MEMS device with multiple electrodes and fabricating method thereof

• US 9,249,008 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2013
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Hsu, Yu Wen, Huang, Chao Ta, Kuo, Chin Fu, Mao, Chun Kai, Wang, Chin Hung
• Primary Examiner(s): YUSHINA, GALINA G
• Application Number:
  US14/094,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20140175572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 257414-419
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/028 Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0221 Variable capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0242 Gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0257 Microphones or microspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0264 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0086 Electrical characteristics, e.g. reducing driving voltage, improving resistance to peak voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0073 using a semiconductive diaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0837 the mass being suspended so as to only allow movement perpendicular to the plane of the substrate, i.e. z-axis sensor

Abstract

A MEMS device with a first electrode, a second electrode and a third electrode is disclosed. These electrodes are disposed on a substrate in such a manner that (1) a pointing direction of the first electrode is in parallel with a normal direction of the substrate, (2) a pointing direction of the third electrode is perpendicular to the pointing direction of the first electrode, (3) the second electrode includes a sensing portion and a stationary portion, (4) the first electrode and the sensing portion are configured to define a sensing capacitor, and (5) the third electrode and the stationary portion are configured to define a reference capacitor. This arrangement facilitates the MEMS device such as a differential pressure sensor, differential barometer, differential microphone and decoupling capacitor to be miniaturized.

Claims

1. A MEMS device with multiple electrodes, being adapted to sense air pressure, comprising:

a substrate;

a first electrode on the substrate;

a second electrode on the substrate, including a sensing portion and a stationary portion; and

a third electrode on the substrate, wherein when the sensing portion deforms, the stationary portion and the third electrode are spaced apart by a predetermined constant distance,

wherein a stationary capacitor is defined between the stationary portion and the third electrode.

2. The MEMS device according to claim 1, wherein a sensing capacitor is defined between the sensing portion and the first electrode.

3. The MEMS device according to claim 1, wherein the first electrode is disposed on a top surface of the substrate, the stationary portion surrounds the first electrode, and the third electrode surrounds the second electrode.

4. The MEMS device according to claim 3, wherein one end of the stationary portion is disposed on the top surface of the substrate and the other end of the stationary portion connects a periphery of the sensing portion, a first space is defined between the second electrode and the substrate, and the first space is a hermetic space, which encloses the first electrode.

5. The MEMS device according to claim 4, further comprising an electrical insulation layer connecting the sensing portion and the third electrode, wherein the electrical insulation layer, the stationary portion, the third electrode and the substrate define a second space which is a hermetic space.

6. The MEMS device according to claim 4, further comprising a conductive post, wherein the stationary portion includes a through hole, the conductive post is disposed inside the through hole and is electrically coupled to the first electrode, and the conductive post is electrically insulated from the stationary portion.

7. The MEMS device according to claim 6, wherein the electrical insulation layer includes a first conductive through hole and a second conductive through hole, the first conductive through hole connects with the conductive post, and the second conductive through hole is electrically coupled to the second electrode.

8. A MEMS device with multiple electrodes, being adapted to sense air pressure, comprising:

a substrate;

a first electrode on the substrate;

a second electrode configured to define a sensing capacitor between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a third electrode on the substrate, configured to define a stationary capacitor;

wherein the third electrode disconnects from the second electrode or the third electrode disconnects from the first electrode, a pointing direction of the first electrode is in parallel with a normal direction of the substrate, a pointing direction of the third electrode is perpendicular to the pointing direction of the first electrode.

9. The MEMS device according to claim 8, wherein the second electrode further includes a sensing portion, a deforming direction of the sensing portion is in parallel with the normal direction of the substrate.

10. The MEMS device according to claim 8, wherein the first electrode is disposed on a top surface of the substrate, the second electrode includes a sensing portion and a stationary portion, the stationary portion surrounds the first electrode, and the third electrode surrounds the stationary portion.

11. The MEMS device according to claim 10, wherein one end of the stationary portion is disposed on the top surface of the substrate and the other end of the stationary portion connects a periphery of the sensing portion, a first space is defined between the second electrode and the substrate, the first space is a hermetic space which encloses the first electrode.

12. The MEMS device according to claim 11, further comprising an electrical insulation layer connecting the sensing portion and the third electrode, wherein the electrical insulation layer, the stationary portion, the third electrode and the substrate define a second space which is a hermetic space.

13. The MEMS device according to claim 11, further comprising a conductive post, wherein the stationary portion includes a through hole, the conductive post is disposed inside the through hole and is electrically coupled to the first electrode, and the conductive post is electrically insulated from the stationary portion.

14. The MEMS device according to claim 13, wherein the electrical insulation layer includes a first conductive through hole and a second conductive through hole, the first conductive through hole connects with the conductive post, and the second conductive through hole is electrically coupled to the second electrode.

15. A MEMS device with multiple electrodes, comprising:

a substrate;

a first electrode on the substrate, wherein a pointing direction of the first electrode is in parallel with the normal direction of the substrate;

a second electrode on the substrate, including a sensing portion and a stationary portion; and

a third electrode on the substrate, wherein a pointing direction of the third electrode is perpendicular to the pointing direction of the first electrode;

wherein the sensing portion faces the first electrode, the stationary portion faces the third electrode, when the sensing portion deforms, the stationary portion and the third electrodes are spaced apart by a predetermined constant distance.

16. The MEMS device according to claim 15, wherein a deforming direction of the sensing portion is in parallel with the normal direction of the substrate.

17. The MEMS device according to claim 15, wherein the first electrode is disposed on a top surface of the substrate, the stationary portion surrounds the first electrode, the third electrode surrounds the stationary portion, the sensing portion and the first electrode are spaced apart by a gap.

18. The MEMS device according to claim 17, wherein the stationary portion includes a plurality of first protruding portions, and the third electrode includes a plurality of second protruding portions, wherein the first protruding portions and the second protruding portions are arranged to form an interdigital capacitor.

19. The MEMS device according to claim 17, wherein one end of the stationary portion is disposed on the top surface of the substrate and the other end of the stationary portion connects the sensing portion.

20. The MEMS device according to claim 19, wherein the sensing portion, the stationary portion and the substrate define a first space which encloses the first electrode.

21. The MEMS device according to claim 20, wherein the first space is a hermetic space.

22. The MEMS device according to claim 20, further comprising an electrical insulation layer connecting the second electrode and the third electrode, wherein the electrical insulation layer, the stationary portion, the third electrode and the substrate define a second space.

23. The MEMS device according to claim 22, wherein the second space is a hermetic space.

24. The MEMS device according to claim 19, further comprising a conductive post, wherein the stationary portion includes a through hole, the conductive post is disposed inside the through hole and is electrically coupled to the first electrode, and the conductive post is electrically insulated from the stationary portion.

25. The MEMS device according to claim 19, further comprising an electrical insulation layer connecting the second electrode and the third electrode, wherein the electrical insulation layer, the stationary portion, the third electrode and the substrate define a second space, and the electrical insulation layer covers the partial sensing portion.

26. The MEMS device according to claim 22, further comprising a first conductive layer disposed on the electrical insulation layer.

27. The MEMS device according to claim 25, further comprising a second conductive layer disposed on the sensing portion which is not covered by the electrical insulation layer.

28. The MEMS device according to claim 24, further comprising an integrated circuit chip, wherein the material of the substrate is made of glass, the integrated circuit chip is disposed on a bottom surface of the substrate, and the integrated circuit chip is electrically coupled to the conductive post.

29. The MEMS device according to claim 24, further comprising a first conductive post, an external conductive trace, an electrical isolation layer, a conductive trace layer, a conductive bump, and a conductive trace, wherein, the first conductive post is disposed inside the third electrode, the first conductive post is electrically insulated from the third electrode, the electrical insulation layer includes a first conductive through hole and a second conductive through hole, the external conductive trace is disposed on the electrical insulation layer, the electrical isolation layer is disposed on a bottom surface of the third electrode, the electrical isolation layer includes a third conductive through hole, the conductive trace layer is disposed below the electrical isolation layer, the partial conductive trace layer is disposed between the electrical isolation layer and the substrate, the conductive bump is disposed on the integrated circuit chip, the first conductive through hole of the electrical insulation layer connects the conductive post to the external conductive trace, the second conductive through hole of the electrical insulation layer connects the external conductive trace to the first conductive post, the third conductive through hole of the electrical isolation layer connects the first conductive post to the conductive trace layer, and the conductive wire connects the conductive trace layer and the conductive bump.

