Monolithic MEMS platform for integrated pressure, temperature, and gas sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9845236-B2
Application number	US-201514645826-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2015
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a monolithic MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) platform having a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor and a gas sensor, and an associated method of formation. In some embodiments, the MEMS platform includes a semiconductor substrate having one or more transistor devices and a temperature sensor. A dielectric layer is disposed over the semiconductor substrate. A cavity is disposed within an upper surface of the dielectric layer. A MEMS substrate is arranged onto the upper surface of the dielectric layer and has a first section and a second section. A pressure sensor has a first pressure sensor electrode that is vertically separated by the cavity from a second pressure sensor electrode within the first section of a MEMS substrate. A gas sensor has a polymer disposed between a first gas sensor electrode within the second section of a MEMS substrate and a second gas sensor electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A monolithic micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) platform, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate comprising one or more transistor devices and a temperature sensor;
a dielectric structure disposed over the semiconductor substrate and having a cavity disposed within an upper surface of the dielectric structure;
a MEMS substrate arranged onto the upper surface of the dielectric structure and having a first section and a second section that is electrically disconnected from the first section;
a pressure sensor having a first pressure sensor electrode and a second pressure sensor electrode that are vertically separated by the cavity, wherein the second pressure sensor electrode comprises the first section of the MEMS substrate; and
a gas sensor comprising a polymer disposed between a first gas sensor electrode within the second section of the MEMS substrate and a second gas sensor electrode, wherein the polymer extends from over the MEMS substrate to between sidewalls of the MEMS substrate.

2. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 1 ,
wherein the cavity is defined by sidewalls of the dielectric structure coupled between the upper surface of the dielectric structure and a recessed surface of the dielectric structure facing away from the semiconductor substrate; and
wherein the first pressure sensor electrode comprises a metal interconnect layer arranged onto the recessed surface of the dielectric structure at a position laterally between the sidewalls of the dielectric structure and vertically under the second pressure sensor electrode.

3. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 1 , wherein the first gas sensor electrode comprises a first comb-like structure and wherein the second gas sensor electrode comprises a second comb-like structure interdigitated with the first comb-like structure.

4. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 1 , wherein the polymer is disposed onto the first gas sensor electrode and wherein the second gas sensor electrode comprises a metal layer disposed over the polymer at a position vertically overlying the first gas sensor electrode.

5. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 1 , wherein the first section of the MEMS substrate is spatially separated from the second section of the MEMS substrate by way of a space.

6. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first vertical interconnect structure laterally extending from the semiconductor substrate to the first section of the MEMS substrate; and
a second vertical interconnect structure vertically extending from the semiconductor substrate to the second section of the MEMS substrate.

7. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 6 , further comprising a capping substrate disposed over the MEMS substrate.

8. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 7 , further comprising:
a through-substrate-via (TSV) vertically extending from the first vertical interconnect structure through the capping substrate;
a redistribution layer electrically connected to the TSV and arranged within a protection layer disposed onto a side of the capping substrate opposing the MEMS substrate; and
a plurality of solder balls electrically coupled to the redistribution layer.

9. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 1 , wherein the MEMS substrate is set back from an outer edge of the semiconductor substrate and the dielectric structure, so as to expose a bonding area having an exposed a metal interconnect layer disposed within the dielectric structure.

10. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 1 , further comprising:
a through-substrate-via (TSV) vertically extending through the semiconductor substrate;
a redistribution layer electrically connected to the TSV and arranged within a protection layer disposed onto a side of the semiconductor substrate opposing the dielectric structure; and
a plurality of solder balls electrically coupled to the redistribution layer.

11. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 1 , wherein the first section of the MEMS substrate has a first thickness and the second section of the MEMS substrate has a second thickness that is different than the first thickness.

12. A monolithic MEMS platform, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate comprising one or more transistor devices and a temperature sensor;
a dielectric layer disposed over the semiconductor substrate and having a cavity disposed within an upper surface of the dielectric layer;
a plurality of metal interconnect layers arranged within the dielectric layer and comprising a first pressure sensor electrode extending along a bottom surface of the cavity;
a MEMS substrate comprising a conductive semiconductor material disposed onto the upper surface of the dielectric layer, wherein the MEMS substrate comprises a second pressure sensor electrode disposed over the cavity and first gas sensor electrode electrically isolated from the second pressure sensor electrode; and
a polymer having a dielectric constant that varies depending upon a presence of a liquid or gas in a surrounding ambient environment, which is disposed between the first gas sensor electrode and a second gas sensor electrode.

13. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 12 , wherein the polymer comprises polyimide.

14. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 12 , wherein the second gas sensor electrode comprises a metal material extending from the MEMS substrate to a position overlying the polymer.

15. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 12 , wherein the first gas sensor electrode comprises a first comb-like structure and wherein the second gas sensor electrode comprises a second comb-like structure interdigitated with the first comb-like structure.

16. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 12 , further comprising:
a first vertical interconnect structure laterally extending from the semiconductor substrate to the second pressure sensor electrode; and
a second vertical interconnect structure vertically extending from the semiconductor substrate to the first gas sensor electrode.

17. The monolithic MEMS platform of claim 12 , wherein the MEMS substrate comprises doped amorphous silicon or doped polycrystalline silicon.

18. A method of forming a monolithic MEMS platform, comprising:
performing CMOS processes to form a temperature sensor and a plurality of devices within a substrate;
forming a dielectric structure over the substrate, wherein the dielectric structure surrounds a plurality of metal interconnect layers and a cavity defined by sidewalls of the dielectric structure coupled between an upper surface of the dielectric structure and a recessed surface of the dielectric structure facing away from the substrate, and wherein a first pressure sensor electrode for a MEMS pressure sensor comprises a metal interconnect layer disposed along the recessed surface and between the sidewalls of the dielectric structure;
bonding a MEMS substrate to the upper surface of the dielectric structure;
patterning the MEMs substrate to concurrently define a second pressure sensor electrode for the MEMs pressure sensor and a first gas sensor electrode for a MEMS gas sensor; and
forming a polymer over the first gas sensor electrode.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
forming a vertical interconnect structure that vertically extend through the MEMs substrate to connect the first gas sensor electrode to one or more of the plurality of devices within the substrate.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
bonding a capping substrate to a side of the MEMS substrate opposing the

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yu Shao-Chi
• Hung Chia-Ming
• Huang Hsin-Ting
• Chen Hsiang-Fu
• Chang Allen Timothy
• Tai Wen-Chuan

Classifications

• B81B2201/0214

  Biosensors; Chemical sensors · CPC title

• G01K13/00

  Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes · CPC title

• B81B2207/096

  through the substrate · CPC title

• B81B7/02

  containing distinct electrical or optical devices of particular relevance for their function, e.g. microelectro-mechanical systems [MEMS] (B81B7/04 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01L19/0092 Primary

  Pressure sensor associated with other sensors, e.g. for measuring acceleration or temperature (G01L9/025, G01L9/045, G01L9/065, G01L9/085, G01L9/105, G01L9/125, G01L19/02, G01L19/04 take precedence; measuring two or more variable G01D21/02; temperature sensors with pressure compensation G01K1/26) · CPC title