Cavendish Kinetics Limited

Qorvo Us, Inc.

Mickael Renault

Shibajyoti Ghosh Dastider

Robertus Petrus Van Kampen

Jacques Marcel Muyango

Vikram Joshi

Joseph Damian Gordon Lacey

Thomas L Maguire

Richard Lee Knipe

James F Bobey

Julio C Costa

James D Huffman

Lance W Barron

Brian I Troy

Anartz Unamuno

Willibrordus G M Van Den Hoek

Jaques Marcel Muyango

James Douglas Huffman

A method of manufacturing a MEMS device. The MEMS device has a cavity in which a beam will move to change the capacitance of the device. After most of the device build-up has occurred, sacrificial material is removed to free the beam within the MEMS device cavity. Thereafter, exposed ruthenium contacts are exposed to fluorine to either: dope exposed ruthenium and reduce surface adhesive forces, form fluorinated Self-Assembled Monolayers on the exposed ruthenium surfaces, deposit a nanometer passivating film on exposed ruthenium, or alter surface roughness of the ruthenium. Due to the fluorine treatment, low resistance, durable contacts are present, and the contacts are less susceptible to stiction events.

Anti-stiction enhancement of ruthenium contact

The present disclosure relates to a microelectronics package with a vertically stacked structure of a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device and a controller device. The MEMS device includes a MEMS component, a MEMS through-via, and a MEMS connecting layer configured to electrically connect the MEMS component with the MEMS through-via. The controller device includes a controlling component, a controller through-via, and a controller connecting layer configured to electrically connect the controlling component with the controller through-via. The controller through-via is in contact with the MEMS through-via, such that the controlling component in the controller device is configured to control the MEMS component in the MEMS device.

Microelectronics package with vertically stacked MEMS device and controller device

A method of manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein the MEMS device has a cavity in which a beam will move to change the capacitance of the device. After most of the device build-up has occurred, sacrificial material is removed to free the beam within the MEMS device cavity. Thereafter, exposed ruthenium contacts are etched back with an etchant comprising chlorine to remove the top surface of both the top and bottom contacts. Due to this etch back process, low contact resistance can be achieved with less susceptibility to stiction events. Stiction performance can be further improved by conditioning the ruthenium contacts in a fluorine based plasma. The fluorine based plasma process, or fluorine treatment, can be performed prior to or after etch-back process of the ruthenium contacts.

MEMS device having decreased contact resistance

Methods of forming a microelectromechanical device are disclosed. In some embodiments, a first layer is deposited on a backplane having at least two electrodes. One or more electrical contacts over the first layer are formed. Forming the one or more electrical contacts includes: depositing a first ruthenium layer over the first layer, depositing a titanium nitride layer over the first ruthenium layer, depositing a second ruthenium layer over the titanium nitride layer, etching the second ruthenium layer with a first etchant, etching the titanium nitride layer with a second etchant different than the first etchant; and etching the first ruthenium layer with the first etchant. Additionally, a beam is formed above one or more electrical contacts, the beam being spaced from the one or more electrical contacts and a top electrode is formed above the beam. A seal layer above the beam to enclose the beam in a cavity.

MEMS device having uniform contacts

A method of forming a microelectromechanical device wherein a beam of the microelectromechanical device may deviate from a resting to an engaged or disengaged position through electrical biasing. The microelectromechanical device comprises a beam disposed above a first RF electrode and a second RF electrode. The microelectromechanical device further comprises one or more electrical contacts disposed below the beam. The one or more electrical contacts comprise a first layer of ruthenium disposed over an oxide layer, a titanium nitride layer disposed on the first layer of ruthenium, and a second layer of ruthenium disposed on the titanium nitride layer.

The present disclosure relates to a radio frequency (RF) device and a process for making the same. According to the process, a precursor wafer, which includes device regions, individual interfacial layers, individual p-type doped layers, and a silicon handle substrate, is firstly provided. Each individual interfacial layer is over an active layer of a corresponding device region, each individual p-type doped layer is over a corresponding individual interfacial layer, and the silicon handle substrate is over each individual p-type doped layer. Herein, each individual interfacial layer is formed of SiGe, and each individual p-type doped layer is a silicon layer doped with a p-type material that has a doped concentration greater than 1E18cm-3. Next, the silicon handle substrate is completely removed to provide an etched wafer, and each individual p-type doped layer is completely removed from the etched wafer.

RF devices with enhanced performance and methods of forming the same

A method of forming a microelectromechanical device wherein a beam of the microelectromechanical device may deviate from a resting to an engaged or disengaged position through electrical biasing. The microelectromechanical device comprises a beam disposed above a first RF conductor and a second RF conductor. The microelectromechanical device further comprises at least a center stack, a first RF stack, a second RF stack, a first stack formed on a first base layer, and a second stack formed on a second base layer, each stack disposed between the beam and the first and second RF conductors. The beam is configured to deflect downward to first contact the first stack formed on the first base layer and the second stack formed on the second base layer simultaneously or the center stack, before contacting the first RF stack and the second RF stack simultaneously.

