Damascene process for use in fabricating semiconductor structures having micro/nano gaps
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsHideki Takeuchi, Emmanuel P. Quevy, Tsu-Jae King, Roger T. Howe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In fabricating a microelectromechanical structure (MEMS), a method of forming a narrow gap in the MEMS includes a) depositing a layer of sacrificial material on the surface of a supporting substrate, b) photoresist masking and at least partially etching the sacrificial material to form at least one blade of sacrificial material, c) depositing a structural layer over the sacrificial layer, and d) removing the sacrificial layer including the blade of the sacrificial material with a narrow gap remaining in the structural layer where the blade of sacrificial material was removed.
Claims19
A method of fabricating a microelectromechanical structure (MEMS) including a narrow gap in the MEMS, comprising:
- (a) depositing a layer of sacrificial material on a surface of a supporting substrate;
- (b) photoresist masking and at least partially etching the sacrificial material to form a blade of sacrificial material;
- (c) depositing a structural layer over the sacrificial material;
- and
- (d) removing the sacrificial material, including the blade of sacrificial material, with a narrow gap remaining in the structural layer where the blade of sacrificial material was removed.
A method of fabricating a micro/nanomechanical resonator on a substrate comprising:
- (a) depositing a sacrificial layer on a surface of the substrate;
- (b) photoresist masking and at least partially etching the sacrificial layer to form a blade of sacrificial material;
- (c) photoresist masking the sacrificial layer except where structural anchors are to be formed;
- (d) etching the sacrificial layer at the structural anchor locations;
- (f) depositing a structural layer over the sacrificial layer and in the structural anchor locations with the blade separating portions of the structural layers;
- and
- (g) removing the sacrificial layer, including the blade of sacrificial material, to release a resonator structure in the structural layer supported by the structural anchors with a gap remaining where the blade of sacrificial material was removed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.