Process for manufacture of micro electromechanical devices having high electrical isolation
US6159385A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 8, 1998 |
| Grant date | Dec 12, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 8, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB81C2201/019
- WIPO fieldMicro-structural and nano-technology
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The present invention relates to a fabrication process relating to a fabrication process for manufacture of micro-electromechanical (MEM) devices such as cantilever supported beams. This fabrication process requires only two lithographic masking steps and offers moveable electromechanical devices with high electrical isolation. A preferred embodiment of the process uses electrically insulating glass substrate as the carrier substrate and single crystal silicon as the MEM component material. The process further includes deposition of an optional layer of insulating material such as silicon dioxide on top of a layer of doped silicon grown on a silicon substrate. The silicon dioxide is epoxy bonded to the glass substrate to create a silicon--silicon dioxide-epoxy-glass structure. The silicon is patterned using anisotropic plasma dry etching techniques. A second patterning then follows to pattern the silicon dioxide layer and an oxygen plasma etch is performed to undercut the epoxy film and to release the silicon MEM component. This two-mask process provides single crystal silicon MEMs with electrically isolated MEM component. Retaining silicon dioxide insulating material in selected a…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.