High-aspect ratio vertical comb-drive actuator with small self-aligned finger gaps

被引:28
作者
Carlen, ET [1 ]
Heng, KH
Bakshi, S
Pareek, A
Mastrangelo, CH
机构
[1] Corning Intellisense, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
[2] Corning Intellisense Corp, Wilmington, MA 01887 USA
[3] Corning Inc, Corning, NY 14831 USA
关键词
dry silicon release; epipoly; self-aligned process; vertical comb drive;
D O I
10.1109/JMEMS.2005.851837
中图分类号
TM [电工技术]; TN [电子技术、通信技术];
学科分类号
0808 ; 0809 ;
摘要
A vertical comb-drive actuator with thin, high-aspect ratio comb fingers and small self-aligned gaps is presented. Key to the actuator design is the self-aligned, offset comb-drive fingers, which are fabricated with small gaps (<= 2 mu m) using a single lithography step. The offset comb fingers are fabricated using two thick conducting layers separated by a thin dielectric layer. The lower fingers are formed from the device layer (20 mu m) of an silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, while an in situ-doped polysilicon layer (20 mu m), deposited in an epitaxial reactor (Epipoly), is used for the upper comb fingers. The Epipoly films have been optimized and characterized for application as structural and electrical components. The offset comb fingers are formed using a combination of deep-reactive ion etching (DRIE), thin oxide barrier layer growth, and an isotropic dry silicon etch (XeF2) of selected areas of the Epipoly layer. The actuator has been implemented in a high fill-factor (> 90%) micromirror array for optical telecommunications applications. Large continuous scan angles (+/- 10 degrees) with actuation voltages < 60 V have been measured with no pull-in phenomena observed.
引用
收藏
页码:1144 / 1155
页数:12
相关论文
共 35 条
  • [1] BEHIN B, 2001, Patent No. 2001034938
  • [2] Conant R. A., 2000, Technical Digest. Solid-State Sensor and Actuator Workshop (TRF Cat. No.00TRF-0001), P6
  • [3] Laminated high-aspect-ratio microstructures in a conventional CMOS process
    Fedder, GK
    Santhanam, S
    Reed, ML
    Eagle, SC
    Guillou, DF
    Lu, MSC
    Carley, LR
    [J]. NINTH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON MICRO ELECTRO MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, IEEE PROCEEDINGS: AN INVESTIGATION OF MICRO STRUCTURES, SENSORS, ACTUATORS, MACHINES AND SYSTEMS, 1996, : 13 - 18
  • [4] Bipolar-compatible epitaxial poly for smart sensors: stress minimization and applications
    Gennissen, PTJ
    Bartek, M
    French, PJ
    Sarro, PM
    [J]. SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL, 1997, 62 (1-3) : 636 - 645
  • [5] Low-voltage, large-scan angle MEMS analog micromirror arrays with hidden vertical comb-drive actuators
    Hah, D
    Huang, STY
    Tsai, JC
    Toshiyoshi, H
    Wu, MC
    [J]. JOURNAL OF MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS, 2004, 13 (02) : 279 - 289
  • [6] Hirano T., 1992, Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, V1, P52, DOI 10.1109/84.128056
  • [7] HOUSNER GW, 1959, APPL MECH DYNAMICS
  • [8] JEONG HM, 1999, 10 INT C SOL STAT SE, P1006
  • [9] JEONG KH, 2003, 12 INT C SOL STAT SE, P1462
  • [10] ELECTROPHYSICS OF MICROMECHANICAL COMB ACTUATORS
    JOHNSON, WA
    WARNE, LK
    [J]. JOURNAL OF MICROELECTROMECHANICAL SYSTEMS, 1995, 4 (01) : 49 - 59