Process for making semiconductor acceleration sensor having anti-etching layer

• US 5,395,802 A
• Filed: 03/26/1993
• Issued: 03/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kiyota, Shigeyuki, Muro, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhuri, Olik
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsai, H. Jey
• Application Number:
  US08/037,335
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 437/228, 437/927, 437/901, 257/254, 257/417-420
• US Class Current: 438/52
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0118 Cantilevers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0315 Cavities
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/015 the micromechanical device and the control or processing electronics being integrated on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00595 Control etch selectivity
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00666 Treatments for controlling internal stress or strain in MEMS structures
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/014 by depositing an etch stop layer, e.g. silicon nitride, silicon oxide, metal
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0177 Epitaxy, i.e. homo-epitaxy, hetero-epitaxy, GaAs-epitaxy
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/123 by piezo-resistive elements, e.g. semiconductor strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0828 the mass being of the paddle type being suspended at one of its longitudinal ends
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/924 To facilitate selective etching

Abstract

A semiconductor acceleration transducer is fabricated so that the semiconductor beam and the piezoelectric transducing element are accurately positioned relative to each other, and the impact resistance is improved. The fabrication process comprises a wafer preparing step for forming a buried layer between a substrate of a first conductivity type and an epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type, a doping step for forming a diffusion region of the first conductivity type in the epitaxial layer, and an etching step for removing unwanted portions of the substrate and the diffusion region from the bottom of the substrate to shape the beam supporting portion serving as a seismic mass. The buried layer is formed at such a position that the shape and position of the beam is determined by the buried layer. The buried layer may be a second conductivity type layer to determine the contour of the beam by stopping the etching process or may be a first conductivity type layer which is etched away to determine the contour of the beam with its diffusion contour.

Claims

1. A fabricating process for fabricating a semiconductor acceleration sensor including a beam portion and a mass portion supported by said beam portion, said fabricating process comprising:

a preparing step of forming first and second buried regions of a second conductivity type between a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type and an epitaxial layer of the second conductivity type formed on a first major surface of said semiconductor substrate;

a resistor forming step of forming a diffused resistor region of the first conductivity type in a surface of said epitaxial layer;

an anti-etching film forming step of selectively forming an anti-etching film on a second major surface of said semiconductor substrate; and

an etching step of forming the beam portion and the mass portion by selectively etching said semiconductor substrate from said second major surface of said substrate by using said anti-etching film as a pattern;

wherein said first and second buried regions formed by said preparing step are separated by said epitaxial layer, and said etching step is performed until said epitaxial layer is exposed between said first and second buried regions, thereby reducing effects caused by alignment errors.

2. A fabricating process according to claim 1 wherein said preparing step comprises:

a first step of forming said first and second buried regions of the second conductivity type extending into said semiconductor substrate of the first conductivity type from said first major surface of said semiconductor substrate; and

a second step of growing said epitaxial layer of the second conductivity type on the first major surface of said semiconductor substrate;

wherein said resistor forming step includes a step of forming said diffused resistor region of the first conductivity type by diffusing impurity atoms of said first conductivity type from said surface of said epitaxial layer, said diffused resistor region being formed above a region located between said first and second buried regions, and said diffused resistor region extending into said epitaxial layer from said surface of said epitaxial layer.

3. A fabricating process according to claim 2 wherein said diffused resistor region formed by said resistor forming step is located between said first and second buried regions in a lateral layout of the sensor, and said etching step is performed by anisotropic etching until a part of each buried region is exposed in said beam portion.

4. A fabricating process according to claim 3 wherein said anisotropic etching of said etching step is performed by using an alkaline solution while said epitaxial layer is held at a positive potential.

5. A fabricating process according to claim 4 wherein said semiconductor substrate is a P-type (100) silicon substrate, and said epitaxial layer is an N-type layer.

6. A fabricating process according to claim 5 wherein said fabricating process further comprises a third step of forming a diffusion region of the first conductivity type in said epitaxial layer, so that said diffusion region surrounds a portion in which the beam portion and the mass portion are to be formed;

and wherein said etching step is performed until a cavity formed by the etching reaches a top of said diffusion region of the first conductivity type.

7. A fabricating process according to claim 6 wherein, in said third step, said diffusion region of the first conductivity type is formed simultaneously with an isolation wall of the first conductivity type which extends into said epitaxial layer from said surface of said epitaxial layer, and surrounds an island portion of said epitaxial layer.

8. A fabricating process according to claim 7 wherein, in said first step, a buried layer of the second conductivity type is formed simultaneously with said first and second buried regions, and said isolation wall formed by said third step surrounds said buried layer.

