Micro-electro-mechanical system (mems) structures and design structures

US2016264405A1 · US · A1

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-2016264405-A1
Application numberUS-201615162988-A
CountryUS
Kind codeA1
Filing dateMay 24, 2016
Priority dateApr 12, 2013
Publication dateSep 15, 2016
Grant date

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) structures, methods of manufacture and design structures are disclosed. The method includes forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) beam structure by venting both tungsten material and silicon material above and below the MEMS beam to form an upper cavity above the MEMS beam and a lower cavity structure below the MEMS beam.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed: 1 . A method comprising: forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) beam structure comprising: forming both tungsten material and semiconductor material below the MEMS beam structure; forming both the tungsten material and the semiconductor material above the MEMS beam structure by forming the semiconductor material within a via in contact with the semiconductor material below the MEMS beam structure and forming the tungsten material over the semiconductor material above the MEMS beam structure; and venting both the tungsten material and the semiconductor material at least above and below the MEMS beam structure to form an upper cavity structure above the MEMS beam structure and a lower cavity structure below the MEMS beam structure, wherein the MEMS beam structure comprises a cantilevered beam structure. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the venting and film thicknesses are controlled to ensure that all or substantially all of the tungsten material is removed, prior to the semiconductor material. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor material is one of silicon material and germanium material. 4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein forming the tungsten material and silicon material below the MEMS beam structure comprises forming the tungsten material on a substrate and forming the silicon material over the tungsten material. 5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the venting comprising forming a vent hole to expose at least the silicon material above the MEMS beam structure and performing an XeF 2 etching process. 6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the tungsten material at least one of above and below the MEMS beam structure is formed by a physical vapor deposition process followed by a chemical vapor deposition process. 7 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising forming an additional silicon material on the tungsten material above the MEMS beam structure. 8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising: planarizing the additional silicon material; forming a lid over the planarized additional silicon material; forming at least one venting hole in the lid, exposing the additional silicon material; and venting the materials above and below the MEMS beam structure to form the upper cavity and the lower cavity. 9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: forming a lid over the tungsten material formed above the MEMS beam structure; forming at least one vent hole in the lid to vent the semiconductor material formed above the MEMS beam structure and the tungsten material formed above the MEMS beam structure. 10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the lid is formed with a planar surface on an underside thereof by depositing the lid directly on one of the tungsten material formed above the MEMS beam structure or another layer of semiconductor material formed on the tungsten material formed over the MEMS beam structure. 11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the via connects the lower cavity structure and the upper cavity structure. 12 . A method comprising forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) beam structure by venting both tungsten material and semiconductor material at least above and below the MEMS beam structure to form an upper cavity structure above the MEMS beam structure and a lower cavity structure below the MEMS beam structure, wherein the MEMS beam structure comprises a cantilevered beam structure, and wherein the tungsten material and semiconductor material above the MEMS beam structure comprises forming the semiconductor material within a via in contact with the semiconductor material below the MEMS beam structure and forming the tungsten material over the semiconductor material. 13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the venting and film thicknesses are controlled to ensure that all or substantially all of the tungsten material is removed, prior to the semiconductor material. 14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the semiconductor material is one of silicon material and germanium material. 15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the tungsten material and silicon material below the MEMS beam structure comprises forming the tungsten material on a substrate and forming the silicon material over the tungsten material. 16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the venting comprising forming a vent hole to expose at least the silicon material above the MEMS beam structure and performing an XeF 2 etching process. 17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the tungsten material at least one of above and below the MEMS beam structure is formed by a physical vapor deposition process followed by a chemical vapor deposition process. 18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising forming an additional silicon material on the tungsten material above the MEMS beam structure. 19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising: planarizing the additional silicon material; forming a lid over the planarized additional silicon material; forming at least one venting hole in the lid, exposing the additional silicon material; and venting the materials above and below the MEMS beam structure to form the upper cavity and the lower cavity.

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • Hermetically sealing an opening in the lid · CPC title

  • Cavities · CPC title

  • Cavities · CPC title

  • Physical Vapour Deposition [PVD], i.e. evaporation, sputtering, ion plating or plasma assisted deposition, ion cluster beam technology · CPC title

  • having low tensile stress between layers · CPC title

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What does patent US2016264405A1 cover?
Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) structures, methods of manufacture and design structures are disclosed. The method includes forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) beam structure by venting both tungsten material and silicon material above and below the MEMS beam to form an upper cavity above the MEMS beam and a lower cavity structure below the MEMS beam.
Who is the assignee on this patent?
IBM
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification B81C1/00047. Mapped technology areas include Operations & Transport.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Thu Sep 15 2016 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (A1). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 8 related publications on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).