Strain and pressure sensing device, microphone, method for manufacturing strain and pressure sensing device, and method for manufacturing microphone

• US 9,790,087 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Fukuzawa, Hideaki, Ohguro, Tatsuya, Kojima, Akihiro, Sugizaki, Yoshiaki, Takayanagi, Mariko, Fuji, Yoshihiko, Hori, Akio, Hara, Michiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Jamal, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/582,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20150118779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 381114, 381115, 381173, 381174, 381190
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0264 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00158 Diaphragms, membranes manufacture process for semi-permeable inorganic membranes B01D67/0039
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/00246 Monolithic integration, i.e. micromechanical structure and electronic processing unit are integrated on the same substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2203/0771 Stacking the electronic processing unit and the micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0042 Constructional details associated with semiconductive diaphragm sensors, e.g. etching, or constructional details of non-semiconductive diaphragms details about the integration or bonding of piezoresistor in or on the diaphragm G01L9/0052 and G01L9/0057 respectively
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/04 Microphones H04R19/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a strain and pressure sensing device includes a semiconductor circuit unit and a sensing unit. The semiconductor circuit unit includes a semiconductor substrate and a transistor. The transistor is provided on a semiconductor substrate. The sensing unit is provided on the semiconductor circuit unit, and has space and non-space portions. The non-space portion is juxtaposed with the space portion. The sensing unit further includes a movable beam, a strain sensing element unit, and first and second buried interconnects. The movable beam has fixed and movable portions, and includes first and second interconnect layers. The fixed portion is fixed to the non-space portion. The movable portion is separated from the transistor and extends from the fixed portion into the space portion. The strain sensing element unit is fixed to the movable portion. The first and second buried interconnects are provided in the non-space portion.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a strain and pressure sensing device, comprising:

forming a transistor on a semiconductor substrate;

forming a sacrificial layer on the transistor;

forming a sensing unit on the sacrificial layer, and

removing the sacrificial layer,

the sensing unit including a diaphragm and a strain sensing element, the diaphragm being separated from the transistor, a space being provided between the transistor and the diaphragm, the strain sensing element being fixed to the diaphragm, and the strain sensing element including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer; and

a nonmagnetic intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, wherein

the first magnetic layer includes at least one selected from a group consisting of Co, Fe and Ni, and the second magnetic layer includes at least one selected from a group consisting of Co, Fe and Ni,

one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer is positioned between the diaphragm and the other one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer,

an electrical resistance of the sensing unit changes in accordance with a deformation of the diaphragm, and

the first magnetic layer overlaps a part of the diaphragm, and the diaphragm includes a region not overlapping the first magnetic layer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second magnetic layer is a magnetization fixed layer or a magnetization free layer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer includes at least one of Fe, Co and Ni.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a length of the strain sensing element along a direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate is not less than 20 nanometers and not more than 100 nanometers.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the strain sensing element further includes a bias layer juxtaposed with the first magnetic layer to apply a bias magnetic field to the first magnetic layer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a magnetostriction constant of the first magnetic layer is not less than 10⁻

5.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein a direction connecting the sensing unit and the transistor extends along a direction connecting the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the strain sensing element further includes a first electrode and a second electrode,

the first magnetic layer is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, and

the second magnetic layer is positioned between the first electrode and the first magnetic layer.

2. A method for manufacturing a microphone, comprising:

forming a transistor on a semiconductor substrate;

forming a sacrificial layer on the transistor;

forming a sensing unit on the sacrificial layer; and

removing the sacrificial layer,

the sensing unit including a diaphragm and a strain sensing element, the diaphragm being separated from the transistor, a space being provided between the transistor and the diaphragm, the strain sensing element being fixed to the diaphragm, and the strain sensing element including a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer; and

a nonmagnetic intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, wherein

the first magnetic layer includes at least one selected from a group consisting of Co, Fe and Ni, and the second magnetic layer includes at least one selected from a group consisting of Co, Fe and Ni,

one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer is positioned between the diaphragm and the other one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer,

an electrical resistance of the sensing unit changes in accordance with a deformation of the diaphragm, and

the first magnetic layer overlaps a part of the diaphragm, and the diaphragm includes a region not overlapping the first magnetic layer.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the second magnetic layer is a magnetization fixed layer or a magnetization free layer.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer includes at least one of Fe, Co and Ni.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein a length of the strain sensing element along a direction perpendicular to an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate is not less than 20 nanometers and not more than 100 nanometers.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein the strain sensing element further includes a bias layer juxtaposed with the first magnetic layer to apply a bias magnetic field to the first magnetic layer.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein a magnetostriction constant of the first magnetic layer is not less than 10⁻

5.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein a direction connecting the sensing unit and the transistor extends along a direction connecting the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.

16. The method according to claim 2, wherein the strain sensing element further includes a first electrode and a second electrode,

the first magnetic layer is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode, and

the second magnetic layer is positioned between the first electrode and the first magnetic layer.