Acceleration sensor and process for the production thereof

• US 6,171,881 B1
• Filed: 12/09/1999
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Fujii, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Monin, Jr., Donald L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peralta, Ginette
• Application Number:
  US09/457,349
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 438/50, 438/52, 438/456, 438/459, 257/415, 257/416, 257/417, 257/418, 257/419
• US Class Current: 438/52
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0817 for pivoting movement of the mass, e.g. in-plane pendulum

Abstract

A single crystal silicon substrate (1) is bonded through an SiO₂ film (9) to a single crystal silicon substrate (8), and the single crystal silicon substrate (1) is made into a thin film. A cantilever (13) is formed on the single crystal silicon substrate (1), and the thickness of the cantilever (13) in a direction parallel to the surface of the single crystal silicon substrate (1) is made smaller, than the thickness of the cantilever in the direction of the depth of the single crystal silicon substrate (1), and movable in a direction parallel to the substrate surface. In addition, the surface of the cantilever (13) and the part of the single crystal silicon substrate (1), opposing the cantilever (13), are, respectively, coated with an SiO₂ film (5), so that an electrode short circuit is prevented in a capacity-type sensor. In addition, a signal-processing circuit (10) is formed on the single crystal silicon substrate (1), so that signal processing is performed as the cantilever (13) moves.

Claims

1. A process for producing an acceleration sensor, comprising:

a first step of forming, on a main surface of a first single crystal silicon substrate, a groove of a predetermined depth at an area surrounding a beam to be formed;

a second step of depositing, on the main surface of said first single crystal silicon substrate, a film of a polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon or mixture thereof, so as to fill said groove with said silicon film, and smoothing the surface of said silicon film;

a third step of bonding the main surface of said first single crystal silicon substrate to the second single crystal silicon substrate with an insulating film interposed therebetween;

a fourth step of polishing a surface of said first single crystal silicon substrate on the side opposite to the surface thereof bonded to the second single crystal silicon substrate to a predetermined degree, so as to make the first single crystal silicon substrate a thin film; and

a fifth step of exposing said film of polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon or a mixture thereof on said polished surface of the first single crystal silicon substrate at an area corresponding to the position where said groove is formed, and removing said silicon film by etching from said exposed area, so as to make the beam movable.

2. A process for producing an acceleration sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in said first step, said predetermined depth is set according to the thickness of said beam in the vertical direction thereof.

3. A process for producing an acceleration sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in said third step, said insulating film is formed on the surface of said second single crystal silicon substrate.

4. A process for producing an acceleration sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in said second step, there remains said flat silicon film on the main surface of said first single crystal silicon substrate.

5. A process for producing an acceleration sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein, prior the said third step, there is added a step of making said silicon film remaining on the main surface of said single crystal silicon substrate to be resistant to the etching in said fifth step, except for the silicon film positioned at an area surrounding said movable beam.

6. A process for producing an acceleration sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first step additionally includes a step of forming a concave portion on the main surface of said first single crystal silicon substrate, at the position where said beam is to be formed.

7. A process for producing an acceleration sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein, prior to said fifth step, there is added a step of forming a semi-conductor element on said first or second single crystal silicon substrate.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of applying a conductive layer on the at least one conductor track.

8. A process for producing an acceleration sensor, comprising:

a first step of boding the main surface of a first single crystal silicon substrate to a second single crystal silicon substrate with an insulating film interposed therebetween;

a second step of polishing a surface of said first single crystal silicon substrate opposite to the bonded surface of the single crystal silicon substrate to a predetermined degree, so as to make the first single crystal silicon substrate a thin film;

a third step of forming a groove in the first single crystal substrate, the groove extending from the polished surface side of the substrate to said insulating film in an area surrounding a movable beam to be formed;

a fourth step of depositing, from the polished surface side of the said first single crystal silicon substrate, a film of a polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, or mixture thereof, so as to fill said groove with said silicon film, and smoothing the surface of said silicon film; and

a fifth step of forming a semiconductor element on said first or second single crystal silicon substrate, and thereafter removing by etching said silicon film from said polished surface side of said first single crystal silicon substrate, so as to make the beam movable.

9. A process for producing an acceleration sensor as claimed in claim 8, wherein, in said first step, said insulating film is formed on the surface of said second single crystal silicon substrate.

10. A process for producing an acceleration sensor as claimed in claim 8, wherein said fifth step includes a step of removing said insulating film at a position corresponding to the position where said beam is formed.

11. A process for producing an acceleration sensor as claimed in claim 8, wherein said first step includes a step of forming, prior to said bonding, a concave portion in an area of the main surface of said first single crystal silicon substrate, corresponding to the position where said beam is to be formed.

12. A method for manufacturing a sensor, comprising the steps of;

providing a first layer;

applying a second layer on the first layer, the second layer being an insulator;

applying a third layer on the second layer;

applying a first patterning layer on the third layer, the first patterning layer having a form of an acceleration sensor;

etching the third layer using the first patterning layer as a mask to form the acceleration sensor from the third layer, the acceleration sensor having a deflectable mass and at least one conductor track; and

removing the second layer in an area underneath the deflectable mass.