Abstract:
A semiconductor acceleration transducer is fabricated so that the semiconductor beam and the piezoelectric transducing element are accurately positioned relative to each other, and the impact resistance is improved. The fabrication process comprises a wafer preparing step for forming a buried layer between a substrate of a first conductivity type and an epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type, a doping step for forming a diffusion region of the first conductivity type in the epitaxial layer, and an etching step for removing unwanted portions of the substrate and the diffusion region from the bottom of the substrate to shape the beam supporting portion serving as a seismic mass. The buried layer is formed at such a position that the shape and position of the beam is determined by the buried layer. The buried layer may be a second conductivity type layer to determine the contour of the beam by stopping the etching process or may be a first conductivity type layer which is etched away to determine the contour of the beam with its diffusion contour.
Abstract:
A process for fabricating a suspended microelectromechanical system (MEMS) structure comprising epitaxial semiconductor functional layers that are partially or completely suspended over a substrate. A sacrificial release layer and a functional device layer are formed on a substrate. The functional device layer is etched to form windows in the functional device layer defining an outline of a suspended MEMS device to be formed from the functional device layer. The sacrificial release layer is then etched with a selective release etchant to remove the sacrificial release layer underneath the functional layer in the area defined by the windows to form the suspended MEMS structure.
Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a microphone using epitaxially grown silicon. A monolithic wafer structure is provided. A wafer surface of the structure includes poly-crystalline silicon in a first horizontal region and mono-crystalline silicon in a second horizontal region surrounding a perimeter of the first horizontal region. A hybrid silicon layer is epitaxially deposited on the wafer surface. Portions of the hybrid silicon layer that contact the poly-crystalline silicon use the poly-crystalline silicon as a seed material and portions that contact the mono-crystalline silicon use the mono-crystalline silicon as a seed material. As such, the hybrid silicon layer includes both mono-crystalline silicon and poly-crystalline silicon in the same layer of the same wafer structure. A CMOS/membrane layer is then deposited on top of the hybrid silicon layer.
Abstract:
A method for creating a semiconductor structure is provided. In accordance with the method, a semiconductor substrate (101) is provided over which is disposed a sacrificial layer (103), and which has a thin single crystal semiconductor layer (105) disposed over the sacrificial layer (103). An opening (107) is then created which extends through the semiconductor layer (105) and into the sacrificial layer (103). The semiconductor layer (105) is then epitaxially grown to a suitable device thickness, thereby resulting in a device layer. The semiconductor layer is grown such that the resulting device layer extends over the opening (107), and such that the surface of the portion of the device layer extending over the opening is single crystal silicon.
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:
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.