Electrochemical fabrication methods incorporating dielectric materials and/or using dielectric substrates

• US 9,546,431 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2014
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microfabrica Incorporated (Technoprobe S.P.A.)
• Original Assignee: Microfabrica Incorporated (Technoprobe S.P.A.)
• Inventors: Cohen, Adam L., Lockard, Michael S., Kim, Kieun, Le, Qui T., Zhang, Gang, Frodis, Uri, McPherson, Dale S., Smalley, Dennis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUFO, LOUIS J
• Application Number:
  US14/185,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20140209473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00126 Static structures not provided for in groups B81C1/00031 - B81C1/00119
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0109 Sacrificial layers not provided for in B81C2201/0107 - B81C2201/0108
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/019 Bonding or gluing multiple substrate layers
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1605 by masking
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 18/1651 Two or more layers only obtained by electroless plating
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/003 3D structures, e.g. superposed patterned layers
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 5/022 using masking means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/11 Methods of delaminating, per se; i.e. , separating at bonding face
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/19 Delaminating means

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present invention are directed to techniques for building up single layer or multi-layer structures on dielectric or partially dielectric substrates. Certain embodiments deposit seed layer material directly onto substrate materials while other embodiments use an intervening adhesion layer material. Some embodiments use different seed layer materials and/or adhesion layer materials for sacrificial and structural conductive building materials. Some embodiments apply seed layer and/or adhesion layer materials in what are effectively selective manners while other embodiments apply the materials in blanket fashion. Some embodiments remove extraneous depositions (e.g. depositions to regions unintended to form part of a layer) via planarization operations while other embodiments remove the extraneous material via etching operations. Other embodiments are directed to the electrochemical fabrication of multilayer mesoscale or microscale structures which are formed using at least one conductive structural material, at least one conductive sacrificial material, and at least one dielectric material. In some embodiments the dielectric material is a UV-curable photopolymer.

Claims

1. A batch process for forming a plurality of multilayer three-dimensional structures, comprising:

(a) forming and adhering a first layer of material directly or indirectly to a dielectric substrate or to a substrate containing at least one region of dielectric material, wherein the first layer comprises at least one structural material and at least one sacrificial material;

(b) forming and adhering at least one additional layer to a previously formed layer, which may be the first layer or a layer formed subsequent to the forming of the first layer, to build up the plurality of three-dimensional structures from a plurality of adhered layers, wherein each of the at least one additional layers comprises at least one structural material and at least one sacrificial material; and

(c) after formation of the plurality of layers removing the at least one sacrificial material from multiple layers to reveal the plurality of three-dimensional structures;

wherein the formation of the first layer of material additionally comprises;

(i) depositing an adhesion layer material and/or a seed layer material to form a non-planar coating of which a portion defines a region of the substrate that is to receive an electrodeposition of a selected one of a structural material or of a sacrificial material;

(ii) removing, via planarization, the adhesion layer material and/or the seed layer material from an elevated portion of the non-planar coating after deposition of the selected one of the at least one structural material or the at least one sacrificial material; and

(iii) planarizing the at least one structural material and the at least one sacrificial material to set a boundary level of the first layer.

2. A batch process for forming a plurality of multilayer three-dimensional structures, comprising:

(a) forming and adhering a first layer of material directly or indirectly to a substrate, wherein the first layer comprises at least one first sacrificial material and at least one first structural material;

(b) forming and adhering at least one nth layer to a previously formed (n−

1)th layer, which may be the first layer or a layer formed subsequent to the first layer, to build up the plurality of three-dimensional structures from a plurality of adhered layers, wherein the at least one nth layer comprises at least one nth sacrificial material and at least one nth structural material; and

(c) after formation of the plurality of layers removing at least one sacrificial material from multiple layers to reveal the plurality of three-dimensional structures;

wherein the formation of the nth layer further comprises;

(i) depositing an adhesion layer material and/or a seed layer material to form a non-planar coating of which a portion defines a region of the (n−

1)th layer that is to receive a deposition of a selected one of the at least one nth sacrificial material or at least one nth structural material;

(ii) removing, via planarization, the adhesion layer material and/or the seed layer material from an elevated portion of the non-planar coating after deposition of the selected one of the at least one nth sacrificial material or the at least one nth structural material; and

(iii) planarizing the at least one nth structural material and the at least one nth sacrificial material to set a boundary level of the nth layer.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the nth layer is the second layer and the (n−

1)th layer is the first layer.

