Piezoresistive microphone and method of fabricating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9961450-B2
Application number	US-201615246561-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2016
Priority date	Jul 21, 2016
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A piezoresistive microphone includes a substrate, an insulating layer, and a polysilicon layer. A first pattern is disposed within the polysilicon layer. The first pattern includes numerous first opening. A second pattern is disposed within the polysilicon layer. The second pattern includes numerous second openings. The first pattern surrounds the second pattern. Each first opening and each second opening are staggered. A first resistor is disposed in the polysilicon and between the first pattern and the second pattern. The first resistor is composed of numerous first heavily doped regions and numerous first lightly doped regions. The first heavily doped regions and the first lightly doped regions are disposed in series. The first heavily doped region and the first lightly doped region are disposed alternately. A cavity is disposed in the insulating layer and the substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A piezoresistive microphone comprising:
a substrate, an insulating layer and a polysilicon layer;
a first pattern disposed within the polysilicon layer, wherein the first pattern comprises a plurality of first openings;
a second pattern disposed within the polysilicon layer, wherein the second pattern comprises a plurality of second openings, wherein the first pattern surrounds the second pattern, and each first opening and each second opening are staggered;
a first resistor disposed in the polysilicon layer and between the first pattern and the second pattern, wherein the first resistor comprises a plurality of first heavily doped regions and a plurality of first lightly doped regions, the first heavily doped regions connect to the first lightly doped regions, the first heavily doped regions and the first lightly doped regions are arranged alternately and a dopant concentration of each of the first heavily doped regions is greater than a dopant concentration of each of the first lightly doped regions; and
a cavity disposed in the insulating layer and the substrate.

2. The piezoresistive microphone of claim 1 , wherein each of the first lightly doped regions is disposed at an end of each of the first openings.

3. The piezoresistive microphone of claim 2 , wherein one of the first lightly doped regions connects to two of the first heavily doped regions, and two ends of the first lightly doped region respectively overlap with one of the first heavily doped regions.

4. The piezoresistive microphone of claim 1 , further comprising a second resistor disposed within the polysilicon layer and between the first pattern and the second pattern, wherein the second resistor comprises a plurality of second heavily doped regions and a plurality of second lightly doped regions, the second heavily doped regions connect to the second lightly doped regions, the second heavily doped regions and the second lightly doped regions are arranged alternately and a dopant concentration of each of the second heavily doped regions is greater than a dopant concentration of each of the second lightly doped regions.

5. The piezoresistive microphone of claim 4 , wherein the second resistor is closer to the second pattern and the first resistor is farther from the second pattern.

6. The piezoresistive microphone of claim 4 , wherein each of the second lightly doped regions is respectively disposed at an end of each of the second openings.

7. The piezoresistive microphone of claim 6 , wherein one of the second lightly doped regions connects to two of the second heavily doped regions, and two ends of the second lightly doped region respectively overlap with one of the second heavily doped regions.

8. The piezoresistive microphone of claim 4 , further comprising two second conductive pads disposed on the polysilicon layer and connect to two ends of the second resistor.

9. The piezoresistive microphone of claim 1 , further comprising a diaphragm made by the polysilicon layer.

10. The piezoresistive microphone of claim 1 , wherein the first heavily doped regions and the first lightly doped regions have the same conductive type.

11. The piezoresistive microphone of claim 9 , wherein the polysilicon layer and the first heavily doped region have different conductive types.

12. The piezoresistive microphone of claim 1 , further comprising two first conductive pads disposed on the polysilicon layer and electrically connecting to two ends of the first resistor.

13. The piezoresistive microphone of claim 1 , wherein each of the first openings has a first arc shape, each first arc shape extends to compose a first ring, each of the second openings has an second arc shape, each second arc shape extends to compose a second ring, and the first openings surround the second openings and the first resistor.

14. A fabricating method of a piezoresistive microphone, comprising:
providing a substrate and an insulating layer covering the substrate;
forming an amorphous silicon layer to cover the insulating layer;
crystallizing the amorphous silicon layer to become a first polysilicon layer;
forming a second polysilicon layer to cover the first polysilicon layer;
forming a first resistor within the second polysilicon, wherein the steps of forming the first resistor comprise:
forming a plurality of first lightly doped regions within the second polysilicon layer; and
forming a plurality of first heavily doped regions in the second polysilicon layer, wherein the first lightly doped regions connect to the first heavily doped regions;

forming two conductive pads on the polysilicon layer and electrically connecting to the first resistor;
etching the first polysilicon layer and the second polysilicon layer simultaneously to form a first pattern and a second pattern, wherein the first resistor is disposed between the first pattern and the second pattern; and
etching the substrate and the insulating layer to form a cavity.

15. The fabricating method of a piezoresistive microphone of claim 14 , further comprising forming a second resistor while forming the first resistor, wherein the second resistor is closer to the second pattern and the first resistor is farther from the second pattern, the steps of forming the second resistor comprising:
forming a plurality of the second lightly doped regions within the second polysilicon layer, wherein the second lightly doped regions and the first lightly doped regions are formed simultaneously; and
forming a plurality of the second heavily doped regions within the second polysilicon layer, wherein the second heavily doped regions and the first heavily doped regions are formed simultaneously, and the second lightly doped regions connect to the second heavily doped regions.

16. The fabricating method of a piezoresistive microphone of claim 14 , wherein each of the first heavily doped regions and the each of the first lightly doped regions are arranged alternately, and a dopant concentration of each of the first heavily doped regions is greater than a dopant concentration of each of the first lightly doped regions.

17. The fabricating method of a piezoresistive microphone of claim 14 , wherein the first pattern comprises a plurality of first openings, the second pattern comprises a plurality of second openings, the first pattern surrounds the second pattern, and each of the first openings and each of the second openings are staggered.

18. The fabricating method of a piezoresistive microphone of claim 17 , wherein each of the first lightly doped regions is disposed at an end of each of the first openings.

19. The fabricating method of a piezoresistive microphone of claim 18 , wherein one of the first lightly doped regions connects to two of the first heavily doped regions, and two ends of the first lightly doped region respectively overlap with one of the first heavily doped regions.

Assignees

• United Microelectronics Corp

Inventors

• Hsu Chang-Sheng
• Chen Weng-Yi
• Chen En-Chan
• Li Shih-Wei
• Wei Guo-Chih

Classifications

• B81B2201/0257

  Microphones or microspeakers · CPC title

• B81B2203/0127

  Diaphragms, i.e. structures separating two media that can control the passage from one medium to another; Membranes, i.e. diaphragms with filtering function · CPC title

• H04R19/005

  using semiconductor materials · CPC title

• B81B3/0021

  Transducers for transforming electrical into mechanical energy or vice versa (dynamo-electric machines H02K99/00; electrostatic machines H02N1/00; piezoelectric devices H10N30/00) · CPC title

• H04R31/003

  for diaphragms or their outer suspension · CPC title