Method of fabricating a low frequency quartz resonator

• US 7,647,688 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Stratton, Frederic P., Kubena, Randall L., Chang, David T., Patterson, Pamela R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Paul D
• Application Number:
  US12/189,617
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 29/253.5, 295/94, 296/091, 216/62, 216/63, 216/66, 181/171, 181/172, 310/321, 310/328, 310330-332, 381/396, 381/398
• US Class Current: 29/594
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4908 Acoustic transducer

Abstract

A method for fabricating a low frequency quartz resonator includes metalizing a top-side of a quartz wafer with a metal etch stop, depositing a first metal layer over the metal etch stop, patterning the first metal layer to form a top electrode, bonding the quartz wafer to a silicon handle, thinning the quartz wafer to a desired thickness, depositing on a bottom-side of the quartz wafer a hard etch mask, etching the quartz wafer to form a quartz area for the resonator and to form a via through the quartz wafer, removing the hard etch mask without removing the metal etch stop, forming on the bottom side of the quartz wafer a bottom electrode for the low frequency quartz resonator, depositing metal for a substrate bond pad onto a host substrate wafer, bonding the quartz resonator to the substrate bond pad, and removing the silicon handle.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a low frequency quartz resonator, the method comprising:

forming a first cavity in a silicon handle;

metalizing a top-side of a quartz wafer with a metal etch stop;

depositing a first metal layer over the top-side of the quartz wafer and over the metal etch stop;

patterning the first metal layer to form a top electrode for the low frequency quartz resonator;

aligning and bonding the quartz wafer to the silicon handle so that the top electrode and the metal etch stop are within the first cavity in the silicon handle;

thinning the quartz wafer to a desired thickness;

depositing and patterning a second metal layer over a bottom-side of the quartz wafer to form a hard etch mask for masking the etching of the quartz wafer;

etching the quartz wafer to form a first quartz area for the resonator and to form a via through the quartz wafer for contacting the top electrode;

removing the hard etch mask without removing the metal etch stop;

depositing a third metal layer on the bottom side of the quartz wafer;

applying and patterning photoresist over the third metal layer to form a soft mask;

etching areas left unmasked by the soft mask of the third metal layer to form a bottom electrode for the low frequency quartz resonator;

removing the photoresist to form a quartz resonator on the silicon handle;

depositing a fourth metal layer for a substrate bond pad onto a host substrate wafer;

aligning and bonding the quartz resonator on the silicon handle to the substrate bond pad; and

removing the silicon handle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of depositing metal for the substrate bond pad further comprises depositing metal for a first seal ring and at least one probe pad on the host substrate wafer, and wherein the method further comprises:

depositing a fifth metal layer for a second seal ring on a cap wafer;

etching a second cavity and at least one probe pad access hole into the cap wafer;

aligning the first seal ring to the second seal ring; and

bonding the first seal ring to the second seal ring, to form a hermetic seal for the low frequency quartz resonator.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the metal etch stop comprises a layer of nickel.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of aligning and bonding the quartz wafer to the silicon handle so that the top electrode and the metal etch stop are within the first cavity in the silicon handle comprises using a low temperature bonding/annealing process.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein thinning the quartz wafer to a desired thickness comprises thinning to a thickness of tens of microns or greater to obtain a low resonant frequency for the quartz resonator.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein depositing and patterning a second metal layer over a bottom-side of the quartz wafer to form a hard etch mask for etching of the quartz wafer comprises depositing an aluminum metal layer with a thickness of approximately 1 micron for every 15 microns of quartz wafer thickness.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein etching the quartz wafer to form a first quartz area for the resonator and to form a via through the quartz wafer for contacting the top electrode comprises etching using a fluorine-chemistry, high-density plasma deep reactive ion etcher.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein removing the hard etch mask without removing the metal etch stop comprises etching using a nickel-compatible wet etchant so that the nickel in the metal etch stop is not etched.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of applying and patterning photoresist over the third metal layer to form a soft mask and etching areas left unmasked by the soft mask of the third metal layer to form a bottom electrode comprise etching the third metal layer to disconnect the bottom electrode from the top electrode.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein removing the silicon handle comprises a dry silicon etch.

11. A method for fabricating a plurality of low frequency quartz resonators on a host substrate starting with a silicon handle and a quartz wafer, the method for forming each of the low frequency quartz resonators of the plurality of low frequency quartz resonators on the host substrate comprising:

forming a first cavity in the silicon handle;

metalizing a top-side of a quartz wafer with a metal etch stop;

depositing a first metal layer over a top-side of the quartz wafer and over the metal etch stop;

patterning the first metal layer to form a top electrode for the low frequency quartz resonator;

aligning and bonding the quartz wafer to the silicon handle so that the top electrode and the metal etch stop are within the first cavity in the silicon handle;

thinning the quartz wafer to a desired thickness;

depositing and patterning a second metal layer over a bottom-side of the quartz wafer to form a hard etch mask for masking the etching of the quartz wafer;

etching the quartz wafer to form a first quartz area for the resonator and to form a via through the quartz wafer for contacting the top electrode;

removing the hard etch mask without removing the metal etch stop;

depositing a third metal layer on the bottom side of the quartz wafer;

applying and patterning photoresist over the third metal layer to form a soft mask;

etching areas left unmasked by the soft mask of the third metal layer to form a bottom electrode for the low frequency quartz resonator;

removing the photoresist to form a quartz resonator on the silicon handle;

depositing a fourth metal layer for a substrate bond pad onto a host substrate wafer;

aligning and bonding the quartz resonator on the silicon handle to the substrate bond pad; and

removing the silicon handle.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of depositing metal for the substrate bond pad further comprises depositing metal for a first seal ring and at least one probe pad on the host substrate wafer, and wherein the method further comprises:

depositing a fifth metal layer for a second seal ring on a cap wafer;

etching a second cavity and at least one probe pad access hole into the cap wafer;

aligning the first seal ring to the second seal ring; and

bonding the first seal ring to the second seal ring, to form a hermetic seal for the low frequency quartz resonator.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the metal etch stop comprises a layer of nickel.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein thinning the quartz wafer to a desired thickness comprises thinning to a thickness of tens of microns or greater to obtain a low resonant frequency for the quartz resonator.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein depositing and patterning a second metal layer over a bottom-side of the quartz wafer to form a hard etch mask for etching of the quartz wafer comprises depositing an aluminum metal layer with a thickness of approximately 1 micron for every 15 microns of quartz wafer thickness.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein etching the quartz wafer to form a first quartz area for the resonator and to form a via through the quartz wafer for contacting the top electrode comprises etching using a fluorine-chemistry, high-density plasma deep reactive ion etcher.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein removing the hard etch mask without removing the metal etch stop comprises etching using a nickel-compatible wet etchant so that the nickel in the metal etch stop is not etched.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the steps of applying and patterning photoresist over the third metal layer to form a soft mask and etching areas left unmasked by the soft mask of the third metal layer to form a bottom electrode comprise etching the third metal layer to disconnect the bottom electrode from the top electrode.