A DUAL-WAFER TUNNELING GYROSCOPE AND AN ASSEMBLY FOR MAKING SAME

• US 20040217388A1
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Kubena, Randall L., Chang, David T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,975,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/222
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0242 Gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/0015 Cantilevers switches using MEMS H01H1/0036; electrostatic relays using micromechanics H01H59/0009; microelectro-mechanical resonators H03H9/02244
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/014 by depositing an etch stop layer, e.g. silicon nitride, silicon oxide, metal
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0191 Transfer of a layer from a carrier wafer to a device wafer
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2203/036 Fusion bonding
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5656 the devices involving a micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0894 by non-contact electron transfer, i.e. electron tunneling

Abstract

A MEM tunneling gyroscope assembly includes (1) a beam structure, and a mating structure defined on a first substrate or wafer; and (2) at least one contact structure, and a mating structure defined on a second substrate or wafer, the mating structure on the second substrate or wafer being of a complementary shape to the mating structure on the first substrate or wafer; and (3) a bonding layer is disposed on at least one of said mating structures for bonding the mating structure defined on the first substrate or wafer to the mating structure on the second substrate or wafer.

Claims

1-46. -46. (canceled)

47. A MEM tunneling gyroscope assembly comprising:

(a) a beam structure and a mating structure defined on a first substrate or wafer;

(b) at least one contact structure and a mating structure defined on a second substrate or wafer, the mating structure on the second substrate or wafer being of a complementary shape to the mating structure on the first substrate or wafer; and

(c) a bonding layer is disposed on at least one of said mating structures for bonding the mating structure defined on the first substrate or wafer to the mating structure on the second substrate or wafer, the mating structures being joined one to another at said bonding layer.

48. A MEM tunneling gyroscope assembly as claimed in claim 47 wherein the first and second substrates or wafers are each formed of single crystal silicon.

49. A MEM tunneling gyroscope assembly as claimed in claim 48 wherein the crystalline structure of the silicon is <

100>

.

50. A MEM tunneling gyroscope assembly as claimed in claim 47 wherein the cantilevered beam structure is formed from an epitaxial layer of silicon on said first substrate or wafer, said epitaxial layer being doped with a dopant.

51. A MEM tunneling gyroscope assembly as claimed in claim 50 wherein the epitaxial layer is doped with Boron at a sufficient concentration to reduce the resistivity of the epitaxial layer to less than 0.05 Ω

-cm.

52. A MEM tunneling gyroscope assembly as claimed in claim 50 further including first and second ohmic contacts on said epitaxial layer, said second ohmic contact being disposed near a distal end of the beam structure and said first ohmic contact forming the mating structure on the first substrate or wafer.

53-57. -57. (canceled)