Dual layer microelectromechanical systems device and method of manufacturing same

US9617147B2 · US · B2

Patent metadata
FieldValue
Publication numberUS-9617147-B2
Application numberUS-201514685309-A
CountryUS
Kind codeB2
Filing dateApr 13, 2015
Priority dateJan 24, 2013
Publication dateApr 11, 2017
Grant dateApr 11, 2017

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  1. Title

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  2. Abstract

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  3. Assignees and inventors

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  4. Key dates

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  5. First independent claim

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  6. CPC / IPC classifications

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  7. Citations and related patents

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Abstract

Official abstract text for this publication.

Exemplary microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices, and methods for fabricating such are disclosed. An exemplary method includes providing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, wherein the SOI substrate includes a first silicon layer separated from a second silicon layer by an insulator layer; processing the first silicon layer to form a first structure layer of a MEMS device; bonding the first structure layer to a substrate; and processing the second silicon layer to form a second structure layer of the MEMS device.

First claim

Opening claim text (preview).

What is claimed is: 1. A method comprising: providing a substrate having a first semiconductor material layer, a second semiconductor material layer, and an insulator layer between the first and second semiconductor material layers; processing the first semiconductor material layer to form a first structure layer of a MEMS device, wherein processing the first semiconductor material layer to form the first structure layer includes: forming a first trench within the first semiconductor material layer; forming a dielectric material layer within the first trench; and forming a first conductive layer within the first trench; and processing the second semiconductor material layer to form a second structure layer of the MEMS device; and removing the first conductive layer from the first trench prior to processing the second semiconductor material layer. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the first trench within the first semiconductor material layer further includes forming a second trench within the first semiconductor material layer, wherein forming the first conductive layer within the first trench further includes forming the first conductive layer within the second trench, and wherein the first conductive layer is positioned within the second trench during processing of the second semiconductor layer. 3. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the second semiconductor material layer to form the second structure layer of the MEMS device further includes: forming a second trench that extends through the second semiconductor layer and the insulator layer to expose a portion of the first semiconductor material layer; and forming a second conductive layer within the second trench, wherein the second conductive layer physically contacts the portion of the first semiconductor material layer. 4. The method of claim 3 , wherein processing the second semiconductor material layer to form the second structure layer of the MEMS device further includes: forming a bonding structure directly on the second conductive layer; and bonding a capping structure to the bonding structure, wherein the capping structure includes an interconnect structure. 5. The method of claim 2 , wherein processing the second semiconductor material layer to form the second structure layer of the MEMS device further includes: forming a third trench that extends through the second semiconductor layer and the insulator layer to expose a portion of the first conductive layer within the second trench; and forming a second conductive layer within the third trench such that the second conductive layer physically contacts the portion of the first conductive layer within the second trench. 6. The method of claim 5 , wherein processing the second semiconductor material layer to form the second structure layer of the MEMS device further includes: after forming the second conductive layer within the third trench, removing the dielectric material layer from the second trench. 7. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the second semiconductor material layer to form the second structure layer of the MEMS device further includes: completely removing the second semiconductor material layer to expose the insulator layer; after completely removing the second semiconductor material layer to expose the insulator layer, forming a second trench that extends through the insulator layer to expose a portion of the first semiconductor material layer and a third trench that extends through the insulator layer to expose a portion of the first conductive layer within the first trench; and forming a second conductive layer within the first and second trenches such that the second conductive layer physically contacts the portion of the first semiconductor material layer and the portion of the first conductive layer within the first trench. 8. A method comprising: providing a substrate having a first semiconductor material layer, a second semiconductor material layer, and an insulator layer between the first and second semiconductor material layers; processing the first semiconductor material layer to form a first structure layer of a MEMS device, wherein processing the first semiconductor material layer to form the first structure layer of the MEMS device includes: forming a second trench within the first semiconductor material layer; and forming a second conductive layer within the second trench; processing the second semiconductor material layer to form a second structure layer of the MEMS device, wherein processing the second semiconductor material layer to form a second structure layer of the MEMS device includes: forming a first trench that extends through the insulator layer; and forming a first conductive layer within the first trench; and removing the second conductive layer from the second trench prior to processing the second semiconductor material layer. 9. The method of claim 8 , wherein forming the first trench that extends through the insulator layer includes forming the first trench through the second semiconductor material layer. 10. The method of claim 8 , wherein processing the second semiconductor material layer to form the second structure layer of the MEMS device further includes completely removing the second semiconductor material layer to expose the insulator layer prior to forming the first trench. 11. The method of claim 8 , wherein processing the first semiconductor material layer to form the first structure layer of a MEMS device includes: forming a third trench within the first semiconductor material layer; forming another substrate on the first semiconductor material layer; and removing a portion of the another substrate to expose a portion of the first semiconductor material layer. 12. The method of claim 8 , wherein forming the second trench within the first semiconductor material layer includes forming a third trench within the first semiconductor material layer, wherein forming the second conductive layer within the second trench includes forming the second conductive layer within the third trench, wherein the first trench exposes the second conductive layer within the third trench, and wherein the first conductive layer within the first trench physically contacts the second conductive layer within the third trench. 13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first trench extends through the second semiconductor layer and the insulator layer to expose a portion of the first semiconductor material layer, and wherein the first conductive layer physically contacts the portion of the first semiconductor material layer. 14. A method comprising: providing a substrate having a first semiconductor material layer, a second semiconductor material layer, and an insulator layer between the first and second semiconductor material layers; processing the first semiconductor material layer to form a first structure layer of a MEMS device, wherein processing the first semiconductor material layer to form the first structure layer includes: forming a first trench within the first semiconductor material layer that exposes a portion of the insulator layer; and forming another conductive layer within the first trench; and processing the second semiconductor material layer to form a second structure layer of the MEMS device, wherein processing the second semiconductor material layer to form the second structure layer includes: forming a second trench within the insulator layer; and forming a conductive layer within the second trench; and removing the another conductive layer from the first trench prior to processing the second s

Assignees

Inventors

Classifications

  • Anchors · CPC title

  • Accelerometers · CPC title

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

  • the micromechanical device and the control or processing electronics being separate parts in the same package · CPC title

  • Processes for packaging MEMS devices (MEMS packages B81B7/0032, packaging of smart-MEMS B81C1/0023) · CPC title

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What does patent US9617147B2 cover?
Exemplary microelectromechanical system (MEMS) devices, and methods for fabricating such are disclosed. An exemplary method includes providing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, wherein the SOI substrate includes a first silicon layer separated from a second silicon layer by an insulator layer; processing the first silicon layer to form a first structure layer of a MEMS device; bonding the…
Who is the assignee on this patent?
Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd
What technology area does this patent fall under?
Primary CPC classification B81C1/00269. Mapped technology areas include Operations & Transport.
When was this patent published?
Publication date Tue Apr 11 2017 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) (B2). Legal status and post-grant events are not shown on this page.
What related patents are in patentsdb?
We list 1 related publication on this page (citations in our corpus or others sharing the same primary CPC).