Method of manufacturing of a monolithic silicon acceleration sensor
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a monolithic silicon acceleration sensor comprising the step of forming at least one silicon acceleration sensor cell, the step of forming a sensor cell comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a layered sandwich of an etch-stop layer between a first wafer section of electrically conductive silicon having an exposed first surface and a second wafer section of electrically conductive silicon having an exposed second surface;
(b) forming a second section of a movable silicon inertial mass by etching a rectangular frame-shaped channel in the second wafer section of silicon from the exposed second surface extending to the etch-stop layer;
(c) forming a first section of the movable silicon inertial mass by etching a U-shaped channel and a bar-shaped channel in the first wafer section of silicon from the exposed first surface extending to the etch-stop layer, positioning the bar-shaped channel and the U-shaped channel in the first wafer section of silicon to be in horizontal alignment with, and of equal planar dimensions to the rectangular frame-shaped channel in the second wafer section of silicon;
(d) stripping the etch-stop layer that is exposed by the etched frame-shaped channel, the etched U-shaped channel, and the etched bar-shaped channel, thereby creating a rectangular parallel piped-shaped inertial mass having a first and a second exposed surface, the parallel piped-shaped inertial mass positioned by beam members fixed to a silicon support structure having a first and a second exposed surface; and
(e) providing a means for detecting movement of the parallel piped-shaped inertial mass.
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Abstract
A method of manufacturing a monolithic silicon acceleration sensor is disclosed. The monolithic silicon acceleration sensor includes one or more sensor cells, each sensor cell having an inertial mass positioned by beam members fixed to a silicon support structure. According to the method, a sandwiched etch-stop layer is formed. First sections of the inertia mass and beam members are also formed. In addition, a second section of the inertial mass is formed. Further, an inertial mass positioned by beam members fixed to a silicon support structure is formed. Also, a first cover plate structure is bonded to a first surface of the silicon support structure.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a monolithic silicon acceleration sensor comprising the step of forming at least one silicon acceleration sensor cell, the step of forming a sensor cell comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming a layered sandwich of an etch-stop layer between a first wafer section of electrically conductive silicon having an exposed first surface and a second wafer section of electrically conductive silicon having an exposed second surface;
(b) forming a second section of a movable silicon inertial mass by etching a rectangular frame-shaped channel in the second wafer section of silicon from the exposed second surface extending to the etch-stop layer;
(c) forming a first section of the movable silicon inertial mass by etching a U-shaped channel and a bar-shaped channel in the first wafer section of silicon from the exposed first surface extending to the etch-stop layer, positioning the bar-shaped channel and the U-shaped channel in the first wafer section of silicon to be in horizontal alignment with, and of equal planar dimensions to the rectangular frame-shaped channel in the second wafer section of silicon;
(d) stripping the etch-stop layer that is exposed by the etched frame-shaped channel, the etched U-shaped channel, and the etched bar-shaped channel, thereby creating a rectangular parallel piped-shaped inertial mass having a first and a second exposed surface, the parallel piped-shaped inertial mass positioned by beam members fixed to a silicon support structure having a first and a second exposed surface; and
(e) providing a means for detecting movement of the parallel piped-shaped inertial mass. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification