Process for manufacture of micro electromechanical devices having high electrical isolation
First Claim
1. A microelectromechanical (MEM) device comprising:
- a) a first substrate defining an upper surface that extends along a plane defined by a lateral direction and a longitudinal direction;
b) a second substrate including;
i. first and second longitudinal outer members disposed at opposing longitudinal outer ends of the second substrate and permanently connected to the upper surface of the first substrate; and
ii. a central member connected between the first and second longitudinal outer members, wherein the central member has first and second lateral edges that define a thickness of the central member, the central member defining a void disposed between at least a portion of the central member and the upper surface of the first substrate, wherein the void is continuous between the first and second lateral outer edges of the central member.
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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.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A microelectromechanical (MEM) device comprising:
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a) a first substrate defining an upper surface that extends along a plane defined by a lateral direction and a longitudinal direction;
b) a second substrate including;
i. first and second longitudinal outer members disposed at opposing longitudinal outer ends of the second substrate and permanently connected to the upper surface of the first substrate; and
ii. a central member connected between the first and second longitudinal outer members, wherein the central member has first and second lateral edges that define a thickness of the central member, the central member defining a void disposed between at least a portion of the central member and the upper surface of the first substrate, wherein the void is continuous between the first and second lateral outer edges of the central member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification