Methods for depositing, releasing and packaging micro-electromechanical devices on wafer substrates
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for making a plurality of spatial light modulators, comprising:
- providing a transparent wafer and a semiconductor wafer;
depositing and patterning sacrificial and structural materials on the transparent wafer or semiconductor wafer to form a plurality of micromirrors within a plurality of rectangular micromirror arrays;
removing the sacrificial material to release the plurality of micromirrors in the plurality of micromirror arrays;
bonding the transparent wafer and semiconductor wafer together with a spacer layer therebetween so as to form gaps in which the micromirror arrays are each disposed;
wherein the bonding is performed by application of an adhesive, application of pressure to press the transparent wafersemiconductor wafer together; and
curing the adhesive so as to form a wafer assembly;
and singulating the wafer assembly into individual spatial light modulators.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for forming a MEMS device is disclosed, where a final release step is performed just prior to a wafer bonding step to protect the MEMS device from contamination, physical contact, or other deleterious external events. Without additional changes to the MEMS structure between release and wafer bonding and singulation, except for an optional stiction treatment, the MEMS device is best protected and overall process flow is improved. The method is applicable to the production of any MEMS device and is particularly beneficial in the making of fragile micromirrors.
-
Citations
74 Claims
-
1. A method for making a plurality of spatial light modulators, comprising:
-
providing a transparent wafer and a semiconductor wafer; depositing and patterning sacrificial and structural materials on the transparent wafer or semiconductor wafer to form a plurality of micromirrors within a plurality of rectangular micromirror arrays; removing the sacrificial material to release the plurality of micromirrors in the plurality of micromirror arrays; bonding the transparent wafer and semiconductor wafer together with a spacer layer therebetween so as to form gaps in which the micromirror arrays are each disposed; wherein the bonding is performed by application of an adhesive, application of pressure to press the transparent wafer semiconductor wafer together; and curing the adhesive so as to form a wafer assembly; and singulating the wafer assembly into individual spatial light modulators. - 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, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
-
Specification