# US 8,785,330 B2 · Method for producing a structure comprising at least one active part having zones of different thicknesses

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- Number: US 8,785,330 B2
- Document ID: US8785330B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/682,847
- Filed: 2012-11-21
- Published: 2013-10-10
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2011-11-30
- Assignees: Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
- Applicants: Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives
- Inventors: Philippe Robert; Sophie Giroud
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8785330B2

## CPC

- B81C 1/00134: {comprising flexible or deformable structures (manufacture of MEMS devices for specific applications, see relevant places, e.g. gyroscopes G01C19/5719, pressure sensors G01L9/0042, accelerometers G01P15/0802, acoustic transducers or diaphragms therefor H04R31/00)}
- B81C 1/00603: {Aligning features and geometries on both sides of a substrate, e.g. when double side etching}
- B81C 1/00801: {Avoid alteration of functional structures by etching, e.g. using a passivation layer or an etch stop layer (B81C1/00595, B81C1/00468 take precedence)}
- B81B 2201/0264: Pressure sensors
- B81B 2203/0109: Bridges
- B81B 2203/0136: Comb structures
- B81C 2201/014: by depositing an etch stop layer, e.g. silicon nitride, silicon oxide, metal
- 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)
- B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00)

## Abstract

A method for producing a structure including an active part with a first and a second suspended zone. The method includes machining the front face of a first substrate to define the lateral contours of at least one first suspended zone according to a first thickness less than that of the first substrate forming a stop layer of etching of the first suspended zone under the suspended zone, forming on the front face of the first substrate a sacrificial layer, machining from the rear face of the first substrate up to releasing the sacrificial layer to form at least one second suspended zone to reach the stop layer of the first suspended zone, and releasing the first and second suspended zones.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for producing a structure comprising an active part comprising at least one first suspended zone and a second suspended zone of different thicknesses from a first substrate, said first substrate comprising a first face made of monocrystalline semi-conductor material, called a front face, and a second face opposite to the first face, called a rear face, said method comprising the following steps:
a) machining the front face of the first substrate to define the lateral contours of at least one first suspended zone made of monocrystalline semi-conductor material according to a first thickness less than that of the first substrate, and passivating said lateral contours;
b) forming a stop layer of etching of the first suspended zone between said first suspended zone and the rear face;
c) forming on the front face of the first substrate a sacrificial layer selective to the etching with respect to the semi-conductor material of the first substrate;
d) machining from the rear face of the first substrate up to releasing certain zones of said sacrificial layer to form at least one second suspended zone and to make it possible to reach the stop layer of the first suspended zone;
e) releasing the first and second suspended zones.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the passivation of the lateral contours comprises a deposition of a passivation layer on said lateral contours or a thermal oxidation of said contours.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein, the rear face of the first substrate being monocrystalline semi-conductor material, the second suspended zone is made of monocrystalline semi-conductor material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein during step b), the stop layer is formed by thermal oxidation to transform a portion of semi-conductor material situated between the first suspended zone and the rear face, so as to form said stop layer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein between step a) and step b), isotropic etching takes place to remove a portion of semi-conductor material situated between the first suspended zone and the rear face, so as to release a cavity intended to receive the stop layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the stop layer is formed by thermal oxidation, and/or deposition of oxide.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the stop layer has a thickness comprised between 0.1 μm and 2 μm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the formation of the sacrificial layer is carried out by deposition of oxide.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A method according to claim 8, wherein the stop layer is formed by thermal oxidation, and/or deposition of oxide and wherein step b) and step c) are merged.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein step d) is carried out by etching, of the deep reactive-ion etching type.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the releasing of step e) is carried out with hydrofluoric acid.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a stacking of a layer of monocrystalline SiGe covered with a layer of monocrystalline silicon, the front face being made of monocrystalline silicon and step a) being such that the first suspended zone comprises a layer of monocrystalline silicon and a layer of monocrystalline SiGe.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A method according to claim 12, wherein between step a) and step b), a step of isotropic etching takes place to remove a portion of semi-conductor material situated between the first suspended zone and the rear face, so as to release a cavity intended to receive the stop layer and wherein prior to step b), at least the layer of SiGe of the suspended zone is removed.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises, in between step c) and before step d), a step c′) of bonding or depositing a second substrate on the front face of the first substrate.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

A method according to claim 14, wherein the method comprises, prior to step c′), a step of structuring the second substrate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

A method according to claim 15, wherein, during the structuring step, a front face of the second substrate is etched so as to form patterns for the second suspended zone and a deposition is carried out on said structured face of a layer intended to form a bonding layer during the step of bonding of the second substrate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

A method according to claim 14, wherein the bonding of the first and second substrates is obtained by direct bonding or eutectic bonding.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises, following step c), structuring the sacrificial layer and/or depositing one or more intermediate layers on said sacrificial layer, said intermediate layers being able to be structured.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

A method according to claim 18, wherein the method comprises a step of depositing an oxide layer on the structured sacrificial layer and/or the intermediate layers(s) and planarisation of the oxide layer, said oxide layer participating in the bonding.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate is structured before step a).

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein step d) of machining to make it possible to form the second suspended zone and for machining to reach the stop layer is obtained by simultaneous machining or by successive machinings.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein steps a) to b) are repeated in order to form an active part having more than two layers.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the semi-conductor material of the front face of the first substrate is monocrystalline silicon.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

A method, according to claim 1, of microelectromechanical and/or nanoelectromecanical structures for producing sensors and/or actuators.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

A method according to claim 24, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor comprising at least one deformable membrane suspended on a substrate, one of the faces of the membrane being intended to be subjected to the pressure to be measured, means of detection of the deformation of the membrane formed by at least one strain gauge, said gauge(s) being formed by the first suspended zone(s), said means of detection being formed from the substrate and means of transmission of the deformation of the membrane, to the means of detection, said means of transmission comprising a longitudinal arm articulated in rotation on the substrate around an axis substantially parallel to the plane of the membrane and being integral, at least partially, with the membrane such that it transmits to the means of detection, in an amplified manner, the deformation or the strain from the deformation of the membrane, said longitudinal arm being formed by the second suspended zone, said means of transmission being formed from the substrate.