Selective chemical vapor deposition of tungsten for microdynamic structures

• US 5,149,673 A
• Filed: 09/19/1991
• Issued: 09/22/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation Incorporated (Cornell University)
• Original Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation Incorporated (Cornell University)
• Inventors: Chen, Liang-Yuh, MacDonald, Noel C., Zhang, Zuoying L.
• Primary Examiner(s): QUACH, TUAN N
• Application Number:
  US07/762,492
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 437/203, 437/192, 437/182, 437/195, 437/245, 437/24
• US Class Current: 438/611
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/0094 Switches making use of nanoelectromechanical systems [NEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/008 Laterally driven motors, e.g. of the comb-drive type

Abstract

A selective chemical vapor deposition (CVD) tungsten process is used to fabricate three-dimensional tungsten cantilever beams on a substrate. Two beams form micromechanical tweezers that move in three dimensions by the application of potential differences between the beams, and between the beams and the silicon substrate. A high deposition rate selective tungsten CVD process is used to fabricate beams of greater than 3 micrometers thickness in patterned, CVD silicon dioxide trenches ion-implanted with silicon. Tweezers 200 micrometers in length with a cross section of 2.7 by 2.5 micrometers will close upon application of a voltage of less than 150 volts.

Claims

1. A method of forming a microdynamic structure, comprising:

forming on a top surface of a substrate wafer a first dielectric layer;

forming a second layer of silicon dioxide on a top surface of said first layer to produce a composite dielectric wafer;

patterning and etching said composite dielectric wafer to produce at least one channel in said wafer, said channel extending partially through said second layer and having a bottom wall in said silicon dioxide layer, the bottom wall being spaced above said top surface of said first layer;

implanting silicon in said silicon dioxide bottom wall of said channel;

selectively depositing a refractory metal in said channel to fill said channel;

depositing an isolation mask on said first layer to and on said refractory metal to mask said refractory metal in said channel;

etching said silicon dioxide layer in the region surrounding at least a part of said metal-filled channel to produce a cavity and to free said metal to provide a cantilever beam extending into said cavity.

2. The method of claim 1, further including removing said isolation mask.

3. The method of claim 2, further including applying a thin film layer of insulating material on said beam.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of patterning and etching produces two spaced channels, whereby two cantilever beams are produced in said cavity.

5. The method of claim 4, further including applying an electrical potential across said beams to produce an electrostatic force therebetween for mechanical deflection of said beams.

6. The method of claim 2, further including applying an electrical potential between said beam and said substrate to produce an electrostatic deflection force on said beam.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of applying an electrical potential includes applying a step voltage to said beam.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of depositing a refractory material includes chemical vapor deposition of tungsten, said tungsten seeding on said implanted silicon in said channel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of patterning and etching includes forming a third layer of silicon nitride on the top surface of said second layer, said third layer forming a mask for said channel.

10. A method of forming a microdynamic structure comprising:

providing a wafer including an insulating layer covered by a tungsten seeding layer;

depositing a layer of silicon dioxide on said tungsten seeding layer;

etching through said layer of silicon dioxide at least one elongated channel having a bottom wall formed by said tungsten seeding layer, said channel serving as a mold for formation of said microdynamic structure;

selectively depositing tungsten by chemical vapor deposition in said channel, said tungsten seeding in said channel on said bottom wall of said channel and filling said channel to form an elongated tungsten structure in said silicon dioxide layer; and

selectively removing a portion of said silicon dioxide layer surrounding said tungsten-filled channel to form a cavity around at least a part of said tungsten structure to release said structure and to form a cantilever tungsten beam extending into said cavity.

11. The method of claim 10, further including applying an electrical insulator to the surface of said beam.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of forming a cavity further includes removing said seeding layer from within said cavity.

13. The method of claim 10, further including applying a conformal coating of an electrically insulating oxide to surfaces of said beam.

14. The method of claim 10, further including applying conformal coating of silicon dioxide to surfaces of said beam.