Semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same

• US 7,795,056 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2008
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Shih, Hui-Shen
• Primary Examiner(s): LEBENTRITT, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/132,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20090298216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 438/29, 438 48- 52, 438697-723, 257/E21.215, 257/243, 257271-279, 257/576, 257/29.005, 257/324
• US Class Current: 438/29
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0257 Microphones or microspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00166 Electrodes

Abstract

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. First, a first electrode is formed over a first region of a substrate. Then, a dielectric layer covering the first electrode is formed over the substrate. After that, a plurality of openings is formed on the first region of the substrate. Thereafter, a conductive layer covering the dielectric layer and the openings is formed over the substrate. Then, the conductive layer in the bottom of the openings is removed to form second electrodes. After that, the dielectric layer between the second electrode and the first electrode is removed.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device, comprising:

forming a first electrode over a first region of a substrate;

forming a dielectric layer over the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer covers the first electrode;

forming a plurality of openings in the dielectric layer on the first region;

forming a conductive layer over the substrate, wherein the conductive layer covers the dielectric layer and the openings;

removing the conductive layer at bottoms of the openings over the first region to form a second electrode; and

removing the dielectric layer between the second electrode and the first electrode.

2. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein method of removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region comprises etch-back process.

3. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein method of removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region comprises:

forming a mask layer over the substrate, wherein the mask layer covers the conductive layer between the openings and exposes the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region;

removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region while using the mask layer as a mask; and

removing the mask layer.

4. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first region comprises a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device region.

5. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device comprises an MEMS microphone.

6. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises a second region.

7. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second region comprises a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) region, wherein the conductive layer formed over the substrate further covers the CMOS region, and before the step of removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region, the conductive layer on the CMOS region is further patterned.

8. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 7, wherein method of patterning the conductive layer on the CMOS region comprises:

forming a first mask layer over the substrate, wherein the first mask layer covers the first region and exposes a part of the conductive layer on the CMOS region;

removing the part of the conductive layer on the CMOS region while using the first mask layer as a mask; and

removing the first mask layer.

9. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 8, wherein method of removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region comprises:

forming a second mask layer over the substrate, wherein the second mask layer covers the CMOS region and exposes the conductive layer on the first region;

removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region while using the second mask layer as a mask; and

removing the second mask layer.

10. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 9, wherein method of removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region comprises etch-back process.

11. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 8, wherein method of removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region comprises:

forming a second mask layer over the substrate, wherein the second mask layer covers the conductive layer on the CMOS region and the conductive layer between the openings over the first region, and exposes the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region;

removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region while using the second mask layer as a mask; and

removing the second mask layer.

12. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second region comprises a CMOS region, wherein the conductive layer formed over the substrate further covers the CMOS region, and during the step of removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region, the conductive layer on the CMOS region is further simultaneously patterned.

13. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the step of removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region comprises:

forming a mask layer over the substrate, wherein the mask layer covers the conductive layer between the openings over the first region, and exposes the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region, and a part of the conductive layer over the CMOS region;

removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region and the part of the conductive layer on the CMOS region while using the second mask layer as a mask; and

removing the mask layer.

14. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second region comprises a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) region, wherein the conductive layer formed over the substrate further covers the CMOS region, and after the step of removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region, the conductive layer on the CMOS region is further patterned.

15. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 14, wherein method of removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region comprises:

forming a mask layer over the substrate, wherein the mask layer covers the CMOS region and exposes the conductive layer on the first region;

removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region while using the mask layer as a mask; and

removing the mask layer.

16. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 15, wherein method of removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region comprises etch-back process.

17. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 14, wherein method of removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region comprises:

forming a mask layer over the substrate, wherein the mask layer covers the conductive layer on the CMOS region and the conductive layer between the openings over the first region, and exposes the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region;

removing the conductive layer at the bottoms of the openings over the first region while using the mask layer as a mask; and

removing the mask layer.

18. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device as claimed in claim 14, wherein method of patterning the conductive layer on the CMOS region comprises:

forming a mask layer over the substrate, wherein the mask layer covers the first region and exposes a part of the conductive layer on the CMOS region;

removing the part of the conductive layer on the CMOS region while using the mask layer as a mask; and

removing the mask layer.