# US 10,766,763 B2 · Sidewall stopper for MEMS device

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- Number: US 10,766,763 B2
- Document ID: US10766763B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/392,844
- Filed: 2019-04-24
- Published: 2020-04-02
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-28
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Shih-Wei Lin; Chang-Ming Wu; Ting-Jung Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766763B2

## CPC

- B81B 3/001: {Structures having a reduced contact area, e.g. with bumps or with a textured surface}
- B81B 3/0051: {For defining the movement, i.e. structures that guide or limit the movement of an element (mechanical arrangements for preventing or damping vibration or shock H01H3/60)}
- B81B 1/004: {Through-holes, i.e. extending from one face to the other face of the wafer}
- B81B 3/0021: {Transducers for transforming electrical into mechanical energy or vice versa (dynamo-electric machines H02K99/00; electrostatic machines H02N1/00; piezoelectric devices H10N30/00)}
- B81C 1/00158: {Diaphragms, membranes (manufacture process for semi-permeable inorganic membranes B01D67/0039)}
- B81C 1/00531: {Dry etching}
- B81C 1/00571: {Avoid or control under-cutting}
- H04R 19/005: {using semiconductor materials}
- H04R 19/04: Microphones (H04R19/01 takes precedence)
- H04R 31/003: {for diaphragms or their outer suspension}
- B81B 2201/0257: Microphones or microspeakers
- B81B 2203/0127: Diaphragms, i.e. structures separating two media that can control the passage from one medium to another; Membranes, i.e. diaphragms with filtering function
- B81B 2203/053: Translation according to an axis perpendicular to the substrate
- B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00)
- B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01)
- H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a microphone. In some embodiments, the microphone may comprise a substrate, a diaphragm, a backplate, and a sidewall stopper. The substrate has an opening disposed through the substrate. The diaphragm is disposed over the substrate and facing the opening of the substrate. The diaphragm has a venting hole overlying the opening of the substrate. A backplate is disposed over and spaced apart from the diaphragm. A sidewall stopper is disposed along a sidewall of the venting hole of the diaphragm and thus is not limited by a distance between the movable part and the stable part. Also, the sidewall stopper does not alternate the shape of movable part, and thus will less likely introduce crack to the movable part. In some embodiments, the sidewall stopper may be formed like a sidewall stopper by a self-alignment process, such that no extra mask is needed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A microphone comprising:
a substrate having an opening disposed through the substrate;
a diaphragm disposed over the substrate and facing the opening of the substrate, the diaphragm having a venting hole overlying the opening of the substrate;
a backplate disposed over and spaced apart from the diaphragm; and
a sidewall stopper disposed along a sidewall of the venting hole of the diaphragm.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The microphone of claim 1, wherein the sidewall stopper has an upper portion higher than a top surface of the diaphragm and a lower portion lower than a bottom surface of the diaphragm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The microphone of claim 1, wherein the sidewall stopper laterally extends across an edge of the venting hole and includes an upper portion contacting a top surface of the diaphragm and a lower portion contacting a bottom surface of the diaphragm; wherein the upper portion and the lower portion of the sidewall stopper clamp the diaphragm therebetween.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The microphone of claim 1, wherein the sidewall stopper comprises silicon nitride.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The microphone of claim 1, wherein the sidewall stopper comprises polysilicon.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The microphone of claim 1, wherein a height of the sidewall stopper is greater than a distance between the backplate and the diaphragm when the diaphragm is in a relax position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The microphone of claim 1, wherein the backplate comprises a first silicon nitride layer, a second silicon nitride layer and a polysilicon layer disposed between the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer.

### Claim 8

A MEMS device, comprising:
a substrate having an opening disposed through the substrate;
a first backplate disposed over the substrate and facing the opening of the substrate;
a second backplate disposed over the first backplate;
a diaphragm located between the first backplate and the second backplate and including an opening disposed therethrough, wherein the diaphragm is spaced apart from the first backplate by a first distance and spaced apart from the second backplate by a second distance; and
a sidewall stopper disposed along sidewalls of the opening of the diaphragm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The MEMS device of claim 8, wherein the sidewall stopper extends in a vertical direction upwardly to a first position between the first backplate and the diaphragm and downwardly to a second position between the diaphragm and the second backplate.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The MEMS device of claim 8, wherein the sidewall stopper has a ring shape that continuously extends along a perimeter of the opening of the diaphragm.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The MEMS device of claim 8, wherein the first backplate and the second backplate respectively comprises a first silicon nitride layer, a second silicon nitride layer and a polysilicon layer disposed between the first silicon nitride layer and the second silicon nitride layer.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The MEMS device of claim 8, wherein the sidewall stopper laterally extends across a boundary edge of the opening of the diaphragm.

### Claim 13

A MEMS device, comprising:
a first interlayer dielectric layer disposed over a substrate;
a diaphragm disposed over the first interlayer dielectric layer;
a second interlayer dielectric layer disposed over the diaphragm; and
a sidewall stopper disposed along a first sidewall of the diaphragm, wherein the sidewall stopper extends into recesses of the first interlayer dielectric layer and the second interlayer dielectric layer above and below the diaphragm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The MEMS device of claim 13, wherein the diaphragm has a second sidewall and a portion of a top surface directly contacting the second interlayer dielectric layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The MEMS device of claim 13, wherein the diaphragm has a portion of a bottom surface directly contacting the first interlayer dielectric layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The MEMS device of claim 13, wherein the diaphragm is made of silicon nitride or polysilicon.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The MEMS device of claim 13, wherein the sidewall stopper is made of silicon nitride or polysilicon.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The MEMS device of claim 13, further comprising a first backplate disposed between the first interlayer dielectric layer and the substrate.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The MEMS device of claim 13, further comprising a second backplate disposed over the second interlayer dielectric layer and the sidewall stopper.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The MEMS device of claim 13, further comprising:
a first opening overlying the diaphragm and disposed through a protection layer; and
a second opening disposed directly under the diaphragm through the substrate.