METHOD FOR PROCESSING A THIN FILM MICRO DEVICE ON A SUBSTRATE
First Claim
1. A method for processing a thin film micro device on a substrate, comprising:
- depositing a carbon film on the substrate;
photolithographically defining a first predetermined pattern in the carbon film;
etching an unwanted portion of the carbon film outside the first predetermined pattern where the substrate is exposed to form an exposed portion, wherein a remaining portion of the carbon film defined within the first predetermined pattern stays adherent to the substrate;
depositing a structural film comprising a single or multiple layers of solid state materials conformal and adherent to both the exposed portion of the substrate and the remaining portion of the carbon film;
photolithographically defining a second predetermined pattern in the structural film;
etching a discarded portion of the structural film outside the second predetermined pattern, wherein the first predetermined pattern is not fully enclosed by the second predetermined pattern so that part of the remaining portion of the carbon film remains exposed on its top surface and/or at its sidewalls, and is not fully covered spatially by the remaining structural element of the structural film; and
selectively removing the remaining portion of the carbon film by using a selective etch process gas in a reactor chamber, so that an overlapped portion of the remaining structural element with the first predetermined pattern is suspended above an underneath cavity above the substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for processing a thin film micro device on a substrate includes: 1) depositing a carbon film on the substrate as a sacrificial layer; 2) photolithographically defining a first predetermined pattern in the carbon film; 3) etching an unwanted portion of the carbon film outside the first predetermined pattern; 4) depositing a structural film including a single or multiple layers of solid state materials; 5) photolithographically defining a second predetermined pattern in the structural film; 6) etching the discarded portion of the structural film outside the second predetermined pattern; 7) selectively removing the remaining portion of the sacrificial carbon film by using a selective etch process gas in a reactor chamber, so that the overlapped portion of the remaining structural element with the first predetermined pattern is suspended above an underneath cavity above the substrate.
37 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for processing a thin film micro device on a substrate, comprising:
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depositing a carbon film on the substrate; photolithographically defining a first predetermined pattern in the carbon film; etching an unwanted portion of the carbon film outside the first predetermined pattern where the substrate is exposed to form an exposed portion, wherein a remaining portion of the carbon film defined within the first predetermined pattern stays adherent to the substrate; depositing a structural film comprising a single or multiple layers of solid state materials conformal and adherent to both the exposed portion of the substrate and the remaining portion of the carbon film; photolithographically defining a second predetermined pattern in the structural film; etching a discarded portion of the structural film outside the second predetermined pattern, wherein the first predetermined pattern is not fully enclosed by the second predetermined pattern so that part of the remaining portion of the carbon film remains exposed on its top surface and/or at its sidewalls, and is not fully covered spatially by the remaining structural element of the structural film; and selectively removing the remaining portion of the carbon film by using a selective etch process gas in a reactor chamber, so that an overlapped portion of the remaining structural element with the first predetermined pattern is suspended above an underneath cavity above the substrate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification