Integrated mechanical device with vertical movement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10748726-B2
Application number	US-201816222017-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2018
Priority date	Oct 29, 2013
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A device includes a thermally deformable assembly accommodated in a cavity of the interconnection part of an integrated circuit. The assembly can bend when there is a variation in temperature, so that its free end zone is displaced vertically. The assembly can be formed in the back end of line of the integrated circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a substrate;
an interconnection region overlying the substrate, the interconnection region comprising a plurality of metallization levels and a via level;
a device comprising a thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly extending at least partly in a cavity of the interconnection region, the device further comprising a free end zone that is mobile in the cavity in a movement direction substantially perpendicular to mid-planes of the metallization levels, and a fixed end zone, opposite the free end zone, that is located outside the cavity, the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly comprising:
a first element located within a first metallization level of the plurality of metallization levels, the first element extending from the fixed end zone into the cavity;
a second element secured to an underside of the first element and located within the via level, which is adjacent to the first metallization level, the second element extending from the fixed end zone into the cavity, wherein a length of the first element is greater than a length of the second element; and
an electrically conductive body arranged at least partly in the cavity, the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly having different configurations corresponding respectively to different distances along a direction between the free end zone and the electrically conductive body, the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly being activatable in order to change from one configuration to another, wherein one of the configurations corresponds to a zero distance such that only the first element at the free end zone is in physical contact with the electrically conductive body so as to establish an electrical connection passing through the electrically conductive body and the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly, wherein the first metallization level and the first via level have the same metal and wherein the second element comprises an insulating portion between two metal portions.

2. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the same metal comprises copper, and wherein the insulating portion contains silicon dioxide.

3. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the first element of the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly is U-shaped having two parallel branches connected by a connecting branch.

4. The integrated circuit according to claim 3 , wherein the free end zone of the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly includes the connecting branch and wherein the second element of the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly has a straight portion extending under each of the two parallel branches as far as the free end zone.

5. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly is thermally activatable.

6. The integrated circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly is electrically activatable, the first element being configured in order to allow an electrical current to flow through it at least partly, in order to increase its temperature.

7. The integrated circuit according to claim 6 , further comprising a voltage generator coupled to apply an electrical voltage between two points of the first element so as to generate the current.

8. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a substrate;
insulating region overlying the substrate;
a plurality of metallization levels within the insulating region;
a via level within the insulating region, the metallization levels and the via level within an interconnection region;
a device having a thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly extending at least partly in a cavity of the interconnection region and having a free end zone that is mobile in the cavity in a direction substantially perpendicular to mid-planes of the metallization levels, the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly comprising:
a first element located within a first metallization level of the plurality of metallization levels and comprising a first end and a second end;
a second element secured to the first element and located within the via level that is adjacent to the first metallization level;
a third element with the same shape as the first element and comprising a first end and a second end, the third element located facing the first element within a second metallization level separated from the first metallization level by the via level; and
an electrically conductive body arranged at least partly in the cavity, the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly having different configurations corresponding respectively to different distances along a direction between the free end zone and the electrically conductive body, the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly being activatable in order to change from one configuration to another, wherein the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly being activatable to a first configuration by applying a first bias between the first and the second ends of the first element, wherein the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly being activatable to a second configuration by applying a second bias between the first and the second ends of the third element, wherein in the first configuration, the free end is spaced from a neutral configuration of the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly along a first direction, and wherein in the second configuration, the free end is spaced from the neutral configuration along a second direction opposite to the first direction.

9. The integrated circuit according to claim 8 , further comprising a connection element located within the via level, secured to the first element and the third element, and forming the second element, which is common to the first element and to the third element.

10. The integrated circuit according to claim 8 , further comprising a connection element located within the via level, secured to the first element and the third element, and forming the second element, wherein the second element comprises two second elements respectively secured to the first element and to the third element.

11. The integrated circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the thermally deformable electrically conductive assembly is electrically activatable, the first element and the third element each being configured in order to allow an electrical current to flow through it at least partly, so as to increase its temperature, and the integrated circuit furthermore comprises a circuit configured in order to selectively generate the current in the first element or in the third element.

12. The integrated circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the first element, the second element, and the third element comprise a same material.

13. The integrated circuit according to claim 12 , wherein the first element, the second element, and the third element comprise copper.

14. The integrated circuit according to claim 8 , wherein the first element comprises a first U-shaped metal line, wherein the third element comprises a second U-shaped metal line, and wherein the second element comprises a plurality of vias connecting the first U-shaped metal line with the second U-shaped metal line.

15. The integrated circuit according to claim 14 , wherein the vias of the plurality of vias are separated by silicon oxide portions.

16. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate;
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Assignees

• Stmicroelectronics Rousset

Inventors

• Rivero Christian
• Fornara Pascal
• Di-Giacomo Antonio
• Arrazat Brice

Classifications

• B81B3/0021 Primary

  Transducers for transforming electrical into mechanical energy or vice versa (dynamo-electric machines H02K99/00; electrostatic machines H02N1/00; piezoelectric devices H10N30/00) · CPC title

• B81B2203/053

  Translation according to an axis perpendicular to the substrate · CPC title

• H01H9/02

  Bases, casings, or covers (accommodating more than one switch or a switch and another electrical component H02B1/26) · CPC title

• H01H1/58

  Electric connections to or between contacts; Terminals {(for high tension switches H01H33/025; for electromagnetic relays H01H50/14; for circuit breakers H01H71/08)} · CPC title

• H01H61/02 Primary

  wherein the thermally-sensitive member is heated indirectly, e.g. resistively, inductively · CPC title