Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for making a microelectromechanical system comprising supplying an etchant to etch one or more sacrificial structures of the system.
Abstract:
A gas sensor and method of gas sensing, e.g., of a type as useful with downstream sensor elements for determining the plasma conditions (e.g., plasma etching end point) in a semiconductor etching facility that utilizes halogen-containing plasma and/or oxygen-containing plasma. Such sensor elements are capable of exhibiting temperature change in the presence of energetic gas species, e.g., fluorine, chlorine, iodine, bromine, oxygen, and derivatives and radicals thereof that are generated by the plasma, and correspondingly generating an output signal indicative of such temperature change for determination of the plasma conditions in the etching plasma processing facility.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices and more specifically to a process for manufacturing MEMS devices having at least one suspended structural element. The present invention seeks to provide an improved method for manufacture of MEMS devices having improved safety and increased yield and throughput compared to conventional EDP immersion process techniques. MEMS devices are made using a modified dissolution process that removes, in a selective etch step, inactive silicon to release an active silicon device from a sacrificial substrate. The present invention uses a selective etchant in conjunction with a commercial spray acid processing tool to provide a dissolution process with improved throughput, improved repeatable and uniform etch rates and reduction in the number of processing steps and chemical containment for improved safety. When the etch process is complete, the solvent spray is turned off and a spray of de-ionized water is directed onto composite structure to remove residual solvent without causing suspended elements to adhere to the support substrate.
Abstract:
An etching monitoring apparatus (1) and related method for use in the manufacture of microstructures (2) (and in particular MEMS) located within an etching chamber (3) is described. The apparatus (1) and related method operates by setting the temperature of the chamber (3) within which the microstructure (2) is located at a starting temperature, and maintaining the partial pressure of an etching gas within the chamber (3) at a constant value. As a result the surface temperature o f the microstructure (2) within the chamber (3) is primarily determined by the etch rate. Therefore, by employing a thermometer (8) to monitor the change in etching surface temperature, a direct diagnostic for monitoring the etching process is provided.
Abstract:
A method for controlling a gap in an electrically conducting solid state structure provided with a gap. The structure is exposed to a fabrication process environment conditions of which are selected to alter an extent of the gap. During exposure of the structure to the process environment, a voltage bias is applied across the gap. Electron tunneling current across the gap is measured during the process environment exposure and the process environment is controlled during process environment exposure based on tunneling current measurement. A method for controlling the gap between electrically conducting electrodes provided on a support structure. Each electrode has an electrode tip separated from other electrode tips by a gap. The electrodes are exposed to a flux of ions causing transport of material of the electrodes to corresponding electrode tips, locally adding material of the electrodes to electrode tips in the gap.
Abstract:
In described examples, a method comprises forming an etch stop layer (151), a first titanium layer (312), a magnetic core (130), a second titanium layer (342), and patterning the first and second titanium layers (312, 342). The etch stop layer (151) is formed above a substrate. The first titanium layer (312) is formed on the etch stop layer (151). The magnetic core (130) is formed on the first titanium layer (312). The second titanium layer (342) has a first portion encapsulating the magnetic core (130) with the first titanium layer (312), and a second portion interfacing with the first titanium layer (312) beyond the magnetic core (130). The patterning of the first and second titanium layers (312, 342) includes forming a mask (352) over a magnetic core region (170) and etching the first and second titanium layers (312, 342) exposed by the mask (352) using a titanium etchant (356, 357) and a titanium oxide etchant (358).
Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and systems for making a microelectromechanical system comprising supplying an etchant to etch one or more sacrificial structures of the system.
Abstract:
The present disclosure provides systems and methods for characterizing the interaction of free radicals with various materials and the use of known interactions to isolate free radical generation from free radical interaction with a target molecule.