Planar cavity MEMS and related structures, methods of manufacture and design structures

A method of forming at least one Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS), comprising:

• forming a sacrificial cavity layer over a lower wiring layer;
• forming a layer over the sacrificial cavity layer;
• depositing an insulator material on the sacrificial cavity layer;
• forming an electrode material over the insulator material;
• forming a second insulator material over the electrode material and exposed portions of the insulator material;
• forming a second electrode material over the second insulator layer, and within vias to contact the electrode material;
• forming a second sacrificial cavity layer over the second electrode and in contact with the sacrificial cavity layer;
• forming a lid over the second sacrificial cavity layer;
• forming at least one vent hole in the lid;
• and
• venting or stripping the second sacrificial cavity layer such that a top surface of the second sacrificial cavity layer is no longer touching a bottom surface of the lid, before venting or stripping the sacrificial cavity layer thereby forming a first cavity and second cavity, respectively.

A method, comprising:

• forming a sacrificial cavity layer;
• forming a layer over the sacrificial cavity layer;
• depositing an insulator material on the sacrificial cavity layer;
• forming a MEMS beam on the insulator material;
• forming a second sacrificial cavity layer over the MEMS beam and in contact with the sacrificial cavity layer;
• forming a lid over the second sacrificial cavity layer;
• forming at least one vent hole in the lid;
• and
• venting or stripping the first and second sacrificial cavity layer, wherein the etch rate of the second sacrificial cavity layer etches faster than the sacrificial cavity layer such that an upper surface of the sacrificial cavity layer remains in contact with the insulator layer during an initial etching of the second sacrificial cavity layer thereby reducing undue stress placed on the lower cavity.

A method in a computer-aided design system for generating a functional design model of a MEMS, the method comprising:

• generating a functional representation of a first sacrificial cavity layer over a lower wiring layer;
• generating a functional representation of a layer over the first sacrificial layer;
• generating a functional representation of second sacrificial cavity layer over the first sacrificial layer and above the layer;
• generating a functional representation of a lid on the second sacrificial cavity layer;
• generating a functional representation at least one vent hole in the lid, exposing a portion of the second sacrificial cavity layer;
• and
• generating a functional representation venting or stripping the second sacrificial cavity layer such that a top surface of the second sacrificial cavity layer is no longer touching a bottom surface of the lid, before venting or stripping the first sacrificial cavity layer thereby forming a first cavity and second cavity, respectively, and the second sacrificial cavity layer being etched at a faster etching rate than the first sacrificial cavity layer.

A method of forming at least one Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS), comprising:

• forming a first sacrificial cavity layer;
• forming a layer over the first sacrificial layer;
• forming a second sacrificial cavity layer over the first sacrificial layer and in contact with the layer;
• forming a lid on the second sacrificial cavity layer;
• forming at least one vent hole in the lid, exposing a portion of the second sacrificial cavity layer;
• and
• venting or stripping the second sacrificial cavity layer such that a top surface of the second sacrificial cavity layer is no longer touching a bottom surface of the lid, and venting or stripping the first sacrificial cavity layer thereby forming a first cavity of a first size and second cavity of a second size, different from the first size.