Electrical conditioning of MEMS device and insulating layer thereof

• US 7,932,728 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2009
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brinkley, Patrick F., Chou, Chen-Jean, Wu, Chun-chen
• Primary Examiner(s): Dole; Timothy J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baldridge; Benjamin M
• Application Number:
  US12/485,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 324/525
• US Class Current: 324/525
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/047 Optical MEMS not provided for in B81B2201/042 - B81B2201/045
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00714 Treatment for improving the physical properties not provided for in groups B81C1/0065 - B81C1/00706
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0107 Sacrificial metal
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 99/004 during manufacturing
• 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 method of fabricating a MEMS device includes conditioning of an insulating layer by applying a voltage across the insulating layer via a conductive sacrificial layer for a period of time, prior to removal of the conductive sacrificial layer. This conditioning process may be used to saturate or stabilize charge accumulated within the insulating layer. The resistance across the insulating layer may also be measured to detect possible defects in the insulating layer.

Claims

1. A method of testing a partially fabricated microelectromechanical device having a conductive sacrificial layer, comprising:

applying a voltage between the conductive sacrificial layer and a first electrode layer of the partially fabricated microelectromechanical device, wherein a dielectric layer is located between the conductive sacrificial layer and said first electrode layer; and

measuring the resistance across at least the conductive sacrificial layer, the first electrode layer, and any intervening layers of the partially fabricated microelectromechanical device;

identifying the partially fabricated microelectromechanical device as defective if the resistance is below a predetermined value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the microelectromechanical device is identified as defective if the resistance is less than about 100 kΩ

.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the microelectromechanical device is identified as defective if the resistance is less than about 10 kΩ

.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer comprises silicon oxide.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer comprises silicon nitride.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial layer comprises molybdenum.