Semiconductor device manufacturing: process – Bonding of plural semiconductor substrates – Thinning of semiconductor substrate
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-03
2004-02-10
Fourson, George (Department: 2823)
Semiconductor device manufacturing: process
Bonding of plural semiconductor substrates
Thinning of semiconductor substrate
C438S458000, C438S931000, C438S406000, C438S285000, C438S977000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06689669
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to high temperature sensors and more particularly, to a method which enables the fabrication of a specifically selected single crystal 3C—SiC layer located on, and dielectrically isolated from, an independently selected 6H—SiC substrate or any other type of SiC substrate material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As one will ascertain, pressure transducers capable of operating at high temperatures of at least, for example 600° C. and being physically small are highly desirous in various applications. When temperatures reach levels above 600° C., silicon-sensing networks and silicon force collectors undergo significant plastic deformation rendering the device useless as a pressure transducer. In order to overcome this problem, high temperature transducers employing SiC have been fabricated. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,283 to A. D. Kurtz et al. entitled, “High Temperature Transducers and Methods of Fabricating Same Employing SiC” assigned to the assignee herein, Kulite Semiconductor Products, Inc. Also see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,058,782 entitled, “Hermetically Sealed Ultra High Temperature SiC Pressure Transducers and Method for Fabricating the Same” issued to A. D. Kurtz et al. on May 9, 2000 and also assigned to the assignee herein. Thus, there is a desire to fabricate high temperature transducers.
The present invention enables the fabrication of a specifically selected (both the type and the doping) single crystal 3C—SiC layer located on, and dielectrically isolated from an independently selected 6H—SiC substrate, or any other SiC substrate material.
The device thus produced using this approach will have the benefit of having an excellent single crystal 3C—SiC, on an insulator layer with specified doping for piezoresistive sensing while having an independently selected substrate material like 6H—SiC or 4H—SiC used for producing the deflecting membrane or other substrate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Semiconductor devices useful in high temperature sensing applications include a silicon carbide substrate, a silicon dioxide layer, and an outer layer of crystalline doped silicon carbide. The device is a 3C—SiC/SiO
2
/SiC structure. This structure can be employed to fabricate high temperature devices such as piezoresistive sensors, minority carrier devices and so on. The crystalline doped silicon carbide is dielectrically isolated from the substrate. The devices are formed by processes that include bonding a pattern wafer to a substrate wafer, selective oxidation and removal of undoped silicon, and conversion of doped silicon to crystalline silicon carbide. The level of doping and the crystalline structure of the silicon carbide can be selected according to desired properties for particular applications.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4983538 (1991-01-01), Gotou
patent: 5165283 (1992-11-01), Kurtz et al.
patent: 5286671 (1994-02-01), Kurtz et al.
patent: 6034001 (2000-03-01), Shor et al.
patent: 6058782 (2000-05-01), Kurtz et al.
“Structural Characterization of Nanometer SiC Films Grown on Si” published in the Applied Physics Letters 62 (24) Jun. 1993, pp. 3135-3137 by Li, Steckl, et al.
“Epitaxial Growth of 3C-SiC Films on 4 inch Diameter Silicon Wafers by Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition” published in the Journal of Applied Physics 78 (8) Oct. 1995, pp. 5136-5138 by Zorman, Fleischman, Dewa, Mehregany, et al.
Kurtz Anthony D.
Ned Alexander A.
Duane Morris LLP
Fourson George
Kulite Semiconductor Products Inc.
Maldonado Julio J.
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