Method of forming a flexible MEMS device

The present invention generally relates to a mechanism for making a MEMS switch that has a robust RF-contact by avoiding currents to run through a thin sidewall in a via from the RF-contact to the underlying RF-electrode.

Contact in RF-switch

A MEMS switch contains an RF electrode, pull-down electrodesand anchor electrodeslocated on a substrate. A plurality of islandsare provided in the pull-down electrode and electrically isolated therefrom. On top of the RF electrode is the RF contactto which the MEMS-bridgeforms an ohmic contact in the pulled-down state. The pull-down electrodesare covered with a dielectric layerto avoid a short-circuit between the bridge and the pull-down electrode. Contact stoppersare disposed on the dielectric layerat locations corresponding to the islands, and the resulting gap between the bridge and the dielectric layer in the pulled-down state reduces dielectric charging. In alternative embodiments, the contact stoppers are provide within the dielectric layeror disposed on the islands themselves and under the dielectric layer. The switch provides good controllability of the contact resistance of MEMS switches over a wide voltage operating range.

MEMS RF-switch with controlled contact landing

The present invention generally relates to an RF MEMS DVC and a method for manufacture thereof. To ensure that undesired grain growth does not occur and contribute to an uneven RF electrode, a multilayer stack comprising an AlCu layer and a layer containing titanium may be used. The titanium diffuses into the AlCu layer at higher temperatures such that the grain growth of the AlCu will be inhibited and the switching element can be fabricated with a consistent structure, which leads to a consistent, predictable capacitance during operation.

RF MEMS electrodes with limited grain growth

The present invention generally relates to a method for forming a MEMS device and a MEMS device formed by the method. When forming the MEMS device, sacrificial material is deposited around the switching element within the cavity body. The sacrificial material is eventually removed to free the switching element in the cavity. The switching element has a thin dielectric layer thereover to prevent etchant interaction with the conductive material of the switching element. During fabrication, the dielectric layer is deposited over the sacrificial material. To ensure good adhesion between the dielectric layer and the sacrificial material, a silicon rich silicon oxide layer is deposited onto the sacrificial material before depositing the dielectric layer thereon.

Method for achieving good adhesion between dielectric and organic material

The present invention generally relates to a MEMS device and a method of manufacture thereof. The RF electrode, and hence, the dielectric layer thereover, has a curved upper surface that substantially matches the contact area of the bottom surface of the movable plate. As such, the movable plate is able to have good contact with the dielectric layer and thus, good capacitance is achieved.

Curved RF electrode for improved Cmax

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a MEMS device that is anchored using the layer that is deposited to form the cavity sealing layer and/or with the layer that is deposited to form the pull-off electrode. The switching element of the MEMS device will have a flexible or movable portion and will also have a fixed or anchor portion that is electrically coupled to ground. The layer that is used to seal the cavity in which the switching element is disposed can also be coupled to the fixed or anchor portion of the switching element to anchor the fixed or anchor portion within the cavity. Additionally, the layer that is used to form one of the electrodes may be used to provide additional leverage for anchoring the fixed or anchor portion within the cavity. In either situation, the movement of the flexible or movable portion is not hindered.

MEMS device anchoring

The present invention generally relates to a method of fabricating a MEMS device. In the MEMS device, a movable plate is disposed within a cavity such that the movable plate is movable within the cavity. To form the cavity, sacrificial material may be deposited and then the material of the movable plate is deposited thereover. The sacrificial material is removed to free the mov able plate to move within the cavity. The sacrificial material, once deposited, may not be sufficiently planar because the height difference between the lowest point and the highest point of the sacrificial material may be quite high. To ensure the movable plate is sufficiently planar, the planarity of the sacrificial material should be maximized. To maximize the surface planarity of the sacrificial material, the sacrificial material may be deposited and then conductive heated to permit the sacrificial material to reflow and thus, be planarized.

Method of forming planar sacrificial material in a MEMS device

The present invention generally relates to a MEMS device in which silicon residues from the adhesion promoter material are reduced or even eliminated from the cavity floor. The adhesion promoter is typically used to adhere sacrificial material to material above the substrate. The adhesion promoter is the removed along with then sacrificial material. However, the adhesion promoter leaves silicon based residues within the cavity upon removal. The inventors have discovered that the adhesion promoter can be removed from the cavity area prior to depositing the sacrificial material. The adhesion promoter which remains over the remainder of the substrate is sufficient to adhere the sacrificial material to the substrate without fear of the sacrificial material delaminating. Because no adhesion promoter is used in the cavity area of the device, no silicon residues will be present within the cavity after the switching element of the MEMS device is freed.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Mickael Renault