Multi material secondary metallization scheme in mems fabrication
AssigneeTouchdown Technologies, Inc.
InventorMontray Leavy
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Abstract
Processes are provided herein for the fabrication of MEMS utilizing both a primary metal that is integrated into the final MEMS structure and two or more sacrificial secondary metals that provide structural support for the primary metal component during machining. A first secondary metal is thinly plated around the primary metal and over the entire surface of the substrate without using photolithography. A second secondary metal, is then thickly plated over the deposited first secondary metal without using photolithography. Additionally, techniques are disclosed to increase the deposition rate of the first secondary metal between primary metal features in order to prevent voiding and thus enhance structural support of the primary metal during machining.
Claims12
A process for fabricating a multi-layer micro-electro-mechanical system, comprising:
- a) providing a primary metal structure supported by a substrate;
- b) depositing a first sacrificial secondary metal in a thin layer around the primary metal structure and over the entire surface of the substrate;
- c) depositing a second sacrificial secondary metal in a thick layer around first sacrificial secondary metal and over the entire surface of the substrate;
- d) machining the primary and first and second sacrificial secondary metals;
- e) repeating steps (a)-(d) above until a desired multi-layered structure is fabricated;
- and
- f) etching away the first and second sacrificial secondary metals from the machined primary metal structure to form a multi-layered micro-electro-mechanical system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.