Method of Sealing a Cavity
First Claim
1. A method of forming a device having a substrate, one or more layers deposited thereover, the device having a cavity embedded between the substrate and the one or more layers and a first passage extending to the cavity, the method comprising:
- removing material from one or more of the substrate and the one or more layers and redepositing the removed material in the first passage to seal the first passage.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments disclosed herein generally include methods of sealing a cavity in a device structure. The cavity may be opened by etching away sacrificial material that may define the cavity volume. Material from below the cavity may be sputter etched and redeposited over and in passageways leading to the cavity to thereby seal the cavity. Material may be sputter etched from above the cavity and redeposited in the passageways leading to the cavity as well. The sputter etching may occur in a substantially inert atmosphere. As the sputter etching is a physical process, little or no sputter etched material will redeposit within the cavity itself. The inert gases may sweep out any residual gases that may be present in the cavity after the cavity has been opened. Thus, after the sputter etching, the cavity may be substantially filled with inert gases that do not negatively impact the cavity.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of forming a device having a substrate, one or more layers deposited thereover, the device having a cavity embedded between the substrate and the one or more layers and a first passage extending to the cavity, the method comprising:
removing material from one or more of the substrate and the one or more layers and redepositing the removed material in the first passage to seal the first passage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of forming a device, comprising:
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depositing at least one sacrificial layer over a substrate; removing a portion of the at least one sacrificial layer to define a shape of a cavity and at least one passage to be formed; depositing an encapsulating layer over the at least one sacrificial layer; depositing a second layer over the first encapsulating layer; removing a portion of the encapsulating layer to expose a portion of the at least one sacrificial layer extending through a side of the encapsulating layer; removing the at least one sacrificial layer to form the cavity and a first passage through the encapsulating layer; and removing material from at least one of the second layer and the substrate and redepositing the removed material in the first passage to seal the first passage. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of forming a device, comprising:
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depositing at least one sacrificial layer over a substrate; removing a portion of the at least one sacrificial layer to define a shape of a cavity and at least one passage to be formed; depositing an encapsulating layer over the at least one sacrificial layer defining a shape of the cavity; depositing a second layer over the encapsulating layer; removing a portion of the encapsulating layer to expose a portion of the at least one sacrificial layer through a side of the encapsulating layer; removing the at least one sacrificial layer to form the cavity and a first passage through the encapsulating layer, the first passage having a height that is less than a height of the cavity; removing material from the second layer and the substrate and redepositing the removed material in the first passage to seal the first passage; and depositing a capping layer over the sealed first passage, the capping layer depositing and the redepositing occurring in-situ. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification