Module VI PDF

15-Nov-19
MEMS
MODULE – V
BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MESRA, RANCHI
Introduction to MEMS – semiconductors and silicon – crystal growing and

wafer preparation –Films and film deposition – Oxidation- Lithography-
diffusion and Ion implementation – Etching - wet etching – dry etching –
wire bonding and packaging – printed circuit boards
DR. BINAY KUMAR

Department of Production Engineering
Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand- 835215
Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi
 The physicist Richard Feynman delivered a

talk at Caltech in December 1959 with the title
"There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom." “What I
want to talk about,” said Feynman, “is the
problem of manipulating and controlling things
on a small scale.”
 The potential benefits of doing so? Creating

“The marvelous biological system.”
“Miniaturizing the computer.” Deploying “a
hundred tiny hands” for a world in which we are
“Rearranging the atoms.” physicist Richard Feynman
 In one sense, a real sense, Feynman laid the
roots for today’s MEMS industry.
Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production

Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi 1
15-Nov-19
MICRO-ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SYSTEMS (MEMS)

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, or MEMS,
is a technology that in its most general form
can be defined as miniaturized mechanical
and electro-mechanical elements (i.e.,

devices and structures) that are made using
the techniques of microfabrication.
• Functional elements of MEMS are miniaturized structures, sensors, actuators, and

microelectronics, the most notable (and perhaps most interesting) elements are the
microsensors and microactuators.
• Microsensors and microactuators are appropriately categorized as “transducers”, which
are defined as devices that convert energy from one form to another. In the case of
microsensors, the device typically converts a measured mechanical signal into an
electrical signal
MEMS
 The critical physical dimensions of MEMS devices can vary from well below one micron on
the lower end of the dimensional spectrum, all the way to several millimetres.
 The types of MEMS devices can vary from relatively simple structures having no moving
elements, to extremely complex electromechanical systems with multiple moving elements
under the control of integrated microelectronics.
 The one main criterion of MEMS is that there are at least some elements having
some sort of mechanical functionality whether or not these elements can move.
 The term used to define MEMS varies in different parts of the world.
 In the United States they are predominantly called MEMS,
 while in some other parts of the world they are called “Microsystems Technology” or
“micromachined devices”.

15-Nov-19
FABRICATING MEMS

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SILICON WAFER
SILICON WAFER PROCESSING

 CRYSTAL GROWTH
 THERMAL OXIDATION, IMPLANT, DEPOSITION

 CORROSÃO (ETCHING)
 PAKAGING AND TEST
 PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY
CRYSTAL GROWTH AND WAFER SLICING PROCESS

 The sand used to grow the wafers has to be a very clean
 The sand is heated to about 1600 degrees C – just above its melting point
 A pure silicon seed crystal is placed into the molten sand bath
 The seed is pulled out slowly as it is rotated
 The result is a pure silicon cylinder: an ingot
 The ingot is sliced into very thin wafers
 Wafers are polished until they are very smooth and just the right thickness

15-Nov-19
BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MESRA, RANCHI SILICON
High-Purity Electric
Silica furnace, high
SiO2 temperatures
(over 1900°C!)
Silicon is commercially prepared by the reaction of high-purity silica with wood, charcoal, and
coal, in an electric arc furnace using carbon electrodes. At temperatures over 1900 °C, the
carbon reduces the silica to silicon according to the chemical equation
SiO2 + C → Si + CO2
CUTTING SILICON WAFERS

 Crystalline silicon is strong but brittle.
 Crystalline structure (repeating pattern) has plane lines
that can break.
Where are the plane lines?
Different sides of unit cell have different names.

Si breaks 90° to the (100) plane
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CZOCHRALSKI (CZ) PROCESS

 This process accounts for 80 to 90% of worldwide
silicon production.
 The process generally consist of dipping a small

single-crystal seed into molten silicon and slowly
withdrawing the seed while rotating it
simultaneously.
 The cursible is usually made of quartz or graphite

with fused silica lining.
 After the seed is dipped into EGS melt, the crystal

is pulled at a rate that minimizes defects and yield
a constant ingot diameter.
11
 After grinding to fix the diameter, one or more

flats are grounded along the length of the
ingot.
 The larger flat, called the “Major” or “Primary”

flat is usually relative to a specific crystal

orientation.
 The flat is located by X-ray diffraction

techniques.
 The primary flat serves as a mechanical

locator in automated processing equipment to
position the wafer, and also serves to orient
the IC device relative to the crystal.
 Other smaller flats are called “Secondary” flats

that serve to identify the orientation and
conductivity type of the wafer
12

15-Nov-19
BULK MICROMACHINING
In bulk micromachining, the bulk of the substrate, i.e., single crystal silicon, a very stable
mechanical material, is specifically removed to form three-dimensional MEMS
devices.
The bulk micromachining manufacture of micro devices generally uses top-down
fabrication techniques of etching deep into prepared silicon wafers to create three-
dimensional MEMS components. It is a subtractive process that uses wet anisotropic
etching or a dry etching method such as reactive ion etching (RIE),
to create large pits, grooves and channels. Materials typically used for wet etching
include silicon and quartz, while dry etching is typically used with silicon, metals, plastics
and ceramics.
13
Wet Etching: In Wet etching, the material is removed through the immersion of a
material (typically a silicon wafer) in a liquid bath of a chemical etchant. These etchants
can be isotropic (HNA – mixture of HF, HNO3 and Ch3COOH) or anisotropic (KOH).
Anisotropic etchants etches faster in a preferred direction; etching is dependent on the
crystal orientation of the substrate.
Dry Etching: In dry etching, energetic ions are accelerated towards the material to be
etched within a plasma phase supplying the additional energy needed for the reaction.
The most common form for MEMS is reactive ion etching (RIE) which utilizes additional
energy in the form of radio frequency (RF) power to drive the chemical reaction.
Deep Reactive Ion Etching(DRIE): Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) is a much
higher-aspect-ratio etching method that involves an alternating process of high-density
plasma etching (as in RIE) and protective polymer deposition to achieve greater aspect
ratios
The transduction mechanism widely used in bulk micromachined sensors, e.g.,

pressure senor is the piezoresistive effect. In piezoresistive materials, the change in the
stress causes a strain and a corresponding change in the resistance. Thus, when
implanted piezoresistors are formed at the maximum stress points of the diaphragm (in
case of pressure sensor), the deflection under the applied pressure causes a change in
the resistance.
14

15-Nov-19
WET AND DRY ETCHANTS OF THIN METAL

FILMS AND DIELECTRIC INSULATORS
Maluf, N., and Williams, K., An introduction to microelectromehcanical systems engineering, 2nd Edition, London: Artech House, 2004, ISBN 1-58053-590-9,
Copyright 2004 Artech House)
15
SURFACE MICROMACHINING
In surface
micromachining, the 3-D
structure is built up by the
orchestrated addition and

removal of a sequence of
thin film layers to/from the
wafer surface called
structural and sacrificial
layers,
respectively. Sacrificial
layers are deposited and
then removed to form the
mechanical spaces or
gaps between the
structural layers. The
process steps for surface
micromachined cantilever
are shown below
16

15-Nov-19
PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY
 When the design is ready glass photomasks are made - one mask for each
layer of the circuit.
 These glass photomasks are used in a process called photolithography.
 The wafers are exposed to a multiple-step photolithography process that is

repeated once for each mask
Steps of Photolithography
• Coating of photoresist
• Exposure to UV
• Development
17
 The wafer is uniformly coated with a thick light-

sensitive liquid called photoresist. The coating
is applied while the wafer is spinning (1500-
8000 rpm)
 The photoresist thickness is in the range: 0.5 -
2µm. Thickness uniformity of ~5nm is required.
 The wafer is heated in order to cure the

photoresist (soft baking).
 After spin coating, resist contains up to 15%
organic solvent. This is removed by soft-baking
at 75-100ºC for approximately 10 mins. This
step also
 Releases stress
 Improves adhesion of resist to wafer
 Parts of the wafer are selected for exposure by
carefully aligning a mask between an ultraviolet
light source and the wafer.
 In the transparent areas of the mask, light
passes through and exposes the photoresist.
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15-Nov-19
There are two types of photoresist:
A. negative: UV light causes the
negative resist to become

polymerized, and more difficult to
dissolve
B. Positive: UV light changes the
chemical structure of the resist so
that it becomes more soluble in the
developer Silicon Wafer Processing
 Photolithography - Exposure to UV
Positive resists are now the
dominant type in use
19
POSITIVE RESISTS:
 There are two kinds of positive resists:
A. the PMMA (polymethymethacrylate) resists,

B. the two-component DQN resist involving diazoquinone ester (DQ) and phenolic
novolak resin (N).
 In the latter kind, the first component takes about 20-50% by weight in the compound.
 Positive resists are sensitive to UV lights with the maximum sensitivity at a

wavelength of 220 nm.
 The PMMA resists are also used in photolithography involving electron beam, ion
beam and x-ray.
 Most positive resists can be developed in alkaline solvents such as KOH (potassium
peroxide), TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide), ketones or acetates.
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15-Nov-19
NEGATIVE RESISTS:
A. Two-component bis (aryl) azide rubber resists, and
B. Kodak KTFR (azide-sensitized polyisotroprene rubber).

