Methods of fabricating interferometric modulators by selectively removing a material
First Claim
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1. A method for making a MEMS device comprising:
- depositing a material over a first electrode layer;
depositing a second layer over the material, the second layer comprising an opening formed therethrough, the opening being configured to expose the material;
flowing an etchant through the opening; and
etching the material to remove a sacrificial portion of the material to thereby form a cavity and a support structure of the MEMS device, the support structure comprising a remaining portion of the material, the etching being non-selective between the sacrificial portion and the remaining portion of the material.
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Abstract
Methods for making MEMS devices such as interferometric modulators involve selectively removing a sacrificial portion of a material to form an internal cavity, leaving behind a remaining portion of the material to form a post structure. The material may be blanket deposited and selectively altered to define sacrificial portions that are selectively removable relative to the remaining portions. Alternatively, a material layer can be laterally recessed away from openings in a covering layer. These methods may be used to make unreleased and released interferometric modulators.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method for making a MEMS device comprising:
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depositing a material over a first electrode layer;
depositing a second layer over the material, the second layer comprising an opening formed therethrough, the opening being configured to expose the material;
flowing an etchant through the opening; and
etching the material to remove a sacrificial portion of the material to thereby form a cavity and a support structure of the MEMS device, the support structure comprising a remaining portion of the material, the etching being non-selective between the sacrificial portion and the remaining portion of the material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 42, 43)
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16. An unreleased MEMS substrate comprising an underlying material and an overlying layer,
the overlying layer being configured so that a sacrificial portion of the underlying material is removable to form a cavity; - and
the overlying layer being further configured so that a remaining portion of the underlying material forms a post structure of an interferometric modulator upon removal of the sacrificial portion, the remaining portion and the sacrificial portion having substantially uniform properties. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for making an interferometric modulator, the interferometric modulator comprising at least a first mirror, a second mirror separated from the first mirror by a cavity, and a support structure positioned at a side of the cavity and configured to support the second mirror spaced from the first mirror, the method comprising:
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providing a substrate, the substrate having a first area configured to underlie the first mirror and a second area configured to underlie the support structure;
depositing a first mirror layer over at least the first area;
depositing a material over the first area and over the second area;
depositing a second mirror layer over at least the material over the first area; and
forming a plurality of openings configured to facilitate flow of an etchant to the material over the first area;
the material over the first area being removable by the etchant to thereby form the cavity and the support structure, where the support structure comprises the material over the second area, the material having substantially uniform properties. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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- 39. An interferometric modulator comprising a post structure, the post structure having a re-entrant profile.
Specification