Methods for forming coatings on MEMS devices

• US 20040071863A1
• Filed: 10/11/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsurfaces Incorporated, Regents of The University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota)
• Original Assignee: Regents of The University of Minnesota (University of Minnesota)
• Inventors: Jun, Yongseok, Yan, Hongwei, Zhu, Xiaoyang
• Application Number:
  US10/269,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20040071863A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/58
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/185 applying monomolecular layers B05D1/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/60 Deposition of organic layers from vapour phase vapour phase deposition in general C23C14/00, C23C16/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2401/90 at least one component of the composition being in supercritical state or close to supercritical state
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0005 Anti-stiction coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/0096 For avoiding stiction when the device is in use, i.e. after manufacture has been completed
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/112 Depositing an anti-stiction or passivation coating, e.g. on the elastic or moving parts
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/12 Organic material

Abstract

A chemical approach for the attachment of molecules on a surface of a MEMS device, preferably, to provide a monolayer film thereon of relatively low surface energy.

Claims

1. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising;

contacting the surface of the MEMS device with one or more precursor compounds of the formula SiXR₃, wherein each R is independently an organic group, and X is independently selected from the group of Cl and OR′

, wherein R′

is independently an alkyl group; and

further wherein the one or more precursor compounds are in solution at a temperature of at least about 80°

C. upon contacting the surface of the MEMS device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more precursor compounds are in solution at a temperature of about 80°

C. to about 300°

C. upon contacting the surface of the MEMS device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each R and R′

independently includes 1-20 carbon atoms.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein at least one R includes up to 20 carbon atoms and the others include up to 2 carbon atoms.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein each R′

is a C1-C4 alkyl moiety.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one R is a fluorinated aliphatic group.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one R is a perfluorinated aliphatic group.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating is a monolayer film.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating is a low energy coating.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising contacting the surface of the MEMS device with a catalyst in addition to the one or more precursor compounds of the formula SiXR₃.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the contacting step is carried out at a pressure of more than 1 atm.

12. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising;

contacting the surface of the MEMS device with one or more precursor compounds of the formula SiXR₃, each R is independently an organic group, and X is independently selected from the group consisting of Cl and OR′

, wherein R′

is independently an alkyl group; and

further wherein the one or more precursor compounds are in a vapor phase prior to contacting the surface of the MEMS device.

13. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising;

contacting the surface of the MEMS device with one or more precursor compounds of the formula SiXR₃, wherein each R is independently an organic group, and X is independently selected from the group of Cl and OR′

, wherein R′

is independently an alkyl group; and

further wherein the contacting step occurs prior to packaging of the MEMS device.

14. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising;

contacting the surface of the MEMS device with one or more precursor compounds of the formula SiXR₃, wherein each R is independently an organic group, and X is independently selected from the group of Cl and OR′

, wherein R′

is independently an alkyl group; and

further wherein the coating is a monolayer film.

15. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising;

contacting the surface of the MEMS device with one or more precursor compounds of the formula SiH_nR_4-n, wherein n=1-3 and each R is independently an organic group.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the coating is a monolayer film.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more precursor compounds are in a vapor phase prior to contacting the surface of the MEMS device.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more precursor compounds are in solution at a temperature of at least about 80°

C. upon contacting the surface of the MEMS device.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the one or more precursor compounds are in solution at a temperature of about 80°

C. to about 300°

C. upon contacting the surface of the MEMS device.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein each R independently includes 1-20 carbon atoms.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein at least one R includes up to 20 carbon atoms and the others include up to 2 carbon atoms.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one R is a fluorinated aliphatic group.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein at least one R is a perfluorinated aliphatic group.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein the contacting step occurs prior to packaging the MEMS device.

25. The method of claim 15 wherein the contacting step occurs simultaneously with packaging the MEMS device.

26. The method of claim 15 further comprising contacting the surface of the MEMS device with a catalyst in addition to the one or more precursor compounds of the formula SiH_nR_4-n.

27. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising contacting one or more MEMS devices with one or more precursor compounds in a sealed container prior to packaging the MEMS device.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the contacting step is carried out under an inert atmosphere.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the contacting step is carried out at a temperature of about 25°

C. to about 400°

C.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising contacting the one or more MEMS devices with a catalyst in addition to the one or more precursor compounds.

31. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising contacting one or more MEMS devices with one or more precursor compounds in a sealed container prior to packaging the MEMS device, wherein the contacting step is carried out at a pressure of more than 1 atm.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the contacting step is carried out at a pressure of no more than about 200 atm.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein the coating is a low energy coating.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein the coating is a monolayer film.

35. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising contacting one or more MEMS devices with one or more precursor compounds in a sealed container prior to packaging the one or more MEMS devices, wherein the one or more precursor compounds are in a vapor phase prior to contacting the one or more MEMS devices.

36. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising contacting one or more MEMS devices with one or more precursor compounds in a sealed container prior to packaging the one or more MEMS devices, wherein the one or more precursor compounds are in solution at a temperature of about 80°

C. to about 300°

C. upon contacting the one or more MEMS devices.

37. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising contacting one or more MEMS devices with one or more precursor compounds in a sealed container prior to packaging the one or more MEMS devices, wherein the one or more precursor compounds are of the formula SiX_nR_4-n, wherein n=1-3, each R is independently an organic group, and each X is independently selected from the group consisting of H, Cl, and OR′

, wherein each R′

is independently an alkyl group.

38. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising contacting one or more MEMS devices with one or more precursor compounds in a sealed container prior to packaging the one or more MEMS devices, wherein the one or more precursor compounds are of the formula SiXR₃, wherein each R is independently an organic group, and each X is independently selected from the group of Cl and OR′

, wherein each R′

is independently an alkyl group.

39. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising contacting one or more MEMS devices with one or more precursor compounds in a sealed container prior to packaging the more or more MEMS devices, wherein the one or more precursor compounds are of the formula SiH_nR_4-n, wherein n=1-3 and each R is independently an organic group.

40. A method of applying a coating to a surface of a MEMS device;

the method comprising contacting one or more MEMS devices with one or more precursor compounds in a sealed container prior to packaging the one or more MEMS devices, wherein the precursor compounds are selected from the group consisting of silanes, siloxanes, organic phosphates, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, alkenes, alkynes, and combinations thereof.