Semiconductor device manufacturing: process – Chemical etching – Vapor phase etching
Reexamination Certificate
2005-09-06
2005-09-06
Pham, Long (Department: 2814)
Semiconductor device manufacturing: process
Chemical etching
Vapor phase etching
C438S711000, C438S720000, C438S722000, C216S002000, C073S504020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06939809
ABSTRACT:
A method for releasing from underlying substrate material micromachined structures or devices without application of chemically aggressive substances or excessive forces. The method starts with the step of providing a partially formed device, comprising a substrate layer, a sacrificial layer deposited on the substrate, and a function layer deposited on the sacrificial layer and possibly exposed portions of the substrate layer and then etched to define micromechanical structures or devices therein. The etching process exposes the sacrificial layer underlying the removed function layer material. Next there are the steps of cleaning residues from the surface of the device, and then directing high-temperature hydrogen gas over the exposed surfaces of the sacrificial layer to convert the silicon dioxide to a gas, which is carried away from the device by the hydrogen gas. The release process is complete when all of the silicon dioxide sacrificial layer material underlying the micromachined structures or devices is removed.
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European Patent Office, Application No. EP 03 02 3818, International Search Report dated Sep. 15, 2004.
Lutz Markus
Partridge Aaron
Pham Long
Rao Shrinivas
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