Fabrication and controlled release of structures using...

Etching a substrate: processes – Etching of semiconductor material to produce an article...

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C438S700000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06887391

ABSTRACT:
MEMS structures may be formed on a substrate by forming a series trenches filled with etch-stop material in the device layer, followed by an isotropic etch of the device material stopping on the etch-stop material. This approach provides a controlled release method where the exact timing of the isotropic release etch becomes non-critical. Further, using this method, structures with significant topology may be fabricated while keeping the wafer topology to a minimum during processing until the very end of the process. Using the method of this invention, features with large topology may be formed while keeping the wafer topology to a minimum until the very end of the process.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5043043 (1991-08-01), Howe et al.
patent: 5084419 (1992-01-01), Sakao
patent: 5206983 (1993-05-01), Guckel et al.
patent: 5314572 (1994-05-01), Core et al.
patent: 5327033 (1994-07-01), Guckel et al.
patent: 5426070 (1995-06-01), Shaw et al.
patent: 5576250 (1996-11-01), Diem et al.
patent: 5637539 (1997-06-01), Hofmann et al.
patent: 5638946 (1997-06-01), Zavracky
patent: 5645684 (1997-07-01), Keller
patent: 5717631 (1998-02-01), Carley et al.
patent: 5747353 (1998-05-01), Bashir et al.
patent: 5770465 (1998-06-01), MacDonald et al.
patent: 5780885 (1998-07-01), Diem et al.
patent: 5866281 (1999-02-01), Guckel et al.
patent: 5908719 (1999-06-01), Guckel et al.
patent: 5914507 (1999-06-01), Polla et al.
patent: 5943155 (1999-08-01), Goossen
patent: 5949571 (1999-09-01), Goossen et al.
patent: 5971355 (1999-10-01), Biegelsen et al.
patent: 6021675 (2000-02-01), Sefeldt et al.
patent: 6025951 (2000-02-01), Swart et al.
patent: 6121552 (2000-09-01), Brosnihan et al.
patent: 6203715 (2001-03-01), Kim et al.
patent: 6291875 (2001-09-01), Clark et al.
patent: 0605300 (1994-07-01), None
patent: 0942462 (1999-09-01), None
patent: 1033601 (2000-06-01), None
patent: 2321780 (1998-08-01), None
S. Wolf, “Silicon Processing for the VLSI Era”, vol. 4, pp. 14-15, Lattice Press, 2002.*
Yao et al., “Single-Crystal Silicon Supported Thin Film Micro Mirrors for Optical Applications” Opt. Eng. 36(5) 1408-1413 (May 1997).
Conant et al. “A Flat High Frequency Scanning Micromirror” Abstract Submitted to Hilton Head 2000.
Storment et al. “Flexible Dry Release Process for Aluminum Electrostatic Actuators” Journal of Microelectromechanical System vol. 3 No. 3 Sep. 1994.
Mita et al., “An Out-of-Plane Polysilicon Actuator With a Smooth Vertical Mirror for Optical Fiber Switch Application”.
Marxer et al. “Vertical Mirrors Fabricated by Deep Reactive Ion Etching For Fiber-Optic Switching Applications” Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, vol. 6 No. 3, Sep. 1997.
Fedder, G.K., “integrated microelectromechanical systems in conventional CMOS”, Proceedings of 1997 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems. Circuits and Systems in the Information Age. ISCAS '97 (Cat. No. 97CH35987), pp. 2821-2824, vol. 4.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Fabrication and controlled release of structures using... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Fabrication and controlled release of structures using..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Fabrication and controlled release of structures using... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3433022

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.