Method for manufacturing semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor

• US 6,423,563 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sakai, Minekazu, Fukada, Tsuyoshi, Takeuchi, Yukihiro, Aoyama, Seiki, Murata, Minoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Christianson, Keith
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson, Craig
• Application Number:
  US09/861,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20010029060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 438/50, 438/48, 438/52-53, 438/739, 438/316, 438/584, 430/5, 257/419, 257/798, 216/2, 216/92, 735/040.2, 731/05, 250/306
• US Class Current: 438/50
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/025 Inertial sensors not provided for in B81B2201/0235 - B81B2201/0242
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0136 Comb structures
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/033 Trenches
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/04 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0005 Anti-stiction coatings
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00936 Releasing the movable structure without liquid etchant
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0132 Dry etching, i.e. plasma etching, barrel etching, reactive ion etching [RIE], sputter etching or ion milling
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/053 Depositing a protective layers
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/112 Depositing an anti-stiction or passivation coating, e.g. on the elastic or moving parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0814 for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/084 the mass being suspended at more than one of its sides, e.g. membrane-type suspension, so as to permit multi-axis movement of the mass

Abstract

A semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor includes a semiconductor support substrate having a specific resistance equal to or less than 3Ω cm. An insulation film is provided on the support substrate and a semiconductor layer is provided on the support substrate with the insulation film interposed therebetween. The semiconductor layer has a specific resistance equal to or less than 3Ω cm. A movable electrode is provided in the semiconductor layer to be displaced according to a dynamic quantity acting thereto. A fixed electrode is fixedly provided in the semiconductor layer to make a specific gap with the movable electrode and to from a capacitor with the movable electrode. The capacitor has a capacity that changes in response to displacement of the movable electrode to detect the dynamic quantity.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor, comprising steps of:

preparing a semiconductor substrate including a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region isolated from the first semiconductor region by an insulation film interposed therebetween; and

forming a movable portion in the first semiconductor region by etching both the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region,

wherein the movable portion is defined finally at a movable portion defining step that is carried out in a vapor phase atmosphere in the step of forming the movable portion.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the first semiconductor region, the second semiconductor region, and the insulation film is etched at the movable portion defining step to finally define the movable portion.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of forming the movable portion includes steps of:

forming a trench in the first semiconductor region;

etching the second semiconductor region to expose at least a portion of the insulation film corresponding to the trench; and

performing the movable portion defining step in the vapor phase atmosphere.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the step of forming the movable portion includes:

a step of forming a protection film on the first semiconductor region and in the trench after forming the trench;

a step of etching the insulation film after etching the second semiconductor region; and

the movable portion defining step for etching the protection film.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein:

the trench is formed in the first semiconductor region to remain part of the first semiconductor region at a bottom thereof; and

the part of the first semiconductor region at the bottom of the trench is removed at the movable portion defining step.

6. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising a step of forming a protection film on the first semiconductor region and in the trench, wherein;

the trench is formed in the first semiconductor region to remain part of the first semiconductor region at the bottom thereof; and

the protection film is removed at the movable portion defining step after removing the part of the first semiconductor region.

7. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein:

the step of etching the second semiconductor region includes a first etching step of etching the second semiconductor region to remain part of the second semiconductor region on the insulation film with a specific thickness, and a second etching step of etching the part of the second semiconductor region remaining on the insulation film in a vapor phase atmosphere to expose the insulation film; and

the insulation film is removed at the movable portion defining step to form an opening communicating with the trench.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein:

the second semiconductor region has an impurity high concentration layer including impurities therein and contacting the insulation film with a specific depth; and

the first etching step is performed using a specific etchant to be substantially stopped when the impurity high concentration layer is exposed, in accordance with an etching rate of the specific etchant to the impurity high concentration layer.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein:

the first etching step is performed using a specific etchant in a state where a voltage is applied to the first semiconductor region to form a depletion layer in a portion of the second semiconductor region contacting the insulation film; and

the first etching step is substantially stopped when the depletion layer is exposed.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the second etching step of etching the part of the second semiconductor region and the movable portion defining step are successively performed at an equal etching condition with each other.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the first etching step is an anisotropic etching step.

12. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein:

the step of etching the second semiconductor region is carried out in a vapor phase atmosphere; and

the insulation film is removed at the movable portion defining step.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of etching the second semiconductor region is an anisotropic dry etching step.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of etching the second semiconductor region and the movable portion defining step are successively carried out at an equal etching condition with each other.

15. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the step of forming the trench includes steps of:

forming a mask on the first semiconductor region;

performing an etching to the first semiconductor region to form a first trench portion and a second trench portion through the mask, the first trench portion having a width larger than that of the second trench portion; and

stopping the etching when the insulation film is exposed from the first trench portion and the first semiconductor region remains at a bottom of the second trench portion, and

wherein the first semiconductor region remaining at the bottom of the second trench portion is removed at the movable portion defining step in the vapor phase atmosphere after removing the insulation film.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the first trench portion and the second trench portion are formed by an anisotropic dry etching.

17. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising a step of covering the first semiconductor region with a protection film after forming the trench, the protection film being made of a material separatable from the first semiconductor region.

18. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising a step of adjusting a shape of the movable portion after the movable portion is finally defined by the movable portion defining step.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein:

the trench is formed by a dry etching; and

the step of adjusting the shape of the movable portion is an auxiliary dry etching step that is carried out to the movable portion from a second semiconductor region side.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the auxiliary dry etching step is an isotropic dry etching step.

21. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate is cut into a sensor chip by a dicing step before performing the movable portion defining step.

22. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of forming the movable portion in the first semiconductor region includes a step of polishing the second semiconductor region to have a specific thickness.

23. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a step of forming a hydrophobic thin film on the movable portion after the movable portion defining step.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the step of forming the hydrophobic thin film is carried out simultaneously with the movable portion defining step in the vapor phase atmosphere.

25. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the step of forming the hydrophobic thin film is carried out by a reactive ion etching (RIE) in plasma.

26. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein a contact angle of the hydrophobic thin film with water is equal to or larger than 70 degrees.

27. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the hydrophobic thin film is made of an organic material.

28. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the hydrophobic thin film is a fluorine type thin film including fluorine.

29. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the movable portion defining step and the step of forming the hydrophobic thin film are successively carried out in a chamber under first and second etching conditions, respectively.

30. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the movable portion defining step is a reactive ion etching step carried out in plasma between a first electrode and a second electrode facing each other for etching the insulation film, the reactive ion etching step being carried out in a state where;

the semiconductor substrate is disposed on the first electrode with the insulation film having an exposed surface facing the second electrode and with an intermediate member interposed between the semiconductor substrate and the first electrode, the intermediate member preventing a surface of the semiconductor substrate corresponding to the exposed surface of the insulation film on an opposite side of the insulation film from contacting the first electrode.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the intermediate member is conductive.

32. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the intermediate member includes a conductive layer and a silicon oxide layer.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein the conductive layer is made of silicon.

34. A semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor comprising:

a semiconductor support substrate having a specific resistance equal to or less than 3 Ω

·

cm;

an insulation film provided on the support substrate;

a semiconductor layer provided on the support substrate with the insulation film interposed therebetween and having a specific resistance equal to or less than 3 Ω

·

cm;

a movable electrode provided in the semiconductor layer to be displaced according to a dynamic quantity acting thereto; and

a fixed electrode fixedly provided in the semiconductor layer to make a specific gap with the movable electrode and to form a capacitor with the movable electrode, the capacitor having a capacity that changes in response to displacement of the movable electrode to detect the dynamic quantity.

35. The semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor as recited in claim 34, wherein the fixed electrode includes a first fixed electrode portion forming a first capacitor with the movable electrode and a second fixed electrode portion forming a second capacitor with the movable electrode, the first capacitor and the second capacitor having first and second capacities that change on a differential basis according to the displacement of the movable electrode.

36. The semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor as recited in claim 35, wherein the dynamic quantity is detected based on a change in a voltage of the movable electrode while applying first and second carrier wave signals to the first fixed electrode portion and the second fixed electrode portion, the first and second carrier wave signals being different from each other at 180°

in phase.