EP0169519A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Semiconductor device and method for its fabrication
Assignee: Honeywell Inc
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Filing: 1985-07-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-07-20
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to an integrated semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the device. The device comprises a semiconductor body (20) with a first surface (36) having a predetermined orientation with respect to a crystalline structure in the semiconductor body. The semiconductor body has a depression (30) formed into the first surface (36) of the body. A layer (28, 29) of thin film material covers at least a portion of the first surface. A thin film member (34, 32) comprising the layer of material has a predetermined configuration bridging the depression. The member is connected to the first surface at substantially opposing ends of the predetermined configuration. The depression opens to the first surface along an edge on each side of the member. The layer of thin film material comprises first and second openings (82), the first opening being bounded in part by one edge (110) of the member, the second opening being bounded in part by the other edge (110C) of the member. Both openings are also bounded in part by a boundary connected to an edge of the member. At least one of the boundaries (111, 113) has a predetermined boundary configuration formed so that, when an anisotropic etch is placed on the openings to undercut the member and form the depression, there will be no substantial undercutting of the semiconductor body (20) below the thin film material (28,29) at the predetermined boundary configuration.
Inventors
- 👤 Philip J. Bohrer
- 👤 Robert E. Higashi
- 👤 Robert G. Johnson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 06:34
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/40; H10D62/405; G; G01; G01F; G01F1/00; G01F1/68; G01F1/684; G01F1/6842; G01F1/6845; G01F1/696; G01F1/698; G01F1/699; H10P; H10P50/00; H10P50/60; H10P50/64; H10P50/642; H10P50/644
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
251 words
An integrated semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor body (20) with a first surface (36) having a predetermined orientation with respect to a crystalline structure in the semiconductor body, the semiconductor body having a depression (30) formed into the first surface of the body; a layer (28, 29) of thin film material covering at least a portion of the first surface (36); and a thin film member (34, 32) comprising the layer of material, the member having a predetermined configuration bridging the depression, the member being connected to the first surface (36) at substantially opposing ends of the predetermined configuration characterized by the depression (30) opening to the first surface (36) along an edge (110, 110A; 110B, 110C) on each side of the member (34,. 32), the layer (28, 29) of material comprising first and second openings (82), the first opening being bounded in part by one edge (110) of the member (34), the second opening (82) being bounded in part by the other edge (110C) of the member (32), both openings also being bounded in part by a boundary (111, 113) connected to an edge of the member (34, 32), at least one (111, 113) of the boundaries having a predetermined boundary configuration formed so that, when an anisotropic etch is placed on the openings (82) to undercut the member (34, 32) and form the depression (30), there will be no substantial undercutting of the semiconductor body below the thin film material (28, 29) at the predetermined boundary configuration (111, 113).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
251 words
An integrated semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor body (20) with a first surface (36) having a predetermined orientation with respect to a crystalline structure in the semiconductor body, the semiconductor body having a depression (30) formed into the first surface of the body; a layer (28, 29) of thin film material covering at least a portion of the first surface (36); and a thin film member (34, 32) comprising the layer of material, the member having a predetermined configuration bridging the depression, the member being connected to the first surface (36) at substantially opposing ends of the predetermined configuration characterized by the depression (30) opening to the first surface (36) along an edge (110, 110A; 110B, 110C) on each side of the member (34,. 32), the layer (28, 29) of material comprising first and second openings (82), the first opening being bounded in part by one edge (110) of the member (34), the second opening (82) being bounded in part by the other edge (110C) of the member (32), both openings also being bounded in part by a boundary (111, 113) connected to an edge of the member (34, 32), at least one (111, 113) of the boundaries having a predetermined boundary configuration formed so that, when an anisotropic etch is placed on the openings (82) to undercut the member (34, 32) and form the depression (30), there will be no substantial undercutting of the semiconductor body below the thin film material (28, 29) at the predetermined boundary configuration (111, 113).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
106 words
The device of claim 1, characterized by a) the semiconductor body (20) comprising (100) silicon and having a (100) plane and a [110] direction, the first surface (36) of the semiconductor body being substantially parallel to the (100) plane; b) the predetermined configuration being oriented at a non-zero angle to the li107 direction, c) at least one of the boundaries having boundary components (111) substantially in line with the [110] direction or components (113) substantially normal to the /110/ direction; whereby there will be no substantial overhang of the thin film material along the boundary components substantially in line with or normal to the [110] direction.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The device of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of the member edges (110 - 110C) is a substantially straight edge oriented at the ncn-zero angle.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
25 words
The device of any of the preceding claims, charac- terized in that the predetermined configuration has an axis which is oriented at the non-zero angle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The device of claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the non-zero angle is substantially 45 degrees, whereby the member (34, 32) will be undercut with maximum efficiency.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
25 words
The device of any one of the preceding claims, char- acterized in that the thin film member (34, 32) comprises or constitutes a sensor element.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
256 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device of any one of the preceding claims, comprising a thin film member (34,'32) having a predetermined configuration bridging a depression (30) etched into a first surface (36) of a semiconductor body (20), the member being connected to the first surface at first and second substantially opposing ends of the predetermined configuration, the depression opening to the first surface along an edge on each side of the member, the method character- ized by: A) providing a semiconductor body (20) with a first surface (36) having a predetermined orientation with respect to a crystalline structure in the semiconductor body; B ) applying a layer (28, 29) of thin film material of which the member is comprised onto the first surface (36); and C) exposing through the thin film material first and second openings (82) to the first surface, the first opening (82) being bounded in part by one edge (110) of the member (34), the second opening (82) being bounded in part by the other edge (110C) of the member (32), both openings also being bounded in part by a boundary (111, 113) connected to an edge of the member (34, 32), at least one (111, 113) of the boundaries having a predetermined boundary configuration formed so that, when an anisotropic etch is placed on the openings (82) to undercut the member (34, 32) and form the depression (30), there will be no substantial undercutting of. the semiconductor body below the thin film material (28, 29) at the predetermined boundary configuration.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
232 words
The method of claim 7 for fabricating a semiconductor device according to claim 2, characterized by A') providing a semiconductor body (20) comprising (100) silicon having a (100) plane, a [110] direction, and a first surface (36) substantially parallel to the (100) plane; B') applying a layer (28, 29) of thin film material of which the member is comprised onto the first surface (36); C') exposing through the thin film material first and second openings (82) to the first surface, the openings being defined so that the member (20) is oriented at a non-zero angle to the /T107 direction, the first opening being bounded in part by one edge (110) of the member (34), the second opening (82) being bounded in part by the other edge (110C) of the member, both openings also being bounded in part by a boundary (111, 113) connected to an edge of the member, at least one of the boundaries (111, 113) having boundary components (111) substantially in line with the /7107 direction or components (113) substantially normal to the [110] direction; and D') applying an anisotropic etch to the exposed surface areas to undercut the member (34, 32) and create the depression (30) under the member; whereby there will be no substantial overhang of the thin film material (28, 29) along the boundary components (111, 113) substantially in line with or normal to the [110] direction.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
22 words
The method of claim or 8, characterized in that the predetermined configuration has an axis which is oriented at the non-zero angle.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 9, characterized in that the non-zero angle is substantially 45 degrees, whereby the member (34, 32) will be undercut with maximum 0 efficiency.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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