Device having a barrier layer located therein and a method of manufacture therefor

• US 6,639,724 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2001
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.), Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.), Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramirez, Ainissa, Bower, John Eric, Gross, Michal E., Jin, Sungho, Mavoori, Hareesh
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THONG Q
• Application Number:
  US09/874,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20020181110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 359/224-226, 359/296-299, 359/599, 359/702, 359/838, 359/821, 359/883, 362/31, 349/52-64
• US Class Current: 359/599
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00666 Treatments for controlling internal stress or strain in MEMS structures
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0167 by adding further layers of materials having complementary strains, i.e. compressive or tensile strain
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/017 Methods for controlling internal stress of deposited layers not provided for in B81C2201/0164 - B81C2201/0169
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3518 the reflective optical element being an intrinsic part of a MEMS device, i.e. fabricated together with the MEMS device MEMS devices in general B81B; manufacture of MEM devices in general B81C; micromechanical devices controlling the direction of light G02B26/0833
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3548 1xN switch, i.e. one input and a selectable single output of N possible outputs
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/356 in an optical cross-connect device, e.g. routing and switching aspects of interconnecting different paths propagating different wavelengths to (re)configure the various input and output links switching polarized beams G02B6/3594; power equalizers G02B6/356 and G02B6/3594; path selecting means H04Q11/0001
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3584 constructional details of an associated actuator having a MEMS construction, i.e. constructed using semiconductor technology such as etching MEMS per se B81B, B81C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3588 of the processed beams, i.e. controlling during switching of orientation, alignment, or beam propagation properties such as intensity, size or shape
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/3594 Characterised by additional functional means, e.g. means for variably attenuating or branching or means for switching differently polarized beams

Abstract

A device for use in a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical device. The device includes a substrate having opposing first and second sides and a diffusion barrier layer formed over at least the first side. The device further includes a light reflective optical layer formed over the diffusion barrier layer on the first side of the substrate. The second side may desirably have a stress balancing layer located thereover.

Claims

1. For use with a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical device, a device comprising a mirror wherein the mirror comprises:

a substrate having opposing first and second sides;

a first diffusion barrier layer located over the first side;

a second diffusion barrier layer located over the second side;

a stress balancing layer located over the second diffusion barrier layer; and

a light reflective optical layer located over the first diffusion barrier layer.

2. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the diffusion barrier layer has a thickness ranging from about 0.5 nm to about 500 nm.

3. The device as recited in claim 2 wherein the diffusion barrier layer has a thickness ranging from about 5 nm to about 50 nm.

4. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the diffusion barrier layer comprises a metal.

5. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the diffusion barrier layer comprises a refractory metal or platinum group metal wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of tungsten, molybdenum, zirconium, niobium, hafnium, platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium or any alloys containing at least about 30 atomic percent thereof.

6. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the diffusion barrier layer is an oxide, nitride, carbide, or fluoride selected from the group of materials consisting of magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, chromium oxide, zirconium dioxide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride, tungsten carbide, silicon carbide, zirconium carbide, titanium carbide, magnesium fluoride, or calcium fluoride.

7. The device as recited in claim 1 further including an adhesion layer located between the substrate and the diffusion barrier layer.

8. The device as recited in claim 7 wherein the adhesion layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, chromium, zirconium, hafnium, or niobium.

9. The device as recited in claim 1 wherein the diffusion barrier layer reduces an amount of diffusion between the light reflective optical layer and the substrate by more than about 80%.

10. A method of manufacturing a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical device, comprising:

forming a substrate having opposing first and second sides;

forming a first diffusion barrier layer over the first side

forming a second diffusion barrier layer over the second side;

forming a stress balancing layer over the second diffusion barrier layer; and

forming a light reflective optical layer over the first diffusion barrier layer.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein forming a diffusion barrier layer includes forming a diffusion barrier layer having a thickness ranging from about 0.5 nm to about 500 nm.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein forming a diffusion barrier layer having a thickness ranging from about 0.5 nm to about 500 nm includes forming a diffusion barrier layer having a thickness ranging from about 5 nm to about 50 nm.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein forming a diffusion barrier layer includes forming a metal diffusion barrier layer.

14. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein forming a diffusion barrier layer includes forming a refractory metal or platinum group metal, wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of tungsten, molybdenum, zirconium, niobium, hafnium, platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, osmium or any alloys containing at least about 30 atomic percent thereof.

15. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein forming a diffusion barrier layer includes forming a diffusion barrier layer that is an oxide, nitride, carbide, or fluoride selected from the group of materials consisting of magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, titanium dioxide, aluminum oxide, chromium oxide, zirconium dioxide, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, titanium nitride, zirconium nitride, hafnium nitride, tungsten carbide, silicon carbide, zirconium carbide, titanium carbide, magnesium fluoride, or calcium fluoride.

16. The method as recited in claim 10 further including forming an adhesion layer between the substrate and the diffusion barrier layer.

17. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein forming a diffusion barrier layer includes forming a diffusion barrier layer that reduces an amount of diffusion between the light reflective optical layer and the substrate by more than about 80%.

18. A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical device, comprising:

a mirror, including;

a substrate having opposing first and second sides;

a first diffusion barrier layer located over the first side;

a second diffusion barrier layer located over the second side;

a stress balancing layer located over the second diffusion barrier layer; and

a light reflective optical layer located over the first diffusion barrier layer;

one or more actuating electrodes configured to controllably move the mirror; and

a spacer which separates the mirror and the actuating electrodes.

19. The micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical device as recited in claim 18 wherein the mirror includes an array of mirrors coupled together that function as a unit.

20. The micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) optical device as recited in claim 18 wherein the diffusion barrier layer reduces an amount of diffusion between the light reflective optical layer and the substrate by more than about 80%.