(110) Oriented silicon wafer latch accelerometer and process for forming the same

A method for manufacturing a frame and first and second silicon cantilevers, wherein the cantilevers have a first end which is attached to the frame and a second end not attached to the frame and wherein each cantilever has a length from the first end of the cantilever to the second end of the cantilever and wherein the length of the first cantilever is not parallel to the length of the second cantilever, and wherein the first and second cantilevers bend in the plane of the frame, comprising:

• making a silicon wafer, which has first and second surfaces on opposite sides, and wherein the two surfaces are parallel to the (110) plane, and wherein the silicon wafer is made of a plurality of silicon unit cells;
• masking the silicon wafer on the first surface so that there is a masked area, and an unmasked area of the silicon wafer and a border between the masked area and the unmasked area, wherein the masked area forms patterns for a frame and at least two cantilevers, wherein each border between the masked and the unmasked area is substantially along a plane that intersects only three corners of each unit cell through which the plane passes, and wherein each of the cantilever patterns each have a first end which is attached to the frame pattern and a second end, which is a free end which is not attached to the frame pattern and wherein each of the cantilever patterns has a length from the first end of the cantilever pattern to the second end of the cantilever pattern and wherein the length of the first cantilever pattern is not parallel to the length of the second cantilever pattern;
• and
• exposing the silicon wafer to an anisotropic etchant.