← Back to Patent Explorer
US4861426A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of making a millimeter wave monolithic integrated circuit

Assignee: United States Department of the Army
•
Filing: 1989-01-23
•
Granted: 1989-08-29
•
Expires: 2009-01-23
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A method is provided of making a millimeter wave monolithic integrated ciit that allows for device isolation during epitaxial growth and integral heat sink with supporting circuitry on the substrate.

Inventors

  • 👤 Arthur Paolella

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 12:13
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W40/00; H10W40/10; H10W10/00; H10W10/01; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/021; H10W40/20; H10W40/25; H10W40/258; H10D; H10D84/00; H10D84/01; H10D84/02; H10D84/05; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/928; Y10S438/969

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 385 words
Method of making a millimeter wave monolithic integrated circuit from a semi-insulating substrate material, said method including the steps of: (A) depositing a thin passivation layer of silicon nitride on the top surface of the semi-insulating substrate material, (B) depositing a layer of photoresist over the silicon nitride layer, (C) placing a mask on top of the photoresist layer wherein the mask bears a pattern of the millimeter wave monolithic device and exposing the mask to ultraviolet light, (D) removing the mask and placing the millimeter wave monolithic integrated circuit in an etching solution causing unexposed photoresist to be etched away and exposing the semi-insulating substrate material in the desired pattern, (E) making the millimeter wave monolithic device by epitaxially growing layers of semi-insulating substrate material so that under the exposed semi-insulating substrate material there will be single crystal growth that will make up the millimeter wave monolithic device and where there was silicon nitride, there will be an amorphous crystal that will act as an insulator, isolating each millimeter wave monolithic device, (F) electroplating a gold heat sink over the entire structure, (G) turning the entire structure upside down and depositing photoresist onto the semi-insulating substrate material, (H) placing a mask on top of the photoresist layer wherein the mask bears a pattern of the millimeter wave monolithic device and exposing the mask to ultraviolet light, (I) removing the mask and placing the substrate in an etching solution causing unexposed photoresist to be etched away and exposing the semi-insulating substrate material in the desired pattern, (J) placing the semi-insulating substrate material in a solution that will etch a hole in the semi-insulating substrate material that has been exposed, (K) filling the hole that was made in the semi-insulating substrate material with gold to make contact to the millimeter wave monolithic integrated circuit. (L) depositing photo-resist onto the semi-insulating substrate, (M) placing a mask on top of the photo-resist layer wherein the mask bears the pattern of the millimeter wave monolithic circuit and exposing to UV, (N) removing the mask and placing the substrate in an etching solution and exposing the substrate in the desired pattern, (O) electroplating gold over the entire substrate and etching off the photo-resist, and (P) lifting off the gold which was under the photo-resist leaving behind the desired circuit pattern.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 385 words
Method of making a millimeter wave monolithic integrated circuit from a semi-insulating substrate material, said method including the steps of: (A) depositing a thin passivation layer of silicon nitride on the top surface of the semi-insulating substrate material, (B) depositing a layer of photoresist over the silicon nitride layer, (C) placing a mask on top of the photoresist layer wherein the mask bears a pattern of the millimeter wave monolithic device and exposing the mask to ultraviolet light, (D) removing the mask and placing the millimeter wave monolithic integrated circuit in an etching solution causing unexposed photoresist to be etched away and exposing the semi-insulating substrate material in the desired pattern, (E) making the millimeter wave monolithic device by epitaxially growing layers of semi-insulating substrate material so that under the exposed semi-insulating substrate material there will be single crystal growth that will make up the millimeter wave monolithic device and where there was silicon nitride, there will be an amorphous crystal that will act as an insulator, isolating each millimeter wave monolithic device, (F) electroplating a gold heat sink over the entire structure, (G) turning the entire structure upside down and depositing photoresist onto the semi-insulating substrate material, (H) placing a mask on top of the photoresist layer wherein the mask bears a pattern of the millimeter wave monolithic device and exposing the mask to ultraviolet light, (I) removing the mask and placing the substrate in an etching solution causing unexposed photoresist to be etched away and exposing the semi-insulating substrate material in the desired pattern, (J) placing the semi-insulating substrate material in a solution that will etch a hole in the semi-insulating substrate material that has been exposed, (K) filling the hole that was made in the semi-insulating substrate material with gold to make contact to the millimeter wave monolithic integrated circuit. (L) depositing photo-resist onto the semi-insulating substrate, (M) placing a mask on top of the photo-resist layer wherein the mask bears the pattern of the millimeter wave monolithic circuit and exposing to UV, (N) removing the mask and placing the substrate in an etching solution and exposing the substrate in the desired pattern, (O) electroplating gold over the entire substrate and etching off the photo-resist, and (P) lifting off the gold which was under the photo-resist leaving behind the desired circuit pattern.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 12 words
Method according to claim 1 wherein the semi-insulating substrate material is GaAs.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 23 words
Method according to claim 2 wherein the GaAs material is about 1 to 3 inches in diameter and about 8 mils in thickness.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4675525A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1992-08-28 1993-02-27 1993-08-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1996-08-28 1997-02-27 1997-08-29 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2000-08-28 2001-02-27 2001-08-29 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag