# US 7,410,828 B2 · Method of creating a predefined internal pressure within a cavity of a semiconductor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,410,828 B2 - Document ID: US7410828B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/777,162 - Filed: 2007-07-12 - Published: 2007-11-08 - Granted: 2008-08-12 - Earliest claimed: 2005-01-12 - Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. - Inventors: Hans Joachim Quenzer; Peter Merz; Marten Oldsen; Wolfgang Reinert - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7410828B2 ## CPC - B81B 7/0077: {Other packages not provided for in groups B81B7/0035 - B81B7/0074} - B81C 2203/019: characterised by the material or arrangement of seals between parts - B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00) - B81C: PROCESSES OR APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS (making microcapsules or microballoons B01J13/02; processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment of piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/01) ## Abstract A method of creating a predefined internal pressure within a cavity of a semiconductor device, the method including providing the semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including a semiconductor oxide area which is continuously arranged between the cavity of the semiconductor device and an external surface of the semiconductor device, exposing the semiconductor device to an ambient atmosphere with a noble gas at a first temperature for a predetermined time period, and setting a second temperature, which is different from the first, after the predetermined time period has expired, the semiconductor oxide area exhibiting a higher permeability for the noble gas at the first temperature than at the second temperature. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of creating a predefined internal pressure within a cavity of a semiconductor device, the method comprising: providing the semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor oxide area which is continuously arranged between the cavity of the semiconductor device and an external surface of the semiconductor device; exposing the semiconductor device to an ambient atmosphere with a noble gas at a first temperature for a predetermined time period; and setting a second temperature, which is different from the first, after the predetermined time period has expired, the semiconductor oxide area exhibiting a higher permeability for the noble gas at the first temperature than at the second temperature, the step of exposing being performed such that the noble gas is neon. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of exposing the semiconductor device to the ambient atmosphere comprises the following substeps: setting a predetermined ambient pressure and a predetermined ambient temperature within the ambient atmosphere for the predetermined time period. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of setting the ambient pressure and the ambient temperature is performed such that the predetermined ambient pressure ranges from 2 bar to 20 bar. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of setting the ambient pressure and the ambient temperature is performed such that the predetermined ambient temperature ranges from 200° C. to 700° C. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the step of setting the ambient pressure and the ambient temperature is performed such that the predetermined ambient temperature ranges from 300° C. to 400° C. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of exposing is performed such that the predetermined time duration ranges from 20 minutes to 20 hours. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of exposing is performed such that the predetermined time period ranges from 20 to 240 minutes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of providing is performed such that the semiconductor oxide area comprises silicon dioxide. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the noble gas, a semiconductor oxide of the semiconductor oxide area, and the first and second temperatures are selected such that the permeability for the noble gas is higher by a factor ranging from 500 to 50,000 at the first temperature than at the second temperature. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of exposing is performed such that the predefined internal pressure ranges from 0.01 Pa to 100. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of providing comprises providing an arrangement of several semiconductor devices on a wafer, and the steps of exposing and setting the temperature for all semiconductor devices are jointly performed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of providing is performed such that prior to the step of exposing, a pressure within the cavity is lower than the predetermined internal pressure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of providing comprises arranging a getter material within the cavity for, during activation, absorbing a different gas than the noble gas within the ambient atmosphere, the step of exposing being performed at least such that the getter material is activated. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the providing is performed such that the semiconductor device comprises a micromechanical device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the providing is performed such that the semiconductor device comprises a microresonator or a vibrating gyroscope. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of setting is performed such that the temperature ranges from −50° C. to 130° C. after the predetermined time period has expired. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of setting is performed such that after the predetermined time period has expired, the temperature lies within a range which corresponds to the target application temperature range of the semiconductor device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of setting further comprises setting an ambient pressure to range from 0.9 bar to 1.2 bar.