30. The MEMS device according to claim 24, wherein the electrical insulation layer includes a first conductive through hole and a second conductive through hole, the first conductive through hole connects with the conductive post, and the second conductive through hole is electrically coupled to the second electrode.

31. The MEMS device according to claim 24, wherein the substrate is an integrated circuit chip further including at least one conductive through hole, wherein the at least one conductive through hole is configured to allow the first electrode, the second electrode and the third electrode to be electrically coupled to at least one conductive bump of the integrated circuit chip, respectively.

32. The MEMS device according to claim 31, further comprising a second conductive post, wherein a conductive layer is disposed on the electrical insulation layer, the second conductive post is disposed inside the third electrode and is electrically insulated from the third electrode, and the at least one conductive through hole is electrically coupled to the conductive layer through the conductive post.

33. The MEMS device according to claim 22, wherein the substrate includes at least one opening and a back chamber, wherein the at least one opening communicates with the second space, the back chamber is disposed under the first electrode, and the first electrode further includes a plurality of apertures by which the back chamber communicates with the first space.

34. The MEMS device according to claim 20, further comprising a dielectric material which is disposed in the first space and is disposed between the stationary portion and the third electrode.

35. A fabricating method of a MEMS device with multiple electrodes, the method comprising the following steps:

providing a Silicon On Insulator (SOI) wafer, wherein the SOI wafer includes a device layer, an electrical insulation layer and a handle layer, wherein the electrical insulation layer is disposed between the device layer and the handle layer;

etching the device layer to form a recession;

etching the device layer having the recession to form a plurality of slots which expose the electrical insulation layer and to form a through hole which exposes the electrical insulation layer, wherein the slots and the recession define a second electrode which includes a sensing portion and a stationary portion, the through hole is disposed in the stationary portion, the slots also define a third electrode and a conductive post which is disposed inside the through hole and is electrically insulated from the stationary portion;

providing a substrate wafer on which a first electrode is disposed;

bonding the SOI wafer and the substrate wafer through wafer-to-wafer bonding to allow the second electrode and the third electrode to connect to a top surface of the substrate wafer, wherein the sensing portion faces the first electrode, the stationary portion faces the third electrode, a pointing direction of the third electrode is perpendicular to a pointing direction of the first electrode, the stationary portion and the third electrode are spaced apart by a predetermined constant distance, the second electrode and the third electrode are disposed on the substrate wafer, and the stationary portion and the third electrode is configured to define a stationary capacitor; and

removing the handle layer.

36. The fabricating method according to claim 35, wherein the slots are configured for the stationary portion to form a plurality of first protruding portions and are configured for the third electrode to form a plurality of second protruding portions, and the first protruding portions and the second protruding portions are arranged to form an interdigital capacitor.

37. The fabricating method according to claim 35, wherein one end of the stationary portion is disposed on the top surface of the substrate and the other end of the stationary portion connects a periphery of the sensing portion, the second electrode is configured to seal the first electrode, the sensing portion, the stationary portion, the electrical insulation layer and the substrate define a first space, and the first space is a hermetic space.

38. The fabricating method according to claim 35, wherein the electrical insulation layer covers the second electrode and the third electrode, the electrical insulation layer, the stationary portion, the third electrode and the substrate define a second space, and the second space is a hermetic space.

39. The fabricating method according to claim 35, further comprising one of the following steps or a combination thereof:

etching the electrical insulation layer to form at least one opening;

depositing a first conductive layer on the electrical insulation layer; and

depositing a deposited conductive layer on the first conductive layer to form at least one electrical contact.