Ode through holes and butt edges without edge dicing
First Claim
1. A method of fabricating at least one through opening of predetermined dimensions in a (100) silicon wafer by orientation dependent etching after completion of integrated circuits on the wafer, the opening extending through the wafer between a circuit surface of the wafer and an opposite parallel base surface of the wafer and having a predetermined location relative to the integrated circuit on the circuit surface of the wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
- fabricating the integrated circuit on the circuit surface of the wafer;
applying an etch resistant layer of plasma silicon nitride on the circuit and base surfaces of the wafer;
patterning the etch resistant plasma silicon nitride layer on the circuit surface to define an upper etch opening having a location and dimensions which define the predetermined location and dimensions of the through opening;
patterning the plasma silicon nitride layer on the base surface to produce a lower etch opening aligned with the upper etch opening within a predetermined tolerance; and
anisotropic etching the wafer to produce a first recess corresponding to the upper etch opening in the circuit surface and a second recess corresponding to the lower etch opening in the base surface, each of the first and second recesses being bounded by (111) plane side walls, the anisotropic etching of the second recess intersecting the first recess to form the through opening bounded by (111) plane side walls and having its predetermined dimensions and location defined by the patterning of the upper etch opening.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
At least one through opening of predetermined location and dimensions is fabricated in a (100) silicon wafer by orientation dependent etching method after completion of integrated circuits on the wafer, the opening extending through the wafer between a circuit surface of the wafer and an opposite parallel base surface of the wafer and having a predetermined location relative to the integrated circuit on the circuit surface of the wafer. The method includes the steps of fabricating the integrated circuit on the circuit surface of the wafer; applying an etch resistant layer of plasma solicon nitride on the circuit and base surfaces of the wafer; patterning the etch resistant plasma silicon nitride layer on the circuit surface to define an upper etch opening having a location and dimensions which define the predetermined location and dimensions of the through opening; and patterning the plasma silicon nitride layer on the base surface to produce a lower etch opening aligned with the upper etch opening within a predetermined tolerance. The wafer is then anisotropically etched to produce a first recess corresponding to the upper etch opening in the circuit surface and a second recess corresponding to the lower etch opening in the base surface, each of the first and second recesses being bounded by (111) plane side walls. The anisotropic etching of the second recess intersects the first recess to form the through opening bounded by (111) plane side walls and has its predetermined dimensions and location defined by the patterning of the upper etch opening.
136 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method of fabricating at least one through opening of predetermined dimensions in a (100) silicon wafer by orientation dependent etching after completion of integrated circuits on the wafer, the opening extending through the wafer between a circuit surface of the wafer and an opposite parallel base surface of the wafer and having a predetermined location relative to the integrated circuit on the circuit surface of the wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
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fabricating the integrated circuit on the circuit surface of the wafer; applying an etch resistant layer of plasma silicon nitride on the circuit and base surfaces of the wafer; patterning the etch resistant plasma silicon nitride layer on the circuit surface to define an upper etch opening having a location and dimensions which define the predetermined location and dimensions of the through opening; patterning the plasma silicon nitride layer on the base surface to produce a lower etch opening aligned with the upper etch opening within a predetermined tolerance; and anisotropic etching the wafer to produce a first recess corresponding to the upper etch opening in the circuit surface and a second recess corresponding to the lower etch opening in the base surface, each of the first and second recesses being bounded by (111) plane side walls, the anisotropic etching of the second recess intersecting the first recess to form the through opening bounded by (111) plane side walls and having its predetermined dimensions and location defined by the patterning of the upper etch opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for producing a buttable edge in a (100) silicon wafer by orientation dependent etching after processing of integrated circuits on the wafer, the edge being located between a circuit surface of the wafer and an opposite parallel base surface of the wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
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fabricating the integrated circuits on the circuit surface of the wafer; applying an etch resistant layer of plasma silicon nitride on the circuit and base surfaces of the wafer; patterning the plasma silicon nitride layer on the base surface to produce a lower etch opening; anisotropic etching the wafer to produce a recess corresponding to the lower etch opening in the base surface and bounded by (111) plane side walls, the recess having a first predetermined depth less than the thickness of the wafer; reapplying an etch resistant plasma silicon nitride layer on the base surface to prevent further etching of the recess; patterning the etch resistant plasma silicon nitride layer on the circuit surface to produce an upper etch opening having a predetermined location in alignment with the recess and predetermined dimensions with respect to the integrated circuits; and anisotropic etching the wafer to produce a trough corresponding to the upper etch opening in the circuit surface and bounded by (111) plane side walls, the anisotropic etching of the trough continuing to a second predetermined depth to intersect the recess and form the buttable edge defined by the intersection of the (111) plane side walls of the recess and trough. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method for producing a buttable surface in a silicon (100) wafer by orientation dependent etching after processing of integrated circuits on the wafer, the buttable surface being located between a circuit surface of the wafer and an opposite parallel base surface, the method comprising the steps of:
