Planar cavity MEMS and related structures, methods of manufacture and design structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637373-B2
Application number	US-201514963892-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2010
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A method of forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes forming a lower electrode on a first insulator layer within a cavity of the MEMS. The method further includes forming an upper electrode over another insulator material on top of the lower electrode which is at least partially in contact with the lower electrode. The forming of the lower electrode and the upper electrode includes adjusting a metal volume of the lower electrode and the upper electrode to modify beam bending.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) structure comprising a moveable beam comprising at least one insulator layer on a lower electrode such that a volume of the lower electrode is adjusted to modify beam bending characteristics;
an upper electrode over the at least one insulator layer on top of the lower electrode, wherein:
a metal volume of the lower electrode and a metal volume of the upper electrode are based at least on a layout of the lower electrode,
the lower electrode and the upper electrode are formed of a same material, and
the lower electrode and the upper electrode are composed of Ti/AlCu/Ti/TiN.

2. The MEMS structure of claim 1 , wherein the lower electrode and the upper electrode have identical layouts and same thicknesses.

3. The MEMS structure of claim 1 , wherein one of the lower electrode and the upper electrode is as a slotted or holed layout and one of the upper electrode and the lower electrode, respectively, has a thickness of the slotted or holed layout, to match the metal volume of the lower electrode with the metal volume of the upper electrode.

4. The MEMS structure of claim 1 , wherein the moveable beam is formed from one or more metal layers, comprising a top metal and a bottom metal with an oxide layer therebetween.

5. The MEMS structure of claim 1 , wherein the upper electrode is U-shaped with a via between opposing sides of the upper electrode.

6. The MEMS structure of claim 1 , wherein the lower electrode is in a trench.

7. The MEMS structure of claim 1 , wherein the upper electrode is directly on the insulator layer and is directly on the lower electrode.

8. A Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) structure comprising a moveable beam comprising at least one insulator layer on a lower electrode such that a volume of the lower electrode is adjusted to modify beam bending characteristics, wherein:
the moveable beam comprises the at least one insulator layer, the lower electrode, and an upper electrode contacting the lower electrode, and
the lower electrode and the upper electrode are different in thicknesses relative to one another, with a metal volume of the upper electrode and the lower electrode being balanced.

9. The MEMS structure of claim 8 , wherein one of the lower electrode and the upper electrode is as a slotted or holed layout and one of the upper electrode and the lower electrode, respectively, has a thickness of the slotted or holed layout, to match the metal volume of the lower electrode with the metal volume of the upper electrode.

10. The MEMS structure of claim 8 , wherein the lower electrode is in a trench.

11. The MEMS structure of claim 8 , wherein the upper electrode is directly on the insulator layer and is directly on the lower electrode.

12. The MEMS structure of claim 8 , wherein the upper electrode is U-shaped with a via between opposing sides of the upper electrode.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Jahnes Christopher V
• Stamper Anthony K

Classifications

• B81C2201/0167

  by adding further layers of materials having complementary strains, i.e. compressive or tensile strain · CPC title

• B81C2201/017

  Methods for controlling internal stress of deposited layers not provided for in B81C2201/0164 - B81C2201/0169 · CPC title

• Y10T29/435

  Solid dielectric type · CPC title

• B81B2203/04

  Electrodes · CPC title

• B81C1/00365

  having low tensile stress between layers · CPC title