4. A batch process for forming a plurality of multilayer three-dimensional structures directly or indirectly on a dielectric substrate, comprising:

(a) forming and adhering a first layer of material directly or indirectly to a dielectric substrate or to a substrate containing at least one region of dielectric material; and

(b) forming and adhering at least one layer to a previously formed layer to build up the plurality of three-dimensional structures from a plurality of adhered layers;

wherein the formation of the first layer of material comprises;

(i) depositing a first seed layer material onto the substrate including at least some portions of the substrate that are not to receive a selected one of a structural material and sacrificial material;

(ii) depositing a selected one of structural material and sacrificial material onto the first seed layer material over those portions of the substrate that are to receive the selected one of structural material and sacrificial material, wherein the portions that are to receive the selected one are less than all portions of the substrate;

(iii) removing portions of the first seed layer material that are not located between the selected one and the substrate or located adjacent to the selected one;

(iv) after removing portions of the first seed layer depositing a second seed layer material onto those portions of the substrate that are to receive a non-selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material;

(v) depositing the non-selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material onto the second seed layer material over those portions of the substrate that are to receive the non-selected one of structural material and sacrificial material; and

(vi) planarizing the deposited selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material and the deposited non-selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material to a height corresponding to a desired thickness of the first layer.

5. The process of claim 4 additionally comprising the deposition of a first adhesion layer material onto at least those areas of the substrate that are to receive the selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material.

6. The process of claim 5 additionally comprising removing any first adhesion layer material, after removing the portions of the first seed layer material that are not covered by the selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material such that remaining portions of the first adhesion layer material are located only between the first seed layer material and the substrate.

7. The process of claim 4 additionally comprising the deposition of a second adhesion layer material, after removing the first seed layer material onto at least those areas of the substrate to receive the non-selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material.

8. The process of claim 7 additionally comprising removing any second adhesion layer material that is not covered by the non-selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material such that remaining portions of the second adhesion layer material are located only between the second seed layer material and the substrate.

9. The process of claim 7 additionally comprising the deposition of a first adhesion layer material onto at least those areas of the substrate to receive the selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein the first adhesion layer material is substantially the same as the second adhesion layer material.

11. The process of claim 9 wherein the first adhesion layer material is different from the second adhesion layer material.

12. The process of claim 5 wherein the deposition of the first seed layer material locates the material on the first seed layer material on the substrate in regions extending beyond the regions to be occupied by the selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material.

14. The process of claim 6 wherein the deposition of the second seed layer material results in the second seed layer material overlaying regions occupied by the selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material.

15. The process of claim 6 wherein the deposition of the second seed layer material results in the second seed layer material being only located to those regions where the second material is to be located.

13. A batch process for forming a plurality of multilayer three-dimensional structures on a dielectric substrate, comprising:

(a) forming and adhering a first layer of material directly or indirectly to a dielectric substrate or to a substrate containing at least one region of dielectric material; and

(b) forming and adhering at least one layer to a previously formed layer to build up a plurality of three-dimensional structures from a plurality of adhered layers;

wherein the formation of the first layer of material comprises;

(i) depositing a first seed layer material onto the substrate, wherein the deposition of the first seed layer material locates the first seed layer material on the substrate to only those regions to be occupied by a selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material and the deposition of the first seed layer material results in the first seed layer material overlaying a masking material that is located in regions where the selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material is not to be located;

(ii) depositing a selected one of structural material and sacrificial material onto the first seed layer material over those portions of the substrate that are to receive the selected one of structural material and sacrificial material, wherein the portions that are to receive the selected one are less than all portions of the substrate;

(iii) removing the masking material and removing portions of the first seed layer material that are not located between the selected one and the substrate;

(iv) depositing a second seed layer material onto those portions of the substrate that are to receive a non-selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material;

(v) depositing the non-selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material onto the second seed layer material over those portions of the substrate that are to receive the non-selected one of structural material and sacrificial material; and

(vi) planarizing the deposited selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material and the deposited non-selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material to a height corresponding to a desired thickness of the first layer.

16. A batch process for forming a plurality of structures and adhering a layer of material to, comprising:

(a) depositing a first seed layer material directly or indirectly onto a dielectric substrate or to a substrate having at least one region of dielectric material;

(b) depositing the selected one of structural material and sacrificial material onto the first seed layer material over those portions of the substrate that are to receive the selected one of structural material and sacrificial material, wherein the portions that are to receive the selected one are less than all portions of the substrate;

(c) removing portions of the first seed layer material that are not located between the selected one and the substrate or located adjacent to the selected one;

(d) depositing a second seed layer material onto those portions of the substrate that are to receive a non-selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material;

(e) depositing the non-selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material onto the second seed layer material over those portions of the substrate that are to receive the non-selected one of structural material and sacrificial material; and

(f) planarizing the deposited selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material and the non-selected one of the structural material and sacrificial material to a height corresponding to a desired thickness of the first layer.