Method for the manufacture of IC-processed micro electro-static motors

Claim 1

A method for manufacturing a micro electro-static motor comprising the steps of: (a) providing a silicon substrate having a first conductivity type; (b) forming an isolation layer over said silicon substrate; (c) forming a shield layer on a surface region of said isolation layer; (d) depositing in sequence a layer of phosphosilicate glass and a layer of silicon oxide over said shield layer and an exposed surface of said isolation layer; (e) patterning said layers of phosphosilicate glass and silicon oxide by lithography and etching to form a phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer; (f) depositing a first structural layer over said phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer and the exposed surface of said isolation layer; (g) patterning said first structure layer by lithography and etching to form a rotor and a stator of said micro electro-static motor, the rotor having a bearing contact surface overlying the substrate; (h) forming a first block-out mask over said rotor and stator, the first block-out mask exposing a portion of the phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer to form a bearing region; (i) etching the bearing region of the phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer to form a curved bearing opening; (j) removing said first block-out mask; (k) depositing a second sacrificial layer over all of the exposed surface with a bearing anchor opening therethrough to expose a portion of said shield layer; (l) depositing a second structure layer and defining it to form a curved bearing residing in said bearing anchor opening and said curved bearing opening, said curved bearing having a rotor contact surface extending between the rotor and the substrate, the rotor contact surface being transverse to the bearing contact surface; and (m) removing all of said phosphosilicate glass/silicate oxide composite sacrificial layer and said second sacrificial layer by etching to release said rotor, so that said rotor is rotatably supported by said rotor contact surface of said curved bearing.

Claim 2

A method for manufacturing a micro electro-static motor comprising the steps of: (a) providing a silicon substrate having a first conductivity type; (b) forming an isolation layer over said silicon substrate; (c) forming a shield layer on a surface region of said isolation layer; (d) depositing in sequence a layer of phosphosilicate glass and a layer of silicon oxide over said shield layer and an exposed surface of said isolation layer; (e) patterning said layers of phosphosilicate glass and silicon oxide by lithography and etching to form a phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer; (f) depositing a first structural layer over said phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer and the exposed surface of said isolation layer; (g) patterning said first structure layer by lithography and etching to form a rotor and a stator of said micro electro-static motor, the rotor having a bearing contact surface overlying the substrate; (h) forming a first block-out mask over said rotor and stator, the first block-out mask exposing a portion of the phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer to form a bearing region; (i) etching the bearing region of the phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer to form a curved bearing opening; (j) removing said first block-out mask; (k) depositing a second sacrificial layer over all of the exposed surface with a bearing anchor opening therethrough to expose a portion of said shield layer; (l) depositing a second structure layer and defining it to form a curved bearing residing in said bearing anchor opening and said curved bearing opening, said curved bearing having a rotor contact surface extending between the rotor and the substrate, the rotor contact surface being transverse to the bearing contact surface; and (m) removing all of said phosphosilicate glass/silicate oxide composite sacrificial layer and said second sacrificial layer by etching to release said rotor, so that said rotor is rotatably supported by said rotor contact surface of said curved bearing.

Claim 13

A method for manufacturing a micro electro-static motor comprising the steps of: (a) providing a silicon substrate; (b) depositing in sequence a layer of phosphosilicate glass and a layer of silicon oxide over a portion of said silicon substrate; (c) patterning said layers of phosphosilicate glass and silicon oxide by lithography and etching to form a phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer; (d) depositing a first structural layer over said phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer; (e) patterning said first structure layer by lithography and etching to form a rotor and a stator of said micro electro-static motor, the rotor having an inner opening and a lower surface overlying the phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer; (f) forming a first block-out mask over said rotor and stator, the first block-out mask exposing a portion of the phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer to form a bearing region; (g) etching the bearing region of the phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer to form a bearing opening within the inner opening of the rotor; (h) removing said first block-out mask; (i) depositing a second sacrificial layer over all of the exposed surface; (j) depositing a second structure layer and defining it to form a bearing residing in said bearing opening, said bearing having a rotor contact portion between the rotor and the substrate, said rotor contact portion having an upper surface transverse to the lower surface of the rotor to form a contact line between said bearing and the rotor; and (k) removing all of said phosphosilicate glass/silicate oxide composite sacrificial layer and said second sacrificial layer by etching to release said rotor, so that said rotor is rotatably supported by said bearing along said contact line.