9. A fabricating process according to claim 8 further comprises a doping step for forming at least one active region of a transistor in said island portion surrounded by said isolation wall.

18. A fabricating process according to claim 1, wherein said beam portion formed by said etching step has an underside which has first and second arched end sections defined by said first and second buried regions, respectively, and a middle section which is defined by said epitaxial layer and which extends between said first and second arched end sections.

19. A fabricating process according to claim 18, wherein said first arched end section of the underside of said beam portion is a convex wall surface the form of which is determined by the boundary of said first buried region, and said second arched end section of the underside of said beam portion is also in the form of a convex wall surface which is determined by the boundary of said second buried region.

20. A fabricating process according to claim 1, wherein said etching step is performed to form a void portion under said beam portion by etching away a portion of said substrate from said second major surface;

and each of said epitaxial layer, said first and second buried regions and said substrate is exposed in said void portion formed by said etching step.

21. A fabricating process according to claim 20, wherein said void portion formed under said beam portion by said etching step is bounded by a first side wall which is defined by said substrate and which extends from said second major surface, and reaches said first buried region, and a second side wall which is defined by said substrate, extends from said second major surface and reaches said second buried region.

10. A fabricating process for fabricating a semiconductor acceleration sensor including a beam portion and a mass portion supported by said beam portion, said fabricating process comprising:

a preparing step of forming a buried layer of a first conductivity type between a semiconductor substrate of the first conductivity type and an epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type on a first major surface of said semiconductor substrate;

a resistor forming step of forming a diffused resistor region of the first conductivity type by doping, said diffused resistor region extending into said epitaxial layer from a surface of said epitaxial layer;

an anti-etching film forming step of selectively forming an anti-etching film on a second major surface of said semiconductor substrate; and

an etching step of forming the beam portion and the mass portion by selectively etching away said semiconductor substrate and said buried layer from said second major surface of said substrate by using said anti-etching film as a pattern;

wherein, in said etching step, said buried layer is etched away until said epitaxial layer is bared, thereby reducing effects caused by alignment errors.

11. A fabricating process according to claim 10 wherein said preparing step comprises;

a first step of forming said buried layer of the first conductivity type extending into said semiconductor substrate of the first conductivity type from said first major surface of said semiconductor substrate; and

a second step of growing said epitaxial layer of the second conductivity type on the first major surface of said semiconductor substrate;

wherein said resistor forming step includes a step of forming said diffused resistor region of the first conductivity type by doping, said diffused resistor region being formed above said buried layer.

12. A fabricating process according to claim 11 wherein said diffused resistor region formed by said resistor forming step is located just above said buried layer, and said etching step is performed by anisotropic etching until a cavity formed by the etching reaches an interface between said buried layer and said epitaxial layer.

13. A fabricating process according to claim 12 wherein said anisotropic etching of said etching step is performed by using an alkaline etchant while said epitaxial layer is held at a positive potential.

14. A fabricating process according to claim 13 wherein said semiconductor substrate is a P-type (100) silicon substrate, said epitaxial layer is an N-type layer.

15. A fabricating process according to claim 14 wherein said fabricating process further comprises a third step of forming a diffusion region of the first conductivity type in said epitaxial layer so that said diffusion region surrounds a portion in which the beam portion and the mass portion are to be formed, and wherein said etching step is performed until said cavity reaches a top of said diffusion region of the first conductivity type.

16. A fabricating process according to claim 15 wherein, in said third step, said diffusion region of the first conductivity type is formed simultaneously with an isolation wall of the first conductivity type which extends into said epitaxial layer, and surrounds an island portion of said epitaxial layer.

17. A fabricating process according to claim 16 further comprises a doping step for forming at least one active region of a transistor in said island portion surrounded by said isolation wall.

22. A fabricating process according to claim 10, wherein said etching step is performed until said buried layer is completely etched away, and said epitaxial layer is completely exposed.

23. A fabricating process according to claim 22, wherein said beam portion formed by said etching step has an underside which has first and second arched end sections and a middle section extending between said first and second arched end sections, and each of said first and second arched end sections of the underside of said beam portion is in the form of a concave wall surface.

24. A fabricating process according to claim 10, wherein said etching step is performed until said buried layer is completely etched away, and a rounded void portion is formed under said beam portion;

said rounded void portion being bounded by first and second concave side walls.

25. A fabricating process according to claim 10, wherein the thickness of said beam portion formed by said etching step increases gradually and smoothly toward each end of said beam portion.