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US 8,940,639 B2Granted
Methods and structures for using diamond in the production of MEMS
AssigneeAnalog Devices, Inc.
InventorsFang Liu, Kuang L. Yang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A MEMS device with movable MEMS structure and electrodes is produced by fabricating electrodes and shielding the electrodes with diamond buttons during subsequent fabrication steps, such as the etching of sacrificial oxide using vapor HF. In some embodiments, the diamond buttons are removed after the movable MEMS structure is released.
Claims20
A method of forming a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) device, comprising:
- providing a substrate having a first side and a second side;
- forming an electrode on or above the first side of the substrate;
- providing a diamond layer on the electrode;
- forming a sacrificial layer on or above the first side of the substrate;
- forming a MEMS structure on the sacrificial layer such that the sacrificial layer is between the MEMS structure and the substrate;
- and
- releasing the MEMS structure by etching the sacrificial layer with an etchant, such that at least a portion of the sacrificial layer between the MEMS structure and the first side of the substrate is removed prior to removing the diamond layer on the electrode.
4 more elements
A method of forming a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) device, comprising:
- providing a silicon-on-insulator substrate, the silicon-on-insulator substrate comprising a handle layer, a device layer, and a buried oxide layer sandwiched between the handle layer and the device layer;
- forming an electrode on or through the device layer, the electrode having an electrode top surface area;
- covering the electrode with a diamond button, the diamond button having a top button surface area no more than twice the electrode top surface area;
- and
- removing at least a portion of the buried oxide layer by exposing the buried oxide layer to vapor hydrogen fluoride (HF).
2 more elements
A method of forming a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) device, comprising:
- providing a substrate having a first side and a second side;
- forming a sacrificial layer on the first side of the substrate;
- forming a MEMS structure on the sacrificial layer, such that the sacrificial layer is sandwiched between the MEMS structure and the substrate;
- forming a metal element;
- depositing a diamond layer covering the metal element and at least part of the sacrificial layer;
- depositing an oxygen plasma resistant layer on the diamond layer;
- patterning the oxygen plasma resistant layer to form apertures so as to expose at least a portion of the diamond layer above the sacrificial layer;
- patterning the diamond layer to form release holes by exposing the diamond layer to oxygen plasma through the oxygen plasma resistant layer, so as to expose at least part of the sacrificial layer;
- and
- removing at least a portion of the sacrificial layer by exposing the sacrificial layer to vapor hydrogen fluoride (HF).
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.