, forming a thermal oxide layer on a surface of the silicon layer, and removing the thermal oxide layer to form the floating structure.
Abstract:
The present invention provides a method for establishing endpoint during an alternating cyclical etch process or time division multiplexed process. A substrate is placed within a plasma chamber and subjected to an alternating cyclical process having an etching step and a deposition step. A variation in plasma emission intensity is monitored using known optical emission spectrometry techniques. An amplitude information is extracted from a complex waveform of the plasma emission intensity using an envelope follower algorithm. The alternating cyclical process is discontinued when endpoint is reached at a time that is based on the monitoring step.
Abstract:
In one embodiment, a micro device is formed by depositing a sacrificial layer over a metallic electrode (step 304), forming a moveable structure over the sacrificial layer (step 306), and then etching the sacrificial layer with a noble gas fluoride (step 308). Because the metallic electrode is comprised of a metallic material that also serves as an etch stop in the sacrificial layer etch, charge does not appreciably build up in the metallic electrode. This helps stabilize the driving characteristic of the moveable structure. In one embodiment, the moveable structure is a ribbon in a light modulator.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method for the anisotropic etching of structures on a semiconductor body, in particular for etching recesses in a silicon body (18) which are defined laterally in a precise manner by an etching mask, using a plasma (28). An ion-accelerator voltage is applied to the semiconductor, at least during an etching step which continues for a predetermined period. Said ion-accelerator voltage is induced, in particular, by a high-frequency alternating current. The duration of the etching step is subdivided further into at least two etching periods, between which the applied ion-accelerator voltage is modified. A preferred embodiment contains two etching periods, whereby a higher accelerator voltage is used during the first etching period than during the second etching period. The duration of the first etching period can also be determined dynamically or statically during the etching steps using a device for detecting a polymer breakthrough. In addition, high frequency pulses or pulse packets with an adjustable pulse-pause ratio are preferably used to generate and adjust the level of the accelerator voltage.
Abstract:
There is disclosed a method of manufacturing a micromechanical device. The method comprises the steps of: (a) etching a substrate (1), having a mask (2) thereon, through an opening in the mask to a desired depth to form a trench (6) having a side wall (4) and a base (5) in the substrate (1); (b) depositing a layer of a protecting substance (7) on the exposed surfaces of the substrate and mask; (c) selectively removing the protecting substance (7) from the base (5); and (d) etching the base (5) using a fluorine-containing etchant. Also disclosed is a micromechanical device formed by the method and an apparatus for manufacturing the micromechanical device.