Fabrication of low-stress dielectric thin-film for microsensor applications

Author

Chou, Bruce C S ; Shie, Jin-Shown ; Chen, Chung-Nan

Author_Institution

Inst. of Electro-Opt. Eng., Nat. Chiao Tung Univ., Hsinchu, Taiwan

Volume

18

Issue

12

fYear

1997

Firstpage

599

Lastpage

601

Abstract

A method of fabricating low-stress dielectric thin film as the supporting material of micromachined devices is reported. The film is processed by post thermal oxidation of silicon-rich nitride (SN) deposited on a silicon substrate by LPCVD. Due to the compensation on the nitride by its top oxide, an ultra-low residual stress less than 10 MPa can be obtained with a proper oxidation scheme. Characteristics of the oxidized nitride were analyzed by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and ellipsometry. Large floating membranes of 4/spl times/4 cm/sup 2/ and 400-nm thick can be made by this method with TMAH etching.

Keywords

Auger effect; CVD coatings; dielectric thin films; ellipsometry; etching; internal stresses; membranes; microsensors; oxidation; silicon compounds; 400 nm; Auger electron spectroscopy; LPCVD; Si; Si substrate; SiO/sub x/N/sub y/; SiON-Si; TMAH etching; compensation; ellipsometry; large floating membranes; low-stress dielectric thin-film; micromachined devices; microsensor application; oxidized nitride; post thermal oxidation; silicon-rich nitride; supporting material; ultra-low residual stress; Dielectric materials; Dielectric substrates; Dielectric thin films; Fabrication; Microsensors; Oxidation; Residual stresses; Semiconductor films; Silicon; Tin;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electron Device Letters, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0741-3106

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/55.644083

Filename

644083