Texas Instruments Corporation

Ronald Charles Roth

Lucius Marshall Sherwin

Sean Christopher O'Brien

David Matthew Smith

Timothy J Hogan

Jose Antonio Martinez

Lisa Ann Wesneski

Madhu Sudan Ramavajjala

Eric Robert Trumbauer

Robert Ray Spangler

Rosemary Urmese Anthraper

Kristi Bushman

Stephen Arlon Meinser

Erika Lee McFadden

Brian P Scott

Georgina Marie Park

A microelectromechanical (MEMS) device has a movable member supported above a substrate on a via support. The member and via support are fabricated integrally from first and second member forming layers. A first member forming layer forms a lower part of the member and supporting structure for the via support. First and second fill layers are deposited and patterned to form a plug that fills an inner cavity opening in the via structure. The plug is planarized to a planar part of the first member forming layer, and a second member forming layer is deposited over the first member forming layer and the planarized plug to form an upper part of the member. The via support may have a cavity filled by BARC layers.

MEMS device with improved via support planarization

In a lithography process using an ultraviolet process, the applied ultraviolet resist can be removed by intentionally condensing the ultraviolet resist before removing the ultraviolet resist.

Etching method for use in deep-ultraviolet lithography

A manufacturing process including a controller method to generate a tool setting which includes a tool offset and a device offset. The controller method uses a device parameter measurement to update the tool offset and device offset. A tool weight and a device weight is assigned so that only one of the tool offset and device offset is significantly changed during the update. The process may be applied to semiconductor device manufacturing and particularly to integrated circuit fabrication.

Process and method for a decoupled multi-parameter run-to-run controller

Method for removing contaminants from a surface during semiconductor fabrication. A preferred embodiment comprises developing a resist layer on a top surface of a semiconductor substrate, curing the developed resist layer, and cleaning the developed resist layer with a developer solution to remove contaminants. The cleaning makes use of the same developer solution used to develop the resist layer, so the cleaning makes use of a process that already exists and requires no additional investment to implement, while the curing stabilizes the developed resist layer so that the cleaning does not damage the developed resist layer.

Method for contaminant removal

System and method for maximizing image quality by eliminating vias on a reflective surface. A preferred embodiment comprises depositing a first portion of a mirror surface over a support surface, applying a protective coating on the mirror surface, and then inverting the via. The preferred embodiment also comprises removing a portion of the inverted via and then depositing a second portion of the mirror surface. The remaining portion of the inverted via fills the via and provides a level surface for the depositing of the second portion of the mirror surface, reducing the amount of light scattered by the via.

System and method for increasing image quality in a display system

A method of patterning a metal layer that cleans the residue from a metal etch process without removing a photoresist etch mask. The method is particularly useful for the fabrication of micromirror devices, or other MEMS devices that use photoresist spacer layers. A photoresist layer is spun on to the mirror metal layer in step The photoresist is patterned and developed in step to form openings to the metal layer. The openings define areas where the mirror metal layer will be removed. The patterned photoresist is inspected in step The mirror metal layer is etched in step using the patterned photoresist layer as an etch mask. After the mirror metal has been etched, the webbing and other residues are removed in a clean up process that uses photoresist developer as a solvent to remove the webbing. After the developer clean up process, the mirrors are inspected in step to verify the proper gaps have been etched between the mirrors and the removal of the mirror etch residue. A photoresist saw prep coating is then spun onto the wafer in step the wafers are sawn in step and scrubbed in step before the mirrors are undercut in step The undercut process removes the photoresist spacer layers on which the hinge yoke and mirror have been fabricated, allowing mirrors to rotate about the torsion hinges.

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McKinney, TX, United States of America

Ronald Charles Roth