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Method for fabricating suspension members for micromachined sensors

  • US 5,484,073 A
  • Filed: 03/28/1994
  • Issued: 01/16/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method of fabricating connecting members for suspending a mass within an outer support frame of a sensor for movement relative to said outer support frame;

  • said method comprising;

    providing a pair of generally identical silicon wafers each having a body with opposed faces and adapted to form halves for said outer support frame, mass, and connecting members;

    forming on a first face of each silicon wafer an inner etch stop layer, thereby creating an etch stop layer over a silicon layer;

    forming on said first face of each wafer an outer epitaxial layer over said etch stop layer;

    forming a pattern on a second face of each silicon wafer which defines a pattern space between a pattern for the outer support frame and said mass;

    chemically etching said silicon layer through said pattern space of said second face of each wafer with a wet etching material to form an opening therein extending to said etch stop layer and in accordance with said imposed pattern;

    chemically etching said etch stop layer of each wafer so as to remove said etch stop layers in said areas defined for said connecting members;

    bonding said wafers to each other to define said mass and said outer support frame with said epitaxial layers being on the outer surfaces of said bonded wafers; and

    dry etching from an outer surface of at least one of said bonded wafers in the area of the removed etch stop layer to form said connecting members between said mass and said outer support frame.

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