Fabrication of microstructures with vacuum-sealed cavity
AssigneeDALSA Semiconductor Inc.
InventorsLuc Ouellet, Robert Antaki, Yves Tremblay
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Abstract
A cavity forming formed in an encapsulation structure under a vacuum in a vacuum chamber is sealed with a capping layer. A stiff protective layer under tensile stress is deposited on the capping layer prior to venting the vacuum chamber to atmospheric pressure. The capping layer is preferably aluminum or an aluminum alloy, and the protective layer is preferably δ-TiN having a suitable high Young's modulus.
Claims29
A method of fabricating a microstructure with a vacuum-sealed cavity, comprising the steps of:
- fabricating said cavity in an encapsulation structure under a vacuum in a vacuum chamber;
- sealing said cavity with a capping layer;
- and
- depositing a stiff protective layer under tensile stress and having a Young's modulus of at least 70 Gpa on said capping layer prior to venting said vacuum chamber to atmospheric pressure.
A method of fabricating a microstructure with a vacuum-sealed cavity, comprising the steps of:
- fabricating said cavity in an encapsulation structure under a vacuum in a vacuum chamber;
- sealing said cavity with a capping layer of aluminum or aluminum alloy deposited at a maximum temperature of 500° C.;
- and
- depositing in-situ a stiff protective layer of titanium nitride under tensile stress at a maximum temperature of 500° C. on said capping layer prior to venting said vacuum chamber to atmospheric pressure.
A method as claimed 28, wherein said microstructure is cooled to room temperature prior to venting said vacuum chamber to the atmosphere.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.