Mirror and mirror layer for optical modulator and method

• US 8,226,836 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2008
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chui, Clarence, Sampsell, Jeffrey B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Norton, Nadine G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Remavege, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/190,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20080314866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 216/2, 216/11, 216/24, 216/37, 216/41, 216/56, 216/58, 438/48, 438/50, 438/52, 438/222, 438/389, 438/648, 257/414, 257/415, 257/416
• US Class Current: 216/24
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0841 the reflecting element being moved or deformed by electrostatic means

Abstract

Described herein are systems, devices, and methods relating to packaging electronic devices, for example, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, including optical modulators such as interferometric optical modulators. The interferometric modulator disclosed herein comprises a movable mirror. Some embodiments of the disclosed movable mirror exhibit a combination of improved properties compared to known mirrors, including reduced moving mass, improved mechanical properties, and reduced etch times.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device including a mirror comprising a mirror body, wherein a surface of the mirror body comprises a continuous reflective surface, the method comprising:

depositing over a lower sacrificial layer the mirror body comprising the reflective surface, wherein

the mirror body comprises a body material and a sacrificial material, and

the sacrificial material is preferentially etchable over the body material;

depositing an upper sacrificial layer over the mirror body;

forming a mechanical layer over the upper sacrificial layer;

removing at least a substantial portion of the sacrificial material from the body;

removing the lower sacrificial layer; and

removing the upper sacrificial layer, wherein the MEMS device includes an optical stack with a gap formed between the mirror body and the optical stack, and wherein the mirror body is movable within the gap relative to the optical stack.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reflective surface is a surface of a reflective layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the body material comprises aluminum or aluminum alloy, and the sacrificial material comprise molybdenum.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the body material and sacrificial material form alternating layers substantially parallel to the reflective surface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the body material and sacrificial material form a composite, wherein the composite comprises the body material at or above a percolation threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the composite comprises the sacrificial material at or above a percolation threshold.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising depositing an etch stop between the layer comprising a reflective surface and the body.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming an opening in the mirror body.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the sacrificial material is performed using xenon difluoride.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein removing at least a portion of the sacrificial material from the body is performed simultaneously with removing the upper sacrificial layer.

11. A method for fabricating a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device comprising a mirror body, wherein a surface of the mirror body comprises a continuous reflective surface disposed on a surface of the mirror body, the method comprising:

depositing the mirror body comprising the reflective surface;

etching a cavity in the mirror body;

forming a deformable layer over the mirror body;

securing the mirror body to the deformable layer with a connector; and

releasing the mirror body to form a gap on a side of the mirror body opposite the deformable layer, wherein the gap is formed between the mirror body and an optical stack, wherein the deformable layer is capable of supporting the mirror body in a relaxed position and an actuated position.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the mirror body is aluminum or aluminum alloy.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one cavity is at least in part defined by one or more structures comprising elements that are substantially perpendicular to the reflective surface.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one cavity is formed by etching a sacrificial material from mirror body.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one cavity is formed by etching a body material from mirror body.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein the mirror body is positioned more closely adjacent to the optical stack in the actuated position than in the relaxed position.

16. A method for fabricating a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device including a mirror comprising a mirror body, wherein a surface of the mirror body comprises a continuous reflective surface, the method comprising:

forming the mirror body comprising the reflective surface, wherein

the mirror body comprises a body material and a sacrificial material, and

the sacrificial material is preferentially etchable over the body material; and

treating at least a portion of the sacrificial material to convert the portion of the sacrificial material to a solid treated material within the mirror body, wherein the sacrificial material is selectively etchable over the treated material and the body material, wherein the MEMS device includes an optical stack with a gap formed between the mirror body and the optical stack, and wherein the mirror body is movable within the gap relative to the optical stack.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein

the body material and sacrificial material form alternating layers that are substantially parallel to the reflective surface, and

the treated material is formed around the periphery of the mirror body.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the treated material is porous such that an etchant is capable of contacting the untreated sacrificial material through pores in the treated material.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising forming an opening in the mirror body, wherein the opening contacts the sacrificial material.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising selectively etching the sacrificial material.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising etching the sacrificial material, wherein the body material and the treated material in the mirror body are not significantly etched.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the treated material forms spacers within the mirror body.