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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016264406-A1
Application number	US-201615162994-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 24, 2016
Priority date	Apr 12, 2013
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

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

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;
forming a lid over the tungsten material formed above the MEMS beam structure;
forming at least one vent hole in the lid and through the tungsten material formed above the MEMS beam structure to expose the semiconductor material formed above the MEMS beam structure; and
venting the semiconductor material formed above the MEMS beam structure while venting the tungsten material formed above the MEMS beam structure to form an upper cavity structure above the MEMS beam structure; and
venting both the tungsten material and the semiconductor material below the MEMS beam structure to form 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 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 tungsten material and silicon material above the MEMS beam structure comprises forming the silicon material within a via in contact with the silicon material below the MEMS beam structure and forming the tungsten material over the silicon material.

6 . The method of claim 5 , 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.

7 . The method of claim 6 , 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.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising forming an additional silicon material on the tungsten material above the MEMS beam structure.

9 . The method of claim 8 , 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.

10 . The method of claim 1 , 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 over 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 forming of the least one vent hole is forming at least two vent holes, wherein a first of the at least two vent holes exposes the semiconductor material above the MEMS beam structure and a second of the at least two vent holes exposes the tungsten material above the MEMS beam 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,
further comprising: forming a lid over the tungsten material formed above the MEMS beam structure; forming at least one vent hole in the lid and through the tungsten material formed above the MEMS beam structure to expose the semiconductor material formed above the MEMS beam structure; and venting the semiconductor material formed above the MEMS beam structure while venting the tungsten material formed above the MEMS beam structure.

13 . The method of claim 12 , 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 over the MEMS beam structure or another layer of semiconductor material formed on the tungsten material formed over the MEMS beam structure.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the forming of the least one vent hole is forming at least two vent holes, wherein a first of the at least two vent holes exposes the semiconductor material above the MEMS beam structure and a second of the at least two vent holes exposes the tungsten material above the MEMS beam structure.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Brigham Michael T
• Jahnes Christopher V
• Luce Cameron E
• Maling Jeffrey C
• Murphy William J
• Stamper Anthony K
• White Eric J

Classifications

• B81C2201/0107

  Sacrificial metal · CPC title

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• B81C2203/0714

  Forming the micromechanical structure with a CMOS process · CPC title

• B81C2203/0145

  Hermetically sealing an opening in the lid · CPC title

• B81C1/00269

  Bonding of solid lids or wafers to the substrate · CPC title