MEMS release methods
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Intellectual Property Administration
InventorDennis Lazaroff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A packaged MEMS device is fabricated by providing a first substrate, forming the MEMS device on the first substrate (the MEMS device including at least one element initially held immobile by a sacrificial material), optionally removing a portion of the sacrificial material without releasing the element, providing a second substrate, forming at least one release port, bonding the second substrate to the first substrate, and removing the sacrificial material through the release port to release the element.
Claims33
A method for fabricating a packaged MEMS device, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a first substrate,
- b) forming the MEMS device on the first substrate, the MEMS device including at least one element initially held immobile by a sacrificial material,
- c) providing a second substrate,
- d) forming at least one release port,
- e) bonding the second substrate to the first substrate, and
- f) removing the sacrificial material through the at least one release port to release the element initially held immobile.
A method for fabricating a packaged MEMS device, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a first substrate,
- b) forming the MEMS device on the first substrate, the MEMS device including at least one element initially held immobile by a sacrificial material,
- c) removing a first portion of the sacrificial material without releasing the at least one element initially held immobile, while leaving a second portion of the sacrificial material to be removed later,
- d) providing a second substrate,
- e) forming at least one release port,
- f) bonding the second substrate to the first substrate,
- g) removing the second portion of the sacrificial material through the at least one release port to release the element initially held immobile.
A packaged MEMS device comprising:
- a) a first substrate carrying the MEMS device, the MEMS device including at least one element initially held immobile by a sacrificial material,
- b) a second substrate, at least one of the first and second substrates having at least one release port for removing the sacrificial material, and
- c) a bond joining the second substrate to the first substrate.
A packaged MEMS device comprising:
- a) means for carrying the MEMS device, the MEMS device including at least one element initially held immobile by a sacrificial material,
- b) means for covering the MEMS device, at least one of the means for carrying and the means for covering having at least one means for removing the sacrificial material, and
- c) means for joining the means for covering to the means for carrying.
A method of using a MEMS device requiring release of an element initially held immobile by a sacrificial material, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) carrying the MEMS device on a first substrate,
- b) covering the MEMS device with a second substrate,
- c) providing at least one post-bond release port,
- d) bonding the second substrate to the first substrate without blocking the at least one post-bond release port, and
- e) removing the sacrificial material through the at least one post-bond release port to release the element initially held immobile.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.