Deep reactive ion etching process and microelectromechanical devices formed thereby
First Claim
1. A process of forming a microelectromechanical device by a deep reactive ion etching process during which a substrate overlying a cavity is etched to form trenches that breach the cavity to delineate at least two suspended structures, a first and a second of the suspended structures having a first and a second predetermined width, respectively, in a direction parallel to a surface of the substrate, the first suspended structure being farther from an anchor site of the substrate than the second suspended structure, the process comprising the steps of:
- masking first and second surface regions of the substrate corresponding to the first and second suspended structures, respectively, in preparation for the etching process so that other surface regions of the substrate corresponding to the trenches remain exposed, the first masked surface region being wider in the direction parallel to the surface than the first predetermined width of the first suspended structure; and
then forming the first and second suspended structures by the etching process during which the exposed surface regions of the substrate are etched to form the trenches that delineate the first and second suspended structures and breach the cavity, after which the first suspended structure is subjected to more rapid backside and lateral erosion than the second suspended structure so that at the completion of the etching process the first and second suspended structures have the first and second predetermined widths, respectively.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A process for forming a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device by a deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) process during which a substrate overlying a cavity is etched to form trenches that breach the cavity to delineate suspended structures. A first general feature of the process is to define suspended structures with a DRIE process, such that the dimensions desired for the suspended structures are obtained. A second general feature is the proper location of specialized features, such as stiction bumps, vulnerable to erosion caused by the DRIE process. Yet another general feature is to control the environment surrounding suspended structures delineated by DRIE in order to obtain their desired dimensions. A significant problem identified and solved by the invention is the propensity for the DRIE process to etch certain suspended features at different rates. In addition to etching wider trenches more rapidly than narrower trenches, the DRIE process erodes suspended structures more rapidly at greater distances from anchor sites of the substrate being etched. At the masking level, the greater propensity for backside and lateral erosion of certain structures away from substrate anchor sites is exploited so that, at the completion of the etch process, suspended structures have acquired their respective desired widths.
15 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A process of forming a microelectromechanical device by a deep reactive ion etching process during which a substrate overlying a cavity is etched to form trenches that breach the cavity to delineate at least two suspended structures, a first and a second of the suspended structures having a first and a second predetermined width, respectively, in a direction parallel to a surface of the substrate, the first suspended structure being farther from an anchor site of the substrate than the second suspended structure, the process comprising the steps of:
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masking first and second surface regions of the substrate corresponding to the first and second suspended structures, respectively, in preparation for the etching process so that other surface regions of the substrate corresponding to the trenches remain exposed, the first masked surface region being wider in the direction parallel to the surface than the first predetermined width of the first suspended structure; and
thenforming the first and second suspended structures by the etching process during which the exposed surface regions of the substrate are etched to form the trenches that delineate the first and second suspended structures and breach the cavity, after which the first suspended structure is subjected to more rapid backside and lateral erosion than the second suspended structure so that at the completion of the etching process the first and second suspended structures have the first and second predetermined widths, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A process of forming a microelectromechanical device that includes a substrate overlying a cavity and a rim surrounding the cavity, the process being a deep reactive ion etching process by which the substrate is etched to form trenches that breach the cavity to delineate multiple suspended structures, the multiple suspended structures comprising a proof mass supported above a floor of the cavity and separated from a central hub on the floor by a first of the trenches, first fingers cantilevered radially outward from the proof mass and interdigitized with second fingers cantilevered radially inward from the rim and spaced apart from the first fingers by second trenches, and tethers suspended between and interconnecting the proof mass and the rim with a first portion of each tether being adjacent the proof mass and a second portion of each tether being adjacent the rim, each of the tethers being between a pair or third trenches, the first and second fingers and the first and second portions of the tethers having respective predetermined widths in a direction parallel to a surface of the substrate, the trenches defining at least first and second gaps having respective predetermined widths, the process comprising the steps of:
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forming the cavity to have an annular shape surrounding the central hub, an outer perimeter, and a first plurality of stiction bumps on the floor of the cavity spaced apart from the central hub and the perimeter of the cavity;
masking surface regions of the substrate corresponding to the proof mass, the first and second fingers, and the tethers so that other surface regions of the substrate corresponding to the trenches remain exposed, the first plurality of stiction bumps being only beneath the masked surface regions corresponding to the proof mass, the masked surface regions corresponding to the first fingers being wider than the predetermined width of the first fingers, the masked surface region corresponding to at least one of the second fingers being masked to define a second stiction bump on the at least one second finger facing a corresponding one of the first fingers with which the at least one so second finger is interdigitized; and
thenmicromachining the proof mass, the first and second fingers, and the tethers by the deep reactive ion etching process so that the exposed surface regions corresponding to the trenches are etched and the cavity is first breached by one of the trenches etched through one of the exposed surface areas away from the first and second fingers, and after etching the second trenches that delineate the first and second fingers the first fingers are subject to backside and lateral erosion that undercuts the masked surface regions corresponding to the first fingers so that at the completion of the etching process the first and second fingers, the first and second portions of the tethers, and the first and second gaps have their respective predetermined widths;
wherein the first plurality of stiction bumps are beneath only the proof mass, and the second stiction bump is present on the at least one second finger and faces the corresponding one of the first fingers with which the at least one second finger is interdigitized. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A microelectromechanical device comprising:
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a substrate having a cavity, a floor of the cavity, and a rim surrounding the cavity;
a proof mass supported within the cavity so as to have an axis of rotation perpendicular to the substrate;
first fingers cantilevered radially outward from the proof mass toward the rim;
second fingers cantilevered radially inward from the rim toward the proof mass and interdigitized with the first fingers; and
tethers interconnecting the proof mass and the rim;
wherein the microelectromechanical device further comprises at least one stiction bump located on the floor of the cavity beneath the proof mass, and a stiction bump on at least one of the second fingers facing a corresponding one of the first fingers. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification