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US 5,314,572 AGranted
Method for fabricating microstructures
AssigneeAnalog Devices, Inc.
InventorsTheresa A. Core, Roger T. Howe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A suspended microstructure fabrication process. Photoresist pedestals are inserted in a sacrificial layer between the suspended microstructure and the substrate and photoresist spacers are inserted in the microstructure layer between non contacting portions of the suspended microstructure so that the photoresist pedestals and spacers support the microstructure bridge during the wet etching and drying process used to remove the sacrificial layer.
Claims7
A method of fabricating a suspended microstructure comprising the steps of;
- depositing a layer of sacrificial material on a substrate,
- selectively removing portions of said sacrificial material so as to create holes in said sacrificial layer for formation of posts for said microstructure,
- depositing a second material over said substrate and said sacrificial layer, said microstructure to be formed of said second material, said second material filling in said holes in said sacrificial layer and forming a second layer over said sacrificial layer,
- selectively removing portions of said second layer to form gaps in said second layer and to pattern said second layer into a shape comprising said suspended microstructure, whereby portions of said sacrificial layer are exposed beneath said second layer,
- selectively removing sections of said exposed portions of said sacrificial layer as well as sections of said sacrificial layer adjacent to said exposed portions which are beneath said microstructure so as to form gaps in said sacrificial layer,
- depositing a photosensitive polymer over said substrate, sacrificial layer and second layer, said photoresistive material filling in said gaps in said sacrificial layer and said second layer,
- selectively removing portions of said photosensitive polymer from said gaps in said sacrificial layer and said second layer such that some of said photosensitive polymer remains beneath said microstructure forming pedestals between said substrate and said second layer,
- removing any remaining portions of said sacrificial layer, and
- removing any remaining portions of said photosensitive polymer.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.