Microsystem with integrated circuit and micromechanical component, and production process

Abstract

A microsystem on a semiconductor substrate includes an integrated circuit having an insulating layer, a contact in the insulating layer, a lower-lying circuit element, and a conductive layer being disposed above the insulating layer and being connected through the contact to the lower-lying circuit element. A micromechanical component has a fixed micromechanical structure, a movable micromechanical structure, a further contact, and is at least partially formed of the conductive layer. The insulating layer and/or the further contact connects the fixed micromechanical structure to the substrate. The insulating layer is absent under the movable micromechanical structure. A production process for the microsystem includes structuring the conductive layer for producing the fixed and movable micromechanical structures, while simultaneously structuring the conductive layer in the region of the integrated circuit; and exposing the movable micromechanical structure by removing the insulating layer located under the movable micromechanical structure in an etching process having adequate selectively for the conductive layer and having an isotropic component.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.