Silicon penetration device with increased fracture toughness and method of fabrication
OwnerWilson Smart, Kumar Subramanian +1inventors
InventorsWilson Smart, Kumar Subramanian, Eugene Orloff
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Abstract
A silicon penetration device with increased fracture toughness and method of fabrication thereof are provided. The method comprises strengthening silicon penetration devices by thermally growing a silicon oxide layer on the penetration device and then subsequently stripping the silicon oxide. The method also includes strengthening silicon penetration devices through the sputtering of thin film coatings on the silicon penetration devices.
Claims27
A method of forming a silicon penetration device having increased fracture toughness, the method comprising:
- cleaning the surface of the silicon penetration device;
- heating the cleaned silicon penetration device;
- exposing the silicon penetration device to a reactive environment at elevated temperature to form an adherent film on the surface of the penetration device, the reactive environment containing one or more of the following reactants at one time, or in a sequence:
- oxygen, ozone, steam, hydrogen, ammonia, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen;
- cooling the silicon penetration device;
- and
- etching the silicon penetration device to remove at least a part of the adherent film.
A method of forming a penetration device having increased fracture toughness, the method comprising:
- cleaning the surface of the silicon penetration device;
- heating the cleaned silicon penetration device;
- exposing the silicon penetration device to a dry oxygen environment at elevated temperature to form an adherent film on the surface of the penetration device;
- introducing a wet steam into the oxygen environment;
- further exposing the silicon penetration device to a dry oxygen environment;
- cooling the silicon penetration device;
- and
- etching the silicon penetration device to remove at least a part of the oxide film.
A method of forming a penetration device having increased fracture toughness, the method comprising:
- cleaning the silicon penetration device;
- and depositing a nickel film on the silicon substrate.
A penetration device with increased fracture toughness, comprising:
- an unprocessed silicon penetration device;
- and
- an adherent film comprising silicon reacted with one or more of the following:
- oxygen, ozone, steam, hydrogen, ammonia, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen on the silicon substrate, at least a portion of which is removed by an etchant.
A penetration device with increased fracture toughness, comprising:
- an unprocessed silicon substrate;
- a silicon oxide layer on the silicon substrate, at least a portion of which is removed by an etchant.
A penetration device with increased fracture toughness, the device comprising;
- an unprocessed silicon penetration device;
- and
- a nickel film deposited on the silicon substrate of the penetration device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.