 Negative resists are less sensitive to optical and x-ray exposures but more
sensitive to electron beams.
 Xylene is the most commonly used solvent for developing negative resists.
 In general, positive resists provide more clear edge definitions than the
negative resists. So, it is a better option for high resolution patterns for
micro devices.
21
APPLICATION OF PHOTORESISTS
 The process begins with securing the substrate wafer onto the top of a vacuum
chuck.
 A resist puddle is first applied to the center portion of the wafer from a dispenser.
 The wafer is then subjected to high speed spinning at a rotational speed from 1500 to
8000 rpm for 10 to 60 seconds. The speed is set depending on the type of the resist,
the desired thickness and uniformity of the resist coating.
 The centrifugal forces applied to the resist puddle cause a uniform spread of the fluid
over the entire surface of the wafer.
 Typically the thickness is between 0.5 – 2 µm with ±5 nm variation. For some

microsystems applications, the thickness had been increased to 1 cm.
22

15-Nov-19
LIGHT SOURCES
 Photoresist materials used in micro fabrication are sensitive to light with wavelength
ranging from 300 to 500 nm.
 Most popular light source for photolithography is the mercury vapor lamps.
 This light source provides a wavelength spectrum from 310 to 440 nm.
 Deep UV (ultra violet) light has a wavelength of 150-300 nm and the UV light source
has wavelengths between 350-500 nm.
 In special applications for extremely high resolutions, x-ray is used.
 The wavelength of x-ray is in the range from 4 to 50 Angstrom. (an Angstrom, = 0.1
nm or 10-4 µm).
23
 A mask is a square glass plate with a patterned emulsion of metal film on

one side
 The mask is aligned with the wafer, so that the pattern can be transferred
onto the wafer surface
 Each mask must be aligned to the previous one The photoresist is exposed
through the pattern on the mask with a high intensity ultraviolet light
 There are three primary exposure methods: contact, proximity, and
projection.
 The main advantage of projection is that the mask can be quite a bit larger
then the final pattern and through optical and mechanical manipulations a
better resolution can be exposed onto the photoresist -
 Direct Wafer Stepping (DWS)
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15-Nov-19
 Factors affecting resolution:
 Diffraction of light at the edge of an opaque feature in the mask as the light
passes through alignment of wafer to mask,
non-uniformities in wafer flatness, Theoretical limits of photo lithography:

smallest feature size by projection lithography is the same as the λ of the

UV source.
 Means of Exposure:
 Extreme UV (EUV) 10-14nm
 Deep UV (DUV) 150-300nm
 Near UV (UV) 350-500nm
 For λ =400 nm, resolution is approximately 1 µm
25
 Negative photoresist hardens and becomes impervious to etchants when

exposed to ultraviolet light.
 This chemical change allows the subsequent developer solution to remove
the unexposed photoresist while leaving the hardened, exposed photoresist
on the wafer.
26

15-Nov-19
ETCHING PROCESS
 The etching process is used immediately after photolithography to etch the
unwanted material from the wafer. •
Wet etching - A batch of wafers is dipped into a highly concentrated pool
1.
of acid
2. Dry etching - uses gas instead of chemical etchants. Dry etching is
capable of producing critical geometries that are very small.
27
NEW GENERATION LITHOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES:
 Extreme ultraviolet lithography

 X-ray lithography (shorter λ and immunity to particle contamination, but only
1:1 scale and complex mask production)
 Direct Write to Wafer methods (DWW): Electron beam or Ion-beam

lithography – more expensive
28


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15-Nov-19

Introduction to MEMS – semiconductors and silicon – crystal growing and

DR. BINAY KUMAR

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

 The physicist Richard Feynman delivered a

 The potential benefits of doing so? Creating

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production

MICRO-ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SYSTEMS (MEMS)

and electro-mechanical elements (i.e.,

• Functional elements of MEMS are miniaturized structures, sensors, actuators, and

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

elements, to extremely complex electromechanical systems with multiple moving elements

under the control of integrated microelectronics.

 In the United States they are predominantly called MEMS,

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production

BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MESRA, RANCHI

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

SILICON WAFER PROCESSING

 THERMAL OXIDATION, IMPLANT, DEPOSITION

 PAKAGING AND TEST

CRYSTAL GROWTH AND WAFER SLICING PROCESS

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production

BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, MESRA, RANCHI SILICON

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

CUTTING SILICON WAFERS

Where are the plane lines?

Different sides of unit cell have different names.

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production

CZOCHRALSKI (CZ) PROCESS

 The process generally consist of dipping a small

 The cursible is usually made of quartz or graphite

 After the seed is dipped into EGS melt, the crystal

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

 After grinding to fix the diameter, one or more

 The larger flat, called the “Major” or “Primary”

flat is usually relative to a specific crystal

 The flat is located by X-ray diffraction

 The primary flat serves as a mechanical

 Other smaller flats are called “Secondary” flats

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

The transduction mechanism widely used in bulk micromachined sensors, e.g.,

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production

WET AND DRY ETCHANTS OF THIN METAL

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

orchestrated addition and

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production

 These glass photomasks are used in a process called photolithography.

 The wafers are exposed to a multiple-step photolithography process that is

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi

 The wafer is uniformly coated with a thick light-

 The wafer is heated in order to cure the

Dr. Binay kumar, Deptt. of production Engg.,BIT Mesra, Ranchi