Stiction-free microstructure releasing method for fabricating MEMS device
US6806205B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 29, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 19, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 29, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/31116
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Disclosed is a a method of fabricating a MEMS device by means of surface micromachining without leaving any stiction or residues by etching silicon oxide of a sacrificial layer, which is an intermediate layer between a substrate and a microstructure, rather than by etching silicon oxide of a semiconductor device. The method according to the invention includes the steps of supplying alcohol vapor bubbled with anhydrous HF, maintaining a temperature of the supplying device and a moving path of the anhydrous HF and the alcohol to be higher than a boiling point of the alcohol, performing a vapor etching by controlling a temperature and a pressure to be within the vapor region of a phase equilibrium diagram of water, and removing silicon oxide of a sacrificial layer on a lower portion of the microstructure.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.