Abstract:
A method for forming a thin film structure, which has small tensile stress due to controlled mechanical stress, and is made to be conductive, is provided. A lower film including polysilicon thin film is formed on a substrate such as Si substrate, then an impurity such as P is doped into the lower film and thermally diffused, thereby the lower film is made conductive. Then, an upper film is deposited on the lower film, the upper film including a polysilicon thin film that is simply deposited and not made to be conductive. The upper film has a tensile stress in an approximately the same level as compressive stress of the lower film, and a thin film structure as a whole, the structure including the lower film and the upper film, is adjusted to have small tensile stress.
Abstract:
A method of fabricating a silicon-based microstructure is disclosed, which involves depositing electrically conductive amorphous silicon doped with first and second dopants to produce a structure having a residual mechanical stress of less than +/= 100Mpa. The dopants can either be deposited in successive layers to produce a laminated structure with a residual mechanical stress of less than +/= 100Mpa or simultaneously to produce a laminated structure having a mechanical stress of less than +/= 100Mpa.
Abstract:
A MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) electrostatic device operated with lower and more predictable operating voltages is provided. An electrostatic actuator, an electrostatic attenuator of electromagnetic radiation, and a method for attenuating electromagnetic radiation are provided. Improved operating voltage characteristics are achieved by defining a non increasing air gap between the substrate electrode and flexible composite electrode within the electrostatic device. A medial portion of a multilayer flexible composite overlying the electromechanical substrate is held in position regardless of the application of electrostatic force, thereby sustaining the defined air gap. The air gap is relatively constant in separation from the underlying microelectronic surface when the medial portion is cantilevered in one embodiment. A further embodiment provides an air gap that decreases to zero when the medial portion approaches and contacts the underlying microelectronic surface. A moveable distal portion of the flexible composite is biased to curl naturally due to differences in thermal coefficients of expansion between the component layers. In response to electrostatic forces, the distal portion moves and thereby alters the distance separating the flexible composite from the underlaying microelectronic surface. Structures and techniques for controlling bias in the medial portion and the resulting air gap are provided. The electrostatic device may be disposed to selectively clear or intercept the path of electromagnetic radiation. Materials used in the attenuator can be selected to pass, reflect, or absorb various types of electromagnetic radiation. A plurality of electromagnetic attenuators may be disposed in an array and selectively activated in subsets.
Abstract:
In described examples, a microelectronic device (102) contains a high performance silicon nitride layer, which is stoichiometric within 2 atomic percent, has a low stress of 600 MPa to 1000 MPa, and has a low hydrogen content, less than 5 atomic percent, formed by an LPCVD process. The LPCVD process uses ammonia NH3 and dichlorosilane DCS gases in a ratio of 4 to 6, at a pressure of 150 millitorr to 250 millitorr, and at a temperature of 800°C to 820°C.
Abstract:
Techniques are described herein that perform pressure sensing using pressure sensor(s) that include deformable pressure vessel(s). A pressure vessel is an object that has a cross section that defines a void. A deformable pressure vessel is a pressure vessel that has at least one curved portion that is configured to structurally deform (e.g., bend, shear, elongate, etc.) based on a pressure difference between a cavity pressure in a cavity in which at least a portion of the pressure vessel is suspended and a vessel pressure in the pressure vessel.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a micromechanical device comprising a semiconductor element capable of deflecting or resonating and comprising at least two regions having different material properties and drive or sense means functionally coupled to said semiconductor element. According to the invention, at least one of said regions comprises one or more n-type doping agents, and the relative volumes, doping concentrations, doping agents and/or crystal orientations of the regions being configured so that the temperature sensitivities of the generalized stiffness are opposite in sign at least at one temperature for the regions, and the overall temperature drift of the generalized stiffness of the semiconductor element is 50 ppm or less on a temperature range of 100°C. The device can be a resonator. Also a method of designing the device is disclosed.
Abstract:
Planar cavity Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) structures, methods of manufacture and design structure are provided. The method includes forming at least one Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) cavity (60a, 60b) having a planar surface using a reverse damascene process.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a production method for a micromechanical electrostatic adjuster device (10), comprising the steps: application of a first conducting layer (12) to a substrate (28,30), etching the first conducting layer (12) to form at least one first electrode (16) in the material of the first conducting layer (12), application of a separation layer (32a) to the first conducting layer (12), application of a second conducting layer to the separation layer (32a), etching the second conducting layer to form at least one second electrode (22) in the material of the second conducting layer and application of a cover layer (40) to the second electrode (22) and bending the second electrode (22) by means of a mechanical compression load exerted on the second electrode (22) by means of the cover layer (40). The invention further relates to a corresponding micromechanical electrostatic adjuster device.
Abstract:
Die Erfindung betrifft eine Vorrichtung mit einem Funktionselement (18) und einem Si-Substrat (22) mit Membran (29), auf der das Funktionselement (18) angeordnet ist. Die Membran (29) umfasst eine nitridische Schicht (23) und eine metallische Schicht (21), wobei die metallische Schicht (21) auf dem Si-Substrat (22) und die nitridische Schicht (23) auf der metallischen Schicht (21) angeordnet ist.
Abstract:
A method for controlling bow in wafers (50) which utilize doped layers is described. The method includes depositing a silicon-germanium layer (52) onto a substrate (14), depositing an undoped buffer layer (56) onto the silicon-germanium layer, and depositing a silicon-boron layer (58) onto the undoped layer.