Vertical Integrated Circuit Switches, Design Structure and Methods of Fabricating Same

• US 20140014480A1
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries US Incorporated (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: ANDERSON, Felix P., COONEY, Edward C. III, MCDEVITT, Thomas L., STAMPER, Anthony K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,791,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 200/181
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 59/0009 making use of micromechanics
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

Vertical integrated MEMS switches, design structures and methods of fabricating such vertical switches is provided herein. The method of manufacturing a MEMS switch, includes forming at least two vertically extending vias in a wafer and filling the at least two vertically extending vias with a metal to form at least two vertically extending wires. The method further includes opening a void in the wafer from a bottom side such that at least one of the vertically extending wires is moveable within the void.

Claims

1. A MEMS switch, comprising:

at least two vertically extending metal wires formed in a wafer; and

a void formed in the wafer which accommodates at least one of the at least two vertically extending metal wires,

wherein the at least one of the at least two vertically extending metal wires is moveable within the void upon an application of a voltage.

2. The MEMS switch of claim 1, wherein the at least two vertically extending metal wires are four wires and the at least one wire is two inner wires which are moveable within the void upon an application of the voltage.

3. The MEMS switch of claim 2, wherein the at least two inner wires are formed from a bottom side of the wafer.

4. The MEMS switch of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the at least two vertical extending metal wires are three vertically extending metal wires, with a middle wire, longer to two outer wires.

5. The MEMS switch of claim 1, wherein the at least two vertically extending metal wires are three verrtically extending metal wires with two fixed to the wafer and partially exposed to the void.

6. The MEMS switch of claim 1, wherein the void is hermetically sealed.

7. The MEMS switch of claim 1, wherein the at least two vertically extending metal wires are four vertically extending wires, two inner wires of the four vertically extending wires are moveable within the void in order to make contact with one another.

8. The MEMS switch of claim 7, further comprising two wire extensions in contact with the two inner wires, respectively, of the four vertically extending wires.

9. The MEMS switch of claim 8, wherein the two wire extensions are moveable within the void in order to make contact with one another.

10. The MEMS switch of claim 1, wherein the at least two vertically extending metal wires are three verrtically extending metal wires such that a middle of the three vertically extending wires is freely moveable within the void to make contact with a wire from a bottom side of the wafer.