MEMS device and interconnects for same

• US 7,706,042 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chung, Wonsuk, Zee, Stephen, Ganti, SuryaPrakash
• Primary Examiner(s): Lester; Evelyn A.
• Application Number:
  US11/613,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20080151352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 359/223, 359/224, 359290-292, 359/295, 359/298, 359/318
• US Class Current: 359/224.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/001 based on interference in an adjustable optical cavity interference filters G02B5/28; devices or arrangements using multiple reflections in spectrometry or monochromators G01J3/26

Abstract

A microelectromechanical systems device having an electrical interconnect connected to at least one of an electrode and a movable layer within the device. At least a portion of the electrical interconnect is formed from the same material as a movable layer of the device. A thin film, particularly formed of molybdenum, is provided underneath the electrical interconnect. The movable layer preferably comprises aluminum.

Claims

1. A microelectromechanical systems device, comprising:

a lower electrode;

a movable conductive layer;

a cavity between the lower electrode and the movable conductive layer;

an electrical interconnect layer electrically connected to at least one of the lower electrode and the movable conductive layer, wherein the electrical interconnect and the movable conductive layer are formed of a same material and wherein the electrical interconnect layer is formed directly over a thin film that is etchable by fluorine-based etchants.

2. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 1, wherein the thin film has a thickness in a range of about 50 Å

to 500 Å

.

3. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 1, wherein thin film comprises molybdenum.

4. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 1, wherein the thin film comprises a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, tungsten, and amorphous silicon.

5. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 1, further comprising a mechanical layer over the movable conductive layer.

6. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 5, wherein the mechanical layer comprises nickel.

7. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 5, wherein the movable layer is suspended from the mechanical layer.

8. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 1, wherein the electrical interconnect layer and the movable conductive layer comprise aluminum.

9. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 8, wherein the electrical interconnect layer and the movable conductive layer are formed from a single deposition.

10. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 1, wherein the lower electrode comprises indium tin oxide.

11. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 10, comprising a layer of aluminum oxide over the indium tin oxide.

12. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 1, wherein the device is an interferometric modulator.

13. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 1, wherein the thin film is substantially resistant to etching by an etchant suitable for etching the electrical interconnect layer.

14. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display;

a processor that is in electrical communication with said display, said processor being configured to process image data;

a memory device in electrical communication with said processor.

15. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 14, further comprising:

a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to said display.

16. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 15, further comprising:

a controller configured to send at least a portion of said image data to said driver circuit.

17. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 14, further comprising:

an image source module configured to send said image data to said processor.

18. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 17, wherein said image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

19. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 14, further comprising:

an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate said input data to said processor.

20. A method of forming a microelectromechanical systems device, comprising:

providing an electrode in an array region;

depositing a sacrificial layer over the electrode in the array region;

depositing a thin film over the sacrificial layer and in an interconnect region;

forming a movable layer over the thin film; and

forming an electrical interconnect layer over the thin film in the interconnect region, wherein the electrical interconnect layer comprises a same material as the movable layer.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising forming a mechanical layer over the movable layer.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein forming the electrical interconnect layer includes simultaneously etching the electrical interconnect layer and the movable layer using a first etchant.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the thin film is substantially resistant to etching by the first etchant.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the thin film is under the electrical interconnect layer and the movable layer during simultaneous etching.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the thin film comprises molybdenum.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the sacrificial layer comprises molybdenum.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising performing a release etch to remove the sacrificial layer to form an optical cavity.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the release etch also removes the thin film.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising protecting the electrical interconnect and the thin film in the array region from the release etch with an inorganic dielectric material.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein the electrical interconnect layer comprises aluminum.

31. The method of claim 20, wherein depositing the thin film is conducted before forming the movable layer.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein the device is an interferometric modulator.

33. A microelectromechanical systems device formed by the method of claim 20.

34. A microelectromechanical systems device, comprising:

a first means for conducting;

a second means for conducting, wherein the second means for conducting comprises a movable layer;

a cavity between the first means for conducting and the second means for conducting;

an interconnect means for electrically communicating between circuitry outside the device and at least one of the first and second means for conducting, wherein the interconnect means and the second means for conducting are formed of a same material and wherein the interconnect means is formed directly over a thin film that is etchable by fluorine-based etchants.

35. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 34, wherein the thin film is selectively etchable from the interconnect means.

36. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 34, wherein the thin film comprises molybdenum.

37. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 34, wherein the thin film comprises a material selected from the group consisting of titanium, tungsten, and amorphous silicon.

38. The microelectromechanical systems device of claim 34, further comprising a mechanical layer over second means for conducting.