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Novel process for deposition of aluminium onto sidewalls of silicon trenches

Novel process for deposition of aluminium onto sidewalls of silicon trenches
Novel process for deposition of aluminium onto sidewalls of silicon trenches
We have investigated different techniques to deposit 1 micrometers to 2 micrometers thick aluminium onto sidewalls of trenches etched into silicon. This process is required for the fabrication of thermally excited vertical bimorph actuators. First, aluminium is deposited covering both horizontal surfaces and sidewalls. Then an etch-step removes the aluminium from the horizontal surfaces, retaining only aluminium spacers on the sidewalls. Sputtering of aluminium and a subsequent anisotropic dry-etch yields spacers of a thickness less than 0.5 microns having a rough surface. Evaporation of aluminium at a shallow angle between the wafer and the aluminium source allows controlling the thickness of the deposits on the sidewalls compared to those on the horizontal surfaces. Thus, the dry-etch time can be reduced resulting in aluminium spacers up to 2 microns thick and of improved surface quality. If the deposit on the sidewall is thicker than on the horizontal surfaces, isotropic wet-etching can be used to remove the aluminium on the horizontal surfaces, where as on the sidewalls it is only thinned by about the thickness of the aluminium on the horizontal surfaces. Spacers of up to 2.5 microns thickness with good surface quality have been achieved.
0277-786X
SPIE
Sehr, H.
49a567aa-b765-4dfa-bb18-4aa5fb3ea7f9
Evans, A.G.R.
c4a3f208-8fd9-491d-870f-ce7eef943311
Brunnschweiler, A.
2d39ef7c-b95e-476c-b435-316b6618a565
Ensell, G.J.
05e24f49-3922-4e5f-9aee-1e6078650579
Karam, Jean Michel
Yasaitis, John A.
Sehr, H.
49a567aa-b765-4dfa-bb18-4aa5fb3ea7f9
Evans, A.G.R.
c4a3f208-8fd9-491d-870f-ce7eef943311
Brunnschweiler, A.
2d39ef7c-b95e-476c-b435-316b6618a565
Ensell, G.J.
05e24f49-3922-4e5f-9aee-1e6078650579
Karam, Jean Michel
Yasaitis, John A.

Sehr, H., Evans, A.G.R., Brunnschweiler, A. and Ensell, G.J. (2000) Novel process for deposition of aluminium onto sidewalls of silicon trenches. Karam, Jean Michel and Yasaitis, John A. (eds.) In Micromachining and Microfabrication Process Technology VI; (2000). vol. 4174, SPIE.. (doi:10.1117/12.396445).

Record type: Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)

Abstract

We have investigated different techniques to deposit 1 micrometers to 2 micrometers thick aluminium onto sidewalls of trenches etched into silicon. This process is required for the fabrication of thermally excited vertical bimorph actuators. First, aluminium is deposited covering both horizontal surfaces and sidewalls. Then an etch-step removes the aluminium from the horizontal surfaces, retaining only aluminium spacers on the sidewalls. Sputtering of aluminium and a subsequent anisotropic dry-etch yields spacers of a thickness less than 0.5 microns having a rough surface. Evaporation of aluminium at a shallow angle between the wafer and the aluminium source allows controlling the thickness of the deposits on the sidewalls compared to those on the horizontal surfaces. Thus, the dry-etch time can be reduced resulting in aluminium spacers up to 2 microns thick and of improved surface quality. If the deposit on the sidewall is thicker than on the horizontal surfaces, isotropic wet-etching can be used to remove the aluminium on the horizontal surfaces, where as on the sidewalls it is only thinned by about the thickness of the aluminium on the horizontal surfaces. Spacers of up to 2.5 microns thickness with good surface quality have been achieved.

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More information

Published date: 25 August 2000
Additional Information: Event Dates: September 2000
Venue - Dates: SPIE Micromachining and Microfabrication Conference, , Santa Clara, United States, 2000-09-18 - 2000-09-21
Organisations: Nanoelectronics and Nanotechnology

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 253444
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/253444
ISSN: 0277-786X
PURE UUID: e850b235-c947-4f2e-a983-9f84765dd062

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 05 Jul 2001
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:02

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Contributors

Author: H. Sehr
Author: A.G.R. Evans
Author: A. Brunnschweiler
Author: G.J. Ensell
Editor: Jean Michel Karam
Editor: John A. Yasaitis

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