Process for manufacture of micro electromechanical devices having high electrical isolation

• US 6,159,385 A
• Filed: 05/08/1998
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell Technologies, LLC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Anderson, Robert J., Yao, Jun J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Powell, Alva C.
• Application Number:
  US09/075,008
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 216/80, 216/33, 216/36, 216/11, 216/2, 438/52, 438/53, 438/619, 156/225
• US Class Current: 216/2
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0118 Cantilevers
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00484 Processes for releasing structures not provided for in group B81C1/00476
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0108 Sacrificial polymer, ashing of organics
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/014 by depositing an etch stop layer, e.g. silicon nitride, silicon oxide, metal
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/019 Bonding or gluing multiple substrate layers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fabrication process relating to a fabrication process for manufacture of micro-electromechanical (MEM) devices such as cantilever supported beams. This fabrication process requires only two lithographic masking steps and offers moveable electromechanical devices with high electrical isolation. A preferred embodiment of the process uses electrically insulating glass substrate as the carrier substrate and single crystal silicon as the MEM component material. The process further includes deposition of an optional layer of insulating material such as silicon dioxide on top of a layer of doped silicon grown on a silicon substrate. The silicon dioxide is epoxy bonded to the glass substrate to create a silicon--silicon dioxide-epoxy-glass structure. The silicon is patterned using anisotropic plasma dry etching techniques. A second patterning then follows to pattern the silicon dioxide layer and an oxygen plasma etch is performed to undercut the epoxy film and to release the silicon MEM component. This two-mask process provides single crystal silicon MEMs with electrically isolated MEM component. Retaining silicon dioxide insulating material in selected areas mechanically supports the MEM component.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a micro electromechanical (MEM) component on a substrate comprising the steps of:

Providing a first substrate;

Providing a second substrate;

Bonding said first substrate to said second substrate to form a composite structure with an adhesive polymer layer between said substrates;

Etching a portion of said first substrate to define a MEM component; and

Selectively etching a portion of said adhesive bond to release said MEM component, said MEM component supported by said first substrate and said first substrate, other than said MEM component, remains coupled to said second substrate by a remaining portion of said adhesive polymer layer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of reducing the thickness of said first substrate prior to the first of said etching steps.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of doping said first substrate to impart etch stop and/or semiconductor properties.

4. A method for fabricating a micro electromechanical (MEM) component on a substrate comprising the steps of:

Providing a first substrate;

Providing a first layer of material on said first substrate;

Providing a second substrate;

Forming a composite structure having a single bead of adhesive polymer between said first layer of material and said second substrate;

Etching said first substrate to expose said first layer of material;

Etching said first layer of material to define a MEM component in said first layer of material; and

Etching a portion of said adhesive to release said MEM component, so that said MEM component is supported by said first layer of material and said first layer of material, other than said MEM component, remains coupled to said second substrate by a remaining portion of said adhesive polymer layer.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 further comprising the step of doping said first layer of material to impart etch stop and/or semiconductor properties thereto.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second substrate comprises a highly insulating glass substrate.

7. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said etching of said first substrate comprises the step of performing an anisotropic plasma dry etch.

8. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said etching of said adhesive comprises the step of performing an oxygen plasma etch to selectively undercut and to release the MEM component while maintaining said composite structure.

9. The method as claimed in claim 4 further comprising the steps of growing a silicon dioxide layer on top of said first layer of material and depositing a layer of adhesive polymer on top of said silicon dioxide layer.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said adhesive polymer is epoxy.

11. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said adhesive is selected from the following;

epoxy, polyimide, silicone, acrylic, polyurethane, polybenzimidazole and polyquinoraline.

12. The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein said bonding step further comprises the steps of:

Depositing a layer of epoxy on said second substrate and said first layer of material;

Positioning said first and second substrate in a vacuum chamber with said adhesive layer therebetween;

Evacuating the air in said chamber;

Joining together said first and second substrates so as to form a single epoxy bond there-between; and

Curing said epoxy.

13. A method for fabricating a micro electromechanical component on a substrate comprising the steps of:

Providing a silicon substrate;

Depositing a layer of semiconductor material on said silicon substrate;

Providing a highly insulating substrate;

Bonding said highly insulating substrate to said semiconductor material to form a composite structure with an adhesive polymer layer;

Etching said silicon substrate to expose said semiconductor material;

Etching said semiconductor material to define a micro electromechanical component; and

Performing an isotropic etch to selectively undercut the adhesive polymer layer and to release the suspended portions of said micro electromechanical component, said micro electromechanical component supported by said semiconductor material and said semiconductor material, other than said micro electromechanical component, is coupled to said highly insulating substrate by a remaining portion of said adhesive polymer layer.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said highly insulating substrate comprises a glass substrate.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said etching of said silicon substrate comprises the step of performing an anisotropic plasma dry etch.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising the steps of growing a silicon dioxide layer on top of said semiconductor material.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the step of depositing a layer of adhesive polymer on top of said silicon dioxide layer and said insulating substrate prior to said bonding step.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17 wherein said etching of said adhesive bond step comprises the step of performing an isotrophic etch to selectively undercut said bond and to release the micro electromechanical component while maintaining said composite structure.

19. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said adhesive polymer is selected from the following;

epoxy, polyimide, silicone, acrylic, polyurethane, polybenzimidazole and polyquinoraline.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19 wherein said etch process step to release MEM component from said bond comprises an oxygen plasma etch.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20 wherein said bonding step comprises the steps of:

Positioning said substrates with at least one adhesive layer therebetween;

Evacuating the air between said substrates;

Placing said substrates into physical contact to form a single epoxy bond thereby forming a composite structure; and

Curing said epoxy.

22. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said adhesive bond is epoxy.

23. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said bonding step further comprises the steps of:

Depositing a layer of adhesive polymer on one side of said semiconductor material and said highly insulating substrate;

Positioning said first and second substrate in a vacuum chamber with said adhesive layers therebetween;

Evacuating the air in said chamber;

Placing said first and second substrates into physical contact so as to form a single adhesive bond there-between; and

Curing said adhesive.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23 wherein said adhesive bond is epoxy.

25. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising the step of depositing a conductive layer of metal on top of said composite structure after said etching of said silicon substrate step.

26. The method as claimed in claim 13 further comprising the step of providing a plurality of electronic elements in close proximity to said MEM component on said high insulating substrate.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26 wherein said providing step comprises the step of fabricating circuit elements in said semiconductor material prior to said bonding step.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27 wherein said providing step comprises the step of fabricating circuit elements on said semiconductor material after said etching step to remove said first substrate so as to provide circuit elements on the side of said MEM component facing away from said highly insulating substrate where said circuit elements comprise resistors, capacitors, inductors and interconnects.

29. A method for fabricating a micro electromechanical component on a substrate comprising the steps of:

Providing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate having a buried layer of insulating material;

Providing a highly insulating substrate;

Bonding said highly insulating substrate to said SOI substrate with a layer of adhesive polymer to form a composite structure;

Etching said SOI substrate to expose at least a portion of said buried layer insulating material;

Etching said buried layer insulating material to define a micro electromechanical component; and

Selectively etching said adhesive polymer layer under said micro electromechanical component so said micro electromechanical component is supported by said SOI substrate and said SOI substrate, other than said micro electromechanical component, remains bonded to said highly insulating substrate by a remaining portion of said adhesive polymer layer.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29 wherein said highly insulating substrate comprises a glass substrate.

31. The method as claimed in claim 29 wherein said etching of said silicon substrate comprises the step of performing an anisotropic plasma dry etch.

32. The method as claimed in claim 29 further comprising the step of depositing a layer of adhesive on said SOI substrate prior to said bonding step.

33. The method as claimed in claim 29 wherein said adhesive is selected from the following:

epoxy, polyimide, silicone, acrylic, polyurethane, polybenzimidazole and polyquinoraline.

34. The method as claimed in claim 33 wherein said etch process step to release MEM component from said bond comprises an oxygen plasma etch.

35. The method as claimed in claim 29 wherein said adhesive is epoxy.

36. The method as claimed in claim 33 wherein said bonding step comprises the steps of:

Positioning said substrates with at least one adhesive layer therebetween;

Evacuating the air between said substrates;

Placing said substrates into physical contact to form a single adhesive bond thereby forming a composite structure; and

Curing said adhesive.

37. The method as claimed in claim 36 wherein said adhesive is epoxy.

38. The method as claimed in claim 29 further comprising the step of depositing a conductive layer of metal on top of said composite structure after said etching of said SOI substrate step.