Claim 14

A method for manufacturing a micro electro-static motor comprising the steps of: (a) providing a silicon substrate; (b) depositing in sequence a layer of phosphosilicate glass and a layer of silicon oxide over a portion of said silicon substrate; (c) patterning said layers of phosphosilicate glass and silicon oxide by lithography and etching to form a phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer; (d) depositing a first structural layer over said phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer; (e) patterning said first structure layer by lithography and etching to form a rotor and a stator of said micro electro-static motor, the rotor having an inner opening and a lower surface overlying the phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer; (f) forming a first block-out mask over said rotor and stator, the first block-out mask exposing a portion of the phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer to form a bearing region; (g) etching the bearing region of the phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer to form a bearing opening within the inner opening of the rotor; (h) removing said first block-out mask; (i) depositing a second sacrificial layer over all of the exposed surface; (j) depositing a second structure layer and defining it to form a bearing residing in said bearing opening, said bearing having a rotor contact portion between the rotor and the substrate, said rotor contact portion having an upper surface transverse to the lower surface of the rotor to form a contact line between said bearing and the rotor; and (k) removing all of said phosphosilicate glass/silicate oxide composite sacrificial layer and said second sacrificial layer by etching to release said rotor, so that said rotor is rotatably supported by said bearing along said contact line.

Claim 15

A method for manufacturing a micro electro-static motor comprising the steps of: (a) providing a silicon substrate having a first conductivity type; (b) forming an isolation layer over said silicon substrate; (c) forming a shield layer on a surface region of said isolation layer; (d) patterning said isolation layer by lithography and etching to expose at least one silicon substrate surface for the formation of a rotational speed detection device (e) depositing in sequence a layer of phosphosilicate glass and a layer of silicon oxide over said shield layer and an exposed surface of said isolation layer; (f) forming a first layer of polysilicon acting as said shield layer on said surface region of said isolation layer and said exposed substrate surface, heavily doping said first polysilicon layer with a dopant of a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type, so that parts of said dopant in said first polysilicon layer diffuse into said silicon substrate to form a P-N junction acting as the rotational speed detection device (g) patterning said layers of phosphosilicate glass and silicon oxide by lithography and etching to form a phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer; (h) depositing a first structural layer over said phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer and the exposed surface of said isolation layer; (i) patterning said first structure layer by lithography and etching to form a rotor and a stator of said micro electro-static motor; (j) forming a first block-out mask over said rotor and a bearing region; (k) etching the bearing region of the phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer to form a bearing opening; (l) removing said first block-out mask; (m) depositing a second sacrificial layer over all of the exposed surface with a bearing anchor opening therethrough to expose a portion of said shield layer; (n) depositing a second structure layer and defining it to form a bearing residing in said bearing anchor opening and said bearing opening; and (o) removing all of said phosphosilicate glass/silicate oxide composite sacrificial layer and said second sacrificial layer by etching to release said rotor, so that said rotor is rotatably supported by said bearing.

Claim 16

A method for manufacturing a micro electro-static motor comprising the steps of: (a) providing a silicon substrate having a first conductivity type; (b) forming an isolation layer over said silicon substrate; (c) forming a shield layer on a surface region of said isolation layer; (d) patterning said isolation layer by lithography and etching to expose at least one silicon substrate surface for the formation of a rotational speed detection device (e) depositing in sequence a layer of phosphosilicate glass and a layer of silicon oxide over said shield layer and an exposed surface of said isolation layer; (f) forming a first layer of polysilicon acting as said shield layer on said surface region of said isolation layer and said exposed substrate surface, heavily doping said first polysilicon layer with a dopant of a second conductivity type opposite to said first conductivity type, so that parts of said dopant in said first polysilicon layer diffuse into said silicon substrate to form a P-N junction acting as the rotational speed detection device (g) patterning said layers of phosphosilicate glass and silicon oxide by lithography and etching to form a phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer; (h) depositing a first structural layer over said phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer and the exposed surface of said isolation layer; (i) patterning said first structure layer by lithography and etching to form a rotor and a stator of said micro electro-static motor; (j) forming a first block-out mask over said rotor and a bearing region; (k) etching the bearing region of the phosphosilicate glass/silicon oxide composite sacrificial layer to form a bearing opening; (l) removing said first block-out mask; (m) depositing a second sacrificial layer over all of the exposed surface with a bearing anchor opening therethrough to expose a portion of said shield layer; (n) depositing a second structure layer and defining it to form a bearing residing in said bearing anchor opening and said bearing opening; and (o) removing all of said phosphosilicate glass/silicate oxide composite sacrificial layer and said second sacrificial layer by etching to release said rotor, so that said rotor is rotatably supported by said bearing.