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forming by orientation dependent etching an alignment hole at a periphery of the wafer to define a (111) plane surface; fabricating the integrated circuits on the circuit surface in alignment with the (111) surface; applying an etch resistant layer of plasma silicon nitride on the circuit and base surfaces of the wafer; patterning the etch resistant silicon nitride layer on the circuit surface to produce an upper etch opening; anisotropic etching the wafer to produce a trough corresponding to the upper etch opening and bounded by (111) plane side walls, the trough having a first predetermined depth and defining a first buttable (111) surface; reapplying an etch resistant plasma silicon nitride layer on the circuit surface to prevent further etching of the trough; patterning the etch resistant silicon nitride layer on the base surface to produce two spaced lower etch openings, each opening being located on the base surface at a predetermined location with respect to the alignment hole, a first one of the openings being aligned with the trough; and anisotropically etching the wafer to produce two recesses each corresponding to one of the lower etch openings and bounded by (111) plane side walls, a first one of the recesses corresponding to the first one of the lower etch openings having a second predetermined depth sufficient to intersect the trough, the anisotropic etching of the other of the recesses continuing through the wafer to define a second buttable surface parallel to a (111) plane surface of the alignment hole. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method for producing a buttable edge in a (100) silicon wafer by orientation dependent etching, the edge being located between an upper surface of the wafer and an opposite base surface of the wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
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applying an etch resistant layer on the upper and base surfaces of the wafer; patterning the etch resistant layer on the base surface to produce a lower etch opening; anisotropic etching the wafer to produce a recess corresponding to the lower etch opening in the base surface and bounded by (111) plane sidewalls, the recess having a first predetermined depth less than the thickness of the wafer; reapplying an etch resistant layer on the base surface to prevent further etching of the recess; patterning the etch resistant layer on the upper surface to produce an upper etch opening having a predetermined location in alignment with the recess and predetermined dimensions with respect to the upper surface; and anisotropic etching the wafer to produce a trough corresponding to the upper etch opening in the upper surface and bounded by (111) sidewalls, the anisotropic etching of the trough continuing to a second predetermined depth to intersect the recess and form the buttable edge defined by the intersection of the (111) plane sidewalls of the recess and trough. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of producing a buttable surface in a (100) silicon wafer by orientation dependent etching, the buttable surface being located between an upper surface of the wafer and an opposite base surface of the wafer, the method comprising the steps of:
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applying an etch resistant layer on the upper and base surfaces of the wafer; patterning the etch resistant layer on the upper surface to produce an upper etch opening having a location and dimensions which define the predetermined location and dimensions of the buttable surface; patterning the etch resistant layer on the base surface to produce a lower etch opening aligned with the upper etch opening within a predetermined tolerance; and anisotropic etching the wafer to produce a first recess corresponding to the upper etch opening in the upper surface and a second recess corresponding to the lower etch opening in the base surface, each of the first and second recesses being bounded by (111) plane sidewalls, the anisotropic etching of the second recess intersecting the first recess to form the buttable surface bounded by (111) plane sidewalls and having its predetermined dimensions in a location defined by the patterning of the upper etch opening. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of fabricating a pagewidth printhead for an ink jet printing device, by butting together (100) silicon wafer subunits having butting edges, the method comprising the steps of:
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obtaining a (100) silicon wafer having an upper surface and an opposite base surface; applying an etch resistant layer on the upper and base surfaces of the wafer; patterning the etch resistant layer on the upper surface to produce a plurality of upper etch openings having locations and dimensions which define predetermined locations and dimensions of a plurality of butting surfaces; patterning the etch resistant layer on the base surface to produce a plurality of lower etch openings each aligned with a corresponding upper etch opening within a predetermined tolerance; anisotropic etching the wafer to produce a plurality of upper recesses corresponding to the upper etch openings in the upper surface and a plurality of lower recesses corresponding to the lower etch openings in the base surface, each of the upper and lower recesses being bounded by (111) plane sidewalls, the anisotropic etching of the lower recesses intersecting the upper recesses and forming a plurality of through holes; separating the wafer along the through holes to form at least one wafer subunit, the (111) plane sidewalls of the through holes defining butting surfaces on opposite sides of the at least one subunit, the butting surfaces having their predetermined dimensions and location defined by the patterning of the upper etch opening; and aligning a series of subunits with their butting surfaces adjacent to and butting against one another to form an array with a length corresponding to a pagewidth. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification