Method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor

• US 7,237,316 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LAPIS Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (ROHM Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Paul D.
• Application Number:
  US11/182,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20070017289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 295/921, 295/95, 735/141.6, 257/414, 427/79, 427/80, 438 50- 52
• US Class Current: 29/595
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0012 Protection against reverse engineering, unauthorised use, use in unintended manner, wrong insertion or pin assignment
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00595 Control etch selectivity
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0133 Wet etching
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/123 by piezo-resistive elements, e.g. semiconductor strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0842 the mass being of clover leaf shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 4/00 Devices using stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation in wave ranges other than those covered by groups H01S1/00, H01S3/00 or H01S5/00, e.g. phonon masers, X-ray lasers or gamma-ray lasers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 Indicating transducer

Abstract

According to the present invention, a method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate having first and second surfaces; forming an insulating layer on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; forming an active layer on the insulating layer; forming a plurality of openings on the active layer at a first region, which is to be located above a movable mass with a predetermined space; selectively removing the insulating layer located under the first region in a wet-etching process through the plurality of openings; and selectively removing the active layer to form a groove separating the first region from a movable mass.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, comprising:

providing a semiconductor substrate having first and second surfaces;

forming an insulating layer on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate;

forming an active layer on the insulating layer;

selectively removing a portion of the semiconductor substrate so as to define a first boundary of a movable mass;

forming a plurality of openings in the active layer at a first region, the first region being located above the movable mass and occupying a predetermined space;

selectively removing a portion of the insulating layer located under the first region in a wet-etching process through the plurality of openings so as to define a second boundary of the movable mass; and

after said forming a plurality of openings, selectively removing a portion of the active layer to form a groove separating the first region from the movable mass, so as to define a third boundary of the movable mass, wherein the movable mass comprises a remaining portion of the semiconductor substrate, a remaining portion of the insulating layer, and a remaining portion of the active layer.

2. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 1, wherein

the first region is a stopper which restricts over-move of the movable mass.

3. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 2, wherein

the movable mass is shaped to have corners, and

the stopper comprises a plurality of members arranged around the corners of the movable mass.

4. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 1, wherein

the openings are shaped to be square.

5. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 1, wherein

the step of selectively removing the active layer is carried out also to separate the movable mass from a stationary frame and to shape beams which are coupled between the movable mass and the stationary frame.

6. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 1, further comprising:

before forming the plurality of openings, forming a detecting device to detect motion of the movable mass and output an electrical signal corresponding to a degree of the motion.

7. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a glass plate on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate.

8. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 7, wherein

the step of providing a glass plate is carried out before forming the plurality of openings on the active layer.

9. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 7, wherein

the step of forming a glass plate is carried out in an anodic bonding process.

10. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 7, wherein

the glass plate is pyrex glass.

11. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 7, wherein

the insulating layer is partly remained within the groove so that the insulating layer comprises an extended region, which extends from the movable mass toward the first region.

12. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 7, wherein

the step of providing a glass plate is carried out in vacuum condition.

13. A method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, comprising:

providing a semiconductor substrate having first and second surfaces;

forming an insulating layer on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate;

forming an active layer on the insulating layer;

selectively removing a portion of the semiconductor substrate so as to form a first boundary of a movable mass;

providing a glass plate on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate;

forming a plurality of openings on the active layer at a first region, the first region being located above the movable mass and occupying a predetermined space;

selectively removing a portion of the insulating layer located under the first region in a wet-etching process through the plurality of openings so as to define a second boundary of the movable mass; and

after said forming a plurality of openings, selectively removing a portion of the active layer to form a groove separating the first region from the movable mass, so as to form a third boundary of the movable mass, wherein the movable mass comprises a remaining portion of the semiconductor substrate, a remaining portion of the insulating layer, and a remaining portion of the active layer.

14. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 13, wherein

the step of providing a glass plate is carried out in an anodic bonding process.

15. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 13, wherein

the glass plate is pyrex glass.

16. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 13, wherein

the first region is a stopper which restricts over-move of the movable mass.

17. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 16, wherein

the movable mass is shaped to have corners, and

the stopper comprises a plurality of members arranged around the corners of the movable mass.

18. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 13, wherein the openings are shaped to be square.

19. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 13, wherein

the step of selectively removing the active layer is carried out also to separate the movable mass from a stationary frame and to shape beams which are coupled between the movable mass and the stationary frame.

20. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 13, further comprising:

before forming the plurality of openings, forming a detecting device to detect motion of the movable mass and output an electrical signal corresponding to a degree of the motion.

21. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 13, wherein

the insulating layer is partly remained within the groove so that the insulating layer comprises an extended region, which extends from the movable mass toward the first region.

22. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 13, wherein

the step of providing a glass plate is carried out in vacuum condition.

23. A method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, comprising:

providing a semiconductor substrate having first and second surfaces;

forming an insulating layer on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate;

forming an active layer on the insulating layer;

selectively removing the semiconductor substrate to form a first boundary of a movable mass;

providing a glass plate on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate;

forming a plurality of openings on the active layer at a first region, which is to be located above the movable mass with a predetermined space;

selectively removing the insulating layer located under the first region so as to form a second boundary of the movable mass;

selectively removing the active layer to form a groove separating the first region from the movable mass, so as to form a third boundary of the movable mass, wherein the movable mass comprises a remaining portion of the semiconductor substrate, a remaining portion of the insulating layer, and a remaining portion of the active layer; and

selectively removing the insulating layer located under the groove after the step of removing the insulating layer located under the first region.

24. The method for fabricating a three-dimensional acceleration sensor, according to claim 23, wherein

the step of providing a glass plate is carried out in vacuum condition.