Abstract:
A method for the production of a planar structure is disclosed. The method comprises producing on a substrate a plurality of structures of substantially equal height, and there being a space in between the plurality of structures. The method further comprises providing a fill layer of electromagnetic radiation curable material substantially filling the space between the structures. The method further comprises illuminating a portion of the fill layer with electromagnetic radiation, hereby producing a exposed portion and an unexposed portion, the portions being separated by an interface substantially parallel with the first main surface of the substrate. The method further comprises removing the portion above the interface.
Abstract:
A method for the production of a planar structure is disclosed. The method comprises producing on a substrate a plurality of structures of substantially equal height, and there being a space in between the plurality of structures. The method further comprises providing a fill layer of electromagnetic radiation curable material substantially filling the space between the structures. The method further comprises illuminating a portion of the fill layer with electromagnetic radiation, hereby producing a exposed portion and an unexposed portion, the portions being separated by an interface substantially parallel with the first main surface of the substrate. The method further comprises removing the portion above the interface.
Abstract:
According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a base region, an element portion located on the base region, the element portion including a movable portion, and a protective film overlying the element portion and forming a cavity on an inner side of the protective film. The protective film includes a first protective layer and a second protective layer located on the first protective layer. A hole extends in a direction parallel to a main surface of the base region, and the second protective layer covers the hole.
Abstract:
A method for manufacturing a micromechanical component and a micromechanical component. The micromechanical component includes a sensor substrate and a cap situated thereon. For creating the cap, a plurality of openings is introduced into a cap substrate in a delimited area on the surface of the front side in the form of microperforations. The openings end in the cap substrate, i.e. they do not go all the way through the cap substrate and are therefore shallow. The cap substrate is then placed on the sensor substrate, whereby the front side of the cap substrate including the plurality of openings is directed toward the sensor substrate. A portion of the cap substrate is removed from its back side by back-thinning using a grinding process or another semiconductor process. The removal of the cap substrate material from the back side creates access to the openings.
Abstract:
MEMS devices (40) using etched cavities (42) are desirably formed using multiple etching steps. Preliminary cavities (20) formed by locally anisotropic etching to nearly the final depth have irregular (46) sidewalls (44) and steep and/or inconsistent sidewall (44) to bottom (54) intersection angles (48). This leads to less than desired cavity diaphragm (26) burst strengths. Final cavities (42) with smooth sidewalls (50), smaller and consistent sidewall (50) to bottom (54) intersection angles (58), and having more than doubled cavity diaphragm (26) burst strengths are obtained by treating the preliminary cavities (20) with TMAH etchant, preferably relatively dilute TMAH etchant. In a preferred embodiment, a cleaning step is performed between the etching step and the TMAH treatment step to remove any anisotropic etching by-products present on the preliminary cavities' (20) initial sidewalls (44). The multi-step cavity etching procedure is especially useful for forming robust MEMS pressure sensors, but is applicable to any type of MEMS device.
Abstract:
System and method for filling vias in integrated circuits A preferred embodiment comprises forming a spacer layer on a substrate, forming a via with walls and a bottom in the spacer layer, depositing a conformal conductive layer on the spacer layer and on the walls and bottom of the via, spinning-on a photo-definable material on the conductive layer, forming a fill layer on the conductive layer and filling the via, exposing portions of the fill layer to an exposing light using a photomask, developing the fill layer to remove select portions of the fill layer and leave a portion of the fill layer filling the via, and removing the spacer layer. The use of a spin-on photo-definable material increases the material's filling and planarizing capabilities, while enabling a reduction in the number of process steps, which may reduce the likelihood of manufacturing defects, thereby increasing manufacturing yield.
Abstract:
A manufacturing method according to which surface unevenness of a workpiece on which microprocessing is performed such as a semiconductor substrate or a micromachine is readily flattened with a higher degree of flatness than the prior art even when depressions vary in depth, to thus facilitate the processing of the surface in a subsequent process. The manufacturing method includes the processes of applying a photosensitive resin 2 over the surface of a workpiece 1, exposing the applied resin using a grayscale mask 3 that corresponds to the surface shape of the resin, and developing the exposed resin and eliminating unhardened resin.