Abstract:
Micro-electro-mechanical structure formed by a substrate (41) of semiconductor material and a suspended mass (10, 20) extending above the substrate (41) and separated therefrom by an air gap (55). An insulating region (23, 24) of a first electrically insulating material extends through the suspended mass (10, 20) and divides it into at least one first electrically insulated suspended region and one second electrically insulated suspended region (10a, 10b, 20a, 20b). A plug element (46) of a second electrically insulating material different from the first electrically insulating material is formed underneath the insulating region (23, 24) and constitutes a barrier between the insulating region and the air gap (55) for preventing removal of the insulating region during fabrication, when an etching agent is used for removing a sacrificial layer and forming the air gap.
Abstract:
On a substrate (20) of semiconductor material, a sacrificial region (21) is formed and an epitaxial layer (25) is grown; then a stress release trench (31) is formed, surrounding an area (33) of the epitaxial layer (25), where an integrated electromechanical microstructure is to be formed; the wafer (28) is then heat treated, to release residual stress. Subsequently, the stress release trench (31) is filled with a sealing region (34) of dielectric material, and integrated components are formed. Finally, inside the area surrounded by the sealing region (34), a microstructure definition trench is formed, and the sacrificial region is removed, thus obtaining an integrated microstructure with zero residual stress.
Abstract:
The method is based on the use of a silicon carbide mask for removing a sacrificial region. In case of manufacture of integrated semiconductor material structures, the following steps are performed: forming a sacrificial region (6) of silicon oxide on a substrate (1) of semiconductor material; growing a pseudo-epitaxial layer (8); forming an electronic circuit (10-13, 18); depositing a silicon carbide layer (21); defining photolithographycally the silicon carbon layer so as to form an etching mask (23) containing the topography of a microstructure (27) to be formed; with the etching mask (23), forming trenches (25) in the pseudo-epitaxial layer (8) as far as the sacrificial region (6) so as to laterally define the microstructure; and removing the sacrificial region (6) through the trenches (25).
Abstract:
To increase the sensitivity of the sensor the suspended structure (40) forming the seismic mass has a tungsten core (26) which has high density. To manufacture it, a sacrificial layer (21) of silicon oxide, a polycrystal silicon layer (24), a tungsten layer (26) and a silicon carbide layer (28) are deposited in succession over a single crystal silicon body (1); the suspended structure (40) is defined by selectively removing the silicon carbide (28), tungsten (26) and polycrystal silicon (24) layers; spacers (30') of silicon carbide are formed which cover the uncovered ends of the tungsten layer (26); and the sacrificial layer (21) is then removed.
Abstract:
A semiconductor device includes a body (1) and, in the body (1): a semiconductor substrate (2), a semiconductor structural layer (10) and a dielectric layer (12) therebetween. A through interconnection via (30) traverses the body (1) and extends through the dielectric layer (12). The through interconnection via (30) has: a front-side interconnection region (17), including a portion of the structural layer (10) that extends between the dielectric layer (12) and a front face (10a) of the body (1) and is laterally insulated from the remainder of the structural layer (10); a back-side interconnection region (27), including a portion of the substrate (2) that extends between the dielectric layer (12) and a back face (2a) of the body (1) and is laterally insulated from the remainder of the substrate (2) by a back-side insulation trench (29). The back-side insulation trench (29) extends across the entire substrate (2; 102; 202), from the back face (2a) of the body (1) to the dielectric layer (12) the; and a conductive continuity region (8) connecting the front-side interconnection region (17) and the back-side interconnection region (27) through the dielectric layer (12).
Abstract:
A process for manufacturing a through via in a semiconductor device includes the steps of: forming a body (1) comprising a structural layer (10), a substrate (2), and a dielectric layer (12) set between the structural layer (10) and the substrate (2); insulating a portion of the structural layer (10) to form a front-side interconnection region (17); insulating a portion of the substrate (2) to form a back-side interconnection region (27); and connecting the front-side interconnection region (17) and the back-side interconnection region (27) through the dielectric layer (12).
Abstract:
To increase the sensitivity of the sensor, the movable mass (40) forming the seismic mass is formed starting from the epitaxial layer (13) and is covered by a weighting region of tungsten (26c) which has high density. To manufacture it, buried conductive regions (2) are formed in the substrate (1); then, at the same time, a sacrificial region is formed in the zone where the movable mass is to be formed and oxide insulating regions (9a-9d) are formed on the buried conductive regions (2) so as to cover them partially; the epitaxial layer (13) is then grown, using a nucleus region; a tungsten layer (26) is deposited and defined and, using a silicon carbide layer (31) as mask, the suspended structure (40) is defined; finally the sacrificial region is removed, forming an air gap (38).
Abstract:
The method described provides for the formation of a region of silicon dioxide on a substrate (11) of monocrystalline silicon, the epitaxial growth of a silicon layer, the opening of holes (14') in the silicon layer above the silicon dioxide region, and the removal of the silicon dioxide which constitutes the region by means of chemical attack through the holes (14') until a silicon diaphragm (12'), attached to the substrate (11) along the edges and separated therefrom by a space (15), is produced. In order to form an absolute pressure microsensor, the space has to be sealed. To do this, the method provides for the holes (14') to have diameters smaller than the thickness of the diaphragm (12') and to be closed by the formation of a silicon dioxide layer (16) by vapour-phase deposition at atmospheric pressure.