Microresonator
AssigneesSTMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS, STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
InventorsNicolas Abele, Pascal Ancey, Alexandre Talbot, Karim Segueni, Guillaume Bouche, Thomas Skotnicki, Stephane Monfray, Fabrice Cassett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A microresonator comprising a single-crystal silicon resonant element and at least one activation electrode placed close to the resonant element, in which the resonant element is placed in an opening of a semiconductor layer covering a substrate, the activation electrode being formed in the semiconductor layer and being level at the opening.
Claims9
A microresonator comprising a resonant element and at least one activation electrode placed close to the resonant element, in which the resonant element is placed in an opening of a semiconductor layer covering a substrate, the activation electrode being formed in the semiconductor layer and facing said opening, wherein the resonant element is made of single-crystal silicon.
A method for forming a microresonator comprising:
- forming a sacrificial portion above a substrate;
- forming a first semiconductor layer above the sacrificial portion structure;
- forming, in the first semiconductor layer, at least one electrode area placed against or above a peripheral portion of the sacrificial portion;
- forming an opening in the first semiconductor layer above the sacrificial portion, whereby said at least one electrode areas are level with the opening;
- forming a sacrificial layer covering the bottom, the wall, and the edges of the opening;
- forming a hole in the sacrificial layer at the bottom of the opening;
- forming a second semiconductor layer on the sacrificial layer;
- etching the second semiconductor layer to keep a portion forming a resonant element placed in the openings and slightly extending over the edges of the opening;
- and
- removing the sacrificial portion and layer,
- wherein the sacrificial portion and layer are formed of a material such as silicon-germanium which is selectively etchable with respect to the substrate, to the first semiconductor layer, and to the resonant element, and which is such that it enables forming a second single-crystal semiconductor layer at least in said opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.