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US 10,941,036 B2Granted
Method of manufacturing MEMS switches with reduced switching voltage
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsStephen E. Luce, Anthony K. Stamper
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An approach includes a method of fabricating a switch. The approach includes forming a first cantilevered electrode, forming a second cantilevered electrode over an electrode and operable to contact the first cantilevered electrode upon an application of a voltage to the electrode, and forming an arm on the first cantilevered electrode with an extending protrusion extending upward from an upper surface of the arm.
Claims15
A method of fabricating a switch comprising:
- forming a first cantilevered electrode;
- forming a second cantilevered electrode over an electrode and operable to directly contact an end of the first cantilevered electrode upon an application of a voltage to the electrode;
- forming an arm on the first cantilevered electrode with an extending protrusion extending upward from an upper surface of the arm;
- and
- forming a hermetically sealed volume encapsulating the electrode, the first cantilevered electrode, and the second cantilevered electrode,
- wherein the forming the hermetically sealed volume comprises:
- forming at least one hole in a nitride liner to gain access to a sacrificial resist;
- etching the sacrificial resist;
- and
- closing the at least one hole by deposition of additional liner material.
7 more elements
A method of fabricating a switch comprising:
- forming a first cantilevered electrode;
- forming a second cantilevered electrode over an electrode and operable to contact the first cantilevered electrode upon an application of a voltage to the electrode;
- forming an arm on the first cantilevered electrode with an extending protrusion extending upward from an upper surface of the arm;
- and
- forming a hermetically sealed volume encapsulating the electrode, the first cantilevered electrode, and the second cantilevered electrode,
- wherein the forming the hermetically sealed volume comprises:
- forming at least one hole in a nitride liner to gain access to a sacrificial resist;
- etching the sacrificial resist;
- and
- closing the at least one hole by deposition of additional liner material.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.